The Thigh Bone's Connected to the Knee Bone...

Note: this post is not, not, not intended to garner sympathy or pity from you readers! It is intended to entertain you. I really hope it makes you chuckle a bit! Hey, if I'm laughing, you should be too!

This song is in my head a bit today. In order to best explain way, let me scoot back just a few days...
Over the past weekend, I ran my second (yes, my SECOND) half-marathon. Okay, done being super, overly proud of myself. Anyway, my last half-marathon was a success in that I finished it and accomplished one of my goals. However, it was an extremely painful success! I spent several days afterward in all kinds of pain - so sore that it was a challenge to walk up the stairs. Consequently, I made it a point to improve my efforts when I began training for my second half-marathon.
For the past few months, I have really stepped it up. I noticed a significant decrease in the number of times where I pulled a "I'm Too Tired To Run Today" move. I felt like a RUNNER. Also, I started doing my long training runs with a group of girlfriends. If anything is going to help me improve, it's chasing after a bunch of ladies who are about 100 times faster than I!
Alas...just a few weeks ago, I started having some very painful knee issues. There were a few times where I was limping about, basically dragging my right foot behind me. No longer a RUNNER. Still, I hadn't gotten so far in my training schedule to abandon ship. I iced, rested, took things a bit slower...etc.
Fast-forward to the day of the half-marathon (also known as...This Past Saturday). The girls and I drove up to Ashton, ID to run the Mesa Falls Half-Marathon or Marathon. Saturday morning, I was feeling fine and pumped for the race. Could not have asked for a better start to the day. For the first six miles or so, I felt like I was on top of the world! I was running better than I had ever run! The time was flying by!
Then, at about mile 6.5, it struck again. I was basically standing on the side of the road, trying not to cry. I was in pain (pain, pain, pain - by golly). But, I was also so disappointed! My LOVELY MOTHER (seriously, the best mother in the entire world!) came back and helped me limp through to the ending.

I finished, just barely. And the rest of our Idaho trip was quite fun. We stayed in a beautiful cabin and got some AWESOME massages (from the owner of the cabin!). It was a lovely trip. See the picture below with all of us lovely ladies smiling super big? A great indicator of how much fun was had!
But, I've been in some knee-pain since. I've been learning that rest and ice are the best remedies. However, I also learned that it's pretty likely that I have a common runner's injury in my IT Band. This is caused by stressing a muscle in the thigh. And...there you have it!! The Thigh Bone's Connected to the Knee Bone!!! See, the title of this post wasn't a trick afterall. And what led me to write it was this:

Sitting at my desk, working, I have noticed that if I massage my leg, it makes things feel a little better. THEN, I noticed if I massaged my hip/butt area, that felt better too!! It took me a moment, but I had to giggle at the fact that I was sitting at my desk, rubbing my own butt.

Time to catch up

Yeah, 2 months later and the "catch-up" blog turns into a novel...a Twilight-sized one. So, sorry, but catch up is actually a bit of a misnomer.

I got a New Job. I just reread my last post and it involved some frustration with my not-so-good boss at my old job. I am thankful for not having to work with him and his disorganized, weird self anymore. New Job is a lot different from old job. It involves quite a bit more brainpower and a lot less sandwich-making. Really, a win-win situation!

PLUS, New Job is awesomely located in the heart of Downtown SLC. Okay, I have always been one of those people who claim that Salt Lake really has no downtown to speak of. I stand corrected. Yes, Salt Lake's downtown is small, but it's cool anyway. I can (and do) ride TRAX to work. I am very, very close to multiple bars and eating establishments. There are several coffee shops on the very same block. It rocks my socks. I was meant to work in this type of area. And when Toasters (the sandwich shoppe just downstairs) has their loudspeaker on, I like to pretend that I am living in NYC. A stretch, I know...but it's as close as I will ever get to living in Manhattan.

My Blackberry (I know, I know...I tried to un-technologize myself and ended up just making it worse) broke yesterday. So now I am really and truly un-technologized. My computer broke a little while ago, so I've been a bit adrift anyway. But now I am completely without computer-y type devices, till Friday anyway. It's odd and not just a little unsettling!

Trying my patience

Yep, I'm trying on some patience for size. It's an experiment I am continuously attempting (see here and here and, in a roundabout way, here). I began (again) yesterday. Things were going pretty smoothly until I got to work. Then, I was reminded that there are some folks who don't have much of a work ethic and there are some folks who are weird, somewhat inappropriate and, at times, jerk-ish.

Then, I came home to find a LIVE COCKROACH. This "little buddy" is a novel addition to my collection of DEAD COCKROACHES. Yes, I have a small collection of them - the warm weather draws them to my basement like moths to a flame.

But, guess what? It's ALL GOOD. I found something to make it better. Girl Scout Cookies! They rock. Plus, sure does make me feel better to complain in this arena. Thanks, Internet, for listening. LYLAS.

Beyond Time for a Resolution Update!

Wow. When I originally wrote my post about New Year's Resolutions (see here), I had some lofty ideas about posting (often!!) regarding my status and how things on each resolution were progressing.

So much for that wonderful idea! But, here I am posting, if not often, with a status update. I felt it important to post now because I've finally had some identifiable changes! I've listed the original resolutions to remind you (and me...) of where this lovely journey started:

Jesse's Official 2010 New Year's Resolutions
Train for and complete a half-marathon

The "training" portion of this resolution is officially complete. I just ran my last "training" run for my first half-marathon! The race itself takes place this Saturday. I am nervous/anxious/excited/almost-relieved to be running. The training portion has been a little bit of a rough road with some unexpected bumps, but not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. I am hoping that the race experience is very similar. So far, I would say that there is a pretty good chance that I'd run another half-marathon someday. But my favorite development, by far, of this resolution has been the connections I've been able to make because of this goal! Just recently, I have found two other people who are also running their first half-marathon this year. I also found another person who has run several and will be running another in just a few weeks. All of these discoveries were made during my American Sign Language class. It's given the four of us a fun conversation topic - now that we know how to talk about running. :)

Work on technologically "un-tethering" myself

So, take the satisfaction and happiness with the half-marathon goal...this goal is the exact opposite! Well, maybe not the exact opposite. I have been more successful with ignoring my phone. That was my true intention behind this resolution, though I had other, less-altruistic intentions as well. Those haven't been quite so successful - though maybe I should take that as a sign to be a little less self-involved. Off tangent, back on track. So, while I have been better at detaching myself from my cell phone, I still feel a huge hole in my soul where my Blackberry used to live. It's very likely that I'll be replacing my current POS cell phone with a Blackberry or some other SmartPhone at some point in the near future. But, hopefully, I will have learned to leave it alone sometimes.

Have new neighbors moving in soon (I think)...be nice and neighborly to them

I do have new neighbors. I'm not exactly sure what I think of them yet, as they've only been in residence for about two weeks. But, I forced myself to extend a welcome. I made two loaves of bread last night: 1 for my house (been out for a while...) and 1 for their house. When I went over to their side to take them my offering, they didn't answer the door. Still, in my desire to complete my mission, I left the bread and a nice note by the door. I really hope they don't think I'm weird and/or trying to poison them. I'm NOT trying to poison you and I really save my weirdness for the people who are really close to me - Promise! I found it to be a good sign that the bread and note were no longer outside the door this morning. So, someone is getting some good out of it.

CHILLAX...stop stressing so much

Gah. Is it too late to take this one back??? The only times I seem to be able to enjoy any success with this goal is when I have a drink (or ten) in my hand. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be??? Maybe I should be on Prozac???

So, all in all, I am seeing some small changes in the way I run my life. Of course, if I were to set my New Year's Resolutions today, they might be a little different. But I am pretty happy with what I've achieved because of the current Resolutions in place!

Resolutions

So, another First for me in 2010 is resolutions. I've never been a big Resolution-er type gal. But, this year, I decided to give it a go. Now, as far as I can see, the biggest obstacle to Resolution-ing is the ability to set track-able Resolutions for yourself. So, I am planning on using my blog for tracking purposes. Yay for everyone who is totally STOKED to read about my Resolutions. I promise to try to make the blogs funny reading and I figure that I may not always have to try too hard...

Jesse's Official 2010 New Year's Resolutions

Train for and complete a half-marathon

Work on technologically "un-tethering" myself

Have new neighbors moving in soon (I think)...be nice and neighborly to them

CHILLAX...stop stressing so much

So, the half-marathon one is pretty straight-forward. I will be training and running in one - 'nuff said.

"Un-tethering"...I tried to think of a cool catch-phrase for this one. The coolest I could get was "No-'Tron" (as in: no electronics). But I didn't think that really described it. Anyway, here goes. I would like to learn to detach myself a little from my cell phone. When I worked at my old job, I was the proud owner of a sweet Blackberry. I also was the not-so-proud recipient of about a gazillion messages and phone calls. So, during my employment, I became one of those folks who checks their phone every ten seconds...pure necessity here. Anyway, now that I'm not in that career anymore, I get maybe 1/10,000 as many messages. However, I think that over the last few months, I am checking my phone MORE OFTEN. It's driving me bonkers. I've noticed other people doing it too and it drives me nuts. I don't have any control over other folks, but I sure can control myself! So, I will be turning my phone off (or possibly on 'silent'...haven't totally decided that yet) for at least ONE HOUR every day. Yo, yo. I am actually the most excited about this particular resolution. Do you know how depressing it is to check your phone every ten seconds and, OH! No messages still!!? So, I am WALKING AWAY FROM THE PHONE. Not completely away, because I do feel that cell phones have become a necessity. But definitely learning to lose the cell a little.

So, when I moved in to my current abode, I had neighbors who were on their way out. I had this super plan to make the new neighbors cookies and be very friendly!! For one reason or another (basically, I was just being my lazy and introverted hermit self), I never got around to it. Well, here we are about ten months later, and the current neighbors are moving out. So, someday here soon, I will be getting new neighbors. And I am setting that goal for myself again. At the very least, I should make them some freaking cookies. And let them know that trash day is Tuesday and they're more than welcome to take out and/or bring in the cans. :)

FINALLY...Chillax. Oh ye who read my Ranting at the Bank blog from the other day (or this freaking one from a while ago...man, I've had this problem too long) probably understand this one. Obviously, I need to learn to take a chill pill and let things simmer down a little bit. And even if it's not obvious in my blog, it definitely is in other areas of my life. Soooooo...this goal, not as trackable as the others...but still very important to my other goal of living happily for a little while.

So the explanation of the Resolutions took up a lot of time. I promise that follow-up posts about my status on each will be a lot shorter.