Shamrock Shuffle Registration Closed

Well, the registration for the Shamrock Shuffle is officially closed because they have reached capacity (32,500 runners). Getting this email yesterday make me get a little nauseous. I knew it would sell out and had to register early to make sure I got a spot, but now I secretly (or not so secretly since I just put it out on the blogosphere) wish I "forgot" to register and didnt get in.

Derek over at Hirlpoo commented on my situation, (which appears to be his situation too)... I ran a marathon, how hard could an 8K be? Way harder than you would think! I know alot of the issue is mental and I should have a "can do" attitude. But I also am having a hard time grasping how I will get training into my schedule. Im still trying to figure out how to fit showering into my new life as a mom. Now I have to exercise? And I assume if I am exercising I'm going to have to take a shower, so now I need to fit in a run and a shower?

My training starts next week - Monday is a rest day (thank goodness) but Tuesday I have to do 2 miles. Considering that 2 miles was about all I could manage during my 5K, at a walk-run 11+ pace, I'm assuming I need to allocate about 30 minutes for those 2 miles. I'm working on planning a route that starts and stops at my house, and hoping the Chicago weather cooperates.

I remember during Marathon training how I could not sleep the night before a long run, a combination of excitement, stress and my long-term battle with insomnia. Now I have to suffer sleepless nights over a 2 mile run? Sheesh. You'd think I was planning on climbing K2, not training for an 8K. (Talk about turning a mole-hill into a mountain!)

Wacky Dream(s)

I have very detailed, vivid dreams. My husband insists that I am making them up when I try to tell him about them, because "nobody dreams like that" ... but I do! I stopped telling him about them because he thinks I am crazy, but there is one I felt worthy of this blog, because it has to do with running (sortof).

Dream...

Anyway, the dream begins with me walking around some sort of courtyard of a mansion or huge house. This courtyard is filled with plants and flowers. As I am walking I see Kiefer Sutherland (aka Jack Bauer) come out of the house to yell at the gardener because he is watering the plants wrong. The gardener walks away and Kiefer proceeds to water all of the plants.

These plants are all along the walls of this courtyard, so he is walking along the house watering with a basic garden hose. At one point, Rob Lowe (who must be his roommate) comes out of the house and agrees that the gardener needs to learn how to water the plants because he stinks at it. Rob goes back into the house, Kiefer keeps watering.

When he is finished, he sits down on a concrete bench in the middle of this courtyard and I sit next to him. I only see my own legs, and I am wearing a flouncy, flowered skirt and running shoes. Kiefer complains that his shoes (a pair of Asics) are all wet. I explain to him that I have two pairs of running shoes, one for when its raining and one for when its not. He lets me know that he has been wearing the same kind of running shoe "for all of these years" and had just realized that they suck. I wittingly tell him that when I go to buy shoes at the running store, I always ask them to recommend complementary shoes to me in other brands and styles. This way I can pick from the best of alternatives instead of sticking blindly to one shoe. It is quite apparenet Kiefer thinks I am a genius. I am pretty sure we were about to run away together ... but then there is a squeaking coming from the baby monitor and I wake up.

Beyond just being ridiculous, this is wrong in so many ways:

1. While Kiefer Sutherland is ok, he isnt someone I think about often. I dont know how he ended up in my dream when there are so many better options to dream about.
2. I would never wear a flouncy, floral skirt. And I certainly wouldnt pair it with running shoes.
3. I do not have a pair of shoes just for when its raining
4. One time I bought a different shoe suggested to me at the running store (I switched from Brooks to Mizunos) but since then I have stuck with the Mizunos. I dont ask them for opinions and generally order online for a better deal.

So see, this had something to do with running. Running gear at least... If you are a therapist, please do not try to analyze me. I do not want to know.

Picking A Goal You Can Easily Achieve

When I first decided to run a marathon, I figured out that I would work to beat Oprah. She was the first celebrity name that popped into my head, and I figured, who couldnt run faster than her?

The problem is, when Oprah ran the New York Marathon (1994) she looked a bit different. Apparently, the down cycle of the world's most famous yo-yo dieter netted her a 4:29. Oprah has grabbed headlines with her Marathon finish, not because of her time, but because many thought she single-handedly had ruined the Marathon by expanding the sport while at the same time "lowering the bar for excellence".

Oprah's pace, about 10 minutes and 16 seconds a mile, was too fast for me. So I decided to "lower my own bar for excellence" by finding another celebrity I could beat - Katie Holmes (aka Mrs. Tom Cruise). You too can find your own low bar of excellence by finding a celebrity to beat on Complete Running Network's list of 25 Celebrities Who’ve Run a Marathon. Go easy on yourself by aiming low, like Mario Lopez (5:41:41) or David Lee Roth (6:04:43) or if you really want to challenge yourself aim high like George Bush (3:44:52) or William Baldwin (3:24:29).

Either way, its nice having a goal to beat. And if you can beat one of our wonderful celebrities or politicians that spend their time during the race surrounded by bodyguards, trainers and pacers, who tell them when to hydrate and refuel and hand them the necessary supplies, while they run along thinking about how much better than you thay are ... then all the better :)

The Best (and Worst) Fast-Food French Fries

Yahoo! Food has picked the "Best and Worst Fast-Food French Fries". I'm telling you now, I havent read the results yet. But prior to reading I will profess my undying love for McDonalds french fries. They are wonderful. They are glorious. I dream about them. That being said, they do not travel well. We live only about a mile from McDonalds and if Jeff ever brings home dinner from them my fries are nasty by the time they get here. Of course, I still eat them ... but I complain with each an every bite. In order to truly enjoy a McDonalds french fry, you must enjoy a fine dining experience at one of the plastic booths while trying to have a conversation over the screams and yells of children playing in the playland while adults sitting nearby all pretend that the obnoxious kids are not their own.

Ok, now Im going to read.

Figures. Out of those reviewed (Arby's Curly Fries, Burger King's French Fries, Carl's Jr.'s Natural-Cut Fries, Dairy Queen's French Fries,Jack in the Box's Natural Cut Fries, McDonald's French Fries, & Wendy's French Fries), McDonalds is the worst when it comes to calories, Dairy Queen is the best. Luckily, Arby's is worse than McDonalds when it comes to saturated fat, and all but Jack in the Box are trans fat free. That means that McDonalds fries, while obviously not good for you (in any way, shape, or form) are not the worst for you in all categories. YAY!

Guess Where I Am?

It's not bitterly cold (a whopping 18 degrees) so Brooke and I headed
to Starbucks for the first time in a very long time. While she naps,
I get to enjoy a coffee & cupcake! I'm also hoping to finish up "Three
Cups of Tea".

The Final Countdown

As I sit here having my lunch of Coke & Hershey's, watching my daughter scream and cry on the video monitor ... I realize that I only have a week until I need to start training for the 8K. What did I get myself into? When am I going to find time to run? Where am I going to find the motivation? When is this baby going to stop screaming?

Looks like Brooke has officially given up on naptime and her cranky self is waiting for me to come get her. I gotta finish this soda and chocolate ... duty calls.

New Years Resolution: Giving Up Starbucks?

Turns out that the slowing economy is making a bit of impact on coffee consumption, as consumers are skipping Starbucks Coffee for cheaper options ... or just brewing their own.

Supposedly, reporters in different cities noticed shorter lines in their local Starbucks', causing Ad Age to launch a bit of an investigation. Results indicate that 60% of American scaled back on "fancy" or "expensive" coffee in the past six months, with 56% cutting back since just the beginning of the year (New Years resolutions). 90% of respondents indicated that this cutback was taking place to save money, and this cutback was spread pretty evenly across all income levels. Of those who have scaled back, 50% said they "cut back a lot".

McDonalds is taking advantage of the situation by promoting their line of specialty coffees and opening up McCafe coffee bars. They're starting a national advertising campaign this summer. I have yet to try any of the McDonalds coffees. Not that I have anything against them, just because when I do go there I have to get a Coke. McDonalds has the best Coke in the whole world. Probably even the whole universe.

I have to admit, I have noticed that my local Starbucks is less crowded. But, the weather here has been so awful I kind of just assumed that what why. I myself tend to go there every day, but with this weather have been there once a week. I'm cutting back by force, not choice! I promise I will return to my beloved Starbucks as soon as we can crack out of this freezing spell.

Women less able to suppress hunger

A lot of scientific studies are garbage. They are not properly done, results are slanted, and often they create reaction (or panic) off of baseless claims. At the same time, many of these studies (whether they are garbage or not) are the root of future studies that seek to either prove or disprove the work done previously.

There is one new study that I desperately hope to be true, in which the results seem to suggest that Women are less able to suppress hunger. If you are a woman, this might appear to be obvious to you ... but I assume men were doing the study so they were suprised. The article says "women have a highter tendency than men to overeat when presented with tasty food or under emotional distress". DUH! My favorite line of the article? "Female brain may be hard-wired to eat".

I love when science gives me excuses. Next time my husband says "You ate the WHOLE bag of cookies?" I can just remind him of this study. "Sorry! I am hard-wired to eat".

This Could Be Trouble...

I talk about cupcakes a lot (for example, here, here, here, here ... and the list goes on). I actually havent talked about them in a while ... since Brooke came in the picture I have been relatively tied down to two places: home & Starbucks. This has definitely taken a toll on my cupcake habit (probably a good thing) but doesn't mean that cupcakes have disappeared from from my life completely!

Well, looks like things might be looking up for me. Starbucks has cupcakes in its stores about once-a-year. Its some sort of thing where they like to create a frenzy. The supplies are limited and they dont have many at a time. I was in Starbucks yesterday and they told me that I just missed samples of the red velvet cupcake which is coming soon. When I finished crying, I was overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation. Now if I can only navigate Brooke's stroller through the ice and snow in the sub-zero weather the couple of blocks to get to Starbucks, and then actually be able to get a seat when we get there ... I would be thrilled to spend an hour reading a book, latte in hand, and cupcake in mouth!

New Cupcake Shop!
On another cupcake note, there is a new cupcake shop in Chicago. This is one of about a billion (including a bakery that makes cupcakes out of meatloaf) but it actually sounds worthy of a visit. Sugar Bliss Cake Botique has a huge list of cupcake flavors they have, that vary per day. The website offers pictures of each flavor, which I have been pouring over for hours. I cannot help but post a few here. Please join me in drooling.

Lemon Drop
Fresh lemon cake with lemon zest cream cheese frosting



Banana Banana
Moist banana cake with creamy vanilla buttercream

iPhone Apps For Runners

There are two pretty cool iPhone applications for runners: Fitnio and RunKeeper. It sounds like they both do the same thing, they just heave different user interfaces. Both are free ... so there is a great reason to try both of them and figure out which one suits you best:)

RunKeeper
According to the specs, "RunKeeper uses the built-in GPS in the new 3G iPhone to enable runners, cyclists, hikers, skiers, walkers, etc. to track their outdoor fitness activities and promote good health." The app lets you track things like duration, distance, pace, speed, and path traveled on a map.

Fitnio
Fitnio says it "displays the same data as a treadmill or stationary bike" by integrating with the iPhone GPS technology to give real-time, accurate fitness feedback. It calculates and displays distance, speed, pace and calories burned.

20 Worst Foods in America

I know the stuff in these foods is appauling (blah, blah, blah), but is it wrong that I look to the list of the 20 Worst Foods in America with lust and desire? I mean, its bad for you and all. But you know, if its that bad, its gotta taste really darn good ... right?

Here is what caught my eye!

Worst Dessert - Romano’s Macaroni Grill Dessert Ravioli
Men's Health describes it as:
1,630 calories
74 g fat
33 g saturated fat
1150 mg sodium
223 g carbohydrates

But I like Romano's Macaroni Grill description better :)
"Crumbled peanuts, caramel and chocolate in golden-fried pastries. Served with vanilla ice cream and caramel."

Worst Starter - Uno Chicago Grill Pizza Skins (full order)
Men's Health describes them as:
2,400 calories
155 g fat (50 g saturated)
3,600 mg sodium

And Uno's Pizza says
"Discover what all the fuss is about. The most extravagant appetizer ever created by man. Deep dish crust filled with red bliss mashed potatoes. Topped with bacon, Cheddar and sour cream."

Looks like I need to get to Romano's Macaroni Grill & Uno's Pizza sometime soon. I'm drooling right now.

This Is What I Call A Jinx

A couple of days ago (3 to be exact) I noticed the following article: Airlines go two years with no fatalities. I used to be really freaked out about flying and am much better now, but I still dont want to hear anything about airplane crashes or fatalities. Even if its the fact that there were none ... it just reminds me of the alternative. I remembered the article and thought about it for a day or two, but never read it, until today.

What made me go back and find that article? Well, Brooke went down for a nap and I decided to check my email and the news. CNN has a breaking story flashing at me "Airplane in Hudson River after failed takeoff".

It appears, at this minute (the plane literally just crashed), that all passengers survived. I have a rule - no tv during the day - that had to be broken. I'm watching coverage right now on tv and its seriously out of this world.

Pic courteous of PerezHilton.com

Hal Higdon's 8K Training Schedule

I have an 8K to run on 3/29, and currently am not capable of running three miles straight. So, perhaps I'm in need of some help :)

Hal Higdon offers an 8K Training Schedule for the novice, intermediate and advanced. At this point I think I am a "novice", considering that I haven't run in I-can't-remember-how-long. The schedule is for 8 weeks, which would mean I need to start on February 2nd. There is one really good thing about this schedule ... it starts on Monday, 2/2 with no running. Ok, I think I can handle that.

Here is week 1
Monday: stretching & strengthening
Tuesday: 2 miles
Wednesday: 30 minutes cross training
Thursday: 2 miles and stretching & strengthening
Friday: rest
Saturday: 30 minutes cross training
Sunday: 2 miles (this will be the long run day, but starts at 2!)

During the 5K, I did a run/walk but didn't really have trouble until mile 3. For sure I couldnt have run any of the miles completely, but I'm pretty confident I can handle a couple of 2 mile runs. Well, I hope so at least.

"Student For Life" Contemplates Workforce Re-Entry

I hate the corporate world. I hate the 9-5 world. I'm have trouble dealing with authority (making the boss-employee relationship difficult) and often do not play nice with others (making working in an office quite a challenge). For years I blamed others. "My boss is stupid", "My work isn't challenging enough", "My coworkers are annoying". This led to a series of jobs in which I looked to find the right circumstances in which I could thrive. I beleive it was my husband who suggested "Maybe its you" to which I am sure I uttered some sort of snarky response. But that thought did enter my head ... and stay there. Eventually I decided to leave the workforce and go back to get my PhD. When I complete the program I will be a Researcher and a Professor, with the ability to tinker with the minds of tomorrows future leaders :)

But this recent article on Yahoo made me rethink: Australia offers 'best job in world'. I figured, if its a job, it can't be good ... no matter what the job descripiton is. But then I read on:

SYDNEY (AFP) – An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months.

The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland's state government announced on Tuesday.

In return, the "island caretaker" will be expected to stroll the white sands, snorkel the reef, take care of "a few minor tasks" -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.

The successful applicant, who will stay rent-free in a three-bedroom beach home complete with plunge pool and golf buggy, must be a good swimmer, excellent communicator and be able to speak and write English.

"They'll also have to talk to media from time to time about what they're doing so they can't be too shy and they'll have to love the sea, the sun, the outdoors," said acting state Premier Paul Lucas.

"The fact that they will be paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel and generally live the Queensland lifestyle makes this undoubtedly the best job in the world."

I have to admit, I'm not a great swimmer. But I am willing to learn and improve my skills in order to loaf around on an island for a living. It doesnt say anything about families, but the person who gets the job gets to live "rent free in a three-bedroom beach home". I think that Jeff, Brooke & I can easily manage on that.

You must apply by February 22. 11 candidates will be chosen to fly to Hamilton Island in early May for the final selection process, and a six month contract will begin on July 1.

Note: This isnt some random picture of a pretty setting. Its the real island. Jeez! I think competition is going to be pretty intense for this job. I know that is pretty obvious, but I cant even get the page to load for the application (just curious!). There must be so many people going to it that the site crashed!

I've Been Doing It Wrong All These Years

I posted back in December about the correct way to tie a shoe and mentioned that I wasn't sure which way I did it. If you watch the video, there is just one simple step - whether you loop your lace over or under - that determines if you are tying the correct knot. Many of my shoes don't have laces, so I didn't know offhand.

When I ran the 5K I pulled out my running shoes and noticed how I tied them, but then couldnt remember what the video said! But yesterday I had a pair of shoes with laces on, and I paid attention this time. Whoever taught me to tie my shoes (Mom? Preschool?) taught me the wrong way. All these years! How do you change something that is second nature? I am officially tying the granny knot.

I feel so humiliated.

At least I can put something on my New Years Resolution list now. "Learn how to tie shoes"

I Am Peeved

You might notice that I didnt post (or discuss) my time for the New Years Day 5K. It's not because I sucked. I mean, I did suck ... but thats not why I didn't post my time. I knew I was going to be slow and am not going to cry (that much) about a lousy time. I didn't post it because those dummies got my time wrong!

This race used chip timing. I'm sure most of you know, but just in case, here is some info on what that means. I crossed a mat at the beginning and there was a loud beeping noise. That would be my chip (which was attached to my shoe) registering. The same beep happened at the end. I started the race late, but the system should be able to calculate my net (or "chip time") based on the time it took me to get from one mat to the other. But, my time posted was my overall time - the time on the clock when I crossed the finish line! It's about 5 minutes slower than my real time because that is about how much behind the rest of the pack I was.

I have emailed the race organizer and the contact person for the timing company, but nobody responds :( I'm so irritated. I havent run a race in almost a year and am in quite a fragile state right now. I want those 5 minutes back! Until I get them back, I'm not posting my time ... and thats that.

More Snow = Happy Dog

We keep getting snow! It will finally melt and I get so excited
because Brooke and I can go outside again ... And then more comes :)

Of course, Wrigley is thrilled. It's only 11:30AM and she must have
been out at least 5 times already today. At the same time, I'm on the
second rotation of all of Brookes toys and she's catching on to my
tricks.

What's Cuter Than A Sleeping Baby?

Why, a baby in the process of falling asleep ... of course! Check out the video below from cnn.com, that covers a whole bunch of cute things falling asleep. The piece highlights a cool website: cutethingsfallingasleep.org which features video after video of animals & babies falling asleep. It kind of sounds dumb, but I guarantee you will not be able to watch these videos without saying "aaaaawwwwww!" and getting a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Wondering where this post came from? Brooke and I are working on "sleep training" right now, so sleep is pretty much the primary topic in my life right now :)

"Having a Big Derriere May Be Good for Your Health"

It's about time! Scientists have found that having a little junk-in-the-trunk is good for your health. It turns out that butt and hip fat may protect women against type 2 diabetes.
It's time for all pear-shaped women to rejoice and celebrate those curves instead of worrying about them ;) I knew there was a reason my butt seems to get bigger every year ... it's good for my health!

Starting With The Core

Pregnancy does a real doozy on your abs, something that many women suffer the consequences from post-partum. We dont really think about our ab muscles as often as we actually use them - which is essentially all of the time. Abdominal muscles stabilize the pelvis as you run, and stronger abs = more stamina = better performance. Weak ab muscles (like the ones you have after having a baby!) can tire out quickly, creating instability in the pelvis and increasing the risk of injury.

I need to do a variety of things to get back into shape. I knew (and confirmed) that my cardio level has been decreased as my activity level pretty much went to zero. I also can tell that my abs need work because I have been having a lot more back pain. Even while running the 5K I could tell something felt different in my abdominal area.

So in order to help me on my path to the Shamrock Shuffle, I have signed up for a class designed for new moms called From The Core: Postnatal Recovery. The class meets for 45-minutes, twice a week for 5 weeks. Each week the exercises progress in difficulty, working on strengthening the pelvic floor, lower back and abdominal muscles.

There are some great things about this class that make me excited. First, it focuses on the abs and regaining strength, where a lot of "new mom" classes seem to be alot about cardio. Second, I get to bring Brooke! I dont have to worry about having someone else watch her, and its just another opportunity for us to spend time together. And Third, all class particpants are new moms. Babies are going to range from 6 wks - 6 months. It will be great to learn new exercises, get back in shape, and talk with other women in the exact same situation as me!

My class starts Monday, Februay 16th at 10:00am. So I still have a few weeks until it begins, and will hopefully have Brooke on a good schedule so that the class falls nicely into our day :)

Stroke of Genius ... Or Lapse in Judgement?

Running the NYD5K was hard for me, but (hopefully) only the 1st step to getting back to the old me. Luckily there are so many activities I can do with Brooke, including Stroller Strides and Mom & Baby Yoga. I plan to start yoga this week and hope to get more better at scheduling Stroller Strides. While there are tons of options for her and I can do together, I want (and need) to do some things on my own. For now, running is one of those things. The 5K was one event, and I signed up for an 8K in March in order to motivate me to keep on running!

I committed to the Shamrock Shuffle, despite my hesitations. There is no way I could run an 8K today, even if I had a gun to my head or some sort of jungle cat chasing me. I figure by signing up for a race a bit into the future I will have to run between now and then in order to make sure I don't look like a dummy on race day. You would think the fact that I couldn't run straight for 3.1 miles would be enough to scare me off of 5 miles ... but I guess it wasn't :) That's a good sign, right?

When Change is Not Good

We keep hearing all about change. Both presidential campaigns made "change" the theme of their campaigns and our President-elect is promising alot of it in the years to come. I have to admit, I'm generally all for change. In fact, I tend to steer away from any sort of schedule, routine or consistency. I dont wake up at the same time every day, nor go to bed the same time every night. I have made a large number of job and career changes due to boredom with repetition. I hate reading the same book or seeing the same movie twice. I have always enjoyed a bit of variety in my life.

But in the past few months that has changed a bit. Having Brooke has forced me to accept some scheduling, and to often live within the restraints her schedule provides. I thought I would rebel against this lifestyle change, but I don't feel like I have lost anything ... and often embrace my new routine life. My life has become so routine its actually almost like Groundhog Day - each day I sortof feel like I am just living yesterday over once again. I have gotten so used to living the same day over and over that change can throw me for a loop.

And one of my biggest consistencies - Starbucks - threw me for a bit of a loop over the weekend. I am a pretty frequent customer (if you call every day "frequent") and I am a pretty predictable customer (if you call ordering the exact same thing each day "predictable". The other day I was in and the food case was looking pretty bare. I assumed they had sold out of many items and made a joke about it ... but the girl behind the counter told me that they were changing up some of the menu items and were cleaning out some of the old items to make room for some of the new items. Every day I get a raspberry scone. I love the raspberry scone. I wake up thinking about it and salivate when I see it sitting in the case. I said "I hope you dont get rid of the raspberry scone" and she told me she wasnt sure what was going or staying.

Well, I went back in on Saturday and there were some new food items in the case. In addition to the new items I noticed a particular item was missing. I knew it, but asked anyway. And yes, the raspberry scone is no longer on the Starbucks menu. I'm currently at a loss as to how I will progress with my life at this point. What do you do when the thing you eat every day for breakfast is gone forever? Poor me.

Wrigley Goes To The Doctor

Wrigley's appointment was up in the far north suburbs, and by the time we packed up the dog, baby and all of the necessary items ... we were running late. Thankfully after a brief traffic jam, the roads opened up and we were only about 10 minutes past our appointment time.

Wrigley met with a very nice surgeon who confirmed what the vet suggested. Wrigley has hip dysplasia in both hips and the best course of treatment is total hip replacement, in each hip. If we choose not to do the surgery, she will continue to deteriorate until the point where she is in severe pain, has muscular loss and will have extreme difficulty getting around.

The surgery is done one hip at a time, and recovery time is "about 3 months". Thats 6 weeks of no activity, including stairs, followed by another 6 weeks of rehabilitation. And thats for one hip. About three months later she would need the 2nd one done and we would go through the whole procedure again.

Although the diagnosis is not a good one, it wasnt unexpected. Overall I think we feel better than we did before, because the doctor seemed very confident and explained things very clearly. So it was a positive experience for us. For Wrigley though, the case is different. At her vet, they give her treats all the time. They poke her with a needle, they give her a treat. They check her lungs, they give her a treat. She lets them do whatever they want to her because she knows food follows. But this vet didnt give her any treats! He grabbed her legs and pushed down on her spine, then said "good girl" and Wrigley got super excited. He gave her nothing. She jumped up and looked around on the counter (I guess she decided to get her own treat since he must have forgotten) but didnt find anything. Poor Wrigley!

About Hip Dysplasia
I didnt really understand this too much, but the surgeon today explained it better. Basically, the femur (thigh bone) becomes dislocated from the hip joint. This leads to inflamed joints, damaged cartilage, and calcium deposits. In addition to the pain from the dysplasia, arthritis usually develops (which we were told has happened to Wrigley).

Below is a pic of an x-ray (not Wrigleys) that shows what it looks like. If you look closely, both balls are out of the socket, with the one on the right being the worse of the two. This pic and more detailed info can be found at The Paw Blog.

I Ran

It was hard - but I expected it to be :) I'll write a recap after I
fuel the caffeine tank.

Race Report
Updated at 5:30PM
The race started at 11:00AM, which threw me for a bit of a loop. I dont even remember my old pre-race strategy, and those were usually in the morning. My current morning routine consists of hanging out with Brooke and going to Starbucks for a latte & scone when she says it's time. So this morning, no latte, no scone. We actually still went to Starbucks, and I got an oatmeal. It was seriously painful not to get my latte :( To add to my pain, it was supposed to be 34 degrees today, and it was only 24 degrees. And windy. And dreary. I was nervous as heck.

So despite the 11:00AM start time, I didnt leave my house until after 10:45, and I'm more than a short drive from the race start. I got there as fast as I can and crossed the start line about 5 minutes after the race start. I was pretty much running by myself as everyone else had a huge chunk of a start ahead of me. I set my watch to do a 5:1 interval, thinking I would run 5 minutes and walk 1. Since I havent run at all since the Wacky 5K, which took place on March 3 of last year...I knew that running would be a challenge.

Mile 1 I finished at 11:08. This actually was much faster than I wanted to run, since I walked for a minute of that mile. I tried to slow it down for mile 2 and finished that mile in about 12 minutes. Mile 1 was challenging on my lungs and legs. I had a hard time getting my breathing together and making my legs feel fluid. Mile 2 felt more natural, but I was getting tired already. By mile 3 the 5:1 went out of the window. It was more like 3:3 ;) I finished that mile in about 14 minutes and was never happier to see a finish line in my life.

Now I am actually a bit sore. My legs are tired and tight (as I was late, I didnt get to stretch at all. Yes, I am that stupid) and my lungs hurt from the cold air. While it was challenging, it really wasnt any worse than I expected. I mean, for a person who hasnt ran in almost a year or done any sort of exercise in over 3 months, what can you expect?

I did this run mostly to get myself back in the mental game for 2009. I'm not sure what my New Year's resoulutions are yet, but they for sure include some sort of re-entry into the world of physical fitness.