What About Gus?

My lovable Garmin, Gus, was very jealous of my treadmill getting all the action the other day, so I decided to show him some love by going for a little run outside last night.  Ooo!  It was cold!  My awesome new Brooks long sleeve top kept me warm though.

I surprised myself by making it up the two giant hills without needing to walk, or gag, or puke.  In fact, I probably could have gone longer than 1.5 miles, but of course, I don't want to push that envelope.  The one peculiar thing that happened on this short run was a gas leak up the street from my house.  It smelled awful and it was BAD.  I'm sure if someone decided to light up a cig the neighborhood would've exploded.  Well, maybe not, but it sure did smell that way.  There were three energy vans working on the problem.  I decided to avoid that street on my way back, you know, just to be on the safe side.  I'll leave the giant explosions to the movies and The Lonely Island dudes.

Yo, Shoe Dog!

My little sister Liza has a really bad running confession...she's wearing my old running shoes...from high school.  Now people, I'm 27 years old, so these shoes are not only older than my nieces and nephews, but my relationship with Travis.  Oh Liza!

Big sister to the rescue!  Get the Shoe Dog!

For her belated birthday present, I wanted to have Liza get her feet analyzed at the local Road Runner Sports and help get her some new kicks.  Today was the day.

The in-store Shoe Dog experience starts with a foot measurement; Liza's feet are a little different in size, so the next size up was recommended.  Then, Liza stood on this mat that took the characteristics of her balance and pressure exerted by her feet.  According to the data shown on the screen, Liza puts more pressure on her heels than the rest of her foot (shown in red).  Also noted is how high/low her arches are, and they are definitely in the middle, so a Stability shoe was recommended.

The next step is a treadmill running analysis using video.  Liza jogged a little on the treadmill and then the sales rep showed us her gait on the playback.  It was funny to see Liza cringe when the sales dude paused the video when her foot was getting the most weight.

"I thought my ankle was going to snap!"

Not quite, but I understood her concern.  It did look quite odd, but you understand your running technique much better.  Another thing I noticed...Liza runs like me.  Her stride is similar and she forefoot strikes more than her heel.  Interesting.

A new part of the Shoe Dog experience is actually getting fitted orthotics made on-the-spot, without the obligation to buy (they run about $80).  I thought this was pretty neat, and the process was cool to see too.

Standing on the balance blocks getting ready for the orthotics to be molded

Liza then got to try some pretty rad colored socks for the shoe fitting.  The sales rep told her never to run in cotton socks again (and I totally agreed with that statement).

After trying on a variety of shoes by Puma, Nike, Saucony and Asics, Liza liked the feel and look of the Asics GT-2160.  

She also promises not to run in her jeans either. ;)

Overall, the trip was a success and Liza doesn't have to wear my jankity old running shoes on her teeny feet.  Hurray!!

My happy little sister, Liza!

TA DA!

AND...I'm BACK!

I RAN TONIGHT!!!!

WOO HOO!!!!

And this time Goober fell asleep watching me run. :)

Passed out Goob, facing the treadmill

Don't worry, I'm taking it very easy. Five minutes of a jog, then one minute walk, then jogged for a bit to reach a mile.  My body feels pretty good, but it's a little strange to have more--ahem--jiggle in places.  Hee hee.

Holiday Hangover

It's all over?  Really?  The holidays just rush by so quickly, especially now with a baby in the house.  I'm a little sleep-deprived because Goober has a cold and isn't sleeping too well at the moment...so I'll just share some pictures.

Sibling Zoolander pose: Kristal, Karrie, me, Liza, Ryan (pic missing Bria)
& Ryan's kids G and S

Yeah, we are "special": Bob, Kristal, Karrie, me, Liza, Ryan
G, Sharon, Dad, S

Goober with her new Moose, dubbed "Bruce"

Goober and Santa

Auntie Karrie and a sleepy Goob in her Christmas dress

My Dad and Oliver (my "brother" kitty)

Just a small sampling of the gifts at Dad's house, and the yearly gift of "Ryan's Cream" from my bro (Ryan) to us sisters (hahahaha! Yeah, we have demented minds...but it's hilarious!)

We didn't take as many pictures this year as we should have, but we did have a great Christmas with all of our family!  It was busy and well worth it.  Now, I have to go take care of the sick Goob.

P.s.  I got two new Running Skirts from Liz and E!  I'm SO READY to put them to use soon!!

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone had a great day!

Goober is getting ready to start the new year off running! She's got brand new sneakers (Jordans! Haha!) and even though they are a bit big, she loves them! Thanks Coach Fish!

A Visit from Tall Mom

My fave pic I took of Mel in February

Mel stopped by my house yesterday and we got to chat for an hour or so.  She held Goober most of the time, so it was a nice break for my arms (I swear, babies are great weight training equipment!).  We talked about running and goals for the new year, and I told her I'd be back to being her running buddy soon.  My health is still not in tip top shape, and so I haven't got the go-ahead to start training again...

Oh goodness, I can't WAIT to start running again for so many reasons.  My Newtons are dying to be used and go fast!  My Garmin Gus is feeling really neglected.  I miss my Bald Eagle buddy, Sam, on the trail.  I need to run off the stress and just have some "me" time.  I haven't "raced" since last year (ugh!).  There's a new Brooks long sleeve top that is itching to be worn for the first time (thanks, Mel!).  And I want to feel strong again.

Plus, I miss my running buddies!
Ah, soon.

Shout out to Coach Fish...it was his birthday yesterday!  Woot!  Happy Birthday, Uncle!

Earning Extra Moolah

So, it's the holidays and we all know what that means...our bank accounts and wallets are maxed out.  How about a little extra cash to get you going into the New Year?

I've participated in PTC (pay-to-click) sites before and I've actually made some money on the side.  This was years ago, and so I've found a new site called InboxDollars that is pretty good when it comes to earning some easy cash.  It doesn't cost a dime and you get paid for reading e-mails (targeted to your interests), taking surveys, completing free offers, cashback shopping with partners (like Target.com, Overstock.com, Walmart.com, to name a few) and completing easy web tasks for cash.  Plus, there's an automatic $5 added to your account just for signing up.  Easy as pie.  Mmmm, pie...

What can you do with this money?
How about put it towards race fees...

Get a super reflective running vest...

Buy antlers for your dog...

Or, you can be financially savvy and pay off those holiday bills.

Shameless plug: 

Please sign up.  

It's so easy.  

If not for yourself, then do it for Goober.  

Awww, see?  Goober's so cute.  I know you can't resist!

Now, here's a cheesy banner to start.

Edited to add: 
What you make is pretty much up to you.  The e-mails come on occasion and don't flood your inbox.  I have done some of the cash tasks, which don't make much and take a little time.  Some of the offers are fun, and can make a couple bucks just for registering for something (note: you will get some spam, so I have a separate email account just for this sort of thing).  Plus, I did some of my Christmas shopping using the "Cash Shopping" partners links for cashback.  The surveys are pretty easy and vary with how much they pay out.  Overall, this is not a job at all, more of a "hey, I have a little free time, I'll do a survey" kind of thing.  :)  Check it out for more ideas on how much you can make. 

Hold On a Moment

Even though I started lightly walking on my treadmill a little while ago, I think I am doing too much too soon.  :(  Oh well.  I really want to be getting back into exercise and running, but I guess I'm not ready yet. 

In the meantime, while taking care of Miss Goober, I'm trying to find ways to earn some income.  Any ideas?  I was officially "let go" from my job because the little company was struggling, and I had a feeling it would be that way.  Sure, it's nice because I can take care of Goober longer without having to worry about daycare yet, but I still want to pull my own weight for our family.  I'm not used to "not working."  It's weird already.  Money just plain sucks.

Goober has been projectile vomiting more often lately and I feel so awful.  I wish I knew what was wrong. She's pretty gassy, and I've tried the Mylicon baby drops, but I don't know if they work.  Poor baby.  She's still amazing and beautiful though.

She's the Princess of eyebrow expressions