A little announcement!

It's been a quiet week, but I've got a little announcement (no. not pregnant!).

Plans are in the works for visits back to MD. We'll be in the area the week of May 20th bouncing around visiting family and friends. I'll also be making a quick visit to MD again early in June for Ck's baby stuffs. I'm pretty pumped to see everyone. Especially because it looks like we'll be extending our stay out here for a bit longer everyone.

They are thrilled!

I know, I know, the last time we all talked I said we would be back on the East Coast at the end of summer. and that was the plan. But some hard to turn down offers came up and now we're looking at another year or two out here. Everything is good and we're very excited. Clearly, Apple just doesn't want to let a good thing go - a sentiment I can fully understand. Just think, it gives you all another two years to come visit and enjoy the California life for a little while! And it gives me more time to try to convince Ed how convenient a visit to Hawaii would be from here... I kid, I kid... mostly. :)

Now, with that announcement out of the way, I can fill you in on the week. We've got ballroom dancing classes lined up again and just like before, I'm pretty excited. Fingers crossed it doesn't get canceled due to low enrollment again!

Training is going according to plan. I did 9 miles this past Sunday. Never in my life would I have imagined being able to run 9 miles. Of course I don't think it's running, I would say it's more like jogging. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Tirade time!

I have to remind myself of the above sentiment so often. There's nothing wrong with how fast I'm running. I go as fast as I can but that doesn't stop me or others from judging my pace as being 'embarrassingly slow.' No, no one has ever said that to my face, but friends and family have said that about themselves and when I read that on Facebook or Fitocracy it completely gets under my skin. They aren't just saying 'this was a bad run.' They say running an 11 or 12 min mile is bad and embarrassing. Those are verbatim the words they use.

Here's the thing. My average pace, on my really long runs, is an 11 to 11:30 mile. Other runs my miles are 10:30, some are 9:30, and I even eeked out a 9 min mile the other day. You may think that's really slow, you may laugh, but I'm working damn hard. My heart rate hovers around 180 the whole run, I can't talk during the run, and hey, you know, I've lost just about 15 pounds so far since I really got serious about running and dieting in February. I feel very proud of my progress. But I still get these bouts of intense shame about my pace. When I see someone say how embarrassing that time is, it makes me despair. I know it's not about me and it's each person's own battle. I just think it's one thing to say, hey, this was a really bad run for me, and another thing to say a certain pace is embarrassing or shameful. It's a really small thing, but you never know who is reading your words and taking inspiration or taking discouragement.

End of tirade!

On a lighter note (get it? get it?) check out my tan line from my running capris! Sexy right?

Easter was quiet and wonderful. Ed made the most delicious leg of lamb and we celebrated the end of Walking Dead and the start of Game of Thrones with two donuts from Psycho Donuts. We have a TON of leftovers and the one person in Ed's office who is always giving us leftovers (I was eager to reciprocate) is out of the office. Of course. Looks like all lamb dinners this week!

I finished two books, Requiem and May I Be Happy? which I both recommend if you enjoyed the Hunger Games series and Eat Pray Love respectively. 

 

I'm trying to rekindle my reading passion but I haven't found a book that really speaks to me since reading Where'd You Go Bernadette? I know I'll find something out there! I'm keeping my eyes open and dragging my feet through some other books in the meantime.