Movies of 2010

Breakfast at Tiffany's-5/5
Brideshead Revisited-3/5
Burlesque-3.5/5
Cheri-4/5
Couple's Retreat-3/5
Dinner for Schmucks-5/5
Due Date-4/5
Eclipse-4/5
Food, Inc-5/5
Grown Ups-3/5
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince-4/5
Hotel for Dogs-3/5
Inception-4.5/5
Ironman 2-4/5
Me Without You-4.5/5
Megamind-5/5
My Life in Ruins-4/5
Orphan-4/5
Paranormal Activity 2-4/5
Religulous-5/5
Repo Man-3/5
Run, Fatboy, Run-5/5
Sex and the City 2-4/5
She's Out of My League-3/5
Shutter Island-4.5/5
Silk-3/5
The Back-Up Plan-3/5
The Bounty Hunter-4/5
The Box-1/5
The Kids Are All Right-4/5
The Lovely Bones-3/5
Toy Story 3-5/5
Wolfman-3/5
Young Victoria-5/5

Book on CD 2010

A Thousand Splendid Suns-Khaled Hosseini 5/5
Abandoned-Cody McFadyen-2/5
Bullet-Laurell K. Hamilton-3.5/5
Cult Insanity-Irene Spencer 3.5/5
Her Fearful Symmetry-Audrey Niffenegger 5/5
Its Not All About The Cooking-Paula Deen-4/5
Nanny Returns-Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus-4/5
The Host-Stephanie Meyer 4/5

Total: 8

Books I Read 2010

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier- Ishmael Beah-5/5
A Walk Across America-Peter Jenkins-5/5
Bound to Shadows-Keri Arthur-3/5
Commited-Elizabeth Gilbert-4/5
Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank-5/5
Eat, Pray, Love-Elizabeth Gilbert-5/5
Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu-J. Maarten Troost-4.5/5
In the Time of Butterflies-Julia Alvarez-4/5
Lost on Planet China-J. Marteen Troost-5/5
My Sister's Keeper-Jodi Picoult-4/5
Plains of Passage-Jean Auel-4.5/5
Shelters of Stone-Jean Auel 5/5
Snow Falling on Cedars-David Guterson-4.5/5
Song of Solomon-Tony Morrison-3/5
Songs in Ordinary Time-Mary McGarry Morris-4/5
The Book of the Dead-Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child-4.5/5
The Dance of Death-Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child-4.5/5
The Handmaid's Tale-Margaret Atwood 5/5
The Help-Kathryn Stockett-5/5
The Red Queen-Phillipa Gregory-4/5
The Time Traveler's Wife-Audrey Niffenegger 5/5
The Wheel of Darkness-4.5/5-Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Three Cups of Tea-Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin-5/5

Total: 23

Christmas in Amsterdam

Spending Christmas in Amsterdam! I have completely fallen in love with this beautiful city. The entire city is covered with a blanket of snow. I am mesmerized by the Dutch language. I can't stop taking pictures of the gorgeous canals. I visited the Anne Frank house today and was so moved by what I saw. I think it was ever more special because I read the book earlier this year. Loved some of the quotes from the book that were up on the walls:

"I know what I want,
I have a goal,
I have opinions,
a religion,
and love".
-Anne Frank

and a quote from her father:

"We cannot change what happened anymore. The only thing we can do is to learn from the past and to realize what discrimination and persecution of innocent people means. I believe that it's everyone's responsibility to fight prejudice. -Otto Frank, 1970


Merry Christmas from Amsterdam!

Weeks 5 and 6

Almost done with week 6 of training. Week 5 went well. I increased my mileage to 4 miles 5x a week. Cardio-wise I was ready, but the increased mileage really did some damage to my shins. I completed week 5, but had to take it easier on week 6. Monday I could only do 3.1 miles instead of my scheduled 4 because my legs were not having it at all. Tuesday was a speed play or "Fartlek" day. Warmed up at a slow, steady jog for 10 minutes and then did 1 min on, 1 min off x 4 and then 10 minutes at a jog to cool down. This ended up being about 3 miles as well. Wednesday was a very busy day at work and I had to pack for out of town, so I didn't make it to the gym at all. Thursday I got my 4 miles in, but Friday I traveled all day and Saturday was Christmas Day, so I gave myself the day off as my Christmas present! Tomorrow I will still be in Amsterdam but I scoped out a local park where I can get my running in. When I get back home I know my training schedule will go back to normal. Next Saturday is the New Year's Day Resolution Run 5k. This will be my first 5k in almost 2 years. Want to set goal to beat in future 5k's. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Weeks 3 and 4 of Training

Weeks 3 and 4 of training are over. The mileage increased to 3 miles 5x a week. Last week we ran a total of 15 miles and this week we completed 16 miles. Next week we increase the mileage to 4 miles 5x a week. The group training sessions seem to be the best runs so far. I think it is so much easier when you have other people to push you. I have also had easier runs because I discoved an awesome website www.motiontraxx.com . These are free podcasts that are usually about an hour long and the music is recorded at certain beats per minutes so that you can pace yourself. This has allowed me to run at a steady pace and I feel like my strides are more even. I

I am still battling shin splints, but taking ibuprofen before the runs usually keep the pain under control. I have also taken out any other cardio/leg workouts from my schedule other that cross-training so as not to strain my shins any further. I want to incorporate more swimming and biking into my training to help take some of the pressure off of my legs. I am doing Pilates and/or Yoga about 3-4 times a week in addition to the running and cross-training and so far this has given me a good balance.

2nd Week of Training Completed

Week 2 of training completed! Training was difficult this week because of Thanksgiving and the schedule had to be tweaked a little. I uppedmy mileage to running 3 miles 3x this week for a total 9 miles. My cross training consisted of a 55 min Spin class on Tuesday and an hour on the elliptical on Friday. Saturday was our group run. It was really COLD and we were all still stuffed from Thanksgiving leftovers, but the run went really well. Saturday I also went to a Level 2 yoga class at a studio in Cartersville, which felt amazing after the run that morning.

Running has been a little better this week. My shins are still hurting after running, but not nearly as bad as last week. I still take Ibuprofen about 30 min before running and I bought some calf compression sleeves to help as well. So I am ready to enter week 3 of training!