Photo Friday + Belly Shirt Option

I had some extra time today and looked through the "Unknown Participants" photos from the St. Patty's Day 5k. Heck ya, I found some photos of me. Considering the only one they found of me was this one.  

I was pretty excited. Btw, totally looked up those chicas' bib# and I beat both of them. Muhahah. Um..ya. I'm a little competitive, no biggie.

Hey look.  Here I am, the speck next to the dude in blue shorts!

And here we have my most flattering angle (but seriously) shiny spandex booty?  Heck ya.  :)

Also, here's my super studly running buddy, Matty. As soon as I picked up my race packet, I called him to tell him how super, awesome the shirts were. When he picked his up, he called me, very upset. Something was definitely wrong with the Large sized shirts, because they were large in size, but crazy short (like 2-3 inches shorter than my Small, trust me, I know. I tried them both on at the same time). :) So instead he went to WalMart to get a sweet green shirt for the race. After I showed up at his place, and he showed me his "lame" shirt he found, I was soooooooo mad that he didn't get me one. How sweet would we have looked? Just two leprechauns, running for the GOLD. Hehe. Matt joked that he must have accidentally marked the "Belly Shirt" option on the registration form. The whole pre-race we spent picking out other fellas who had also marked the "Belly Shirt" option. Hilarity ensued.

Last night I did a 35 minute tempo run, and it was nothing short of fabulous. I eeked out 4.21 miles in 35 minutes, which is a pace of 8:19/mile. Coincidentally, this is also the pace of the above mentioned 5k. Does anyone else smell a new PR in 2 weeks? ;) I did the tempo run on the treadmill so it could control my pace for me and the stats are as follows:

5 min at 6.5/ 9:13 pace

5 min at 7/ 8:34 pace

4.5 min at 7.5/ 8:00 pace

2 min at 8/ 7:30 pace

1 min at 8.5/ 7:00 pace

1 min at 8.2/ 7:15 pace

2 min at 8/ 7:30 pace

4.5 min at 7.5/ 8:00 pace

6 min at 7/ 8:34 pace

4 min at 6.5/ 9:13 pace

Afterward, my legs were dead, but in an oh so good, dead way. Today is a rest day. Also I picked up Run Faster From the 5K to Marathon: How to be your own Best Coach from the library yesterday, so I'm excited to see what I can learn. Good luck to anyone racing this weekend, especially Midwest homie MicaPie who is going to tear up her 1/2 this weekend.

TIaRT + 57 degrees + Snow

I find the TiarT topic interesting [This week's theme is ... Running Technology Tips.  Calling all Garmin, Nike plus,iPod, iPhone and all other running gadget junkies.   Share your tips for selecting, buying, and using your favorite running toys that also make your running more enjoyable.]

Personally I'm not too "gadgety" when it comes to running.  The reason I feel this way is simply because I do not fall into the Garmin owner category, but when I really thought about it, that's not a true statement.  I love my iPod shuffle.  The battery died on my 3 miler yesterday and it drove me crazy.  Second is my old school $6 green wal-mart watch.  How that battery has lasted almost 5 years is beyond me.  I use gmap-pedometer.com to map out my runs, and runnersworld.com to keep track of my training log.  I used to have it on coolrunning.com like alot of the rest of you have mentioned, but also ditched out when it switched over.  And then there's the treadmill.  I hate it, I love it.  It's nice to have an alternative to freezing cold/icy streets/30+mph winds/etc.  I also enjoy doing my sprint workouts on the treadmill to accurately track my time and distance.  Many of these items will be replaced once I buy my Garmin (hopefully in 2 weeks, if I can PR in my race).  Runners truly are a different breed.  I won't spend more than $20 on a shirt, but will spend $300+ on a watch.  Too funny.

Yesterday after work, I got my booty outside for a run.  It's been a good week and a half because I really struggle with the cold.  When I left work, it was 57 degrees out, so I decided to swap my tempo run with an easy 3 miles.  While I was driving home, I noticed a runner guy in shorts and long sleeves, and decided that should be sufficient for my run.  No sooner than 5 minutes into my run, I see a chick decked out in sweatpants, hoodie, and stocking hat.  Really?  Lady.  It's 57 degrees.  So I had to chuckle for feeling very B.A.

The other interesting part of my run was also during the first mile.  There was a 2 block stretch that still had snow on it.  Like 4-6 inches of snow.  Hello?  Snow, you do realize it's 57 degrees out right, shouldn't you be melting???  But then I realized that I looked like even more of a B.A. running through snow covering my shoes in shorts.  Haha.  At which point I decided to stop being so cocky because I envisioned myself tumbling down the snow filled sidewalk in shorts and no longer looked quite so B.A.  :)  The run itself was good 3.02 miles in 25:59 for 8:37 pace.  Apparently I really struggle at doing "easy" runs outdoors.  I just always want to go fast (for me that is).

Also, is anyone else a Real World/Road Rules Challenge fan?  It made my evening to see a new drama/hookup filled episode.  Oh when will I ever grow up???

Sickness: DEFEATED (sort of)

I have returned to the land of the well and non-deathly. For the most part anyway. I still have to blow my nose every 7 1/2 minutes and am coughing up delightful little phlem gems, but other than that, I'm a-ok. Plus I was able to get in a run last night. Double bonus. I did a nice EASY 3 miles at the gym. My legs felt good, my lungs felt fine (surprisingly), my hip didn't hurt AT ALL, but my stupid ab on the right side started hurting, so I had to slow down, which is probably good since I struggle with running "easy." Time for run: 26:34.

Tonight I have an tempo run scheduled which I'm very excited about. For some reason I love any run that has speed in it. This is probably due to the fact that I am a sprinter at heart, and only a distance gal because there just aren't very many adult 100m, 200m dash races out there. Strange. :)

In other news, my fish is still dead. Someone suggested I take it back since he didn't last a full 24 hours. Can I do that? It's really morbid to have a dead fish in my apartment, but if I can get my $4 back, I think I might.

Mica at MicaPie sent me this survey. Whoo!!!

The rules are:


1.) Fill it out


2.) Change one question with one of your own


3.) Add an additional question


4.) Send it to 3 people.

1. What are your current obsessions?
reading people's running blogs (um obviously), Pink's new CD, guacamole, Kelly Clarkson's new CD, & cardigans

2. Which item from your closet are you wearing most often? my black and white t-shirt. it looks like old school wall paper. I wear it to work under a cardigan and out on the weekends. Love it.

3. Last thing you bought for yourself?


I bought myself bagel boy for lunch yesterday--2 everything bagels and an italian creme soda, otherwise I bought 2 new dresses, 2 shirts, and a cardigan from forever 21. I have eleventy billion weddings to go to, so figured I was in need of some more dresses.

4. What’s for dinner?


Hopefully big delicious cheeseburgers on the grill with all the fixins. [Taylor I hope you're reading this, I wasn't kidding]

5. Say something to the person who tagged you:


I think your blog is fabulous and I literally laugh at some point during each post. If I lived closer, I would totally invite myself over for dinner, because your culinary delights look deeeeeeeeeelicious.

6. What is one item you could not live without?


my cellphone. I'm lame. That's fine.

7. Vacation spots you must visit before you die?
Everywhere, I've gone nowhere, it's crazy. Germany & Ireland for sure. After watching vicky christina barcelona, I know feel like I need to go there. And am working on convincing the boy to accompany me.

8. Three things to do before you die:
Wow. Deep question. Travel more, run a marathon, be blissfully happy.

9. What are you reading right now?
How to Meet Cute Boys, Nickel and Dimed, She's Come Undone

10. What is the last movie you saw and enjoyed? Rate it out of 5 stars.
Changling 4 1/2 stars

11. What's your favorite season and why?
Fall. I love how beautiful the trees are and the crisp air. And wearing hoodies. But most importantly, it signals the start of football season. :)

12. What are you eating/do you want to eat right now?
I'm actually not eating anything, or craving anything right now. Which is really strange. Now that I've had to think about it, Chevy's chimichangas sound good. Num.

13. Best thing you ate or drank lately?
Cool Blue Gatorade

14. Care to share some wisdom?
my life motto: Passion will make you crazy, but is there any other way to live? [I've heard this quote attributed to several different people, so am unable to give it proper credit, sorry.]

15. Describe one of your happiest moments.
Nerd alert: My best friend (who wasn't actually my best friend at the time, just the beginning of her happy r'ship together) and I were going to the Harry Potter release party for the 6th book. First we went to B&N for the party, and to take photos, and get sweet glasses. Then we went to Applebee's for drinks and dessert where we discovered crack in the form of dessert: maple butter blondie, something or other. Seriously, the best dessert ever, and the after effects have to be similar to a crack-high. I wouldn't know. Then we went to the ghetto-Walmart in town to wait in line for the book (and get the cheapest price in town). It was a great great night. :)

16. What was your best Halloween costume? I dressed up as an Elf one year. Those pictures are probably not blog appropriate though. [Ok just double checked on the photos, confirmed that they are not blog appropriate.]

17. What do you have an addiction to? everything bagels, fettuccine alfredo, ice water, and cheese cake
18. What do you do that you would be embarrassed for others to know about? I'm sure there's something, but nothing I would care to admit on the internet. :p

19. What was your first screen name? jerilee40

20. Do you have a weird talent? Please elaborate if yes: I learned to wiggle my ears. Wiggling your ears is not that special, but the fact that I taught myself how, makes it special. Oh and my eyes change colors with my mood.

I tag:

Cindy at delusions of other people's grandeur b/c she's my newest follower (hurrah!) sorry if you hate these, and don't want to do it, I'll understand. :)

Kathryn at MISSION MKWC: Matt & Kathryn World Conquest but not Matt b/c I don't care about his answers. :p jk darling.

Aron at runner's rambles b/c she had the funniest picture of her pets' loungeday on her blog today

Peace out!

Um...sorry about the weird spacing, etc. I can't seem to get the format to correct itself. Apparently I suck at copy and paste? Awesome.

RIP Iliza Fishinger

Um ya.  I killed my fish.  :(  I came home from work today, all excited to see him.  He had his nose buried in the rocks in the bottom of the aquarium.  I immediately thought he was dead.  But his little fins would move just a little bit every 5 or so minutes.  Since I don't have internet at my house, I called my madre, and she read me some info about beta fish, to see what I could do wrong.  We determined that the water temp had probably cooled too much in my apartment over night and the poor thing was freezing.  I tried to gradually heat up the water, to revive him, but it didn't work.  Seriously I had a beta in high school that I would forget to feed for weeks at a time (please don't turn me in to the Humane Society, I'm a better person now) and who lived in a dirty dirty fish bowl.  Yet I kill this one that I take such good care of.

In running news, I am also near death, so I haven't ran since Saturday.  I'm starting to go stir crazy.  I'm going to try to run tomorrow morning before work, but we'll see how I feel when I wake up.  I literally feeling like walking death.  It sucks to miss runs, especially since I've started to actually ENJOY my runs again.  I just keep telling myself that I'd rather be sick than injured, this'll clear up sooner or later.  Emphasis on the sooner!!!

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like....Spring??

There have been blizzard warnings across South Dakota for the past week. Fortunately they've all missed my area, except for this weekend. I thought I would snap some pictures as the snow was falling. Since I'm a horrible photographer, you're unable to see the ginormous snowflakes, but that's what I was trying to capture.

Here are some post-snow fall, pre-meltiness. It's the perfect snow to make snowpeople in, so maybe I'll have to convince Taylor to make some with me when he gets bank from the gym.

Because I'm a huge wuss, I went to the gym to get my run in. I did 4 somewhat speedy miles at 34:47. It was an amazing run, and I felt like I could run forever at that pace, which was nice. Afterwards, I biked for 6 miles to keep my legs loose.

Today I was supposed to get in 6, but I've been hacking up a lung since I got out of bed, so I'll be moving my run to tomorrow.

When I moved into my new apartment, my mom gave me my old fish bowl from back home. Yesterday I decided I needed a pet. After deciding between 3 different fish for at least 20 minutes, I decided on this lil guy. I named him Iliza Fishinger, after my favorite comedian. I'm super clever, I know. You don't have to tell me that.

Here he is posing for a picture.

TiarT (but a few days late)

This is the first time I've participated in Tiart, and apparently I have to be different and post it on Saturday. TiarS if you will. Anyway, I had meant to do it previously, but didn't have access to internet, then I didn't have access to my camera, now I have both. Please forgive my tardiness.

To preface my post, I thought I would share a picture of all my running shoes. Left to right, top to bottom are my shoes newest to oldest. Apparently I like to throw in an Adidas pair every 5th shoe. Randomness. Ok Here I go.

[Shoes pictured top row 2nd from the right]

Asics Nimbus 7. You are my favorite color: green. You are the most expensive pair of running shoes I have ever purchased ($130) and while I was a poor, poor college kid. But I had to have you. You were with me for my second and third half marathons as well as my two fastest 5ks. When you had reached your mileage limits, I upgraded to the Nimbus 9. But it just wasn’t the same. I missed you. When it was time for another new pair, I started scouring the internet in hopes that some warehouse somewhere would have you, and I could buy 50 pairs to last me to the end of my running days, but alas, I was not successful. I love you green Asics Nimbus 7. You complete me.

[Also, I ended up with 132 words, but with tax, I'm sure it was right around there! Ha.]

My running has been going very well lately. Tuesday I had an easy 3 mile. Wednesday was a speed work, which I l-o-v-e. I had 6 x 400 meter repeats. Thursday was another easy 3 miles. I've been challenging myself to actually do my easy runs at an "easy" pace. For some reason I feel like I have to run fast on every run. Which is dumb. Today I have a 4 mile easy run and tomorrow I have a 6 mile long run. I love that my "long" run is less than an hour. Hehe. Unfortunately it's in the 30s and supposed to be snowing all weekend, so I'll be putting some mileage in at the gym.

OOH. And I got to see comedian ILIZA SHLESINGER last night and it was amazing. My goal was to get her to pick me out of the crowd and ask me to be her new BFFF, but it didn't happen. :( Soooooooo stinkin' funny.

End of March Report

I have been spending waaaaay too much time reading peoples' running blogs and not enough time blogging.  Luckily I have been spending a lot of time running also, so at least that hasn't been lost in the shuffle.

Here are my highlights for March

Total mileage:  66.8 miles.  I tried to look in my old running log for the summer I was training for my first half to see if this is the highest mileage for a month, but I wasn't able to access it.  Without record of it, we will deem it as such.  Ridiculously sad since I was only training for a 5k this past month, instead of a half.

Best (only) race:  St. Patty's Day 5k.  I PR'd by 48 seconds from a 5k two years previously.  And improved 2:30 minutes from my previously most recent 5k.  Yay for speedy Jeri again.

Best training run:  Obviously training for a 5k required many 3 mile easy training runs.  On one particular run, I was cooling down with a walk after the 3 miles were completed.  I happened to glance at the treadmill timer at 3.1 and I realized that even after walking .1 miles I still had a faster time than the last 5k race that I did.  Wow.

Random highlight:  Getting to experience Matty's first race with him.  It was awesome seeing how excited he was after completing the race.  I felt like a proud mother duck.  Er...something.

For April, I plan to run even more miles and hopefully break my 5k PR even further towards the end of the month.  I've been trying to incorporate a lot more ab work with my running, since I actually pulled a muscle during the previously posted race, instead of a silly old side stitch.  And I have had some random hip pain in some runs.  If I'm able to PR again I'm allowing myself to buy a Garmin.  Oooh baby, bring the PR to mama.