Anyone know a Carpenter and a wall repair man?!

So. Everyone should know by now that I have a menacing pup and that when we first got him we unsuccessful when it came to crate training. We didn't want him running around the apartment and making messes while we were at work so we decided to stick him in the bathroom with his bed and some toys. This was a GREAT idea for a few days. He then got ansy and bored and chewed on our baseboards. He then decided to hop at the door and scratch at it. He later discovered the door frames. At the time we had Mulligan enrolled in Puppy Classes (did a lot of good right!?) so we decided to enlist the help of the certified trainer. He suggested the infamous Kong since it is indestructible an will keep the pup occupied. Yeah, occupied for 10-15 minutes if he has a short attention span like our animal does. On top of it, we couldn't put peanut butter into it thanks to his sensitive stomach and issues with Colitis.

A few weeks passed and as I was pulling his bed and toys out of the bathroom something caught my attention... it was a hole ... in the WALL. We shook our heads and wondering what.in.the.hell was he thinking. We made jokes that he was trying to eat his way out to freedom. We figured he could smell his food bin that was in the laundry room that was on the other side of the wall. One hole turned into two, which turned into 5 and then 6. He ended up peeling paint off the wall. We learned that drywall has salt in it. Cha-Ching that is why he loves it so much ... the freaking salt. **We also have a hole in the living room and the spare bedroom** We then enlisted the help of an awesome doggie pet store here in Atlanta called City Dog Market and they recommended the DentaDino - which Mully loves - but it did not distract him enough.

For 8 months we would put him in the bathroom, spray the cabinets and door frames and baseboards and walls with bitter apple (which I think he is beginning to get used to), and hope and pray that we would not come home to even more destruction. 8 months later, my boyfriend decided to put his foot down and the little one got a crate for his birthday.

Here is the kicker - we live in an apartment. We don't own this place. And since we're getting ready to pack up and ship out in a few months (aka move) I need to start putting out some feelers. How do we fix the walls? The door? The door frames and baseboards?! Do we need to bring in a carpenter and a wall maintenance man? What do we need to do because quite honestly, I do not feel like owing my crappy apartment people 4 million dollars. ...Advice is appreciated and welcomed.

And like always ... puppy for sale, only 50 cents!

I lose things - lets keep track.

I am a total mess. If my head was not attached to my body I swear I would lose it. I am constantly misplacing something and I have been doing so ever since I was about 5 years old. My parents tell stories of me running down the stairs telling them that "I had been robbed" ... to this day, my younger cousins make fun of me for it. Now that I am 25, I still cannot keep tabs on my property and I tend to lose things at local races. So ... I have decided to chronicle races and the items that I lose at them because this is a reoccurring situation. As I run races and lose items I will update this post. So here we go:

Big Peach Sizzler 10K : 9.26.09 : Lost items: My drivers license and credit card. I ended up retracing my steps and finding my credit card but the drivers license was never recovered. I had to pay the replacement fee and wait for GA's DMV to mail me one. It was awesome.
Charles Harris 10K : 2.27.10 : Lost items: A pair of nice Brooks wicking running gloves. They were not even lost during the race. I somehow lost them somewhere between the finish line, trying to get my shirt, and walking out of the gym. ...it is a mystery and someone acquired a pair of NICE gloves that retail at $15 a pair. Rock on.

Charles Harris 10k & February Recap.

This morning was my first 10k of 2010. I had known for awhile that I wanted to run this event (not because it was an easy Peachtree Qualifier) but because it benefits leukemia research at Emory. As everyone knows the mission to finding a cure for leukemia holds a special place in my heart. This course was GREAT. I was a little skeptical that it would be unattractive and I was convinced that since it was in Tucker that it had to be hilly. I actually told Erin at the VERY beginning to just go and not to let me hold her up. Sure, it wasn't the prettiest course I had ever run but it was fairly flat and what hills we had to run were not too bad. The hills were "rolling" in a way. Never were there screeching up hills, break your back hills, and the hills going down were not that bad either. Mile 4 was pretty rough, I don't quite know why but I was pretty pumped to see the Mile 5 marker. The last mile was for the most part downhill but as you rounded the 1st corner to the finish it was fairly flat and then you hang another right and BAM hello hill. I felt 100% out of steam rounding that last corner and I really thought I would be walking across the finish, but I have a little too much pride and I trotted across the finish to find Erin.

...As I went to try and pick up my race tee (always gotta get the finishers shirt) I ran into my run coach from Team in Training Joanna. It was great to see her and say hi. She joked that I must have found the love of running. I laughed back and said "yeahhh...". But it was great to see familiar faces and meet new people. (Erin and I finally met Anne from DailyMile). Overall it was a good race - fairly easy - I for sure need to incorporate hill training into my work out plan because I cannot getup hills - I loved how they had a clock at every mile so you could know where you were time wise - if I still live in GA next year I will totally do it again.

February recap:I did not quite meet my goals (the only goal I completed was setting a PR at Charles Harris), but I am content and okay with that. I realized that I had a crazy busy month with work and I was really bad at getting any sort of workouts in and honestly, I am okay with it. There is no point on being too hard on myself... it is all in the past now, I just have to improve and be more dedicated in March. So what were my miles this month -- I had hoped to run 48.94 in the month of February but I actually ran ... 19.75 Trying to hit 48.94 miles may have been a stretch anyways because my miles were SO high in January thanks to Disney! ...I guess I am just going to keep on keeping on!
Highlight of the month: I PR'd at my 10k. Now my 10k goal is to run a sub 1 hr. :o)

So March - what is on the calendar? What is the plan? First things first, make training and working out a priority. Work and Kyle have been my #1 and #2 (not in any specific order of course) for months now. I need to work in "me time" where I don't feel bad if it is a Tuesday and I want to do something aerobic after work. For too long I have been too concerned about getting home and making dinner. Dinner.can.wait. The schedule?! I am running a ShamRock and Roll 10k on the 14th through the Atlantic Station part of Atlanta which I am actually pretty stoked for and then the following Sunday I am running ING. Yes, I am no where near ready for it but what is new? I am sure the hills are going to kick my ass but I am gonna spend the next two weeks trying to get in some hill work and just some serious running before the event. You know me, it's like college - cramming for a final exam after skipping a bunch of classes. ...I graduated college didn't I?! **I bet you're happy I am not your child** :o) And now onto my March 2010 goals...

1. Run at least 21.73 miles. Sticking with my 10% rule ... that is 10% more than I ran this past month. Ideally, I would love to run 40+ since I have a half marathon this upcoming month - but I am a realist and know that may not happen.
2. Again... cross training. Swim.Spin.Pilates. Done. With running.
3. I would like to PR at ING Atlanta. I ran my last half in 2:54 ... I would like to do ING Atlanta in 2:30 or under.
4. If I end up doing the 5k ... I would like to PR in that as well.

Super big congrats to everyone who raced today. There were a lot of PR's happening so everyone should take great pride in their accomplishment!!

Soothes my Soul.

The other day when I was walking my dog my neighbor Mike mentioned that he has not seen me out running lately. I basically thanked him for calling me out and told him that work was running my life and it the cold was scaring me away. He laughed and asked me why I did run so much this past summer. I told him that I was training for my first half marathon last summer and that I continued to run because running was one of the many things that soothed my soul. He nodded and we parted ways.

It was true though. Running really is something that soothes my soul and it is a cheap form of therapy. It just seems like whenever I have a lot on my mind, need some time to myself, or just want to think and clear my mind running helps more than just talking to someone about it. It is my time to think about what is going on and think about the next step. Sometimes I just have to run because my dog and boyfriend are driving me bonkers. For me running really is just my personal time and sometimes that personal time is needed more than other times. Today, I really needed that time to myself (and I invited Lady Gaga to join). I know I didn't run too far today, a little under 4 miles, but it was just what I needed today. There has been a lot going on in my life the past month or so and I have never really had the time to sort it all out. I learned a lot more last night and I just really needed a good long run. I do not want to get into the details, but cliff notes version: someone who I thought was a good friend really isn't and she has stabbed me in the back. The worst part is that she does not know that I know everything and I cannot confront her about it.

....But today's 30 minutes therapy session made me realize how I am going to handle the situation and what the next steps are going to be. ...Needless to say, there will be some BIG changes in my life later this year and as much as they scare me and make me apprehensive, I am excited for them and will welcome them with open arms.

The Crate... continued.

A few days ago I told you that my dog hated his crate. I now have evidence. Please see the pictures included. To the right it is from a distance and to the left it is zoomed in. If you're wondering what happened - let.me.tell.you - he shredded his crate bed in attempt to say I HATE MY CRATE GET ME OUT OF HERE!

I can only imagine what was going through his little puppy brain today. He thanked me for his stick (it's a rawhide treat he gets every morning) ... he ate it ... it was gone - he can eat it in 4 seconds flat ... so he started screaming and barking to get out. No one answered, no one let him out. He slept some because he was super tired. He woke up and said F this mom and day. He then decided it was time to act out and get some energy out. Cue digging a

nd chewing. ...I think Mulligan thought that his Friday should not be spent locked up...

My boyfriend came home to a snow like filled bathroom. I guess Mully was just answering his request for snow and gave it to him in the form of fluff. I got the great honor of sweeping it all up and throwing the bed away. Luckily it was only his $40 Petsmart bed and not his $200+ Orvis one ... now I know why we invested in the "tough chew" indestructible bed.

Puppy for sale. Only 50 cents!

The Crate.

First. I want to say do not lecture me about crate training and how it is so good for your puppy blah blah blah. When we rescued our cute little thing we had a crate from him. It was big enough for him to stand up, turn around, lay down in, and be jovial. He hated it. He screamed, cried, and screamed some more. We picked him up on Friday night from the rescue hoping that after 1 sleepless weekend we would have a crate trained cutie. We thought wrong. Being in an apartment made it so much harder with neighbors above us and below us we were terrified we were going to get evicted. We let him scream. We covered the crate with a blanket to comfort him (...the puppy book said to). It did nothing. I felt awful for him, my heart broke in 17 million little puppy pieces and we gave in and took him out of the crate and put him in our bed.

We went to work everyday and just put him in the bathroom. He screamed and screamed, we chalked it up to separation anxiety. A few weeks later we came home to chewed base boards. Cue Bitter Apple. A few weeks later we came home to chewed door frames. Cue Bitter Apple. A month or so passes and BAM we have hole numero uno in the wall. He was trying to eat his way to freedom. ...fast forward 8 months and 6 holes in the wall later... he got a BIG crate for his birthday. Nothing says Happy Birthday Bug like "you misbehave so we have to lock you up". ...He hated that crate as much as the little one we first got for him. Screamed. Cried. Rammed his head into the door to get out. He hates his crate.

Fast forward 5 more months to the present day. He still hates that crate. Most mornings I have to wrestle with his 75 pound body to just get him IN the crate. I close him in and all is quiet while he eats his treat and like clockwork I get to the stairs and BAM screams. cries. I swear the devil is going to get us booted and we're gonna be homeless. I guess I feel the need to talk about this because I find it utterly ridiculous. Must he sound like he is being murdered every morning and every time he goes into his crate? Must he bark and bark and bark and let everyone in my apartment building know that he has been left alone for the day? Must he be shoved in their with all my might every morning?! I mean he has a water bowl in there and like 4 toys AND one of my tee shirts to help with the separation anxiety. Why can't he be a normal dog who loves his crate and goes into it when he wants to be alone. Oh wait, Mull does not want to be alone... he has to always be the center of the world.

Just picture it though. Me. All dressed to go to work. Fighting with an animal to get him in a crate ... every morning. I must have been a bad person in my past life and Karma is coming back for me full force.

It is Cold. Life is Busy.

Every morning for the past few days the thought of running outside in the cold makes me shudder. Last I heard it was colder in Atlanta than it is at the Winter Olympics. And to be honest, that is out of control. I moved to the south for mild winters not freezing ones. ...I digress. But all this cold weather has been zapping my motivation to run and with ING 4 or so weeks off I am beginning to realize that I am stepping into yet another half marathon that I am NOT ready for. Wasn't it one of my resolutions to actually take endurance events seriously and train for them? I just do not know how people muster up the willpower to get out in 20-30 degree weather and run. My lungs burn, my Garmin freezes my wrist, and I feel just miserable. I know I am a HUGE baby and I should just suck it up ... but for some reason I just cannot warm up when I run in freezing temps.

On top of it all I wonder how people work 40 hour work weeks and still log 40+ miles each week. I know it is all about scheduling your workouts and staying focused and keeping your eye on the final goal, but after working a 9 hour day (sometimes longer) and constantly being on call all I really want to do is make dinner, take the dog outside a few times, sit on the couch, watch mindless TV, play with my dog, read my book, and then go to bed. In that order. Lately I have just been so exhausted and want to do nothing but relax and take it easy. It was so much easier to get out after work to run when it wasn't cold and dark too. It was also so much easier when I would take a mid-day break and run for a hour, but the office is just so busy right now that it is not possible. I just do not know how people do it and I have major respect for them.


I have been super inconsistent with the weekly spin class and weekly swims and weekly pilates class as well. Sunday mornings are just so much more peaceful in my warm bed than trekking to LA Fitness. I wanted to run 48 and some miles this month and I think I am at like 8 total. Granted I do have a 10k next weekend and I will get some miles in this weekend I am going to be no where near the 48 mile mark. I just always feel so stretched thin and pulled in 4 million directions and like there is not enough time in the day. My friend Erin gets up some morning at 5:30 AM to work out and I think she is out of control, crazy to do so but I respect her dedication to running and staying in shape. ...I think I just need her to share that with me.

Maybe I am just impatiently waiting for spring. I do know that I am over all this cold weather and I really do miss running and the time it is for me to clear my mind and decompress. I just would much rather run on the streets than the treadmill. Where is the sunshine and cool weather and pretty flowers?! I miss you!

the winter coat.

I want to start by saying that my mother is the nicest woman to walk this earth. She is a people pleaser. She wants to make her kids (and their pets) very happy. Well, Mulligan and us - we live in Atlanta. We're from Northern VA, but we reside is Atlanta. We went home for the Christmas to about two feet of snow. My dog - loved it. I think if he could have had his way he would have stayed outside in it all day. If my yard was fully fenced in, I would have let him ... but it isn't so he had to come in and beg to go out. He never got noticeably cold but my Mom had the brilliant idea that he needed a winter coat. He needed to be warm when he went outside. He could not and would not catch a puppy cold. She asked me what his favorite color was. I told her that when he is with me, it is red. When he is with Kyle it is blue. My Mom told me that she had to "take Mulligan's measurements before we headed back to Atlanta". I told my boyfriend that I thought Mull was getting a coat... I thought he was getting two (a red one and a blue one). Nope. My Mom made a reversible coat.

My Mom came down to Atlanta about a week or so later carrying a fleece, reversible, hooded winter coat for my dog. It is the cutest and most unique/creative thing I have probably ever seen. I loved it instantly. Kyle thought it was cute but was skeptical that Mully would like it or even wear it. Mulligan. He hates it. He thinks it is absolutely horrible. When we first put it on him he tripped all over the harness that goes across his chest. Literally, it was the item that we put on him to calm him down. Acting like a nut job? Just put on the coat. Need a breather from the menacing, just put on the coat. Not quite the use my Mom had intended for it, but hey it was getting used... and used a lot. (Hey, sometimes we just need a break from fetch or chase). He would sit on his bed or in the corner and just sit ... wondering what he did to have to wear the coat with a hood. We used to laugh and say he looked so so cute. And then... my little man got really smart. He learned how to take it off himself. Sure, at first it took 3-4 minutes for it to come off but now it is an instant reflex. So, after a struggle we get it on him and start to relax. Only to hear the Velcro ripping off him and then a few big shakes sends the coat flying. So much for a calming coat. Now, he thinks it is a toy. He would much rather run around with it and munch on the seams then use it as a coat. I am sure my Mom would really like to know that she slaved over a winter coat to keep him warm has turned into a toy. ...It actually now just sits in the top of our coat closet ... with the other coats.

I want to say thanks Mom for the effort. It was and is always greatly appreciated. I wish Mully wasn't such a mean child and would wear it around, but I think he thinks he is too cool and that it will hurt his chances with the ladies. ....But my Dad called it when he said that the dog wouldn't wear it. Oh well. It was cute while it lasted.

This Month.

This month has started off on a bad work out and running foot. Somehow work has once again overtaken my life. Maybe it is because I realized how much (...err how little I billed) last year (...staffing sure was a hard industry to sell in last year) and want to do so so so much better or maybe it is because we were still getting situated in our new office space maybe it is because it has been cold and rainy. Excuses aside, I slacked. I didn't make running and working out in my top 5 priorities and I was content sitting at home watching Season 1 of Dexter with my friend who is a boy. So I want to do better. 2010 is the year of getting serious about this running thing and putting in the time and effort that training for a race deserves. So I will do better.

This month I have set myself some goals. And they are:
1. I want to run 48.94 miles total this month. That will make it my highest miles month in the history of Barbie running. Wahoo. How did I get such a random number you ask? Well, last month I ran 44.49 miles and if I follow the 10% rule that means I have to do 48.94. It makes sense in my mind.
2. I want to PR at the Charles Harris 10k in a few weeks. My last 10k time was 1:21:21 - I want to run this one in 1:10 or less. If you're in Atlanta and available on 2.27.10 - run it. *I just realized that is my 3 year anniversary - what a way to start the morning* ... this run benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma society - a cause that is so close to my heart. So if you're in town I invite you to run with me!!
3. Spin class once per week and swimming once per week. Pilates on Sunday no matter how tired I am. Still working on incorporating cross training into my weekly routine.

Honestly, I think people that get out there everyday and just run no matter what is going on in their life have total dedication and are amazing. People who find that hour plus per day to make it happen are an inspiration to people like me. ...If only one day I am one of those people. Patience young grasshopper. That is all. And I have to start making dinner. I hope everyone has an awesome February of logging the miles and having fun!

Fun Litle Running Online Store.

When I stumble across greatness I like to share. The other day I was online searching for a 26.2 sticker for my car to match the 13.1 I already have. It had to be black and have the weird white writing. Call me matchy matchy, but I am kind of a perfectionist. In my quest I stumbled across this web site running store boutique place called "One More Mile Apparel" and I thought it was awesome, so I wanted to share with you.

If you're looking for witty race day shirts, great bumper stickers for your car, keychains, mouse pads whatever for sure check them out. I got a mouse pad that says "Running is cheaper than therapy" for my new office because it always seems like a good run works out 98% of my personal kinks and attitude issues. I also got a sticker that says "Some girls chase boys I pass them" because I thought it would make fellow running people laugh. This place is just unique with their merchandise and I will for sure be grabbing stuff for friends from there.

The best part - I ordered everything at midnight Sunday and when I got home everything was in my mailbox. It is like they drove all night to get it to me. Then I realized it came from Comer, GA ... where ever that is, it's in the same state as me ... but still they processed the order insanely fast which you cannot say about everyone. My merchandise came packaged in tissue paper and tied cutely in funky colored ribbon and I even got a handwritten note thanking me for my order. Now.... that is customer service. And with great prices and $3 shipping on everything anytime no matter how much you order - why the heck not?!

I would definitely check this place out, bookmark it, hold onto it. You never know when you may have to buy a running friend something for the holidays, birthday, or just because .... or when you want a fun sticker for your car!

You can click the link above or go here: www.onemoremile.net to check them out.