Pre Bathroom weight: 196.6
Post Bathroom weight: 195.2

Release the bowels before you officially weigh yourself "And that's One to Grow On". *cue jingle*

Funny. I used to go to bed watching Becker (1AM on UPN) Now I wake up to it (5AM TBS)

I beat her this AM. But something happened I'll post about later to see how y'all would handle it.

Man, yesterday morning was a close call. I had just arrived in the gym and was toggling the TV to a station, w/my broom handle (the remote has been disappeared) to a station I wouldn't mind watching for an entire hour. I barely settled on Nick @ Nite when I heard the door slam.

It was that girl from a few weeks ago. I KNOWWWWWWW she was pissed……she stopped short when she saw me. And just as I predicted, the phony cheery hello from a few weeks ago turned into a scowl. To which I gave her my patented fake smile/grimace/eyeroll and promptly hopped on the treadmill.

We'll be battling for the treadmill and it's a war I plan to win. Her seeing me again will only mean next time she'll try to get down there earlier. Last time I saw her it was towards the end of "Who's the Boss". This time it was about 10 mins into the show. So I must get down there when the show before it starts.

Yes it'll mean I'll have more time to fritter away in the AM but I can get some other things I tend to do in the afternoon/evening out of the way, or go back to bed. :shrug: Last 2 weeks she missed me so she prolly thought I was a fluke if she sees me again she'll know it's on and now that I know she knows, I can't be dilly dallying in the AM.

When the alarm goes off I tend to sit in bed in a slumped over stupor waiting for the fog in my brain to clear out. Not anymore. I'm now going to start sleeping in my gym clothes, ♥ rate monitor and iPod already strapped on so when the alarm goes off, I'm out the door in a bolt.

Note to self, when earbuds repeatedly fall out, do yourself a favor and check to make sure the L is in the left ear and the R is in the right ear. *sigh*

For the record, whoever said, in response to a massive gain in a short time, "Oh the 5lbs you pack on quickly can be lost just as quickly" is a #!^%$@%$^%$#@%$^%#!@%$ LIAR.

That is all.

Interestingly enough, a scant 3 weeks ago I remember hobbling around. Struggling to lift my legs. This week? Nada. I put my thighs thru a hell session on Sunday.

Monday they were like, "Is that all you got? Hrmph!"

And my feet were like, "Quiet you."

And my hands curled up in a ball and shook their fists @ my thighs and were like, "Why I oughta."

And my brain sighed, rolled it's eyes and was like, "You wonder why you're single? How old are you again?"

And my heart softly sobbed.

Now that the sweat beads have no where to hide…

...they've found a new home. My t-shirt...

Oh, but that's not big picture, b/c you must see the big picture to fully appreciate what it is I'm trying to convey.

Made the following observation today, it's a given to run into one of these three things on TeeVee @ insane AM:

- Preachers
- Fast or drastic weight loss pill or product
- Get rich quick scheme

If I could just find a way to make a single product that gives people religion, slimmer thighs and money, I do believe I'll be richer than Oprah.

Heh, that title should make for some interesting google hits.

Legs I mean.

Stiff ones are good.

Still talking legs here.

You knew that.

No more double eps of Full House for me, Jeff Foxworthy Show comes on first. Boo! Hard as it is to believe, I have not seen all the early Full House shows, today was the one where Deej wanted to get a horse and to prove her committment, she took care of it w/o complaints and and saved her money for two whole weeks, I'm going to refer back to this later this week.

Forgot to take my pen, it's always something, so had to remember the following #'s

152
10:40
.77
6.33
2
5/3.0
.11
1
106

See why below...

Note to self, short shorts just don't cut it for power AM workouts. Must get longer shorts.

This week I'm doing power AM workouts, I'll expound upon 'em more next week. How powerful are they? Well currently, I'm wearing braids that nearly reach my middle to lower back.

My entire head, fake hair included, is soaked from root to tip. Perhaps this visual, I had to take 3 shots and combine them, will better make my point. Observe:

********

I'm going to be a bit of a bore the next few days as I whine, moan, spew, holler, yell, lament, pontificate, analyze, gripe, brag, boast, kvetch, whimper, harangue, groan, shout, declare, pout, discuss, fret, and just generally yada yada yada about how sore I am.

You've been warned.

********

Oh if you want to see the workout attire I chatted about:

If they can put a man on the moon...

If they can make Oscar® dresses w/pockets...

I repeat, if they can make an Oscar® dress w/pockets...

Why oh why can't they make yoga pants w/pockets too?

I said it out of order on purpose.

The Bad - Remote was stuck, no chance of channel surfing or even raising the volume.

The Good - It was stuck on Cartoon Network.

The Ugly - It was Adult Swim.

The Oogly - @ 1 point this morning, it's a distant memory now, I got dressed by putting on my watch first, then my form fitting pants, then my socks, then the strap to my ♥ rate monitor THEN my sports bra. For a good 5 mins I was piddling around the apt w/just the strap and strangely enough, I felt quite comfie.

Shure I'm musing way later than normal and it's been many moons since my last muse, but as Frank Costanza is fond of saying, I'm back baybeee.

Got to the gym so late, I missed my normal Nick @ Nite shows, but I did see the Rugrats all grown up. Didn't even recognize them. When the heck did the freckle faced red head boy, Chucky! (found that out in the last min of the show) get a Japanese sister?!?! I barely recognized any of them, till the end, I spied the twins and hubba hubba whoddathunk that bald head soggy diapered Tommy would turn into such a hottie *wolf whistle* almost makes me wish they'd show it earlier, it has the potential of becoming my cheezy AM workout show.

Also caught the most INANE SHOW EVER, "Here and Back" MTVs vehicle for Ashely sumthin. What a BORING show, gahhhh, watching it made my ♥ rate dip...pffft! That alone will make me make sure and get my @rse outta bed early next Sunday *snicker*

And just like days of old, the sweatdrop started exactly @ the 20 min mark. Good times.

Was so sleepy yesterday. For the first time in the last two weeks I was once again fighting to keep my eyes open by 9. Tossed and turned a bit but slept well. Rough getting up. Run went well. No queasies, lotsa sweatdrop. No Fresh Prince today. Roseanne instead. Since the remote is broken, again, this alternate morning programming works to my advantage.

Gah, so rough getting up this am. Two weeks of staying up late started to lull me back into my night owl-ish ways. Proably didn't fall asleep till 11 and b/c I didn't wake up early yesterday I was anxious before falling asleep. After tossing and turning for almost an hour, took some sleep meds and I was out like a light. I did hit snooze, but got on up and groggily headed out. 11 mins in, ♥ rate @ 150, sweatdrop starting to form, I was like, Dayum, I missed this place.

Spoke to leasing agent yesterday and apparently a breaker blew so the treadmill and bike were back in action. He saw someone using it earlier so my hope was restored. Just like yesterday it things started out good, did my 30 min walk first then got ready to run for 30 mins or 2 miles when that sticking thing started happening again.

Scratching my head I chucked the run, I've seen that commercial where that guy trips on the treadmill. Not cute. So I just did another preprogrammed walk. No sticking. Strange. I wondered if it has something to do with using it manually, so when I was done, I tested it. I set it for my run speed, 4.0/1% and walked for 1 min. No sticking. I started to run, it started sticking and w/in 15 secs stopped completly and I saw the same error message I saw yesterday morning.

I also noticed yesterday and today, even though it moves consistently when doing the preprogrammed setting, the tread feels funny under my feet, I feel a slight grind and the motor sounds diff't. I thought I was super sensitive b/c I had been away from it for a week, but it is diff't. I'll let him know these specifics later today. Since I've already made a few back up plans and the bike is usuable, I'm not that pressed. Worse case, I can't run on it till it's fixed, but it's good that the preprogrammed setting work and there's lots of walking routines in my next challenge. Always something.

Durn treadmill. Morning musings should NEVER be this long.

Went down to the gym and saw the treadmill had an error msg on it. No biggie, usually unplugging and plugging it back in solves it. Problem solved, working out commences. Grumble thru 20 min walk. Trudge thru first few mins of HIIT, @ the precise moment of 9 mins 12 secs the chemically good feeling returned. That's also the exact moment the first sweat bead formed. Finished HIIT about to run. Start to run, treadmill sorta sticks. Rut oh. Holding onto the bars, treadmill sticks intermittently and @ the 3 min mark simply stops. Also @ that time most of the interior hallway lights go off. I plug it in again. No dice. I use the outlet the bike uses. Nada. Fine I'll finish off my last 20 mins on the bike. No way Jose. That's not turning on either.

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Serenity now.

This time of the day is starting to become my favorite time. It used to be anytime from 11pm to 2am was me time. I like the quiet & knowing when I walk down the hall @ this insane hour, most of my neighbors are still asleep. I like that it's just me in the gym. As I was bent over lacing up my sneakers, in the dim light I looked @ my legs. In the distance I heard a train toot it's horn. I felt like I was in a Nike commercial.

I don't know if that mind game did the trick, but I had a GREAT run this morning. I normally don't talk much about the running b/c to date it's all be laborious, I just trudge thru it. But today, as I was toggling the treadmill screen to the ♥ rate monitor settings, I didn't have that pre-run dread. Once I started, I felt like I floated the entire time, I couldn't believe 30 mins had passed. I actually clapped my hands @ the 29 min mark.

I think the fake iPod knows it's days are numbered. All this week the remote didn't work, this morning it did. I flipped to MTV and caught my fave song (Mr. Brightside) and pretended I had headphones on. Yes still. I looked str8 ahead and ran like I had music in my ears. I ran for the hunger I've been feeling right before bed and as soon as I wake up. I ran for the strength to stick to the food challenge. I ran for all the times in the past when I told myself I couldn't.

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." - Vincent Van Gogh

Hot damn, I'm a runner.

Woke up w/a killer headache/eyeache this morning. Tossed & turned for about 20 mins weighing whether working out would hurt or help. Got up and decided to give it a try. Had to hold onto the handrails a few times during the 30 min walk and couldn't look @ the tv, the glare from the light aggravated me. By the time the running started, I ½heartedly gave it a shot thinking I'd end up having to ride the bike, but I actually finished all 2 miles str8. Shure I counted it down in 5 min increments, but some mornings ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

It's been a few weeks since I strapped on my ♥ rate monitor. Mainly b/c I couldn't find it. Yesterday I had the urge to start back monitoring how I do and just like that I got out of bed went over to where I had some laundry folded up, moved a pair of pants and pulled out the strap. I know I looked in that exact spot a few weeks ago and I didn't even look anywhere else, it's like I knew. Then I couldn't find the watch part. Of course. But I remembered I tossed it in my junk box and there it was.

Well...@ least I have good TV karma going for me this week. In the last 3 days I've seen 6 episodes of Full House I musta missed the week I was sick.

Meh.

Almost didn't get up this am. Went so far as to reset the alarm for 2 hours later. But as I laid there trying to figure out how to work in 60 mins of cardio this afternoon and mentally trying to add up how to divide the miles/minutes to go w/this challenge over the next 2 days, my freaking brain became wide awake and I couldn't fall back to sleep.

That and my bladder was about to bust. Damn you 100 ozs of water ::shakes fist::

Waking up 45 mins BEFORE the alarm went off was my body's oh so subtle way of telling me it was very ready to sweat this am.

I'm now @ the precise point where I joined the Full House fam earlier this year. From here on out I've pretty much seen it all. The one saving grace, early in the year I didn't know they also showed it on the weekends, so that gives me some fresh episodes to look forward too.

Woke up this morning to find my site looking like this (click to see entire message):

On a brighter note, I now know what that # next to bandwidth means, as well as the precise moment I should enter panic mode.

My mind was racing last night, lots of fairly stressful situations percolating in the background. I got sleepy @ my normal time but tossed and turned so much I gave up trying. I don't think I fell asleep till 11 and then woke up 2 hours after the alarm went off. Blah.

Yesterday it was Kirk. Today Chelsea (his wife). Ahhh Full House...nepotism @ it's finest. It took me a minute to recognize her I thought she was Amanda Peet.

Mike Seaver aka Kirk Cameron showed up on Full House this morning. I tell ya, if I wasn't already drenched in sweat...I would've needed to find myself a towel...he was a such cuuuuutieee ::wolf whistle::

To post about @ some point this week: Armageddon, GI Jane, 456, hormonal eats, alt workouts, slow loss focus, supplements, no sweat, up late, not again aunt, sleep headache, cheap frozen, this weeks eats, Zeta/Moore vs. Swank/Garner/Biel.

It's pretty rough to muster enough gumption to get up AND workout when body doubling over pain, like some kind of masochistic internal alarm clock, wakes one up every 2 hours thruout the nite. Every. 2. Hours.

[This got cut in ½, I'll repost this later when I get home.]

Update 4/15: Well when I got home, I forgot that I needed this, refreshed the browser & ended up losing the original post. It just wasn't meant to be.

Thanx for the offer Christie, but today I didn't mind Full House restarting. It's actually quite interesting to learn that back in the day DJ used to be a little hellion and Uncle Jesse dated strippers.

I broke Full House.

After 11½ weeks of being a faithful watcher, on weekends too, the series restarted this morning. Had I known yesterday's episode, where Michelle lost her memory, was the finale I would have hung around to see how it ended. What on earth am I gonna watch now?

Yesterday I had the bright idea to take a nap in the late afternoon which ended up w/me fighting not to keep sleeping past 4pm. Later on I chatted w/my Aunt and rushed her off the phone saying I had to go to bed in 20 mins. She asked what time was it, I said 8:40 and she told me I was such a baby. I ended up farting around online ½ hour past my "bedtime" to spite her and then tossing and turning due to not being sleepy and the apt being very warm. That nap and trying to spite her so wasn't worth it.

It's weird some mornings I'm in the gym and not a soul passes by. Other mornings it's like Grand Central Station. @ first I thought someone's prolly having a party, but it's diff't type of people coming and going in diff't directions. All w/one thing in common: gawking @ me. Sheesh.

I thought I was waking up to Monday. I was really grouchy b/c I had some things to do over the weekend for the upcoming week and thought I was screwed. Geez did I sleep that deeply?

Every night this week I've had these really vivid dreams that I don't want to wake up and all w/in ½ hour before the alarm goes off.

My dreams have the added drama of the second the crucial point is going to happen, someone is telling me something, the person pointing the gun is making a key move or I'm doing something critical, the millisecond before it's resolved the alarm goes off.

I can't tell you how many times someone was in mid sentence, as I was hanging onto their words, when they opened their mouth, I hear "Beep, beep, beep"

Ahhhh almost forgot only one thing today. Sure it took 24 hours for my day to improve, but @ least it did.

It's gonna be one of those days. I've been spinning in circles all morning. Almost forgot my notes, jump rope, ♥ rate monitor watch & the icing on the cake? When I woke up my site was down, & still down when I got back from the gym. :furious:

Not only do I have a new workout regime, my morning routine has changed too. I'm feeling a bit off as I am posting wayyyyyyyyy earlier than I have been. This week is tweak week. I'm gonna find the holes in my pgm and plug 'em up.

Last night when I tossed and turned trying to fall asleep @ 9, I realized why I couldn't. My body felt it was 8. Yesterday morning when I woke up and saw that it's now pitch black when the sun had just started shining thru, I've come to the conclusion that daylight savings time screws the morning people.

I was petrified I'd oversleep this morning. Rationally it made no sense b/c even if I woke up an hour later, I already went grocery shopping yesterday so time wasn't an issue. Since I use the alarm on my cell, I thought the time would update, even while it was off. I ended up waking up ½ hour early and laid in bed confused. I hate these time change days, the whole day I don't trust clocks.

I wake up soooooooooo early that when Nick @ Nite advertises a show coming on later that night, the promo is still saying, tomorrow.

I started taking that "school" theme a bit too far. I found myself thinking...Hmmmm I'll claim Senior Skip Day and blow off the last two days of the challenge.

I knew I crossed the line when last night I had first day jitters. Why? I was hopping on the scale for the first time in 3 weeks and freaking out. Too much time on my hands. Fer shure.

Woke up this morning looked @ the clock and the time just didn't look right. It actually was but for the first time it looked liked the insane ungodly hour that it truly is.

It's one of those weeks. *sigh* I really need these two quotes today.

"I'm looking forward to looking back on all this." - Sandra Knell

Jackass neighbor to the left kept making pounding noises thru out the night while Asshole neighbor across the hall kept slamming her door. I hate this place.

I had company yesterday and today. I'm thinking the only thing that can explain the rush to the gym is that summer's coming in 12 weeks. Yesterday it was a guy I hadn't see before. Today it was Sweetcheeks.

There's an episode on The Simpsons when Bart gets a credit card, charges an expensive dog and when they come to repossess he gives them Santa's Little Helper. When he gets him back he says something like, "The cat's been strutting around like she owns the place."

Today I thought, Dammit, I stay outta this place for one day now these people think they own the place.... Yet another reason I'm driven to get down there daily. Competition.

Woke up just fine this AM, w/my usual feeling of I don't wanna get up but I did.

Once again the madness of Full House vexed me. When I last saw them (Friday) Danny just proposed to what's her name @ Disney world over the Summer. Today, it's Xmas & they've been engaged for 6 months. I missed one freaking day!

Anyone harboring concerns about me hitting the gym every morning driven by a fear of falling off the wagon, rest assured, it's that wacky Tanner family I am painfully addicted to. Further proven by this mornings quote.

Well either someone over @ Nick @ nite heard my cry or the fitness gawds smiled on me this AM. They played an old episode of Full House.

But that brings me to my other gripe. How is it we can put a man on the moon, but no on can play reruns in order? They also screw up the Seinfeld reruns in the evening. Somewhere around season 3 or 4 they lapse back to season 2 episode. :furious:

Speaking of Seinfeld...oh Morty I'll always remember you proudly wearing that tight "#1 Dad" t-shirt Jerry gave you. Rest in peace.

I officially turned off my heat yesterday. It's spring, c'mon apartment warm up already. I found myself burrrowing deeper under the blankie this morning. Barring a deep freeze, the heats off till winter.

My morning is not complete unless I a) drop something or b) lose something.

I got all the way to the gym, almost finished my warmup walk when I realized no ♥ rate monitor. I literally flung myself out of bed, got dressed w/one eye closed the other ½ open and stumbled to the gym.

Oh and I dropped my cell phone. Smack dab on the hardwood floor.

Sometimes I'm extremely grateful to use a treadmill in the am. I don't know how I'd muster the energy to put one foot in fron the other if I headed outdoors. *shudder*

This week has been vivid dream week.

Last night it was a two parter. The first part had people I went to high school with. Part 2 involved a group of men hanging a horse by it's tail from a tree. Then they started to chop it down. I was screaming @ them and woke up w/a hoarse (no pun) throat.

That may have come from knowing Ring 2 started yesterday.

I had a dream that a blogger I know, well not really know but we've exchanged comments a few times, stole all my workout gear. My training calendar, my jump rope, food log and some other things. I tracked her down to her apartment but she was ducking me & didn't go home. So I hid around a corner. When I saw her I tried to get my stuff back. I was like, look you can keep the [I forget what] just give me back my training log. I woke up in a cold sweat.

Had company this morning. It was her. Again.

It's been a few weeks. Last time I saw her I was doing Couch to 5k intervals and Michelle Tanner was just a baby, now I'm a runner and she's in the first grade. I glanced @ the door when I saw a movement then went back to watching tv. Not chatty in the morning. The dream was still on my mind.

She got on the bike and when she was about to get off she said, "I don't know how you wake up and get here so early."

Execept she said it like:

"I dont' know how you ::lip snarl:: wake up and get here so early ::roll eyes::."

I turned to look @ her mid sentence and caught the facial expression and dripping sarcasm. I was going to reply, Ummm...same way you did sweetcheeks, but I gave her my patent 2 second fake smile and turned back to the TV.

She did a few floor moves & leg lifts and left. Then a few minutes later I think someone else wanted to come in but must have saw me and turned back, I caught a white t-shirt out the corner of my eye. They peeked in and pulled away quickly.

If she thinks she's gonna beat me to the gym, she picked the wrong girl & wrong week. I'm very competitive. Know that Seinfeld episode where he races the woman @ the ATM. That is TOTALLY me.... Going to bed by 9 means I'm raring to go. So bring it on sweetcheeks. Bring. It. On.

I got a crick in my neck. I was deep in a dream and someone famous, I can't remember who, was about to say something. It was a man. And just as he opened his mouth, the alarm went off and I jerked up to turn it off so I could hear what he was trying to say. I didn't feel the crick then but now that the morning is wearing on, I feel it deepening. When I lean my head to the left I'm feeling the pinch.

Gym wasn't trashed this morning and the a/c was on when I walked in. Renee very happy.

It's a bitch to go to bed early and have an even harder time waking up. Geez. What gives?!?

I love my apartment, but in the last year I've started to hate my building. This morning it looks like someone tried to trash the bldg. I don't know if the gym was the target or an innocent bystander.

First of all, I walk in and it's steaming. There is water pouring out of the bathroom and the TV is on. I thought it was toilet water and was not going to even look inside the bathroom, but I could tell from the sound it wasn't. Some fool stuffed paper towels in the sink and left the water running. They also cranked up the heat to 90 and left the thermostat in the on position.

Outside the gym, they took all the discarded mail and scattered it in front the entrance. And the icing on the cake. The part this is PISSING me off and causing me to rant so early in the morning.

They let white mice loose in the bldg. I saw one in a cage in front the office door w/a note saying it was found. As I'm finishing my walk I see a white mouse scurrying along the wall. I thought the guy who just walked by let the caged one out. Nope. That was another one.

I get upstairs and hear a scuffle and saw it was the cop neighbor. He asked me if I knew someone w/mice. Oh NO! He found one sleeping and trapped it in the corner. These things are on the freaking second floor!!! So now I have to block the space under my door. Its narrow but if I remember my mouse history from when I had a cat, mice have no backbone that's how they can squeeze under things.

I'm not freaked out about the mice per se, having had a cat, I'm used to the bundles of suprise. I'm just sooooooooo MAD @ whoever pulled this crap.

No musings this morning. My body is still recovering from the shock of the workout it just performed so my brain can't think str8. Plus it's almost 15 mins later and I'm still sweatdrop. *groan*

If it isn't one thing it's another. This morning I woke up @ least a ½ hour before the alarm went off. I just laid there. Sheesh. And I don't know what gives b/c last night I went to bed 15 mins later than I did on Tues but had a harder time waking up Wed morning. All of which leads me to think, no morning will ever be ideal. It's all an ebb and flow and I've got to just make the best of what I'm dealt.

I've been having a helluva time getting up this week. I'm soooo sleepy. If I go to bed any earlier I'll freakin' feel like Michelle Tanner.

Something about working up a sweat also works to clear out my congested nose. W/in a ½ hour or so of walking I get such a good blow my nose is clear for the rest of the morning. Speaking of morning, I woke up STARVING. Times like this I don't play yogurt roulette, I go str8 for the nummy peach.

GAK! I've been away from Full House so long, last time I saw DJ she was graduating Junior High. Today she got her learner's permit. They grow so fast *sniff* especially in one week.

Musing @ 9am, that should be a telling hint. I'd be lying if I didn't admit I was sooooo very tempted to sleep in, feign sickness till Friday and pray for another 3lb drop. It won't happen, so I got up and here I am.

Further proof that I am better. I had every intention to repeat week #6 of Couch to 5k this week. Waking up later does not cure foggy brain syndrome. I read my calendar wrong and did week 5! :mad:

On the brighter side I shouldn't be too frustrated. It was a nice way to ease into my routine. But come Tuesday I will get it right and do the correct session.

Yesterday was the last day of the dayquil/nyquil combo...yippeee! I suspect dayquil has some drowsiness ingredient in it and the nyquil threw off my bedtime & wake up time. Ah well, guess it's also time for me to get off the whine/bitchfest as well.

Since I'll do some light cardio in the PM instead of the AM today I slept in a bit this morning.

All the catnapping the last few days has made nyquil powerless to knock me out completely. Pffft! Plus I've got to be more careful about the last thing I do before going to bed. I was reading some gossip about an infamous socialite whose name I won't mention b/c I don't want to get googled over her.

I couldn't stop dreaming about her or her sister. Even when I woke up @ my normal time and went back to sleep the dreams continued. It's like we were *shiver* friends.

I'm going to play eating & working out by ear for the rest of the week. I'm still feeling pretty cruddy. My heads not as achy but it feels like it's in the clouds. My ears are clogged, my nose alternates between pouring like a faucet and being so clear it hurts to breathe *whimper* Still not much of an appetite. Trying to keep up with the water intake when I'm not sleeping. All I can stomach right now is light finger foods.

Either I was really in the zone today or Full House was extremely interesting. Before I knew it, I ran an extra minute in the last segment of Couch to 5k.

I had a bit of a rough morning, I'll get into it later. It got worse when I found out Full House also comes on over the weekends. I knew something was wrong when I didn't see the DJ gets a phone episode. I already missed ½ of the first show, but I caught the 2nd one. Good thing, DJ got her own room and I would have been so lost seeing her in Michelles' room on Monday.

Then b/c I got to the gym so late, I still had a bit of time to walk. I flipped around caught Johnny Depp on the Actors Studio. I should be embarassed by the huge smile he brought to my panting sweat streaked face.

I'm not.

Further proof I am no good before the crack of dawn.

For the last 2 weeks I've been using paper towels to mop my brow. Since I've upped both speed & incline I'm either too high or moving too fast to reach for my water bottle much less the paper towels. A few days ago I stuffed them in the top of my sports bra, but my chest dampens them. Then I stuffed them in the top of my shorts, my belly dampened them too.

Mind you I wear these shorts when I ride my bike and take my keys to the gym. Today as I tried to figure out yet another place to stash my paper towels, it hit me. Duhhh!! How 'bout your pockets. The same pockets you had your keys in, yesterday.

My brain seriously needs one of those "Do not operate heavy machinery" warning labels.

Nothing to see here but us sweatdrop sweatdrop sweatdrop

I've been having a tough time waking up the last few mornings. I get up, but I'm groggy. Towards the end of last week I was waking up alert. Eh...maybe sleeping in an extra hour over the holiday weekend did me in. In the meantime I've set the alarm earlier so I can snooze till the real wake up time.

In the future, this week will be be a blurry vague memory. Keep that in mind body. Keep that in mind.

5 mins @ 3.5mph/12% ♥ rate @ 168-171

I survived.

That is all.

Another late morning! 2 hours late to be precise. Last night I had a 5 hour gabfest w/my best friend. When 9 came around, not only didn't I have the heart to get off the phone I didn't want to. By 10:30 I reset the alarm for 5:30. By 11:30 I gave up trying to count how many hours of sleep I'd get. By 12:30 I really had to end it. We've been known to talk from Saturday afternoon str8 thru Sunday morning sunrises. I kept the alarm @ 5:30 but was still tired when it went off so I decided to sleep until I woke up naturally, 6:45. Another reason my anal self hasn't gone into panic mode is that tomorrow is a holiday. I have an extra day to get back to my routine which makes all the belly laughs from last night totally worth it.

*whew* Almost didn't make it this morning. I can't remember which came first but sometime this morning there was a lot of ruckus going on. I thought it was the hallway, but it was outside. And it must have been loud and late b/c it woke me up and I heard my neighbors hollering, SHUT UP, . I laugh now b/c it was so absurd. They yell shut up and the people make more noise.

Then I had some really bad dreams I can't even remember so when the alarm went off I was beat. I said to hell w/it I'm sleeping in today and shut it off.

But here I am, pudge pic posted, quote posted and musing about the morning. Albeit later than usual.

So there ya go.

TGIF & TGFTTDW*

*Thank God For The Three Day Weekend

Dear Eyes & Brain,

I got your message from yesterday.

Listen, I know back in the old days, Eyes you were up till the break of dawn and luvin it. And brain, you were over there swimming in coca cola fluid, never knowing if you were going or coming.

But c'mon you two, puhleeze stop the kvetching.

Have you seen (no pun Eyes) the work this crazy chick has been putting me thru?!?! You both have it easy. If I can make it & wake up just fine, what's the deal w/you two?

Eyes, you just have to focus enough so she can get down to the gym. Brain, you just need to be coherent enough to read the treadmill. Oh and navigate the TV to Full House of course. I'll take care of everything else.

Hang tight guys. She may be on to something here.

Always & forever,
The Bod

Dear Body,

Pleeeeeeze give me the 30-45 mins of sleep you've been denying me for the last few days. I do, however, appreciate you no longer waking up @ 3 AM.

With great affection,
Bleary Eyes
Foggy Brain

Whatta morning. The security guard got locked in the bathroom. I'll back up a bit, when I got in the gym I saw the door knob was busted. As I was filling my water bottle she came in and tried to close the door from the inside but w/o a knob it wouldn't pull in. I helped her out and went onto my workout. Just when I started the 2nd jogging secton of Couch to 5k I thought I heard a knock, but ignored it. I heard it again. I was soooooooooo tempted to keep going, but I didn't.

I paused the treadmill and went over to help. Apparently the knob was broken in the locked position. For the next 8 or so minutes we shimmied it. Even trying the movie favorite, swipe a credit card down the crack, but our credit card was a jack knife. Don't ask.

Nothing was working. I told her she would have to break it down from the inside, kick it in. No luck. So I grabbed a jumprope pulled out a piece of metal and then used her knife to cut the rest of the lock out. Geez.

By that point, the treadmill stopped and I was going to just scrap the rest of the run. But I didn't. I just picked up from the 5 min mark and instead of doing the 45 min walk, I did the 30 min cardio pgm.

I've got to admit, I was really tempted to tell her hang tight while I @ least finished the Couch to 5k.

Tough waking up this AM. I went to bed about 15 min later than normal and tossed and turned a bit. If it wasn't for the fear of someone getting on the treadmill before me I would have hit the snooze button.

Woke up @ 3:50, better, but c'mon body can I get that extra 50 minutes of slumber!?!? Cripes!

Other than that I slept so hard I forgot today was Sunday, I thought I was waking up to Monday.

Tough time getting up this morning. Could be b/c the last 3 mornings I've woken up @ 3 FREAKING AM!!! What's up w/that? And oh how the temptation to snuggle that much deeper under the comforters tempted me so.

No company today. Matter of fact not a soul even walked by.

I had company this morning. Not sure if it was the same girl from last week. When I see activity in the corner of my eye, I glance @ the door but then I go back to looking @ the tv. I don't nod, smile or speak. I'm really not a morning person.

Matter of fact I'm downright surly.

Now in the PM I'm more amiable. I smile and nod. @ this hour my eyes are still trying to focus and the last thing I want to do is make chit chat w/anyone.

However, I do chuckle, out loud, @ the cheesy jokes on Full House.

No Gray Guy today...wooo hooo...but I'm in a foul mood nevertheless. I'll get into it more in my journal later on today.

It was a bit hard getting up. I was in the middle of a very emotional dream where I was yelling @ someone. When I woke up my throat felt raw, dry & strained. It wasn't until almost 30 minutes of walking did I wake up. Up till then I was just going thru the motions.

So Gray Guy (he's dressed head to to in gray) was back this morning. This time he came from the opposite direction where you can't see the treadmill, but you can hear the TV. He didn't even look in he just kept on walking. I think the repellent goes thru walls. heh

He came around 5-10 minutes after 5. Yesterday it was around 15-20 minutes. Looks like I'm going to have to get up and get down there 10 mins earlier to be on the safe side. Tomorrow he may try for 5am even.

I had company again this morning. Not the girl from last week. A guy. Eeep! I think he wanted the treadmill too, he did 2 arm exercises on the circuit and then left.

Or maybe Full House scared him off.

Oh who am I kidding. I'm freaking addicted to Full House. @ this point how could I not be? By day 3 I was hooked. This morning I realized why. Three days of back to back episodes is in reality 6 weeks of shows. In what would have taken over a month to get me hooked, Nick @ Nite has managed to do it in 3 days.

Damn you Nick @ Nite. ::shakes fists:: Damnnnn youuuuuu.

My morning is NOT complete unless I lose something or drop something, loudly, on the floor. *cripes*

Was watching Tom & Jerry this AM, on Saturdays I watch MTV, Sundays are for cartoons. During the week I'm going to alternate between Nick @ Nite and the Cartoon Network, maybe even throw in VHI midweek to shake things up.

Had to slow down my water intake, I just about drank 50oz before 6:30AM. It's just been tasting sooooo good lately.

- I meant to post about yesterdays' workout and next weeks plan but I had an irritating chat w/someone and I didn't feel like writing. Sometime this weekend I'll get around to it.

- I've been drinking around 130oz of water the last 3 days, now my back is starting to sweat.

- I've really got to get that power cord for the camera. I thought I had enough juice for to @ least post the pudge pic and was going to recharge it later, but it wont even let me transfer them.

Pfffft!

- The first 10 mins and somewhere around the 30-40 min mark are the LONGEST to get thru. So odd.

I've had a major crush on George Clooney & Johnny Depp forever and a day. Forever since George played "George" on The Facts of Life and Johnny was in A Nightmare On Elm Street and played "Officer Hanson" (Am I the only one that called him Officer Handsome?) on 21 Jumpstreet.

So there I am this morning, minding my own business watching Full House when their doorbell rings. Joey answers the door and who walks in but "Chachi". Next thing I know I'm grinning from ear to ear.

I've GOT to stop watching that show.

To make matters worse, I found myself getting choked up when Uncle Jesse threw Michelle a circus birthday party in the garage. He HATES the circus but he didn't want to ruin his nieces 3rd birthday.

OH. MY. GAWD!

Mmmm I lurrrrve Peach Yogurt with it's little chunks of peachy goodness. Just like candy.

Anyhoo, no morning company today. Yay!

I think I've logged my levels wrong a few days this week (specifically 1/31 & 2/2), I wrote 5% incline, but I'm pretty sure I did 7. @ 7% the estimated caloric burn is in the 500's and @ 5% it's in the 400's. I keep the display screen on ♥ rate & calories per hour and don't rememeber seeing it say 400-something. It irks me, but I'll let it stand. It's really my bad trying to do things from memory vs. looking @ my notes first. Pfffft!

Last night I fought from falling asleep @ 8. Freaking 8pm! By 8:45 I gave up the fight. I woke up around 3 or so and started thinking about music for the gym. When I start running I want to listen to music. Problem is I don't really listen to the radio or watch videos. So when I do hear a song I like, I have no idea what the name is or who's singing. I'm tragically unhip.

This week I've been listening to the pop/urban stations to get a few ideas and making mental notes. It'll be a while before I'm running consistently so for the next few weeks I'll work on my running soundtrack.

Nothing motivates you to get your ass outta bed like the thought of competition for the only treadmill. I don't think I've flung myself out of bed so forcefully since I've started. I was in the gym early enough to catch the last 5 mis of The Cosby Show.

Not only that, I FINALLY got a place marker on the floor and on my desk to take the pudge pics, specifically the back shot, more consistently. I got it done in one take today, easy peasy. AND I laid out the tools I take the gym in plain view. It's been a grab and go morning. To top it off I picked my FAVE yogurt flavor, vanilla, out of the fridge today. I like to suprise myself and grab one of them @ random and don't check to see what I'm eating till after I open it. Doesn't take much to thrill me.

My company from yesterday didn't show up. Maybe she's a Tues/Thurs kinda girl. I had a slight panic attack when I got in the gym. The thread on the treadmill looked like someone had been scrapping at it. The screen had an ERR 2 message and wouldn't start. I unplugged it for a few seconds and it was fine, but it's thread looks scratched up.

If I lose access to it, it'll suck b/c I had this all planned out. I'll wind up having to use the bike and my Couch to 5k training will suffer. But I'll worry about those things if & when they happen.

*groan* It's going to be a loooooong day.

I had the weirdest (aren't they always weird?) dream last night. I can't remember what led up to this part, but I was walking from an area that was just attacked towards another building. As I got closer I saw a couple people giving each other the eye and I thought, Oh no they are going to retaliate and attack this building. But then it didn't make any sense b/c they were close to the building too. I stood outside with a friend and felt the blast before I heard it.

My friend and I both fell to the sidewalk, she was dead from shock and her body looked like it had melted wax all over it. I was burnt from the waist down and just laid there. A man came over and held my forearm and sliced it with a knife to put me out of my misery. I was partially glad but then a little sad b/c I wanted to know what happened and I laid there drifting away as things got darker and darker. Then I woke up and my legs felt paralyzed.

I didn't sleep very well after that. Not sure what inspired that one. I watched a comedy before bed, haven't watched the news all day and didn't eat anything spicy.

So I get up w/my mind heavy on that and just found myself dicking around. I couldn't get the back pudge pic to line up properly. I kept cutting my arm off and couldn't remember where I've been positioning the camera. I've got to put a post it note to guide me.

Then the camera was full and I didn't have the clarity of mind to delete pictures, then the battery started going low (I MUST get that adapter). Finally I just gave up and left a part of my arm cut off.

Then I couldn't find the watch to my ♥ rate monitor. I seriously felt like a spinning top this morning. When I finally get to the gym and I'm late, Full House already started. Pfffft!

Instead of the 45 min walk I did a 30 min walk. I had company today, she came in about 10 mins into my walking. I'm pretty sure she wanted the treadmill b/c she didn't know how to turn on the bike.

More incentive to get my arse in gear tomorrow b/c I think she may try to beat me to the gym tomorrow.

@ some point last night I got really excited to wake up and walk this morning. Out of the blue I just got really antsy looking forward to it. After about 15 mins I wondered what the HELL was I thinking yesterday....

Like clockwork the sweat starts to fall @ the 20 min mark. That amazes me. I fought off the urge to hold onto the handles today, instead I kept scanning my progress. It didn't help that today episodes of Full House ranked high on the cheesiness factor. *groan*

I had my first dream in over a week last night. Other than that I've been sleeping like a log. Since I stayed in all day yesterday I had to fight off the urge to sleep. I lost the fight, but I made a deal 15 minutes and no deep snoozing. I kept the radio on, set the alarm for exactly 15 minutes and concentrated on the music. Just enough time too, any longer and I would hav been down for the count.

By 6 I started feeling too alert, I thought the nap would have thrown me off, but it didn't. I hit the snooze again this AM, but was already up and posing for the pudge pic by the time it went off again.

Hit the snooze button this AM. That's what I get for going to bed a whopping 30 minutes late, @ 9:30. Gotta admit the thought passed my mind to just lay there & take it easy today. Figure I'd make up my mind while snoozing. Eh, ended up getting up b/c I know the masses just lurvvvvvve the daily pudge pic...*snort*...so I comply. Since I was up, I went ahead got dressed and hit the gym.

It snowed/iced overnight. I'll go out when light breaks and take some pictures.

I'm losing the concept of time. I forgot to turn off my cell phone and a one ring phone call woke me up. I checked the time and it was 10:30, I was only asleep for about 30-45 minutes, but I thought it was morning. The other morning I slept thru the nite and woke up thinking I'd only been asleep an hour. I think I stopped dreaming this week too.

Last night there must have been some super bowl or sporting event or reality finale, b/c my neighbors were EXREMELY noisy. Throughout the night the chatter in hall would wake me up. I finally woke up for good around 3:45 and just stayed up. No use forcing sleep for only an hour. When the alarm went off and I got up to take my good ole pudge pic I heard someone in the hall whine "I've only got 3 more hours to get some sleep". Whatever. Also the hallways smelled like NYC franks w/sauerkraut. Not an entirely unpleasant smell.

I have no idea what I ate on Wednesday that set my stomach rumbling yesterday but gratefully it's passed. The entire day it rumbled and groaned, very uncomfortable and quite gassy. It's all settled now, just the normal AM hunger pangs. It doesn't help to see a commercial for Sonic Big Breakfast Burrito or McDonald's Hot Cakes. But since I just had my yogurt and the pangs are gone, I can type those words w/o plotting a side trip on the way to work this morning.

Someone left the a/c on in the gym...brrrr.

I had a pretty good work this AM, no obsessive time watching and no cartoons. Instead I watched Nick @ Nite and only checked the time when the show ended.

I did the weight loss pgm again. I went up to level 4 & it's cal per hour is 535 going 3.1mph & 7% incline. Easy peasy.

Shins are hurting a bit less and suprisingly my quads don't feel like anything happened yesterday. It may take 24 hours or so for the impact of yesterdays session to kick in.

This week has both flown by and dragged. The first week I start any program tends to drag, week 2 & 3 flies and all of a sudden I'm @ a month.

A couple of physical changes I've noticed this week.
- I used to have an annoying habit of waking up 10-15 minutes before the alarm goes off. It's returned, but not as annoying.
- My stomach is growling when I wake up and for the first time in a very long time it feels completely empty.
- When I wake up I'm wide awake & not @ all drowsy.

Remembering that 457 calorie per hour readout from a few days ago, rather than sporadically raise and lower the mph, I set my speed for 3.1 and a 5% incline. 2.8 didn't get my ♥ rate as high as I wanted it. And I realized that part of the reason my shins are still stinging is from walking so fast.

The pace was brisk and my ♥ rate never got higher than 150 and I had to pump my arms to get that #. The only downfall was I lost mileage. In the same time I did 3.9 miles @ the sporadice mph, today I did 3.39. Eh, can't have it all, or I can but not right now.

I decided to stop a bad habit I was forming, obsessively checking the time. This morning I realized it makes no sense, I'm walking for 60 minutes, I'm watching a 30 minute cartoon why am I suprised when ½ way thru the cartoon I've only walked 15 minutes?!?! I can code the hell out of a web page but sometimes I'm a real .

Example: The last few weeks I've been getting fellow NutriSystem members to review the foods they've tried so I can add it to my food review page. For one of the cereals I said it got soggy pretty quick, so quick by the time I added my banana it was all sogged up.

A wise member chimed in: Try adding the banana before the milk.

I never thought of that......I can't see the forest for the trees sometimes

Funny thing, as drowsy as I was yesterday, when I turned in @ 9pm, I couldn't sleep. My mind was racing. I didn't check the time b/c it would have made me anxious, but I think I fell asleep around 10. I tossed and turned and next thing I know I'm wide awake. I had this panicky feeling I either overlept or the alarm didn't go off. But it was still dark out. I so didn't want to check the time, but I did. Ten to 4. A WHOLE freaking hour earlier than necessary. *sigh* I didn't even try to go back to sleep, I just laid there and tried to remember some dreams I was having.

So I did Couch to 5k & a 45 min walk this morning. Last time I did Couch to 5k every few sessions I upped the speed. That method has it's pros and cons. This go round I'm sticking with my current mph, 3.0, till I can run comfortably. As for the 45 min w