WARNING: Addictive game! Take caution! Have lots of caffeine ready in the morning.
Plants vs. Zombies for the iPhone is an awesome game. Let me repeat that – AWESOME GAME! This is coming from someone who doesn’t really play computer games, let alone even play a lot of games on the iPhone. I grew up playing Super Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt, and Zelda. Those are the only games I really cared for. On the iPhone, the only games I’ve been really playing are Chess with Friends and Words with Friends.
The other day, while surfing the App Store, I saw that Plants vs. Zombie’s had a rating of almost five stars, and that’s HUGE on an iPhone app. Most decent, good apps are rated 3 or 3.5. So, FIVE got my attention! Tested it out on someone else’s iPhone and I was HOOKED. Expensive at $2.99 instead of the typical 99 cent games, but worth it! On a side note, I just read that the developer made a million dollars in just nine days after the launch of this game.
There’s a lot of funny, irreverent humor here. There are zombies that totally dance in the spotlight (think Dancing with the Zombie Stars!), football players, ice machine driver, and pole vaulting zombies. And Dave, you cannot forget Dave, the narrator of the game and who sells you items to defeat the zombies, is a silly redneck or something like that. You throw peas at the zombies, cherry bombs, squashes that smash, mushrooms that shoot, and so on. What a great vegetable intake! Also a great Vitamin-D intake with all those sun rays for power to get those zombies!
When a wave of zombies come, that’s when my adrenaline rushes and I’m shooting out peas!
Ok, I’m off to Zombieland to sleep! Or not… after all, I am in the middle of a game.
Yes, I actually woke up early to run again! It seems like the secret of getting out of bed early enough is to leave the laptop in the living room. However, I really didn’t feel right going out there to run while my good friend’s brother is in critical condition at the hospital. So, I decided to make this morning’s 3.1 mile run in honor of Sean. That last mile, dodging squirrels, sweating 400 liters, and aching muscles – it was all dedicated to Sean.
Quite a few of you have emailed me to ask what in the world is Amazing Grass and how do I use it? I promise you it is not marijuana! I’ll tell you about it next time, as I got to go and get ready for work.
Yes, you read that right. Ladies and Gentlemen, I actually woke up at 6:15 to start running at 6:30am! What a nice difference in the temperature, 80 degrees instead of 95, but the humidity was at 72%! Not as “dry” as I would like it for a run as I’m sweating a puddle, but definitely more bearable than at 6pm.
OK, time for a protein shake with unsweetened almond milk, Jarrow’s whey protein, and chocolate Amazing Grass.
Monday, you’re about to be conquered!
I went ahead with a 5k run/race, despite some neck/back soreness I have from a car accident I was in last week as a passenger.
The heat index sucked. Ever since it’s gotten humid with the heat, my positive mentality for endurance running has been jeopardized. After mile two, my body cries with a million sweat beads and my face becomes red as a tomato. Go on, just chop my head off and use me in pasta! Don’t forget the oregano. Clearly my body is trying to tell me something. More water? Go slower? Move back to California? I learned that moist air actually slows down the body’s ability to cool itself through sweat. No wonder.
At any rate, I did finish the 5k with some walking mixed in. I finished at 35 minutes which is a few minutes more than the St. Patrick’s Day 5k last year on a hilly course in California. Oh well. I really wasn’t happy about it, considering I have run faster than this during my early spring (cooler) training. At least I finished it, and in the unbearable wet heat! I placed 132nd out of 250 women.
At first glance, I thought this was an awesome picture of me sprinting hella faster to the finish line which was like 40 strides ahead. But I analyzed the picture some more, and realized my foot strike is questionable! I’m glad to have this picture so I can focus a bit more on my stride and foot strike. It looks like I am speedwalking in the legs, and running in the torso. I’m no expert, but from the looks of it:
1) My heel is going to land first. Maybe that is my true form, but it’s also the form that injures you the most, I think? Again, since I am propelling to the finish line, it could be that my form has deteriorated from exhaustion. Maybe in the beginning my foot strike is better than at the end.
2) I’m over striding in the front.
If you have any thoughts, recommendations, or whatever, let me know!
Oh yeah, I also got a flat tire. Some nail decided to jam into my tire. One of the cops at the race put my spare tire on for me. Thanks cop!
You can’t break me, humidity!! My tomato-red face is going to fight you!
Ahh the anticipation of the iPhone 4! I’ve only been in line for one hour (since 5:30pm) and the Apple store is loud and clear in my view! Wonder what it was like this morning? Regardless, I must have gotten here at the right time because now there’s a massive line behind me.
Actually getting off my butt to go running used to be really difficult. Like, really difficult. Run, are you crazy? I was perfectly comfortable sitting on my butt! The treadmill was like a sin, even though I constantly kept eyeing it. Deep down, I had a burning desire to get back into running and exercising.
Fast forward a few months later, I can’t even stand being on my butt. Yesterday was my rest day. Oh man, how HARD it was for me to REST! Endorphin withdrawal! What in the world was I supposed to do instead?! Sit on my butt?
I guess so. Good thing anyway, because as I mentioned before, my left shin is acting up. At first it was on the treadmill only, but this week it acted up while I was running outside at the end of my 3 mile run. Clearly, I’m pushing it too quickly. I figured out that it acts up when I’m going longer distance and/or too fast.
My Uncle B, who used to be a coach, gave me really good, simple advice that has really stuck in my mind: “You have your whole life.” He’s right.
So, sitting on my butt it was. And lots of Brothers & Sisters catching up. I missed way too many shows so I’m starting over from the top with the first season. My butt and I laughed together when Nora (the Mom on the show) referenced boob padding inserts as chicken cutlets. Really! Those boob inserts DO look very much like chicken cutlets! Perfect reference!
Resting wasn’t THAT bad. Like my Uncle says, I have my whole life. I rested. I gave my legs some recovery time. Today was my cross training day, so I was able to rest the “running” muscles again without resting my entire body. However, Dudes and Dudettes, tomorrow is my running day – endorphin rush! The chicken cutlets didn’t exactly overflow my brain with those lovely, addicting endorphins!
I did it! I signed up for the half marathon.
Say what?! Yup, you read me right. There’s no turning back now! I have 12 weeks to train, so I’m going to be hella busy! Encouragement, tips, or whatever are welcome!
Serious business! (Or certified crazy!)
Here are some aerial shots of the Potomac River and the surrounding areas before landing at the National Airport in DC. The Potomac River looks nasty. I wouldn’t swim in this! It’s a toxic stew, making the male fish more female! I know, First World complaint. And this is NOTHING compared to the terrible oil spill in the Gulf. Nothing.
Just look at all these trees! I am constantly amazed at how many trees there are here! Talk about a major pollen festival.
If you’re bored one day, count the trees.
Alexandria, VA (I think).
Y’alls, I’m still running. I’ll be honest with you, I’m shocked I’m still into it! There are some days I really fricking hate it. And those other days? I LOVE IT! The endorphins drive me wild! I still think about doing a half marathon all the time.
However, I kind of lost track on a specific training program. Lately, I just throw on my shoes and get out there to run. Usually my running turns out to be around 2-2.7 miles along with some quickies (one milers). The graph below shows 3 miles on the 18th and 24th, but really its 2.7 miles. I guess the system rounds it up for the graph. Last Thursday, before I left for Chicago, I hopped on the treadmill for what was supposed to be a quickie. It ended up being a 5k run (3.1 miles)! I don’t know what happened. I was just feeling pumped! Perhaps it was because I was excited to go to the wedding or because I figured I wouldn’t get much running in over the weekend. Gotta admit though, it was a treadmill 5k – easy shit.
A few months ago, I looked for a 5k to participate in for my trip to Chicago, but I couldn’t find any. I had forgotten all about that fact until I ran a 5k on the treadmill. So I guess I got a 5k in a way.
It’s definitely getting sizzlin’ hot here with humidity, and my sweat is at an all time high. Disgusting, I know. So I’m going to try to start waking up at an ungodly hour to run before work. The key word is try. I don’t know if that’ll be successful, but we’ll find out. I just really do not see the point of going to bed before midnight. I mean seriously. I know I CAN train myself to be an early bird, but there’s got to be a personality aspect to it, too. There’s something about night time that gets my brain excited. I have never ever been one to get up early except for those painful days of getting up at 6am for high school. Why did they start HS so early?! After high school, I slept until 11 or so most of the time until, slam, I got slapped with reality: those adult 8-5 jobs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m sleeping until noon everyday now. I get up for work and on the weekends I often do not sleep past 9:30am. For those who get up at 5-6am to go running before work, how the hell do you actually go to bed at an early hour and get up so early? My coffee is innocent!
Also, the neighborhood loop is getting a bit boring. I’ve got to start driving to some places to run on the weekends. There are lots of places I could run around here, such as the Washington Mall, Mount Vernon Trail, and so on. So I look forward to making a trip out of running some more this summer.
The only running injuries I’ve had besides the stupid toe thing a few months ago, is pain in my left shin. That’s only happened twice on the treadmill only, not outside. I’ve had some shoulder issues but I suspect it’s from my bike not fitting me correctly. The trip to Chicago cured my shoulders, though!
I met some guys at the wedding and two said they were up for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach on September 5th that I’ve been eyeing. Registration is on June 10th! So now I got two other people edging me into it. Hmm. Hmm. Oh wait, June 10th is TOMORROW. Shit!
To do the half marathon or not to do it. That is the question. Enough time to train between now and September 5th? Hmm!
TRAIN, SAZZY, TRAIN!
My trip to Chicago was all kinds of awesome and the wedding was spectacular! The newlyweds are off on their honeymoon while many of us are still excitedly talking about their wedding.
I bought this “Chicago Mix” made by Nuts on Clark for my team at work while waiting for my flight back home. The “Chicago Mix” apparently is a mix of caramel, cheddar, and butter popcorn. I figured since I’m not a popcorn girl, I wouldn’t eat any. More for my team!
Crap, how wrong I was! Around 11 this morning, just when my stomach was starting to make room for lunch, I opened up the bag to get the love going. The bag crinkled pretty loudly and the aroma of popcorn started to reach my nose. Somehow I found myself popping some of those babies into my mouth. Imagine my surprise and eyes getting big when I thought, “Wow this is good shit!”
ESPECIALLY THE CARAMEL ONES! GOOD SHIT! And get this, I am NOT a caramel girl either. Sweet and cheesy, perfecto!
Only sold in Chicago, but you can buy it online! I looked up about it online and apparently the stores in Chicago often have a line around the block! So glad I got it really quickly at the airport. Had I known this would be so good, especially to someone who isn’t a popcorn girl, I’d have gotten 438957345 bags.
The reason I can’t stand popcorn because of how the corn thingamingy gets stuck in my teeth. But Nuts on Clark didn’t give me that problem. CLARK RULES. Too bad it didn’t come with a Clark Kent.
