Where have I been, you ask? Well, let me tell you...

Sorry! I know it's been two weeks since my last post. It's the holiday season and life has gotten in the way. You know how that goes. I haven't trained since my last post which completely sucks because that sets me back. By how much? I won't know until I hop back on that treadmill. Last week I was lazy; pure and simple. I felt so bad about my laziness that I thought I could make up for it by going to the gym over the weekend. But Mother Nature had other ideas. We got hit with a buttload of snow starting Friday night and ending Sunday morning. The only exercise I got was digging out my car for 2 hours. My back is still recovering.

The first couple of days after "The Blizzard of 2009" (That's what the local media is calling it. So dramatic!) driving was still treacherous due to the melted snow re-freezing overnight and many sidewalks had not been shovelled. I rushed to get home before the sun went down. Once inside, I knew I wasn't going back out.  I have to manuever around black ice and chunks of unshovelled snow that has chunks of ice underneath. Once I get to my car, I have to make sure I don't bump into the 3 foot pile of dirty snow that's next to my car. My point in mentioning all this is to say that I can barely get to my car in the morning to drive to work without it being a process. There's no way I'm making a second trip outside to go to the gym. Plus, it's Christmas week. I've missed out on 3 days of shopping because of the snow. I have a lot of catching up to do. My goal is to be back in the gym this Saturday. Yeah, we'll see about that.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday!

Week 4 - Update #2

This week I'm going to continue working out to Week 4 podcast. I dragged myself out of a warm bed this morning and went to the gym. It was 4:30am and 29 degrees when I got in my car. My leather seats were cold, my steering wheel was freezing and I had frost on my windows. Morning workouts during this time of the year totally sucks. But I did it and I'm proud of myself.

I still haven't bought new/better running socks. I'm afraid of the stores/malls. Crazy people are out there doing their Christmas shopping. I just don't have the patience to deal with the crowds and the craziness. I may end up ordering them online. I believe that's the only way I will be able to keep my sanity.

I also started back to weight training. Weight training (strength training - whatever you want to call it) is essential for weight loss and preventing injury. Today I trained chest and back. I'm sure I'll be feeling the soreness by tonight. I may have went a little overboard.

This week's motivational word: CONSISTENCY

p.s. The last 5 minute run kicks my ass! The only time I don't look forward to the end of a workout. :-)

WTH Mother Nature?!?

Let me check the calendar because I am certain that it's still Fall. But judging by today's weather you'd think we were deep in December!  It's bad enough that we barely had a summer. I can count the number of 90 degree days on my hand. If it wasn't raining, the temps were in the high 70s, low 80s. That is not typical D.C. metro area temps! We never had the dreaded 5 day run of the 3 Hs - hot, hazy and humid. We didn't get our Indian Summer. And now the temps are in the mid 40s in October. I am done. It is time for me to move!

This was the temperature at 4:45pm. What da hell???

Overcast sky. Drizzle. No sun in sight.

It is too early for me to bust out my fuzzy winter socks. But here they are! Front and center along with my Victoria's Secret Pink sweatpants. 

I am done with you Mother Nature! This ain't even right. It's bad enough that I get moody and depressed during the winter months. But to bring this on us so soon? With no warning? For shame, for shame!

Spring is in the air

Spring has finally decided to make an appearance fter having our first snow storm on March 1st (still can't believe it). There's still snow on the ground but hopefully the meltdown will start soon. Today it's in the mid 40s and sunny. Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the high 50s almost 60. And by Sunday it's going to be 70 degrees! Hallelujah! All of the now brown snow should be melted and gone by the start of the new week. Not only that, I will be able to finally get my car washed! Woo-hoo! I can't believe I'm excited about washing my car but I can't take another day driving in filth. I can barely see out my windows.

Here's to looking forward to a nice, warm sunny weekend. Yay!

First Winter Storm...in March!

This has been a mild winter. We've barely had any precipitation. The most know we've had since December was 2 inches - and that's pushing it. We've had frigidly cold temps which has really sucked. So we've all been praying for an early Spring. I was so excited when it was finally March 1st. I was thinking Spring is right around the corner. Woo-hoo! STOP! Not so fast said Mother Nature. She had other ideas.

We get our first major snow storm on March 1st. The meteorologists were predicting 4-8 inches in Northern Virginia. What the hell? It's March! We should not be getting snow. That time has passed. Uh no, it hasn't. It started with freezing rain/sleet Saturday night into Sunday. The snow started falling Sunday evening. Fairfax County Public Schools announced at 8:30pm Sunday night that schools were going to be closed Monday. So I guess this storm is going to be serious.

I woke up this morning to a Winter Wonderland. Snow was everywhere and it was still coming down. I couldn't believe it. It's March! No time for snow! I guess Mother Nature wasn't listening. The good thing is I didn't go to work today. Yay! The bad thing is, I have to go to work tomorrow. And missing a day from work is like missing 5 days. It takes the rest of the week to catch up. Great. Something to look forward to.

Darrius measured the snow on our balcony. We got around 5 inches in our area.


I then gave Darrius my camera and told him to take some pics.







By the end of the week we're supposed to be in teh 60s. Hopefully the snow will melt quickly. I have no desire to look at it for longer than a week.

I hate winter! Hurry up Spring.

Winter decides to make an appearance

Right now it's snowing. We haven't had any measurable amount of snow all winter. Personally, I was hoping that we wouldn't get any snow during month of January. I was so close! Four days shy. Oh well, can't win them all. We're supposed to get 1-3 inches. That's not much compared to some areas in the country but for the DMV, that's a lot. We (collective) do not know how to drive in the snow. We don't know how to drive in rain, sleet, drizzle, bright sunshine. So needless to say, the afternoon rush hour commute is going to be horrendous.

Right now the snow is looking nice and pretty. I''m looking at it from my office at work. The cars on the street below are already struggling. It's only been snowing for 40 minutes. And i t's not a heavy snow! Sheesh!

Tonight the snow is supposed to change over to sleet and freezing rain. Good times. That should be interesting. Hopefully school will be closed tomorrow so I can have a snow day at home. Keeping fingers crossed. :-)

Taste of Spring

Today Mother Nature is teasing us. It is 53 degrees and sunny. After weeks of bitingly cold weather where we were in the teen's during the day and had single digit temps at night, today we get a taste of spring. I curse you Mother Nature! Tomorrow it will be back in the low 30s. Damn! It was nice while it lasted.