Weekly Sweat Report (1/22 - 1/28)

Sunday - Rode 25 miles in 2:06 on the indoor trainer (11.9 mph pace). If you recall from the week before, I took a rest day on Saturday (my usual "long run/ride" day). I just felt like I needed to do something that required endurance, and this definitely fit the bill. I kept messing with a setting on my watch so I think my distance (and therefore my pace), was a little on the low side.

Monday - Rested. Yeah, my legs were a little tired after that ride.

Tuesday - Rode 12 miles in 51 minutes (14.1 mph pace)

Wednesday - Ran 4 miles in a hilly neighborhood in 43 minutes (10:40 pace). It was a beautiful day! When I got home I stretched then did about 12 minutes worth of some core and arm exercises:

(30 second plank + 10 push ups) x 4
(10 lying leg raises + 10 tricep dips) x 4

Thursday - Lifted weights at the gym for 45 minutes. My core was really sore for some reason from whatever I did the day before so it kind of hurt. I always feel a little lazy when I only do weights, but I guess it's better than nothing, right? I was thinking of doing a mile or two on the treadmill but I forgot to pack socks, so that wasn't going to happen.

Friday - Rested.

Saturday - Ran 9 flat miles in 1:33 (10:16 pace). This run was GREAT! I was a little overdressed so I got a little hot (I prepared for the 15 mph winds they were calling for...which didn't happen until way later in the day). I was running solo on this run and I liked it (although running with someone would have been great too!). I took a few walking breaks whenever I felt that I needed them and I managed to keep a pretty steady pace the whole time. I wanted to push it to 10 miles but I decided to be good and stopped at 9 since my last long run was two weeks ago and only 7 miles. This is my longest distance post-injury so that gave me another reason to smile.

I did a lot of stretching and tennis ball butt massaging when I was done. My butt/hip were definitely tight on Saturday and Sunday but thankfully my SI joint (the one that I sprained) didn't seem to be hurting at all!

Running Solo

One of the many things I love about running is that it lets me just spend time with me. I get to think things over with very few distractions. No TV, no computer, no music, no to-do lists. Just me and my thoughts for however far I decide to go.

Most of my long runs last year were with my running buddy, which I loved because having someone there with you makes the miles go by so much faster. I also loved how our friendship grew as we continued running together. We would talk to each other about all kinds of things and we'd help each other work through problems, even if that meant just listening to the other person vent.

I grew so fond of running with another person that I was not looking forward to my long run today because I knew I'd be by myself. With no one to talk to I figured the miles would drag by and I would be bored to death. While I did end up looking at my watch a little more frequently, my run was great. I didn't get bored with myself and I felt mentally (and physically) refreshed when I was done.

I had forgotten how much running helps me to think and work through things in my head. I don't finish every run farting glitter and rainbows, but I always feel way less stressed about everything and more prepared to deal with day-to-day challenges. I know that this time alone helps me to be a better wife, friend, daughter, sister, and employee. Whenever I don't get this time, this is why I start to go bonkers (that and the endorphin withdrawal).

So as much as I love running with someone, I was reminded today how much I also love to run by myself. I was also reminded of how important it is to just take a step away from all of the distractions in life and just spend time thinking, praying, or just zoning out.

Source: fitsugar.com via shellie on Pinterest

Do you prefer to run solo or with a friend?

Weekly Sweat Report (1/15 - 1/21)

I'm a little behind, but here we go...

Sunday - Ran 7 miles in a hilly neighborhood in 1:17 (11:02 pace).  I walked up some of the hills but I felt great! This had me thinking some crazy marathon thoughts.

Monday - Rode 10 miles in 49 minutes (12.3 mph).  Followed it up with alternating a 30 second plank and 10 push ups x 4 (i.e. 2 minutes of planking and 40 push ups)

Tuesday - Rode 13.5 miles in 1:05 (12.4 mph).  Did my (30 second plank + 10 push ups) x 4 again.

Wednesday - Ran 5 miles on the treadmill in 54 minutes (10:53 pace).  I did some crazy hill intervals. They are the best way to tell if you are out of shape and they are also the best way to get in shape!! If you can understand this, you get a gold star:

• .25 mile walk/warm-up
• 1 mile run @ 5.8 mph @ 0%
• 2 minute hill intervals separated by 1 minute of recovery at 0% in between: 2%, 4%, 6%, 4%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 4%, 2%.  The hill intervals and recovery minute were a little slower at 5.7 mph
• Ran .75 miles at 0% a little faster (.25 @ 6.2 mph, .25 mph @ 6.4 mph, and .25 @ 6 mph)
• .25 mile walk/cool-down

So yeah, kind of confusing and I totally made it up as I was going, but it was a really great workout.

Thursday - it was cold outside but I managed to get out and run 3 miles in 30 minutes (10:00 pace).  It was a good run! My legs were tired though.  This streak that I was on is very unusual for me.

Friday - I took a rest day

Saturday - I took an unintentional rest day...sort of. I worked in the morning and was thinking about getting a run or a ride in during the afternoon.  I wasn't feeling and I also needed to go pick out a new pair of glasses.  Since I am the most indecisive person ever (I am going to have to wear these glasses for the next two years so it's kind of a big deal!), and they didn't have much of a selection, it took me forever.  By the time I was done, I was exhausted and it was time for dinner.

My back and right hip area has been sort of feeling a little tight since Friday.  Almost like it needed to "pop" but mostly just like I needed to stretch and foam roll it a lot. I went to the chiropractor again today so hopefully that will help it.  I'm still on the fence about training for the Blue Ridge full marathon.  Sure, I can probably do it, but will I enjoy training for it? Probably not since it's cold and I'll probably be running alone. Will I be mad at myself if I seriously hurt my back again? You betcha. Part of me also just wants to be doing more races, and you really can't do that when you're locked into marathon training. So, those are my thoughts for now.  They will probably change tomorrow!

I will leave you with a little inspiration from one of my favorite running quotes...

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Bree on Pinterest

Five Things I Want

ONE
The Clean Bottle Runner

My Nathan Handheld has served me well, but the elastic is starting to give. Plus, this bottle looks AWESOME because it can hold my iPhone. I usually carry my iPhone in my iFitness belt (which also serves its purpose very well), but honestly sometimes I just don't feel like having something tight around my waist and I haven't been able to keep it from riding up when I am wearing tights because there is nothing for it to stick to. I don't listen to music on my phone when I run, but I do always feel much better (safety wise) when I have my phone with me. I feel like this bottle might get a little heavy with my iPhone in it, but at least I will develop some nice guns in the process...and I'm sure I'll get used to it. It's only $19.99 on the Clean Bottle website, which is really reasonable and comparable to most other handhelds. Here's a video about this bottle:



TWO 
Everything Saucony Makes in ViZiPRO Pink.  Especially the Protection gloves:

The gloves I have now (Nike LIVESTRONG Lightweight gloves) are alright, but they are just fleece gloves so if it's windy at all or super cold outside my hands get cold. Sometimes they warm up after I have been running, but not always. These are wind and water resistant. And super bright and cute. AND they come with an LED light. How cool is that? They are a bit pricey at $50 (on sale on the Saucony website for $38), but I have found them on Running Warehouse for $29.88. But, I think I would need an extra small and they don't have that size in the pink. Womp.

I'd also take the Ethereal Vest (Regularly $80, on sale for $44.88 on Running Warehouse)

While we're at it, I'll also take a pair of arm warmers (Regularly $30, on sale on the Saucony website for $18 and on Running Warehouse for $17.88)

(ok - this was really 3 things, but I really just want the gloves)


THREE
I need a good base layer to wear while running. All I have right now consists of either thin short sleeve t-shirts, thin tank tops, or super thick (and too hot) Under Armor shirts. I like the look and simplicity of the Nike Miler Long Sleeve top (regularly $42, on sale on Running Warehouse for $29.88).

It looks nice and long. I can't stand short tops. Or ones that ride up. Any recommendations for a good base layer that isn't too thick?

FOUR
Thankfully it hasn't been brutally cold so far this winter. Unfortunately I have a feeling we will have a few bursts of cold before it's springtime though. I have noticed my toes getting really cold on my past two outdoor runs. I think I need some thicker/warmer socks. Right now I'm wearing my Balega Hidden Comfort socks, which is also what I wear in the middle of the summer. I might try wearing my thicker cycling socks that I recently acquired and see how they work.  In the mean time I've been trying to research socks online. When I'm looking at socks online I have a hard time determining if they are meant for cold weather or warmer weather, because often it doesn't say.

There is no question that these Drymax socks are meant for cold weather. Why? Because they are called "Cold Weather Running Socks". They look promising. They are regularly $15, but are on sale on Running Warehouse for $12.95).

Again, any recommendations for socks that are made for running in cold weather?

FIVE
Something unrelated to running...I want a new iPhone case. I have dropped mine a few times so the bottom is cracked and there are some nice scratches on it (thank goodness for cases, right?).

I like this one on Amazon for $21.99:

I'm also tempted to get one of these (from Zazzle.com) for $39.99:

And that's all...for today.  All of this would cost $200 so I don't think I will be buying all of it anytime soon. I did, however, sign up to work overtime tomorrow morning for the sole purpose of buying a new pair of running shoes (wow...I am so punny...sole purpose...running shoes...bah ha ha).  Hopefully I will have some money left over to buy a few of these things.

Disclaimer: I was not asked to brag about these things that I don't even have.  

Crazy Blue Ridge Marathon Thoughts

This past Sunday I ran 7 miles. 7 slow, hilly miles. It was tough, and I did walk up some of the hills, but my feet took me 7 miles and that’s all that matters. My quads were sore the next day from not having done any downhill running a while, but my back didn’t hurt at all.

Before this run I was dead set on dropping down to the half for the Blue Ridge Marathon that I’m currently signed up for (I signed up last year right after I ran the half...must have been on some sort of runners high.  That and prices were 50% off!). You know, the one that has 7,234 feet of elevation change in it? America’s Toughest Road Marathon. The one that is only 14 weeks away.

I told myself that I shouldn’t start training for another marathon so soon after being injured. Especially this marathon. I told myself that I should just take it easy and focus on running half marathons for a while (side note: half marathons are only “easy” with respect to a full marathon). I don’t know if you noticed, but running a full marathon was NOT one of my goals for 2012.

Endorphins do crazy things to me. They can make me think that I can do the impossible. Ever since running 7 miles last weekend (which is my longest distance post-injury), I have been toying with the idea that I can actually do the full Blue Ridge Marathon. Why do I have to have these crazy thoughts?! Why can’t my competitive self just be content with 13.1?

I love to challenge myself and dream big, but honestly these thoughts are kind of frustrating. It’s frustrating because I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to live in constant fear that I will just get injured again. But at the same time I want to be smart. I want to run injury-free, even if that means understanding (and obeying) my current physical limitations, whatever they may be.

While I was still injured I had made up this crazy 20 week training plan that would have me ready in time for the full Blue Ridge marathon. And then I didn’t get better in time to even start with this plan, thus I decided that I would run the half. Now I’m only 14 weeks away, so time is obviously not on my side right now. I’m wondering if the fact that I didn’t get better in time to start training on time is a sign that I shouldn’t attempt training for a full right now…or is that just me listening to the negative voices in my head telling me you can't do it?

Anyways, call me crazy, but I’m thinking about it. I really don’t know if it will work out. If it doesn’t, that’s okay. It’s not like I’ve never backed out of a marathon before!

Right now I'm thinking that I'll try to follow a training plan to increase my mileage, and if I feel like it's too much at 16 or 18 miles I will back off.  And if that's what happens, at least I will be extra prepared for the half marathon. This plan is definitely subject to change at any time.  Like tomorrow.  Or the first time I attempt running 10 miles.

Wordless Wednesday: Invisible Bikes!

Source for all images: http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Weekly Sweat Report + Zipfizz Winners

One of the things I wanted to start doing in the New Year was to start a weekly "sweat report" listing all of my activities for the past week.  I was great about this when I was doing marathon training, but since I haven't been following a set plan I haven't been talking about my workouts as much as I would like to on the blog.  Sweating is what this blog is supposed to be about after all!

I know I enjoy reading other people's weekly workouts because they inspire me! And they also remind me that even the toughest of people are only human and miss a workout or take a rest day. Hopefully my weekly sweat report will do the same for whoever is reading (and cares).  If anything, it will be a good way for me to keep track of how I am progressing with my goals for the year.

1/1/12 - 1/7/12
To start things off with a boom, I really didn't do much the first week of the year. I was sick with the stomach flu, which really sucked. From Sunday - Friday, I was pretty much in the bed. On Saturday I walked 4.31 miles outside (hilly neighborhood) in 1:10 (16:16 pace - this is actually a brisk walking pace for me and my short legs).

1/8/12 - 1/14/12
Sunday - Rest. Believe it or not I was sore from my walk.  I think it was the fact that I layed in bed for a week before going on a long, hilly walk.
Monday - First sweat of the year.  Rode 15 miles on the indoor trainer in 1:07 (13.4 mph pace).
Tuesday - Rest (I had a chiropractor appointment after work so honestly I didn't have time).
Wednesday - Ran on the treadmill at the gym for 3.5 miles in 39 minutes (11:11 pace): walked .25, ran 3 miles, walked .25.  I felt out of shape.  Then I lifted weights and did some core work for 45 minutes. It felt good to flex my muscles but I felt like I was going to be sore the next day.
Thursday - Rode 12 miles on the indoor trainer in 59 minutes (12.1 mph).  This was my first ride with my new cycling shoes! The pair I wore on this ride was a little too small.

Friday - Rest.
Saturday - Rode 10 miles on the indoor trainer in 53 minutes (11.4 mph pace). I tried a larger size shoe on this ride.  They are too big.  I sent both pairs back and ordered the half size from another place.  They better work :)

And now for the Zipfizz winners...

There were 37 entries. The first number that Random.org generated was #23.  The second number that Random.org generated was #27 (I usually do screen shots of the numbers that Random.org generates, but I'm feeling particularly lazy right now so you're just going to have to trust me!).

Comment #23 belonged to Mary (no blog to link to when I click on your name).  Comment #27 belonged to Clarinda! Ladies, please e-mail me with a mailing address and I will forward it onto the friendly folks at Zipfizz and they will get your prize on the way!

Don't Discuss Bloomers with Every Man You Know

I first spotted the list of Don'ts for Women Riders on the Bicycling.com blog, The Hub.  The list was originally posted by Lists of Note. Back in 1895 there was a big fuss about two women who showed up to a Unique Cycling Club of Chicago event wearing *gasp* short skirts over their bloomers. Apparently one of the laws of the club was that you had to wear bloomers and knickerboxers.

(source)

The women were asked to remove their skirts and they refused. Some people "fell" on the skirt-wearers, and left them standing there in their bloomers. How emburrisin'!

An article about this incident was published in New York World, and below it was this list (with my commentary added in pink):

DON'TS FOR WOMEN RIDERS

Don't be a fright.
Don't faint on the road. So, don't forget your Gu Chomps?
Don't wear a man's cap.
Don't wear tight garters. They would probably faint on the road if they saw today's cycling apparel.
Don't forget your toolbag. This is probably the only good advice.
Don't attempt a "century."
Don't coast. It is dangerous. What!?
Don't boast of your long rides. So much for Daily Mile.
Don't criticize people's "legs." I'm curious why "legs" is in quotations...
Don't wear loud hued leggings. Like these?
Don't cultivate a "bicycle face."

Second image that came up when I did a Google search for "bicycle face" (source)

Don't refuse assistance up a hill.

(source)

Don't wear clothes that don't fit. Wouldn't want your bloomers to fall off!
Don't neglect a "light's out" cry.
Don't wear jewelry while on a tour.
Don't race. Leave that to the scorchers. I'm going to assume we don't want to be a "scorcher".
Don't wear laced boots. They are tiresome. Aren't they still?
Don't imagine everybody is looking at you. Wait, What!? They're not?
Don't go to church in your bicycle costume. Who would go to church dressed like a bicycle?
Don't wear a garden party hat with bloomers. They would totally clash.

(source)

Don't contest the right of way with cable cars. This is the second best advice.
Don't chew gum. Exercise your jaws in private. I'll take Things That Sound Dirty but Aren't for 200, please.
Don't wear white kid gloves. Silk is the thing.
Don't ask, "What do you think of my bloomers?" The first rule of bloomers: you don't talk about bloomers.
Don't use bicycle slang. Leave that to the boys. Here's a whole dictionary of bicycle slang, in case you need to brush up on your terminology. 
Don't go out after dark without a male escort. Obviously they had a different definition of male escort back then.
Don't go without a needle, thread and thimble. You can never be too prepared.
Don't try to have every article of your attire "match."
Don't let your golden hair be hanging down your back.
Don't allow dear little Fido to accompany you. What about a cat?

(source)

Don't scratch a match on the seat of your bloomers.
Don't discuss bloomers with every man you know. Except for male escorts.
Don't appear in public until you have learned to ride well. These Olympic women obviously have some more learning to do.

(source)

Don't overdo things. Let cycling be a recreation, not a labor. Wouldn't want to break a sweat!
Don't ignore the laws of the road because you are a woman.
Don't try to ride in your brother's clothes "to see how it feels." NO PANTS ALLOWED.
Don't scream if you meet a cow. If she sees you first, she will run.

(source)

Don't cultivate everything that is up to date because you ride a wheel.
Don't emulate your brother's attitude if he rides parallel with the ground. I think they meant leaning into a turn, but this is what I think of when I hear "riding parallel with the ground":

riding parallel to the ground = never good. (source)

Don't undertake a long ride if you are not confident of performing it easily.
Don't appear to be up on "records" and "record smashing." That is sporty. Call me sporty.

Wordless Wednesday: Introducing...

My Diadora Aerospeed 2 Road Shoes!

I'd say they match the pink in my bike :)

Zipfizz Review & Giveaway

I was recently given the opportunity to try out a few samples of Zipfizz, an energy drink that provides healthy energy.

Here are a few quick facts about Zipfizz:

• No sugar! It is sweetened with Xylitol and Sucralose.
• Each serving only has 10 calories and 2 net carbs.
• Each serving also contains 41,667% of your daily value of B12 (no, that was not a typo!).
• Zipfizz also contains vitamins C, E, all B vitamins, folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, selenium, manganese, chromium, and sodium
• Zipfizz contains the amino acids arginine and taurine
• Zipfizz contains green tea extract, grape seed extract, ginger, and ginseng
• Zipfizz contains 100 mgs of caffeine
• Zipfizz comes packaged in small single serving tubes.
• The flavors of Zipfizz include Berry, Citrus, Grape, Orange Soda, and Pink Lemonade. I was also sent a special edition flavor of Orange Creamsicle.

Mixing together a serving of Zipfizz is super easy, and I was happy to find that the powder dissolves completely and doesn't clump up at all, which is one of my least favorite things about some powdered drink mixes.

The individual packaging is very handy and convenient. It is easy to open and you don't have to worry about it breaking and spilling powder everywhere.

So far I have tried the Orange, Creamsicle, Pink Lemonade, and Grape flavors, with my favorite being the Grape and my least favorite being the Orange and Creamsicle (I have not yet tried the Berry or Citrus flavors just due to forgetting about it until later in the day and not wanting to be up all night!).

The thing that stands out to me the most about the taste is that this stuff tastes SWEET! Almost a little on the too sweet side for me, but others may like that. However, knowing that the drink doesn't have any sugar in it helps me to feel better about drinking something that tastes so sweet. I will also add that there is a slight "vitaminy" aftertaste that I wasn't a fan of. As the name suggests, the drink is a bit fizzy (effervescent), too, which I really like. Overall I would say that the flavor is good, but I don't know if I would chug one of these everyday.

When I first saw that there was 41,667% of your daily value of B12 in one serving, my first thought was that this amount is super excessive and possibly not good for you. I asked the folks at Zipfizz about this and I was told that this amount is the equivalent of getting a B12 shot from your doctor. Also, all the vitamins in Zipfizz are water soluble, thus your body will flush out the excess of vitamins.

Since the taste was really sweet, I couldn't drink Zipfizz all at once, so the release of energy was probably a little more gradual for me than for someone who drinks the whole serving at once. I wasn't bouncing off the walls or anything, but I did feel like I had a good bit of energy.

On the Zipfizz website, a box of 20 tubes is $37.99, which comes out to $1.89 per serving. That seems a little steep to me, but when you consider that it's pretty much like a (super) multivitamin, it doesn't seem as expensive.

Zipfizz was kind enough to offer to send TWO of you a sampler pack of Zipfizz. Not only will you receive a sample of each of the 5 regular flavors, you'll also receive a Zipfizz bottle!

Here is how to enter...
Note: you must leave a comment below to enter. Please leave a separate comment for each entry for them to count!

Required:

• You must be a follower of this blog (let me know if you already are!) (+ one comment/entry only)

Additional entries:

• Follow Zipfizz (@Zipfizzcorp) on Twitter HERE (+ one comment/entry only)
• Share a link to this giveaway on your blog, Facebook page, or Twitter (include @Zipfizzcorp and @sweatylauren in your tweet) (+ one comment/entry PER DAY - Yes, you can share it each day for more entries! Just leave a separate comment each day.)

This giveaway will be open through Saturday, January 14, 2012 and TWO winners will be announced thereafter in a separate blog post.

If you still have questions about Zipfizz, please visit their website: www.zipfizz.com. You can also check them out on Facebook HERE!

Disclaimer: I was sent samples of Zipfizz to try free of charge. The opinions expressed above, whether positive or negative, are my own. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. The samples are being provided to the winners free of charge. No purchase is necessary to enter the giveaway.

(Almost) Crossing off Some 2012 Goals

Despite the fact that I have barely done any physical activity so far in 2012 thanks to coming down with the nastiest case of the stomach flu I have ever had, I'm already on my way to being able to cross off a few of my goals for 2012.

First, Andrew and I signed up to ride in my very first cycling event. We are doing the Tour de Cure (50 mile option) together on June 3, 2012. This is a charity event and the money supports the American Diabetes Association in an effort to STOP DIABETES! I will beg more later, but if you would like to get your 2012 donations rolling, I would appreciate your gift! Click on the badge below to be directed to my page.

Secondly, I am on my way to being able to cross of my goal of wearing real cycling shoes and using clipless pedals. Andrew ordered some clipless pedals from Amazon for me and I just placed my order for my first pair of cycling shoes.

If you have ever shopped for women's cycling shoes, you know that the selection is terrible. The shoes are either mostly all white and boring (and will therefore get dirty fast), just downright hideous, or cost between $250 and $500. I really would have been okay if I had gotten a boring white pair, but after much debate I went with these beauties and I can't wait for them to come!

I hope that they are as bright (if not brighter) as they look in this picture. I have some splashes of HOT pink on my bike, so I'm hoping that they will look awesome with my bike. Oh, and I'm hoping they fit because I didn't try them on.

I also hope know that they will look awesome with my Team Tough Chik cycling kit.

I joined the 2012 team and I am SO excited to be a part of such a wonderful (and TOUGH) group of ladies! What is Tough Chik, you ask?

From the Tough Chik website:

Tough Chik is not just a clothing line, it is an outlook on life. All women have a personal story that makes them tough and our goal is to celebrate Tough Chik triumphs in a creative way. We want to revolutionize women's performance apparel by linking it to something more profound than just pretty designs.

As Team Tough Chik, we are designers, marketers, runners and cyclists that feed on creative expression. We are proud of our shin splints, scars and pedicures. We strive to support women of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds who celebrate life and seek to conquer its challenges and adventures.

I also ordered the tri top, which I plan on RUNNING in (no triathlons...yet).

Lastly, I am happy to report that I have already met my weight loss goal for 2012! Yep, in just a few days I went from 130 to 125.8! How'd I do it? That's easy! I got the stomach flu, which entailed only eating about 500 calories each day, going to the bathroom more times than I can count, becoming super dehydrated, and pretty much feeling like death.

Only joking ;) Now that I'm feeling better and I have my appetite back and I'm hydrated, I'm pretty sure I'm back at the weight I started. That is NOT the way I wanted to lose weight!

How are you doing with your 2012 goals so far?
Besides the ones above, I'm getting a slow start.

I hope everyone has a great week! Come back for my Zipfizz Review & Giveaway that will (hopefully) be posted tomorrow!

A Non-Sweaty Start to 2012

I really wish I could say that my 2012 started off strong...that I went for a 20 mile bike ride and a 6 mile run. But that is not the case! Shortly after writing out my goals for 2012, I took a shower and started feeling weird. My heart was beating faster than normal and I started to get a bad sinus headache. Oh great, I thought, Andrew has given me his cold as a late Christmas present. How nice! To be fair, I give him my colds, too...we like to share like that! And what I have ended up not being what he has.

I struggled through the rest of the afternoon of New Year's Eve. I started to get a stomach ache and then I had a slight fever (99.6) and some chills and nausea. Fun times, right? For the first time in as long as I can remember, I didn't watch that big shiny ball drop and see the clock tick over to 12.

On New Year's Day I woke up feeling better...until I ate something and my stomach ache came back. I was able to eat semi-normally but tried to eat bland food and drink a lot of water. I didn't really have much of an appetite though. After consulting with Dr. Google, I'm pretty convinced that I have a case of the stomach flu.

I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say that I'm spending my last day off from work in between my bed and the bathroom...and making this short visit to the computer to do a blog post. It should really be a crime to be sick on a vacation day. Doing any kind of physical activity is out of the question, so I'm going to have to wait for another day or two (hopefully not more) to fight the newbies at the gym and get a start on my running and cycling goals for this year.

I'm kind of bummed about not being able to attack this year's goals head-on, but it is also a reminder that I'm not invincible. Oh, and I still have 363 days left in the year. So for now I'm going to cut myself some slack and try not to be too jealous of all of my imaginary friends who are already accomplishing great things in 2012. I'll be cheering you on from my great porcelain throne!