Well, okay, I didn't win, but I did run a 5k this morning.  I've done a couple of them before, but I always did a little walking when I got tired.  This time I pushed through and ran the whole time... not quickly, mind you, but I ran.  I finished in 29 minutes which is slow for an actual runner, but good for me. 

The race was at a park near my house.  We ran around the lake.  The weather was a little on the cold side, but I was layered up and prepared.

I asked a stranger to take my picture at the finish.  Yup, that's a medal around my neck.  We all got one. 

I had fun but it would be more fun to do it with my sister, so look for that blog post in a few weeks. 

 Random Updates.... here we go.

1. Speak No Evil.  I lost my voice yesterday.  I was on a shoot all day and talking to people, but not yelling, so I don't know why it happened.  First it was just a few cracks here and there, but by evening I could only whisper, and that's all I did all day today.  I had to run the department meeting without a voice.  (Mom, I could have used your professional services.)

2. Baby It's Cold Outside.  Georgia doesn't get very cold, but the temperature dropped enough that I put my electric blanket on my bed.  I like to turn it on right when I get home from work, and by the time I go to bed it's nice and toasty.  Max is also a big fan.  He likes for me to pull back the covers so he can burrow underneath.  Zoe prefers to sleep on top of the covers, and at my feet.

Ruff life.  He's curled up on my pillow.

3. Roll Tide.  College Football is so big in the southeast, I can't believe I just now went to my first game, and it wasn't even in Georgia.  Last Saturday I went to the Alabama/Tennessee game at Alabama.  I don't know much about football, but I enjoyed cheering and watching the bands, and listening to the other people cheer as though their very lives depended on the outcome of the game.  The stadium was huge and packed!

Alabama won at the last second. Very exciting.

4. Deadlifts and squats.  I have a new workout routine and so far I really like it! It's a four-day split, so it splits up the body parts and I work a certain muscle group each day.  Two days I do just cardio, and one day I rest completely.  I did chest and biceps yesterday - one of my weakest areas -- and my muscles are sore, but in a good way.  Next time I'm going to ask for a spot on the bench press.  I added a bit too much weight on that one.

5. DKNY, All up in my Eye. I got new glasses this week.  The doctor said my sight is actually better than it was in my last exam, two years ago.  (I told him I'd been working on it.)  I have plenty of contacts, but I wanted to get some new glasses in the hopes that I will wear them more and give my eyes a chance to breathe.  So I got some stylish sort of I'm-an-artsy-nerd frames. 

I can see so well I cut off the top of my head.

That's about all I have for now, but never fear, I'm headed to Augusta tomorrow and Halloween pictures are sure to follow.  (Here's a promo: Max and Maggie have matching costumes.)

I survived my first figure competition!  I haven't decided yet if it will be my last.  The dieting was insane, but the performance part was really fun.  In the morning was pre-judging, which is a deceptive name for it because it's when the actual judging takes place.  I was very, very nervous for that part.  I mean, I was shaking.  But I made it though without falling down in those heels so I'll call that a success.  I don't have any pictures from that round. 

After the bikini poses I changed into my boxing outfit for the theme wear part of the competition. My trainer had warned me that the other girls might be mean, or steal one of my shoes to sabotage me... stuff like that... but she couldn't have been more wrong.  They were all very nice and helpful, especially to those of us who had not competed before.

That's several layers of protan and topped off with Pam.  Yes, the cooking oil.

There were eight girls in my class - novice figure short. At 5' 4" I was the tallest of the short.

I had a break in the afternoon, and then we did both rounds again for the audience this time, at the night show.  I was still nervous, but not shaking like I was in the morning.  For my boxing routine I was able to relax a little and try to put on a good show.  When I watch it back now I think I hid my nerves pretty well!  All my high school drama club training finally paid off.

The only dark cloud over the whole thing was my trainer.  I don't think I realized the depth of her control issues, or her need for drama until about Wednesday.  She started insisting that I spend the day with her on Friday, and spend the night at her boyfriend's house with her on Friday night.  I tried to explain that I had to work all day, and that I needed to be home to take my dogs out Friday night but she wasn't hearing it.   She called me several times Friday while I was at work and I sent her texts that I was in meetings and couldn't answer.  She called me again while I was waiting for my drug test Friday night and started out with "Never in my life have I treated a trainer the way you're treating me..."  What?  She went on to say how terrible I was for not even calling her back that day, that I obviously wasn't taking the competition seriously, and again, that I should be staying with her that night so she could "watch me".  Watch me do what?  Sleep?  She said if she'd treated me the way her trainers treated her, I would be in tears.  I responded calmly, "So the goal is to make me cry the night before the competition?"   She eventually hung up on me.

On Saturday morning she was rude to me when I met her at her boyfriend's house, and then she showed up late for the contest when she promised she would help me get ready backstage.  She was snippy and mean the whole time she was "helping" once she did arrive, so much so that the other girls noticed and were giving me sympathetic looks.  During the break she told me I needed to lie down at her boyfriend's house, but she didn't want me to get tanner on his bedding so she wouldn't give me a blanket.  I was freezing and couldn't sleep.  After the night show I was hoping she wouldn't invite herself out with my friends, and luckily she didn't.  I brought the items she loaned me to the gym yesterday and left them for her.  Today I saw her at the gym and said hello and she barely said hi back.  Whatever punk.  You are so fired.

I think she couldn't stand for the focus to not be on her, so she started drama where none was needed.  I didn't take the bait which probably frustrated her more.  I'm glad she showed her true colors and I'm happy to be rid of her... and happy I managed to still have a good time despite her craziness. 

I had been dreaming about cheeseburgers.

Post-show euphoria.