Purple Hair Yet Again

A few weeks ago, during a week I wasn't yet training for all the spring half marathons, Kyle was out of town, the BRF was out of town, and I didn't have to work. What do people do when they don't have any obligations and no one to spend time with?!

Well, this person finds some old purple hair dye from the back of the cupboard and decides to put it in her hair. The last time I got my hair done, I wanted to get my hair much blonder. My hairstylist went a more icy blonde which is cute but super hard to maintain as a warmer gold kind of head of hair, naturally. I started using some purple shampoo which was helping, but I was just over the color and ready for something new.

I left it on twice as long as I previously had since it was an older bottle, I wasn't sure if it had lost some of its potency. I barely rinsed it with cold water, and loved how it turned out!!

I knew the next week it was going to fade fast because I was starting training again the next week, but I did manage to go a good 3-4 days without washing it and just using a lot of dry shampoo. Some days it looked purple, some days it looked blue, most of the time it looked blurple (blue+purple), other times it was a grey/lavendar (aka the days where there was too much dry shampoo).

I took a million selfies daily to document it, and actually spent time doing my hair for work. This is not usual for me. I knew that the color was going to go fast, so I wanted to have as many snaps as possible before it did!

One of the days I took my dad to the doctor and he didn't even notice I had done it. Geez dad. granted he was going in for cataract surgery so it's entirely possible he just didn't see me 100%. :P

I'm somewhat convinced that my four mile race went well because my hair matched my shirt.

I think my favorite hue was about 3-4 washes in. The dark had faded from the dark of my hair, and the light in my hair was a light violet. So fun.

Bye bye purple hair. Until we meet again! (or I attempt a different color).

Hair Cut

On November 17, 2014 I saved a photo of a gorgeous long bob/lob from Kristin Ess' instagram page. I was obsessed. Obsessed enough to keep it on my phone for the last two years, but not obsessed enough to do anything about acquiring said lob. Until a couple of weeks ago.

I scheduled my hair appointment with my friend and fellow yogi, and as the date got closer I decided just to chop it off. She was shocked but was totally on board with the idea. She started by chopping off a ton so she wasn't wasting her time and color highlighting and coloring hairs that were just going to get hacked off anyway. And immediately there was a medium sized dog's worth of hair on the floor. Blech.

She colored my hair, finished the cut, styled me, and I was obsessed. Full disclosure: I've had my hair short twice in my whole entire life. I hated it BOTH TIMES. Both times were done by less than stellar hairstylists, and both times I had no clue how to style my hair. Both variables led to hair hatred. I knew that Kaitlyn would make me look as cute as she could, but if I didn't like it, my hair grows uber fast, so I wouldn't have to put up with it for long.

Luckily for me, I love it. It's super fun and such a change.

Surely I'll be finding mega long hairs all over the house and my clothes for decades to come though..... :/

New Hairz

I was finally able to squeeze in a MUCH NEEDED hair appointment last Friday. I hadn't gotten my hair cut in 4 months, and hadn't gotten any color in ten. Ten MONTHS. That's pure laziness, even for me.

A really sleepy before picture:

A during photo:

And after:

!

One of my yoga teacher training classmates does hair full time, so I showed her some pics of what I was loving, and she did such a great job. Healthy shiny hair is a good look on anyone. 

Is there any day better than new hair day? (Ok, it might be tied with new contact day and/or new mascara day, but SERIOUSLY!)

Humidity+Running+Your Hair

Alternate title:  Long hurr don't curr... what?  That's no longer relevant?  Ok, moving on.

It's so secret that I have super long hippie hair.  It's also no secret that I live in super swampy air for 3-4 months of the year.  The degree of rat's nests I've had to work through post-run in the past few years of running is innumerable.  I learned early on that a simple ponytail doesn't cut it.

Exhibit A)  This was a straight, long and flowing pony pre-race.  Mile 8 of 13.1--rat's nest.  Also, this is my single favorite race photo EVER.

Over time, I learned to double pony, braid, or twist the pony to cut down on craziness.  But then, that no longer worked either on particularly sweaty/humid runs as my ponytail braid/twist would swell up to 5-6x its normal girth (heh that's a funny word) and would again be impossible to get out post-run.

Pre-run.  No way it wasn't quadruple the size by the end of the run.  Fail.

Have you ever spent 45 minutes in the shower post-run with a widetooth comb and half a bottle of conditioner doing the condition, comb, rinse, comb, repeat combo?  It's not fun.  Promise.

I progressed to the twist/braid and bun option, which helped.  But I have so much hair that it's hard to get it to not move while running, and a boppin' bun is super annoying.  Plus it gets really heavy if you're running for a long while.

When I was in Dallas for the HM in December, Dominique and I were waiting in the line for the porta potty, and the gal in front of us had some crazy pony tail situation going on with her naturally curly hair.  I tapped her on the shoulder to ask if that combatted the hair swelling/knotting while running and she said it did.

Since being a sloth for the first few months of the year, combined with freezing cold temps, i didn't really have a need to test out the new hair trick.  I didn't have to wait too long, as the humidity showed up a few weeks ago.  I decided to give it a go.

The before:

4 ponies total.  Also, ZOMG shiny/fab hair day!

The after:

SUCCESS!

The how:  braid or twist your pony.  Add in ponytail holders about every inch and a half the whole way down the pony.  Revel in your much shorter post-run shower.

Option B)  Cut your damn hippie hair for God's sake.

OR if you live in the land of no humidity, revel in that awesomeness.  Colorado and Vegas, I'm looking at you.  I swear I didn't even look like I had ran after the Wild West Relay and RnR Vegas Marathon.  Le sigh.



(Considering AR and I went out for drinks at the hotel bar post-race after throwing on compression socks, that should tell you how little one sweats in the desert.  Awesome blossom.)

Hair Decisions

In keeping up with my 2012 goals, I did ab work yesterday en route to Operation: Alba Abs (even in the off season) or OAAeitos for short, and my core is still crying so I'd say that's a success.  I also successfully avoided my 8 miler all the live long day, so I was forced to hit the treadmill today because apparently winter has decided to come (see temps now below zero, barf).

Luckily the 8 miles didn't take too terribly long.  They were supposed to be general aerobic miles (meaning:  slow down let's get this heart super efficient, eh? Apparently my training program is a Canadian).  I read a book (one of the Pretty Little Liars, so trashy but so good!) and when I got bored with that, I listened to the new Bush CD.  I kind of really like it, fyi.  The last 2 miles of the run had 10x100 m strides in it, so that spiced things up a bit.  Managed to rock those little suckers in 6:58-7:03.  And now I'm slightly dreading my ten miler scheduled for tomorrow, because *shockingly* it's supposed to be -10* before I go to work.  While 8 wasn't too terrible, another 10 about 12 hours later might suckkkkk.

And in non-running news, I need your advice!  I'm getting my hairs did on Thursday and I'm torn about what to do.  I always do the same hair style, so I like to change the color up a bit.  But usually I don't.  Because I'm a wuss like that.  Here are my current thoughts:
A)

(source)

Top pic only.  I know it's just different lighting for the bottom pic, but I'm trying to get away from the blonde.  Being a curly haired gal, your hair is already dry, no sense making it dryer (you hear that Jeri from 3 months ago that decided "ZOMG I SHOULD PUT A BUNCH OF BLONDE HIGHLIGHTS IN MY HAIR!" Uh... no.  You shouldn't.... jk)


Or B)

I've had this pic saved on my computer forever.  Just looooooove it.  Doesn't hurt that her hair is super shiny/healthy/fabo.

Some things to consider:

• Red tends to fade like crazy and this girl cannot afford to go in as often as she should (read: usually 3 months, 4 on occasion....).
• It's winter so I'm pretty pale.  Even when I'm tan I tend to be a pinky-tan.  So I'd prefer that the color doesn't make me MORE pink, ya know?

Ok please weigh in, and then send over some monies to cover the bill.  Wait!? Who wrote that?!?! ;)  No worries, I'm sure I'll have found my long sought sugar daddy by then, ya know.... Thursday....  Phew.

Hair Today...Gone Tomorrow....

Whoa!  The feedback I had on my hair post was intense!  I was partially posting as a joke, but you guys took your jobs very seriously.  Some of my favorite comments:

Seriously you guys had me snort-laughing in an insane way.  I think I'll bookmark the comments from this page for a rainy day when I hate life.  TOO FUNNY!

I should clarify, I regularly refer to my hair as crazy hippie hair, because it is, in fact, crazy hippie hair.  I love that it's long, I love that it's unruly, but don't expect me to bathe in patchouli any time soon.  I've had long hair forever.  I cut it off my junior year of high school, wanting it to look like this.  It didn't.  And it made me look even younger (if at all possible).

Oh hai! Told you I'm an ageless wonder... Real cool to still look like you're 16 at 27...

(Source)

I mean, who didn't want to look like britney!??!?

Then when I was 22 I decided I wanted to cut my hair again.  Because history has taught me nothing, clearly.  I had wanted to donate my hair, and figured that even if the hair looked terrible it'd be ok because at least somone benefitted from the hack job.  Well the stylist talked me out of donating it, don't ask me why.  And shocker, she did a terrible job and I hated it.  Plus I was a bit on the chubby side, so the haircut only accentuated that fact.  :/

Since this terrible haircut I've found a stylist that I love.  Every time I come in to see her she tells me my hair is too long, but that it's still healthy enough to keep it this long.  Really I think she's just afraid I'll cry a thousand tears if I ever let her cut it off.  But after your guys' comments, I'm contemplating the whole donation thing again.  I'm not sure if I can because I've put blonde highlights in my hair, so I'm not sure if she had bleached it to do so, but we may have a short haired jerbear this spring.  :/  My inspiration (and what I had originally wanted with the terrible cut of age 22:

(Source)

I think May would be the perfect time of year to take off the horse mane.  I'd probably drop a few pounds in the process and snag that marathon PR.  Thoughts??  :)

_________________

Thursday night I had my 24509384059834095 sucktastic run through the snow and ice.  Excuse me for a moment while I turn all "Angry Runner" on you.  This winter... has sucked.  I ran outside way more than I have in the past, trying to be less of a sissy lala throwing down miles on the treadmill.  However, in the past two weeks, I have twisted a knee, rolled an ankle twice (same one, previously broken in basketball back in the day), tweaked both knees, and have intense shin splints.  Running outside... is NOT making me a better runner.  If anything it's effing up my joints and potentially my muscles from modifying my stride so much to keep from FACE-PLANTING THE ENTIRE RUN.  

I did 8 miles tonight, and at the 4 mile turn around, I almost let myself walk the 4 remaining miles home. Because, to be honest, my walking pace isn't that much slower than what I am capable of running in these crap.  And the risk of seriously injurying myself while walking has gotta be dramatically lower, right?

And the worst part of it all, is I was talking about next weeks weather with Kyle today, and it's supposed to be in the 50s next week.  Dudes... the 50s!!  AKA the best running weather EVER (=shorts and long sleeve.... love.)  He made the comment that everything will melt away by then so my pretty trails will be clear.  And I was excited, for all of 2 seconds.  Until I realized that with EVERYTHING melting, that just meant that the river that is... oh.... right next to the trails, is going to flood my g.d. running path!!!!!!  Which means that I'll be incapable of running on it YET AGAIN.  

BRB off mapping out long run routes around town, since my beloved trail will be out of commish until at least mid-June.  Oh, and they'll probably start up with the construction then.  GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

OH!  And I'm 98% certain that the part of the trail that the 5 mile and 5k of this weekend's race is on will be ice and frozen snow packed down.  Should make for a delightful racing conditions.  Ever wore yaktrax in a race?  I'm thinking I might have to.  Or do that whole face plant thing again.  YAYZIES.

I took pics of the crap I've been stuck running on, but I'm so ranty now that I don't even want to get my camera to upload them.  Perhaps another day. 

End rant. 

:)

Super Important Question

We're all friends here right?  So... like... if I wanted your honest opinion about something you'd give it to me straight up, right???

How close am I to having creepy religious fenetic hair????

I'm legitimately concerned.

I kept getting hair stuck in my arm pit at dinner the other night.

And I just got a hair cut 2 weeks ago..... :/

Please advise.

(My cardigan is super long, so where my fingers are is where my pants sit.  Which means my hair is approx. 4 inches from being in my butt crack when I shower....oy.  Wow....let that visual marinate, won't you?!?!?  Barf.)

When did I go past crazy hippie hair????  HALP!

March in Review + New 'Do

March in Review

Total Miles: 151 which is up from 124 last month (compared to 66.8 in 2009). This breaks my current monthly record (previously 138).

Total Time: 23:35:49. I ran almost a full day this month. That's pretty sweet in my book. (Last month was 19:17:08.)

Total Runs: 17 for an average of 8.88/run. My lucky number. :D (Last month was 7ish/run).

Highest weekly mileage: 3/22/2010 — 3/28/2010: 39.8 Mi 6:14:10 Highest mileage week to date (no wonder my legs were traaaaaaaaashed)! (up from 35 last month)

Favorite run: My first 20 miler.  I imagine this is similar to the love you feel for your first born, no?  To be honest, I expected to crash and burn, just b/c 20 miles is a long way yo!  Imagine my surprise when it was my best LR of the 14+ distance.  20 I heart you.

Most hardcore run: 7 tempo miles.  It. Sucked.  But I'd imagine I am a stronger runner because of it.  Right?  RIGHT!?!?!?  I purposely haven't looked forward in my planner just because I'm assuming there's a longer and faster tempo workout to come.  [shudders]

Favorite Race: St. Patty's Day 5 miler.  Auto PR + my fave holiday + one butt ton of Green = What's not to love people?  Oh yes, the massive mud and poorly organized day.  I remember now. :P

Current Jams:  Ke$ha--Dancing with tears in my eyes & Hungover,  Rihanna--Rude Boy,

This week has been a cut back week (praise the Lord!).  My poor leggies were hurting last week.  Last night was my last run for the month.  As everyone was shouting out their mileage for the month on twitter, I was prompted to check my running log:  142.8.  Well I couldn't end the month with 150.8 miles could I?  Hell no.  I headed out after working in gorgeous 70 degree temps.  I just let my legs do what they wanted to do, and apparently that's a bit faster than my easy pace.  I figured I would compensate with the 8 miles slated for the following morning.

I did 8.2 miles in 1:16:20 for a pace of 9:19.

This morning I begrudgingly got out of bed.  I always plan to run before work on Thursdays (I work a late shift) but always end up sleeping in.  A friend is in town back from school for Easter, and we're going to take on the town so I had to get out there.  Morning running!  How could I have forgotten about you?!?!?  It took a couple of miles for the legs to wake up, but after that I was crusing along.  My effort level was 10 minute miles, but my actual pace was around 9:10-9:15.  It was crazy.  You gotta love those runs.  All day I've been feeling my fabulous runner's high.  I think morning running and I might be rekindling our flame this spring.  ;)

I did 8 miles in 1:14:15 for a pace of 9:17.

In exciting news, I got my hair did this week.  whoot whoot!  Check out my darker do.  I think the dark makes me look more like a smarty pants, no? :)

In sad news, my office husband moved offices.  The following are various email excerpts to how I feel about this travesty.

Email to Nick (yes he knows about my office husband, and is ok with it....at least as far as I know!): 

Did you ever get moved in high school because you talked too much to your friends that sat around you in certain classes? Surprise surprise, I did. All the time. Apparently I’m a bit of a talker?!?!?!?


Anyway, my office husband had to/got to relocate to an office farther away. I feel like this is the corporate version of desk moving. :(
Also random/awesome email brainstorm with the office husband:
Jeri:  I hate that you’re not next door. Shall we craft tin can phones this afternoon?
Tom:  yes we should or get web cams so we can skype
Jeri:  Hahahahahah we should totally skype from two offices down. Love it.

RIP office relationship.  I've already got one distance relationship on my hands, I just can't hack #2. :(

Peace Out Morning + Yoga Update

Dear Morning Running,

I hear by give my official resignation. The heat is gone, and quite frankly my bed is now much more enticing than you are. It was a good run (punny!). I'm sure I'll see you again next summer.


xoxo,
Jerbear


As you may recall, back when I attempted and became a morning runner, I did it primarily to keep from melting into a puddle during after work runs/getting abducted running late-late at night. Now that it's in the 40's when 5:30-6 am rolls around, I figure I can throw in the towel. Plus, after work time will always be my favorite time to work out. I think 6 years of post-school practice will do that to a gal. I love running off my work day stress. And it's a great time to people watch.


In an update on the yoga challenge, I have yoga'd every day except for 3. I've found that the most enjoyable days are the ones that I set aside a good chunk of time rather than cramming in a short 15 minute session to "get it over with." Shocker, I know.



Last night was no different. After blogging, I went home to eat a couple of lemon poppy seed muffins that I baked post-run. Um YUM! And had plenty of time until Taylor would be back from softball. I found a new series that I haven't tried because it's 35 minutes long, and I usually don't have that long to work with. I did a YogAmazing Summer Flow series. It kicked my butt. Whoa! BUT, I did finally succeed in being able to do Crow Pose (aka Crane Pose). Seriously, after 3+ years of doing yoga (off and on, of course) I've never been able to do this pose.

Of course, Taylor walked in while I was doing the final stretching and meditative portion (savasana). Side note: Since this is the only part he ever sees me do, he's convinced that that's all yoga is. When I commented that my arms and shoulders are getting more defined, and I think yoga is the cause, he actually asked me how stretching was causing me to get buff. Turd.

Anyway, after I was done, I wanted to show off the new sweet pose that I could do, so I showed him a couple of times and CLEARLY he was impressed. Competitive beast that he also is, he decided to give it a try. First time he fell, second time I gave him some pointers and, shocker, he got up. Granted he was only up for a few seconds, but still. Hmph. I also showed him some harder parts of the series that I did/struggled with, and I think he finally has a grasp on how difficult yoga can be. Hopefully he's intrigued enough to try it with me sometime. :)

I've been searching for a yoga studio in town, and have a couple of promising prospects. There's a studio downtown that offers free classes this Friday, so I might check one out after work. It is considered an Intermediate class though, so I might call and see what Intermediate consists of, because embarrassing the heck out of myself will probably cause me to NEVER go back. Also, our new health insurance at work has a couple of gyms with deals of $20 off monthly membership if you attend 4x/month. One of them is an AMAZING gym, with pool, basketball courts, tons of fitness classes, etc. etc., which would be about $45/month. They offer 3 free trials for potential members, so I figure I can try some classes out there too.

______________

Also, I'm getting my hairs did tonight! Whoo. I'm pretty excited. I went more blonde this summer, and it's starting to look trash-tastic all grown out and such, so I'm going back to dark and beautiful. :) Perhaps I'll have some pics to share with you manana. More likely, I will forget to take any, and then will be forced to take some post-6 miles in the morning. Sweaty=sexy. :)