I rode yesterday. That ruled. Actually, I drove my bike out to the rail trail, then rode. I would love to be out on the roads here, but I am still not super confident on my bike, and traffic – Gah!  People around here are really careless. I know everyone who rides a bike says that, but trust me, if you’ve ever ridden in eastern Mass, you will experience a whole new appreciation for the phrase "holy shit."

That comfortable feeling will come when I’m riding more, I suppose, and I will ride more whenever it stops raining. If it stops raining. Seriously. It rained both Saturday and Sunday (I waited til later to go out), and it is going to rain all week. It’s raining right now, in fact. Luckily, I have spinning tonight. I might run a little, too, or do the elliptical, as my back feels pretty good.

Speaking of my back, I have been stretching my hamstrings, piriformis and hip flexors every night before bed. I think it’s helping, at least a little. Even if it’s not helping my back, it’s always good to stretch, so it’s a no-lose situation.

Oh, so I said that I was feeling better than yesterday, but that I was pissed off. I am pissed, because it’s 3:57 and my kitchen cabinets haven’t been delivered yet. They were supposed to be here between 12 and 4, so technically they are still within their scheduled delivery time, but I am not a patient person, and I hate it when things are at the last minute. 3:58. Tick, tock, people.

I just have this feeling that they’re going to either A) not show up, or B) show up at 5:00 or later, and that’s going to cause me to miss my spinning class. I also know they’re going to bitch at me because the place is hard to find, as every delivery person does, which is aggravating. They have my phone number, my cell number, and I always write detailed directions on the delivery form, and it’s not my fault that the building is hard to find. I didn’t put the building here. It’s been here for 100 years, and it’s not moving.

4:05. What the hell?

I am going to get ready for my class and pack my bag. Hopefully they will get here soon. If they don’t show up, I am going to be livid, because I am in my last week of work and can’t stay home for them another day this week, and next week I am going to Ohio. Please oh please, let them just get here. And please oh please don’t let anything be damaged… :(

I started this post on the 20th, and am just finishing it today, the 22nd. Ugh. I’ve been wicked busy at work…

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Heheheh. You caught my freudian slip! I wish I was running, lemme tell ya.

Swam the last couple of days and that has been okay. I did a lot more in the way of pull sets and less yardage (like 1500 or so). I am itching to get on my bike though. Last night’s activity of putting a bag on the seatpost just made it worse.

My back is still a little torqued, but in a sore muscle (instead of a misalignment) way. It feels fine when I am lying down, but when I’m seated, and especially when I am driving, it is achey. *sigh* I just want it to be normal.

I’ve been down today, I guess. My boss has been bugging me about meetings and handoff, and I understand his concern, but I have a lot of things to do before I leave, and they have to get done. If I could just finish up 2 major projects (I should be able to, today), then I would be happy to sit down and have this meeting. He’s travelling next week and will be gone for my last 3 days in the office. He hasn’t made an announcement about me leaving, and the little cocktail hour we were supposed to have next Thursday probably isn’t happening. 6 years. No one has planned anything. Wow, does that make me feel like crap.

I am also down because the beautiful weather that was anticipated this weekend is not to be. It is going to rain AGAIN. And it’s going to be cold AGAIN. WTF? It’s nearing the end of May, people!

Cut off. Now it’s Sunday, the 22nd.

So this weekend has been fun, but I haven’t done much in the way of tri training. I am trying to decide whether I’ll get out on the bike today, or hit the gym. It’s not raining now, but it’s supposed to, and I’m not sure how much. I’m still a little depressed, so I know that I have to do something physical. I just wish it could be running.

Yesterday was good, however. I am still working on packing up my kitchen in preparation for demolition (2 weekends from now). I’m actually almost done getting stuff out of there and packed safely away. I just have the under-the-sink stuff, and the one cabinet that is holding minimal dishes and food. When I get back from Ohio, Rob and I are going to begin tearing everything out.

After packing, I drove out to Holyoke to see Jen & Bill, some running friends. It’s an hour and a half each way, but it was well worth it. I love them, and some of my other running friends were there. I also met a lot of new people, which is always fun for me. I left my house at 12:30 and didn’t get home until around 10pm, so the whole day was pretty shot at that point. Still, it was worth it. I love that part of Massachusetts and I love seeing my friends. They’re good people.

So that’s about it. I cleaned both bathrooms this morning and I’ve done the dishes and some laundry. It’s about 12:20 and I need to have some lunch, more water, and pull myself out of this recurring funk. My back is feeling pretty good, so I am going to do something today, I promise.

Oh, something about running… Have y’all seen that Nike Free shoe? It is supposed to simulate barefoot running. I’ve been reading about it and it sounds kind of interesting. I know the premise behind barefoot running is that it strenthens your foot, and that all these motion control and stability shoes inhibit that strengthening be being too stabilizing. The Nike Free was designed to accomplish the same  thing as running barefoot, only allowing you to run without ripping up your feet, and to run on trails or asphalt. Anyway, I’m not planning on getting the shoes or antyhing. I’m just interested in them, and was wondering if anyone had seen them or used them? I know Aaron and Mark are doing some barefoot running as part of their POSE method workouts.

Okay, going… to… do… stuff.

I had a dentist appt today, and I have a chiro appt later. Generally, I am feeling pretty good and anxious to get back to running. I am allowed to do the elliptical, swim, and bike right now, so that is decent news. It helps that my chiropractor is a triathlete, I suppose. He gets it, you know? Anyway, I am hoping to swim tonight after chiro, and definitely get some biking in this weekend, as the weather is supposed to be beautiful.

That said, I have to get a couple of things for my bike. The first is a lock. I was going to ride over to the library and drop off some books yesterday, and then ride over to my studio space to see how the build-out is going, but I realized that my old lock is long since gone – sold in the garage sale a while back. That was kind of a bummer. I mean, I can walk over there just as easily, but it would have been run to ride.

The second thing I need is a spare tube and a CO2 cartidge. I know how to change a tire, although I’m a little rusty, but as I start to ride longer, I’d rather not be worried and instead be prepared. The third thing I need is a little bag for under the seat to carry that stuff in, along with my cell phone and ID.

It’s a good feeling to know that the stuff I want for the bike is all small, inexpensive stuff. Hehehe.

Anyway, I have to do some more work, and read your blogs….

Sorry to leave you hanging, peeps. The good news came towards the end of the day on Friday, and then I had to prepare my resignation letter, and sit down with my boss to tender said resignation.

Boy, was he surprised.

Not that he should have been, but… I don’t know. After trying to talk me out of it with “whatever they offered you, we’ll beat it,” he said something like, “you’ll have to decide how you want to let people know and how you want to go out. Obviously we want to honor you in terms of your tenure here.”

Well, hello! Then why was it a big deal to give me an extra week of vacation when I asked for it (and didn’t get it), or how about a raise? I mean, I’ve been here for 6 years. Too much of too little, too late.

Anyway. Let me tell you about the new gig. It’s a UI job, plus some design around that, but no marketing design. I was able to get a significant amount of money for a 4 day work week, and that was really what I wanted. I feel like they gave me everything I asked for, and that they’re really excited about me joining their organization. I gave two weeks at my current job, then Rob and I will be going to Ohio over Memorial Day weekend, and I start at the new place on June 6th. I’m extremely happy.

But then I woke up on Saturday all crooked. It was so dumb. I was stretched out in bed, moved my legs just slightly apart and POP, there went my sacrum. It doesn’t hurt, but damn, things aren’t right. Couldn’t run or bike all weekend, but I did go for a 4 mile walk and a 30 minute swim. Chiro tonight at 5:30. He’ll straighten me right out and I’ll be back on the bike in no time.

How was your weekend?

So I think I kicked ass and took names yesterday… pretty sure, anyway. (Thanks, Mark. Your comment made me giggle)

Overall, I’m a pretty good interviewee. I ask a lot of questions, and I’m very direct. I’m not afraid to say I don’t know something if I honestly don’t. I usually ask if the interviewer has any specific concerns about my ability to fill the role, and then address those concerns, if any. Still, some people are easier to read than others, and I’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

The best part of the day was that I felt smart, and I haven’t felt smart at my job in a long, long time.

The worst part of the day was that I didn’t get to have lunch before I went down there (because I was so afraid I’d spill something on myself), so my expected 4 miler ended up being a hot, miserable 3 miler. Whatever, that’s still better than blowing it off entirely.

So now I’m waiting, and I hate waiting. It’s the worst. I have heard that this place usually moves pretty fast when they want someone, so I’m hoping to hear back, at least on an informal level, later today.

In the interim, I’m just working at my desk, trying to figure out why my back hurts and if it will have an impact on my mileage over the weekend (hope not). Oh, and I’m trying to catch up with the running blogs, too. :)

Wish me luck. I have an interview this afternoon at a software company, for UI stuff. Should be interesting, as this company seems like it’s full of nerds… I mean, extremely smart people from MIT (heheheh), so I know they are going to ask a lot of difficult questions.

I’ve also sent in a couple of resumes for other design and UI jobs, and had a recruiter friend look over my resume, which he said is pretty good. So we’ll see.

I had planned to run last night, but, as you can guess, I didn’t. Instead I went and bought new pants to wear on my interview, and that took like 3 hours. Then I went home and prepped for my interview by typeing out answers to a bunch of questions, and practiced answering them in front of the mirror. Ugh.

The good news: I found 2 pairs of pants at Banana Republic that fit great, and they were a size 8, instead of the usual 10 I’ve been wearing. Granted, they had a little stretch to them, and maybe they’ve changed their sizes again, but I’m trying not to think about that. Instead, I am focusing on the positive. I also feel prepared for my interview. Got a good night’s sleep, and I feel confident and smart today, which has made me realize how pushed down, stifled and burnt out I feel at my current job.

So tonight, after my interview, I’m running my 4 miles with Rob. Tomorrow I’ll swim, run Friday, bike Saturday, run Sunday. Easily fixed. No real harm done, unless I blow off another workout, which I won’t. I swear. :)

I managed to ride between the raindrops today and get 14 miles in on the bike, and only had to call it quits because the sky started getting pretty dark. Sure enough, as soon as I got the bike back into the car, the rain came, for real this time.

The rail trail, end to end is about 11 miles. Next time, I’d like to ride the whole thing and see how long it takes. It’s super flat, so I’m sure I can do it. I think it took me about an hour to ride the 14, including a couple of stops for road crossings, and slowing down to practice taking the water bottle out, drinking, and putting it back… you know, without falling off or swerving too much.

I’m not totally comfortable up there yet (not enough to ride in traffic anyway) but it was a good ride. The bike fits well enough, as does my helmet, and the saddle is pretty okay, too. It’s not super comfy, mind you, but it’s not bad. I’m sure some of it is just getting used to everything.

I ran 4.2 yesterday and that was okay. Then we drove up to NH for JillieD’s Kentucky Derby party. I drank a couple of mint julips and we had burgoo. Jill had a few as well and ended up putting Neil Diamond on, belting out Kentucky Woman and generally putting on a good show. :)

I worked on my kitchen a little bit before taking the bike out, so now I’m exhausted. Time to take a nap or something. Heheh.

So this week’s tentative schedule is:
Monday – 60 minute spin class, swim 1000 yards
Tuesday – Run 4
Wednesday – Bike outside (weather permitting. If it sucks, I’ll swim)
Thursday – Run 5
Friday – rest
Saturday – Bike 18 – 22
Sunday – Run 4

If you are smart, unlike me, you will abstain from gorging yourself on a free, mexican food lunch on days you would like to run. Because, like, damn. Stupid Cinco de Mayo.

So no run yesterday. I kept thinking that my stomach and uh… intestines would feel better as the day wore on, but alas no. Anyway, Rob and I are going to run today after work, and Friday is usually a rest day for me. No big deal. Still, I would like to get a bike ride and a run in this weekend. I am hoping the weather will at least sort of cooperate. It is supposed to rain a lot, I guess.

Last night, however, I had an awesome dream about riding my new bike. I was on the rail trail and cruising along, focusing on keeping my back flat and working the gears to get the feel of my new ride. Then I woke up and had to go to work. *Sigh*

One thing that I really wish I could do would be to ride my bike to work. At 25 – 30 miles each way, and no shower once I get here, I don’t think it’s too realistic right now. Plus, have you seen how people drive in Boston? Jesus.

I guess my plan is to stick to the rail-trails for a few weeks until I get comfortable on the bike, then try it out on some of the backroads that lead up into New Hampshire. Rolling hills, farms, lighter traffic – that I can handle. I am used to that from when I would bike around Columbus, back in the day. City traffic, however, scares the hell out of me.

I don’t know if it is different in other cities – it certainly seemed so in Columbus – but the roads here are not built to handle the volume of traffic that Boston has, and they are certainly not built for cyclists. Cambridge recently painted in some bike lanes along a few of the major roads. Cars still drive in them. There are potholes everywhere. Drivers are aggressive and dangerous. It’s frightening, really.

Where I live, I am hoping it willl be a little different. There is a lot less traffic and, like I said, you can get up into the country pretty easily. The one thing Lowell does have, however, is a lot of people who like to harrass you. Remember all the cat-calling? Remember the 32oz coke that was thrown at me out the window of a passing truck? I’m hoping for the best in people, but fearing the worst, unfortunately.

Anyway, I’ll write more about this in the future, I’m sure. :)

My weekend looks like this (hopefully):
Friday – work, run with Rob
Saturday – swim or run, Kentucky Derby party at my friend Jill’s in NH (where I snowshoed with my friends awhile back)
Sunday – bike, then maybe work on my kitchen

This has been my day so far:

- Wake up, send an email to the office, reminding them that I am working from home. Make coffee, eat some raisin bran, have some water. Check email again, do some work, IM with Dianna a little.
- 4 mile run. Finish, shower, get in the car and head to The Cycle Loft, my LBS.
- Get fitted for my awesome, kick-ass bike, which involved not only stem and seat height adjustments, but the installation of a shorter stem, and a women’s specific saddle – a Terry Butterfly, which is infinitely more comfy than the rock that was on the bike. Riding on the trainer in the store was fun.
- Bought a new helmet, too.
- Took my bike and headed towards home, but I couldn’t resist riding it first. :) That was the coolest 15 minutes EVAH, as the Bostonians like to say. I can’t wait for my first real ride (this weekend).

One thing about the ride… ugh, traffic. I think that I am going to have to take the bike out to the rail trail for the first few times, like drive out there, I mean, until I get used to how the brakes and shifting works. I don’t want to be a road pizza, after all. But there are some nice roads from Lowell that lead up into New Hampshire and those will be fun to check out.

Ooh! I am also going to have to figure out how to fix a flat on this bike, and how to maintain it, and how to… damn, this is going to be fun.

Pics soon, I promise.

I am pooped! Last night I had my 60-minute, regular Spinning class. Since it was a shorter class, I tried to really push myself, and holy hell did I go all out. It was awesome. Sweaty, but awesome.

After that, Marcy, Jeff and I got in the pool. I did a quick 500 (yards, Canadians, yards!) before they made it into the water, then another 400 and I was done. My legs were too tired and the pool was getting crowded. But that’s about a half mile… in 18 minutes, without pushing it. Come race day I feel that I can at least manage a 20 minute swim, with some practice in open water, of course. :)

So I did a ride, then a swim… and I can’t imagine running after that, but I guess I’ll have to get used to the idea. Since running is the toughest of the 3 sports for me, I’m hoping to get my long run up to 90 minutes before the tri. I figure that if I can do that, I can do anything!

Anyway, I’m tired. Morning came WAY too soon.

Today I have an interview at my friend’s company, so I’m sucking down Diet Coke in order to stay awake (long story, but I burned the roof of my mouth on a bean burrito last night because I was, you know, ravenous, and now consuming anything hot is torture, especially coffee). This interview is more of an informational dealie, I think, because I’m just meeting with him, and a woman who used to work with us, but I am still nervous. Because that’s just how I am. Duh.

After that, I have a bunch of work to do regarding our trade show booth, and other physical things, like moving boxes from one room to another. Fun, fun.

I am hoping to get out and run tonight with Rob after work. It’s a really nice day – upper 50s, sunny, nice breeze. Perfect BIKING weather, too, but I will not have a bike until tomorrow, sadly. It would be great to do a nice, long, slow run today. Seriously, I am salivating over it. :)

To quote myself, and David, and now Dianna, “clearly, I am insane.”