Wow, these posts just get more and more sporatic! I am too afraid to post from work because once I get started, I just go on and on. The girl who I am staying with in town doesn't have internet connection either so I have to head to a local coffee house to do my blogging and emailing business. Very inconvenient but I notice that I'm slowly weening off my internet dependence! ha
I'm finding it difficult to get in 3 consecutive miles during each of my outings. I feel pathetic but really I know it's because of the elevation difference. I just feel so sluggish when I get past a mile. All the trails I have ran this week all have hills so that doesn't make things easy for a girl who feels like she's starting all over again.
I know that soon I'll come to appreciate all the hills but for now...for now... I guess I'm okay with it. hehe I wish I had a digital camera to show all the pictures with you. Be patient, my dearies, they will come next month when I have the funds to get a new camera.
I have a friend here who I met when I was interning for the tribal fish and wildlife dept 2 years ago. Her name is Sonja. She is the one who gave me the heads up on some of the local running trails in town. She's trying to get back into running as well but she's coming off a hip injury of some sort.
This evening was her first day out on the trails. She brought along her Jack Russell named Chip and walked with him while I took off an tried to run 3 miles. I'm encouraging her to train for the PF Chang's 1/2 marathon because I think she still has sufficient time to do it. She seems up for the idea. She also wants to do the 5k portion of the Duke City runs in Albuquerque. Needless to say, I believe she is my running buddy. She's a pretty fast runner too so she'll be a great pacer once she gets back into the swing of things. KUDOS!
Yesterday, I only ran for 20 minutes on a well-used public trail behind the UNM-Gallup campus. This trail has hills too! Hills, hills, everywhere! And great elevation too! What more could a runner ask for?
On Sunday, I ran 30 minutes at the Ridge in Kayenta. I kicked ass on that one hill that used to be so menacing to me in high school. I was quite surprised! I remember back then, I used to run that loop with my best friend and she used to find it hard to run up it without stopping so I told her to come up with a mantra to repeat as she climbed. Being that she was a scrawny, boney chick with no musculature whatsoever (haha), she told me she used to say "Beautiful legs, beautiful legs..." over and over to get up and over. lol Soon afterwards, I adopted her mantra. hehe
Work is going great. I'm learning more and more new things everyday about recycling. In a month, I am headed to Las Cruces, NM for a Grant Writing 101 workshop so I can finally learn how to write grant proposals. I have great ideas and projects in mind for my department's recycling component. Who knows...maybe one day we'll finally have our own Recycling Center!
At this very moment, I am sitting at home. Home is the home that I grew up in on the Navajo reservation. Earlier this evening, my mom cooked up a pot of mutton stew with squash and corn with a side of frybread. This is a true Navajo delicacy. Right now, she is in the living room lounging on the sofa reading The Navajo-Hopi Observer newspaper with some twangy country tune playing in the background from KTNN, our Navajo Nation radio station.
All of that constitutes home for me. Dii shi shighaan. (This is my home.)
You all are probably wondering how the first week of work went. Well, it was eye-opening and wonderful, yet very exhausting. The first day had me reading personnel policy manuals and other job-related material. I was introduced to my fellow co-workers, everyone on our division's floor, and briefed by my boss about what was expected of me in this position. I am essentially the department's 'recycling program public educator and developer' as well as the biological surveyor. I'm up to the challenge of what is in store. While part of me is scared because of the overwhelming load, I'm still excited and eager to do my best.
On Thursday and Friday, all I did was drive around the huge expanse of our reservation from the west side to the eastern side and noting the condition of several solid waste transfer stations. I'm not sure how exactly huge our rez is but it is really huge. It is slightly bigger than the state of West Virginia. Just the trip from Window Rock to Tuba City took 3 hours and this had us driving through Hopi land. Before then, I had never been through there before.
I am learning a great deal about the reservation that I did not otherwise know. My co-worker, Jim, is an older gentleman who has been driving the tribal vehicle we've been traveling in and has been giving me local information about each area we drive through such as illegal dump sites, sites that have been cleaned up, what families live in an area, what historical buildings used to be where or what type of past socio cultural events used to occur in a given area. It is all very enlightening and I'm learning a ton about local history.
In Navajo relations, Jim is my "little father (uncle)" or shiyaazh. This aspect of my work environment is what I enjoy a lot--having kinship ties through our clans. I definitely would not have this had I worked off the reservation. It allows for comfort and a familial type atmostphere at work. I am only related to one other person in my department--my boss. He is my grandfather or shinali.
Each day of work had been leaving me extremely exhausted so needless to say, I haven't run since I last posted. I am running this evening at an old site just outside of town called "The Ridge". I used to run it in high school and has a couple of killer hills. I'm anxious to get out and get some red dirt on my Sauconys.
This coming week, I am starting my marathon program. I have selected Hal Higdon's Novice program. Hopefully, it works out. Good luck to all who also start their programs this week.
I am trying my best to catch up on all the blogs and comment but it's difficult given that I am on dial-up. *sigh*
The Workout Mileage: 4.0 miles Pace: 9:55 min/mile average Type: Intervals
Dudes, I wish I could say that this was my first run on the rez because it was supposed to be. Alas, I am still here in stinky old Tempe. On Saturday when Hubster and I drove out to Anthem so I could buy some business casual attire from the GAP outlet. Right before our drive out, we had the oil checked on my car and the mechanics at Midas told us that our transmission fluid was leaking.
Could you imagine our grief and outrage especially after we just had repairs done on the transmission?? ARGH! And Hubster had even asked the repair guys at Good Works if there was anything else that needed work before they handed our car back to us and they said NO!
So I was presented with a dilemma because by the time we found out, it was too late to take it back to Good Works and I couldn't do much as almost all repair shops are closed on Sunday. On top of that, I couldn't contact my new boss and tell him the news so now...I'm making the dreaded call in to the office tomorrow morning at 8 am to tell him that I won't be in until Wednesday.
I was due to return to my home in Kayenta this afternoon and my ma and I were going to have a traditional prayer done by a medicine man so that I have a good first week at the new job. So I called her this morning and asked her to tell the medicine man to pray so that he could ask that my new boss be extremely understanding when I give him the news tomorrow. hehe
So those bastards at the repair shop better fix up my damn car tomorrow!!!
--- But about my run. Good lord, I haven't run since last Tuesday and have instead been eating cookies like a mad woman. My friend Kim called me and I told her about my cookie binging and she made me feel better by saying, "Dont' worry about it. I'm sure it was just all you dealing with stress." hehe
What she doesn't know is that Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies are like crack to me!
I'm sure the break was needed and it sure did serve a purpose because I feel like I'm a little faster now. I'm averaging 10:00 min/miles and if this is just training, imagine what I could do on a half-marathon! I could totally beat my old PR of 2:22:23 by a good 12 minutes!
I'm back, dudes! And I'm back with a vengence! Now I just need to get adjusted to the elevation once I get there to Window Rock and then it's all smooth sailing and a ton of hard work!! Maybe an occaisional cookie or two as well! ---
The Workout Type : Cross-Training Elliptical for 20 min Treadmill incline walking 15 minutes
Not much today. Just went to the fitness room and did my thing. I got it out of the way earlier in the afternoon. Hubster came home early from work to spend time with me and tonight I'm having a girl's night out with some of my friends as well as dinner again tomorrow night.
I'm trying to see as many people as I can before I leave.
Hope everyone had a good day!
Wed. - 35 min Crosstraining Tues. - 4.5 miles Mon. - REST Sun. - 8.0 miles, 10 min./mile
Maybe I should have smiled but I was standing next to a freakin' mummy sarcophagus! haha I snapped a photo of the one in the background but I accidently erased it. I was sad because I really like the ones with Osiris's green face. He's my favorite Egyptian deity, especially when he has the green face. This was inside the Museum of Man.
Campbell's Soup I (1968) I had to take a photo of my favorite soup, Chicken Noodle
A couple examining the Campbell's Soup I piece up close
Cowboys and Indians (1986) This one was interesting because of the Indian images that he chose to use in this piece. I'm wondering why he chose what he chose.
Marilyn Monroe (1967) -- This was the highlight of my visit
Outside the San Diego Museum of Art
I have some more pics but I need to fix them up. Hubster forgot to charge his camera battery so we had to resort to my dinky camera phone. :( I'm not even sure if I should have been taking photos inside the museum but I needed proof that I saw Warhol's stuff!
The Workout Mileage: 4.5 miles (approximately, might be higher) Type: Started as tempo but ended as intervals
I getting goddamn sick of the treadmill now. Today I had a hard time focusing on my stride and the fact that the complex fitness room was full did not make matters any better. When I first started running, I was the only one in there and it was all good. Then my mood went from happy and free-spirited to annoyed when people trickled in.
I guess I just dig my runs because they're moments of solitude. I can think and concentrate on whatever it is that I think about. But add people and then I start getting distracted i.e. wondering what they are thinking about, how their days went, where they shop at, what type of groceries they put in their cart, relationship status, etc.
My mind starts getting erratic and I feel like Woody Allen's character in Annie Hall. (We just checked out the movie from Blockbuster this evening.)
Ugh. I couldn't even decide on the type of workout I wanted to do. Therefore, we had a mix of tempo and intervals going on.
I'm really anxious to get back to my outdoor runs because I want to see how fast I am running. I can't really get shit down on the treadmill. And while I do like looking at my quads contract and relax as I walk around the fitness room with it's wall to wall mirrors, I don't like looking at myself when I'm running. I've never been a fan of mirrors. I just don't like looking at my reflection.
So now you can get a sense of the delusional side of me.
I felt like I had to run 6 miles or so because the other day I baked two dozen Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies and I must have eaten half of them all by myself! I just can't help myself when it comes to this recipe. It's the devil!! After I'd gobble a number down, I'd feel like I want to throw it all up not only because I feel guilty but because I feel like the sugar is hardening at the bottom of my stomach and just sitting there, doing nothing.
The only good thing that came out of today was that I finally got the car out of the car repair shop so no more chumping it on the bus.
I'm starting to get nervous about my first day at the new job. It's less than a week away now. The anxiety may have fed into my uncontrollable cookie grubbing earlier today. I was a straight up cookie monster. That reminds me of this internet fad song my fiance' is always singing. It's called The Cookie Monster song. It goes something like: C is for Cookie. That's good enough for me. Cookie, cookie, cookie... Cookie starts with C.
Gotta adore my better half. I love him.
Oh yeah, the reason for renting Annie Hall this evening was because I came up with this idea of wanting to watch The American Film Institute's 100 greatest movies of all time. I went to the website and noticed that they had a giant list of 400 movies. Included in the bunch were the Top 100 and 300 other nominated movies that didn't make the list.
I then found a random number generator site and picked out 10 random numbers between 1 and 400. I chose 8 movies just in case the local Blockbuster didnt' carry the ones on my list. So this evening, we rented Annie Hall and an old movie called "How Green Was My Valley".
I like Phil's idea of listing every day of the week's workout so I'll start doing that as well so I can keep better track of my numbers.
The Workout Mileage: 8.0 miles Type: Base, with small hills
Yes, let's get 'the workout' out of the way first, shall we? As I stated before in a prior entry, running is always tough to get back into after such a relaxing break as I had the pleasure to enjoy. However, I'm glad that I read Ann's latest entries. She really inspired me to nix my original plan of running only 6.0 miles for my long run. Instead, I set out to run 8.0 miles and I DID.
I ran them miles like a free-ranging horse would do on the rez--instead, like usual Carmen fashion, I ran them on the treadmill again. I was very lazy all day because of a semi-insomniac weekend I endured but finally kicked my ass into gear around 5 pm which is still a little too warm for me to run outdoors. I didn't want to wait until it cooled down later in the evening so the treadmill was the only way to go.
I put on my trusty Reebok spandex shorts, an old ratty tee of a rez band (Coalition) with the sleeves cut off, my Headsweats cap, and my mp3 player. Fortunately for me, the first song to set the mood was AFI's Kill Caustic from their Decemberunderground album. The song put me into concert mode, which fills me with childlike joy, and I was off with my legs a swingin' and my face grinnin'.
I ran 5 miles straight and then quickly ran home to use the restroom.
When I came back, I thought the last three miles would fly by but it was a battle to get through! Ugh. I just hate stopping, walking, and then resuming. I feel so weighted down afterwards. I think this is exactly why I canned doing the famous Jeff Galloway 'run-walk' marathon program. Bless his heart but it's not for me.
I figure I didn't finish in usual fierce lioness mode because I didn't have fuel with me. Fuel for me is Gatorade swigs or a punch to the gullet with a GU gel. Hubster and I are currently slumming it and eeking by on a paltry budget so no fancy pick-me-ups for a while until we get paid. :(
However, I finished my 8.0 miles and thanks to Miss Ann. Kudos, chica!
---- I'm sorry I haven't posted my pics yet. I've been very lazy when it has come to blogging. I'll get to it eventually, my pretties. Don't worry your pretty little heads.
I don't want to make this entry any longer than it has to be so I'll leave you with a bulleted list of the great news I wanted to share. I will then elaborate on it over the next couple of days with short posts dedicated to each bit of news.
I passed the cursed Genetics class with a B. I was aiming for an A but a B is just as good, especially for such an intense load.
This means, I am now an official ASU alumni.
ASU won't be stealing my money anymore.
I declined to take the job in beautiful Canyon de Chelly. Boo-hoo. :(
I have a perfectly good reason for that.
I was hired by another Navajo tribal department as an Environmental Specialist.
It's permanent and pays way more than I could ever have imagined I would deserve being that I'm still green and fresh off the college graduate wagon.
This means, I am moving to Window Rock, AZ for good.
I tried looking all over for decent liver concert footage of AFI performing Kill Caustic (the song of the moment for my running)...this was all I could find.
coincedently, I almost had the chance to see them here in Phoenix. I had just recently reconnected with a good friend who had an extra ticket and had I found him sooner, I would have gone!! Argh!
I know I am slacking. I have a couple pictures to show from our trip to San Diego.
I didn't do the 3-miler since I was exhausted from the drive over. However, it was still possible for me to get up and run since I found out later that Balboa Park was just a hop, skip, and a jump away from our hotel.
I also have loads of great news to share but for now I need to wash my face, clean up the kitchen, and then get ready to run on the treadmill.
It's always hard for me to get back in it after a long break. I'm sure some people are thinking, Geez, doesn't she love running enough to actually be aching to run by now?
Yeah, those people. They annoy me.
I'll have to gripe about them later but they're the kind that think a real runner hurts themselves because they love it so much. What in the world is a "real runner" anyway? Is there such a thing?
Ugh. Will this week ever end already?? I have never ever done so much studying in my whole life! I don't even have time to run. My brain is auto-focused on the class. So much material, so little time! I was thinking that if bad people who go to hell are relegated to torture such as this...I wanna be good! Jebus! I wanna be good! hehe Luckily I am Navajo so I would probably just turn into mist or something. lol But it was just a thought because, seriously, I'm in HELL!
I'm not doing any running for the rest of the week either. I deserve some rest and relaxation, for real!
My brain hurts, my eyes hurt, and I'm getting tired of Red Bulls.
Carmen is a 25-year-old gal from the Navajo Nation. By day, I am an environmental specialist. By evening I am a runner. I thought that running a 10k and a half-marathon was a challenge but now I have my sights set to conquer the big beast--the full marathon. This is my space to jot down triumphs and follies along my journey as I train for my first marathon in January 2007.
