now that's a finishers prize I can use...

I updated my sidebar to link to the races that I'm planning on doing this spring. Both of the half marathons are near me and look fun, but I need to see how school pans out (the martian half will fall right around finals) and how training for the 25k goes (the trail half is 2 weeks before the 25k) before I commit to either of them.

As I was looking for the links to the halves, I saw that one of the local running stores is having a Superbowl 5k. Every finisher gets a beer mug. That? is awesome. I am so doing that race! Finally, something other than a non-wicking t-shirt as a racing incentive! Jon and Jack are close by... what do you guys think? Mo, I think it would be worth the drive... hopefully I can at least con theroommate into doing it.

Yesterday I moseyed over to the fitness center to get some cross training and lifting in. I arrived to find the fitness center totally packed. WITH CHILDREN! Good grief. Seriously, there were 5 kids just running around the fitness center, like wild chipmunks or something. the dad was walking on the treadmill and the mom was sitting in a chair watching them run wild. Except during the time when she was actually helping them attempt to hurt themselves. Seriously, none of the kids could have been older than 9, and several of them were very little. Everywhere you turned, they had taken over that part of the fitness center. The other open treadmill? check. The elliptical? check. (by the way, have you ever seen a 4 year old try to use an elliptical? heh.) the 4-in-1 weight machine? check. The FRICKING FREE WIEGHTS? check. Their parents were quite amused at watching their children try to "work out". I went about my business lifting (luckily the flat bench was all I needed, and was unappealing to the kids. and the weights I was using were too heavy for them to lift) and just watched them... waiting (and secretly hoping) for one of them to seriously injure themselves. It was like a zoo. Seriously, it was amazing to me that these parents would let their children run rampant like that. One of the children was literally HANGING from the pulldown machine... and the mother laughed at him.

When I finished lifting I kicked one of the children off the elliptical and then swiftly changed the tv from cartoons to the football game, much to the dismay of the kid on the treadmill next to me. She made a noise when I changed it and I just gave her a look like, "you're kidding me, right kid?" I attempted to say something to the parents, but it quickly became obvious that they don't understand english. So I think I'll have a chat with the managers about the "no children in the fitness center" rule. There's literally a playroom built inside the fitness center for children to play in, for crying out loud. Of course, that was the one place where these children were NOT playing yesterday. hmph.

Yesterday I also headed out to the mall to get some shopping done. I hate shopping. Especially since I had a Victoria's Secret gift certificate, but the Semi-Annual Sale is going on. It's like a madhouse in there at this time of year. I try my best to get in and get out without purchasing too much crap, yet somehow I still managed to buy way too much stuff. I was even conned into buying something with the name, "pretty in pink". Redheads are never "pretty in pink". At least, this one usually isn't. It's like I'm slowly starting to turn more girly. blech. I was even convinced that a purple nosering would be cute, so I purchased it. it's tragic.

To counteract all this girlyness, I would like to point out that Jon noticed that my picture, when miniaturized, makes me look like i'm picking my nose. fabulous.

happy monday, people. Today begins 'the training plan'! woo-hoo!