Merry Christmas

I hope you are staying warm and dry. I am currently watching the rain fall out on my balcony and am wearing my Make Room for Santa running gear just waiting for a break in the weather.

I have been super busy preparing for Christmas and can honestly say it was a great morning with my brother, his wife and their kids... we went to Denny's for a late but filling breakfast and then headed home. This afternoon will be spent with my in-laws and I am gearing up for the turkey dinner and cheesecake assortment that we are bringing for dessert... These are the reasons why I should run today! I feel sluggish and need to get out and do some miles! Now only if the weather will cooperate!

Since it is been exactly 20 days since my last post... I totally apologize! I am not able to post as frequently as before! I hope that will change but for now it is just really hectic!

Friday, Dec. 12th I had a work pot luck and enjoyed tons of food... then Saturday I ran 18 miles and the picked up my race packet for the "Make Room For Santa race" that took place on Sunday, Dec. 14th. When I picked up the packet at Chick's Sporting Goods.... AT&T had Sanya Richards Track & Field Gold medalist signing autographs and She signed one for me... she asked if I was running the race since she noticed my goodie bag and I told her I was doing the 10K but I wasn't sure of my performance since I had just completed 18 miles.... her response was "you don't mess around; you mean business"... I took that as a compliment since she obviously means more business than I ever will... it was such a nice compliment from an accomplished athlete representing our Country.

My race was a success Bib #303! I placed 18 out of 47 in my division with a 59:45 finish time (9:37 pace) I ran with Paul and here is a picture of us running... of course I am cut off a bit on this picture :(

Last Friday started off the weekend with a wonderful Christmas Party and then on Saturday I ran 16 miles with the team in training crew, took a long nice nap, then STARTED my Christmas shopping with Jeremy, had dinner at Sam's Club and then headed out with my friend Alan to see Dave Koz's Smooth Jazz Christmas performance along with special guests (Jonathan Butler, Jeff Golub, and Keiko Matsui) at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts... that show was awesome and we were seated in the center 5th row in Orchestra.... unbelievable! My boss had extra tickets and he was so nice to have me be a part of that! Sunday came around and my friend Erin and I went to Glen Ivy Day Spa and spent nearly 3hrs getting pampered, which included an 80 minute Swedish massage! Then we had a pot luck at our bowling league and bowled terribly because we were stuffed and relaxed! We lost 7 out of 7 points!

As you can see by my update that running hasn't taken place much the last two weeks... I really need to get back into the groove of my usual schedule! I plan on starting back full force on Monday... so look out! Both this week and next week my tap class is on Christmas break so I am not even doing that.... YIKES!

I hope you have a Merry Christmas and I will post before or on New Years to update you on more upcoming events...
God Bless,
Melissa

This is from Keiko Matsui's Website... it was spactacular!

dave koz, keiko, santa, jeff golub, jonathan butler in oakland (photo courtesy jane higgins)

Happy Holidays and Best New Year's Wishes To You All

Love, Keiko

Oh Christmas Tree....

2008 Christmas Tree *compliments to Harry & David

2007 Christmas tree... my happy decorating!

I feel the need to splain, like Lucy Ricardo would say!

Anyone who knows me and my quirks... knows how much I love Christmas! IT is MY most FAVORITE time OF year! I love it so much that at like 5am the day after Christmas I wake up to go Hallmarking... That is where I pick up my ornaments from the current offerings at 50% off the retail price.

Then every year I look forward to getting my collection down on the day after Thanksgiving and turn our 535sf home into a winter wonderland...
Keep in mind that this craze dates back to my birth year (thanks to my mom)... and those dating that far back are part of my "retired collection"

That is how every year goes... well this year is my different type of year!

Notice the last post has pictures of my hubby and I... well out of compassion for him... I decided not to bug him too much about my tradition. We compromised on the tree issue and purchased one from Harry & David!

Today was delivery day... exactly one week later than normal! The good news is it is real, comes fully decorated, and make our place smell good! The bad news is... no Hallmark ornaments this year :(

Good tidings to all and to all a goodnight...
I have to be up in 7 hrs to run 16 miles in the morning... silent night to all!!!

Thanks for checking on me

Pictures are in...

Check it out, Jeremy is wearing is wedding band and I am sporting my 1940's circa vintage watch... a present from my hubby :)

The pictures are a little grainy but I will try to get a better quality on the scanner next week :)

I love the pictures... tomorrow I get our Christmas tree delivered from Harry and David... a picture of it will be on here this weekend... so check back soon!

Happy December 1st!

I hope you had a great turkey day! I was very thankful that the rain stopped just in time to run my races. The Long Beach Turkey Trot had a 7:30 5K or 10K, 8:30 10K, and a 9:30 5K! Jeremy and I did the 5K at 7:30 and the two races that followed. I finished the first 5K in 26 minutes and Jeremy beat me with a finish time of 23 minutes... the next race we both slowed down a bit and the final race was just fun... Jeremy ran and I had a great walk with my friend Trish *Carla had a migraine and couldn't attend :( Once the races were complete, we ate at Hof's Hut and enjoyed a hearty breakfast! Then we got cleaned up and ate some Turkey fix'ins!

Friday we went to our friend's birthday party.... Happy Birthday Wendy!!!! And had the BEST Turkey Taco's and Key-lime Cheesecake EVER! Saturday was TNT training and I did 9 out of 14 miles and then Disney with the gang! Sunday I went to my friend Megan's house and we watched "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", that was a shocking movie... not for kids!

Sunday was also my bowling league... we won 5 out of 7 points :) That was a good thing since we are in 30th place right now out of 31! We have nowhere but up to go! If we don't do well... here come the towels for the "Striking Strikers"

Overall it was a restful and relaxing 4 day weekend. I was good about not planning anything for my weekend and just letting the pieces fall where they did... it was very nice!

I am super excited to be getting our pictures from JCPenny Studios.... I can't wait to show them off! I hope to pick them up tomorrow but if not then Wednesday will definitely be the day!

Thanks for stopping by, I am going to catch some zzzzzz before Jeremy heads to bed.... it is a first come, first serve thing and i like to take the majority of the bed, lol!

:::Good Tidings::::

Dodgers

WOW today really was nice and the weather people said it was going to rain... well that never stopped me! For confirmation check out my post from February (Half Marathon Record Time!)!

I got off work at 6pm instead of the normal 5pm and then got ready to run with Paul... the weather still was holding up until the very end of the run... as we were heading to my in-laws home (our starting point) I heard a noise and then asked Paul what that was... he said... it's rain! Sure enough it just came down on us!

I was wearing my brand new shoes too! Well they are drying up now and weren't too terribly wet but still... I thought we were going to dodge the forecast! I guess I need to work on that part in training.

It is currently POURING down rain with a wonderful display of lightning and thunder! Our first sign that the seasons have indeed changed.

Tomorrow's forecast continues and Turkey day has a 30% chance of rain... in California terms that means the chance of rain is slim to none. If anything we may get a light sprinkle!

I think my main fans are family in Tennessee and my family/friends are in California... It would be cool to get more stamped states though, so if you have friends or family in other states... send them my blog address and help me get more states marked on my cluster map...

::::Snuggle and Stay Dry::::
Melissa

Turkey Trot'n & Happy Thanksgiv'n

If you would like to join in on the fun or would like more information... click here :)

My weekend was very relaxing... Yes, I did run 20 miles on Saturday and dance a few hours at Disney after my hair appointment but the stress free weekend was just what I needed to rejuvinate me for this short work week :)

I would like to encourage you to sign up on my buddy map. I would love to know where all my fans are located...

Sunday was my bowling league day and I think whoever decides who bowls together... sure had a sense of humor yesterday... Our bowling league name is "Strikin Strikers" and we bowled against "Big Knockers"... the president said I could be on both teams, lol! Well the Big Knockers kicked are butt... we did win one game by three points but lost the other two games by a landslide! Truely we didn't stand a chance... they had over 400 pins handicap and we are at 160 or so... therefore we needed to spot them around 250+ pins to win a game! This season we are in last place in our division and getting close to last place in the league... last place folks get towels and first place gets trophey's... I think we are shooting for towels this season! At least towels can be used instead of getting a trophy and having it collect dust.

Today after work I have tap class and then I am going to support a TNT participant with their fundraising event at Lucky Strike and bowl for practice :) Tomorrow I will run with Coach Paul and then on Wednesday it is R & R afterwork... I will pick up our packets for the turkey trot race and then hang out with my friend Megan who is having knee surgery today and will be on the road to recovery by then. Thursday is Turkey Trot Day and eating lots of turkey taco's and pie! I am bringing the pie and fried apples!

Lastly, Jeremy and I got our pictures taken at JC Penny and they look cute. The pix should be ready for pickup December 2nd... I will post them here on the computer if I can get it scanned and formatted right... otherwise they will be in this years Christmas cards :)

If I don't get a chance to post again on here...

HAPPY TURKEY DAY! If you are vegitarian... Happy Tofu Day!
Melissa

Turkey Trot'n in Long Beach

Next week is the turkey trott... I ran twice this week and am struggling on keeping a good pace! I hope Turkey Day is different! I want to be around 9/min miles with a finish time of 55-60 minutes! This is a race where you don't get a medal at the end, lol! You get a pumpkin pie and the satisfaction of running to put less guilt on the Thanksgiving Day feast! It is a blast! I can't wait!!! Jeremy and Coach Paul are running the 10K race and I have two friends Trish and Carla who are walking the 5K!

My area skated the fallen ashes from the fires and I am so glad! Last year around this time we had fires like this and it just rained ash for almost a week at our house... we didn't get one drop all week!

Tomorrow is dance and then I am resting up for a 12-miler on Saturday! I may do more than that since the Honolulu folks are doing their 20-miler that day! We will see!!!!

Thanks for checking on me!
Mel

Operation OC, helping neighbors affected by the fires

Hello to everyone,
This is in the works, compliments to myTNT head coach Darin!

The purpose of this blog is to ask for your help for the victims of the recent OC fires. If there is a burden on your heart to help out, then please read on.

On Saturday, November 22, 2008 from 7 am to 12 noon at Heritage Park in Irvine, there will be an opportunity for you to drop off items to be directly donated to help these folks. All items donated will be delivered to Operation OC, a local charity that is willing and able to take our donations and get them right where they are needed free of charge to the victims.
Here's how this will work:

The following list of items is provided by Operation OC to address the most imminent needs of the fire victims.
*** IF you are donating clothing for fire victims, please make sure that it is new or gently worn. If you have items that you’d like to donate to the Orange County Rescue Mission for the everyday needs they have in helping the homeless, etc. you need to have those items in a separate bag or box labeled “FOR RESCUE MISSION.”

Always Needed Basics

Ready-to-eat food (cereal, powdered milk, canned meals, canned fruits, canned vegetables)
Infant care (diapers, baby wipes, baby Tylenol/Motrin, formula, diaper rash cream, thermometers)
Toiletries (bath towels, wash cloths, hand towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, combs/brushes, deodorant, laundry baskets, laundry detergent, Bandaid, Neosporin.

Special Needs

We are in need of gift certificates to Target Stores, local restaurants, gas gift cards, and phone cards or the money to purchase them in bulk.


If you do not have any of these items and would like to make an online donation, you can do so at: https://www.rescuemission.org/1donate/online/donate.htm

PHASE 1
Go through your pantries to find any of the items listed above.
We will try to have some extra boxes, but if you have some too, that would be great!
After our training on Saturday (the Winter TEAM is revving up for Honolulu in December and P.F. Chang's in January!), we will take all of the donated items over to Operation OC to drop them off.

PHASE 2
If you don’t have the chance to drop off your donations this Saturday at Heritage Park, you can drive the items to the Operation OC yourself.

One Hope Drive, Tustin, CA 92782 (Mon—Sat, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) 714-247-4300

They know we are coming on Saturday and are prepared to accept all of our donations.

Note to GPS and Mapquest users: in the event that the new One Hope Drive address does not yet display on your GPS device or on Mapquest, please use the previous address: 15635 Landsdowne Road, Tustin, CA 92782

If you would like more information on Operation OC, please click the following link:
www.operationoc.com

Please consider helping the victims of these fires through these tough times. Together we can make a difference.

Pass this on to ANYONE you think might like to help out...we would love to have a huge turnout for this drive!

For a map on how to find Heritage Park in Irvine (corner of Yale Ave and Walnut Ave near Irvine High School), please click the link below. The drop off will be at the back of the parking lot by the recreation center (where Team in Training usually meets each Saturday for those who know): Heritage Park, Irvine (click to view map)

Fires

This weekend has come to an end and I am finally able to update :) Yesterday while running with my mentee Melisa she pointed out the fires from a distance. During this run her phone had gone off 3 times and she didn't know why! Well the answer became apparent after the run and when she was heading home she found out her area has been evacuated in Yorba Linda!

My mom's house is close to the Green River fire but not close enough for evacuation. My brother and his wife were in between fires (Anaheim Hills and Yorba Linda) and were unaffected also!

Therefore no loss in relation to my friends and family are to be reported :)

The air quality is just terrible... it smells bad at times but since the wind has died down... that has gotten better and good ol' Huntington Beach looks pretty good.

Last night Jeremy and I went to Disney and boy did that make us thirsty! It was so dry and being in the City of Anaheim didn't help since that put us closer to the fires. The plus to this was that the dance floor at Carnation Plaza was nice due to the ash droppings... it made for a slipper floor and that in turn makes it easier to dance!

Before Disney I went to my friend Gwynne's baby shower that was also in Anaheim. This got cut a little short as the road closures started to worry some guests... Gwynne did make out like a bandit with bouncers, swings, clothes, and a bunch more goodies though.

So my weekend began with a 14 mile run - then baby shower - ending with Disney .... notice the lack of napping involved... so today... I slept in until 11:15am! That is right, I missed church by a landslide! I slept so good that I think I am going to take my shower and try and get more sleep before I tackle all that work on my desk tomorrow!

For those of you new to my blog or haven't heard yet! I gotta job promotion starting November 1st as an Accounting Manager for CenterStone Communities. I am in the hands-on learning process right now and this adjustment is taking a toll on my abilities to write to you in my blog as between work and hobbies.... I end my days sleeping so good that Jeremy has mentioned my snoring to me on more than one occasion this week!

Thanks for checking on me! I do not plan on running again until the air quality changes but in place of running I will get some exercise on my wii fit and I have tap on Monday (tomorrow) and on Thursday. I am hoping by Tuesday or Wednesday I will be able to get in some miles... we will see!

Good night and have a blessed week!
Melissa

Pictures and update

Hey there... here are some pictures that I thought you may enjoy seeing... sorry it has taken so long! I have been super busy at work (I got a promotion) and trying to keep up on my routine of marathon training, tap/swing dancing, and bowling in my spare time. YIKES! I have a lot on my plate!

This is hanging on my fridge and is from my second cousin Kaitlyn, she and I had a blast in TN while I was visiting! We miss each other very much and I love the artwork and letter she sent me while I was traveling home exactly a month ago tomorrow!
This is the arrangement from my co-workers! How sweet is that! My office smelled wonderful!

This is the Witches Brew arrangement Jeremy picked out for my birthday... I love the orange roses and the vase looks cool too... notice the candy I got on my birthday from the Fall Festival at my dad's church... that was the leftovers! We had to make a big dent in it to have the candy fit in the bowl!

This picture was taken the day after Halloween at Disneyland... the picture is dark but in real life they decked out Disney very nicely for my birthday!

Santa Clarita 1/2 Marathon pictures are in... Click on our names to view the pictures... we haven't bought any yet but when we do I will post them so you can print the pictures...

Melissa Pires

Jeremy Pires

Coach Paul

This was a rough race for Paul and I... the non-trainer Jeremy beat his record by nearly 2 minutes with a 1:54 finish time. I had a 2:10 finish time and Coach Paul had a 2:08! It wasn't my best race but it was fun! I hit a wall at mile 6 which is highly unusual for me... but when my body got hit with the cold and flu just weeks before the race... I did this just to finish.

I had dinner tonight with Paul and his wife Diana... so I got home really late so be prepared for a long entry tomorrow as my energy is depleted tonight!

Tomorrow will be more in depth, I PROMISE!!! Enjoy the pix :)

Thanks for checking in on me...

Love,

Melissa

Surprised... I got lots of flowers

I just got flowers from Jeremy... its called the witches brew... it is funny because he was upset last night and I didn't know why... he thought I saw the e-mail from pro-flowers.... which I didn't! I did go on his e-mail and he saw me do it... to get his bib# so that Coach Paul can pick up our bibs for Sunday's race... He then showed signs of being upset... and I was clueless to why his mood changed so quickly! Long story short... I was SUPER surprised and he ended up changing his e-mail password so I will no longer be able to go on it. Not that I go on all the time... only when I know their is an e-mail more for my needs than his going to his account like the race info.

I also got a beautiful arrangement from work! My new office smells delightful!

:::SMILES::::

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday... and Happy Halloween!

I am not shy so I will tell you that this is my last year in my 20s! Next year I will be 30! I am getting closer to qualifying for Boston Marathon! In 20 more years and if I can still run this pace I have now! I can go to Boston, lol! The things us runners think about!!!!

This week I was able to make it to my tap classes on Monday and Thursday. Also I ran 5 miles on Tuesday and Wednesday... my next run is on Sunday for the Santa Clarita 1/2 Marathon and then after that I am going to rest a bit and then go bowling for my league.

Today's BIRTHDAY agenda is :::drum roll::: lunch with my friend Donna! I get off work at 3pm :) Go to Lewco and close the books after work.... pick up dad and meet my whole family at his church for their annual Fall Festival.... swing by Starbucks for a Grande Frap.... and head to Atomic Ballroom with Jeremy to Dance my birthday away!

Saturday our TNT training has been canceled due to the Santa Barbara event and the low attendance for our Honolulu and PFChangs peeps... It will resume on schedule on the 8th and I have a 16 miler next weekend :) I love it and can't wait!

Thanks for the birthday wishes... I love the cards I have gotten and the msgs inside the cards!
have a boo-tiful and spook-tacular day :)

Stump Jump pictures are in!

Looky what I got a hold of! Pix from the Chattanooga Stump Jump 12-miler!

The first two pictures are at about mile 5 and the third picture is me starting out the race at 8:30am (5:30am my time) the last picture is a pre-race photo as we hear the announcement about the Yellow Jacket sightings and other possible encounters...

This week as been very much an adjustment period. I got news on Thursday that I have been moved from my Accounting Assistant position with CenterStone Communities... the builder company I work for... to a promotion "Accounting Manager" for the company full time! I also got the news that they wanted me to continue worker for Woods Group Architects in my free time and of course I will continue to help my in-laws with Lewco in my free time as well :) THINK that will keep me busy... u betcha!

I am finally over the flu and today was my first day back on the running front! It was so nice to get back out and run some of my free energy off. I then celebrated my promotion and my health by getting take out food tonight for dinner!

Yesterday I had tap class after Centerstone and when I got home from that I worked on my Lewco paperwork to get ready to close the books for the end of the month. At work I had a blast celebrating my birthday and my co-workers birthday... we had ice cream cake from Baskin Robins that was delicious! This is quite funny considering I had my 6 month check up at the dentist at lunch. After lunch... I picked up the cake and some pepperoni pizza and breadsticks to eat at work.

ALL the breadsticks made up my lunch as it was easy food to eat while driving... then I got to work and squeezed in a slice of pizza... and a few hours later consumed a large slice of yummy ice cream cake! Information I didn't tell the dentist at my cleaning! Nonetheless it was also a celebration for yet again NO CAVITIES! I have only had two cavities my whole life... so I am happy to report no more have brewed up!

Thanks for checking in... I plan on running tomorrow and dancing on Thursday!

Stay Tuned!

Flu and Cold Season

I bet you are wondering where on earth has my posting gone! Well I came back from TN on 10/12 and by 10/14 I had come down with a real butt kicking cold that I still have even today! Also if that wasn't enough I got the flu on Monday this week! My doctor said I was his first flu case this season... a first that I hope NEVER occurs again! Today I am venturing back to work now that solid foods are no longer an issue but still sticking to crackers and soups without the help of nausea meds!

I did have the most wonderful time in TN! I will post more on that when my energy is up! I just wanted to let you all know that the Spunky Mel-enator is getting back on her feet and I am counting my blessings that I am not getting IV fluids today! The visit on Monday was hilarious to say the least by the way... He called the trash can my girlfriend and this awful stuff that I had to drink to settle my stomach a cocktail! I reassured him that my favorite cocktails are blended and have a cherry on top... NOT menthol flavoring and creamy! I didn't need to use my girlfriend on the visit which was nice and that evening at about 6pm I was able to begin holding fluids down! I was scared at that point because the shot they gave me to help nausea if it didn't work I would have to go back in on Tuesday (yesterday) for another cocktail and shot. That didn't happen and I thank GOD for that! Today was the day if both cocktail visits didn't work that I was to be admitted... another thank GOD! God is good and my healing is present!
Amen

Two Days until Transit

Yesterday I went running and boy was it hot at the Back Bay. My car said it was 90* and it was a dry heat on top of it! Both Coach Paul and I struggled but made it through... he was thinking about only doing 4 miles and in my heart I wanted to do 6! So I pushed him to 6 miles and in the end he thanked me! That was my last run before the race!

TNT ~ The number of participants are low this season and that is not too surprising considering the economy and all! I was talking to Paul during the run and he said that ONLY 7 people will be left on the team after Halloween! I hope they added wrong because that is really low! Last year he said they took 19 people to PF Changs! The difference between last year and this year also lies in the changes of TNT! They split up the 1/2 marathoners to the Spring Season and the marathoners to the Winter Season because of the length of time it takes to train for the distances... I just hope that the Spring TNT Happy Halfers equal at minimum 12 people and that our marathoners all recommit to the team by the deadline, Oct. 27th! On that note, 2 out of 7 are for the Honolulu, HI Marathon and the remaining 5 are for PF Changs... I have 3 of the 5 participants that are doing PF Changs! I hope they do recommit! This is my first time mentoring and I would love to keep my remaining mentees!

Vacation is near! I am going to be super busy the next couple days getting me ready for the trip and my dad! We leave at 8:45am and arrive at our destination at nearly 9pm! My race is at 8:30am the next day! Wish me luck on the Stump Jump run and I will have my camera so be prepared for beautiful pictures (not of me but the scenery) I will look like a mess.... hopefully not but it is likely!

I am so excited to see my family and on the same note I will miss Jeremy terribly. His vacations are by bidding process and he couldn't get the time off! In fact, this yr he even has to work on my birthday! Last yr he was able to get it off and this yr he wasn't so he has to work :(

If I have a chance to post on vacation I will... if not, I will post upon my return on the 12th!

Say a prayer for a safe and fun trip for my dad and I!
:::hugs::::
Melissa

Laughlin Trip

I am back from Laughlin! Jeremy, Megan, Sky, and I... had a blast! I do believe that Sky was the biggest winner last weekend! It was his birthday and anniversary celebration of the happy couple Megan and Sky for 1yr dating!

We ate a lot of food... hitting the buffet twice. We didn't go to the restaurant mentioned in a prior post! It was too expensive and we ended up getting a buy one get one free buffet coupon while shopping on Saturday which totally SOLD me to going back to the buffet.

The drive was nice! Traffic was low (5hrs to Laughlin and 4.5hrs home for 300 miles each way) and when we entered into Nevada state line we saw a beautiful light show (lightning in daytime)... that was a first for me. Lightening continued through the night and into Saturday morning. Sunday morning we left at 8am and got home in time for my much needed hair appointment before the bowling league! Boy am I recouping! I realize that when I am not in my OWN bed, sleeping in is impossible! I did sleep pretty good but nothing beats your OWN bed!

Friday night before we met up with Sky and Megan, Jeremy and I went to the buffet and then took the boat cruiser to the Riverside for a nice walk to help digest our food. The Riverside hotel had a car show with the majority of them being classics. They were really cool... even if you weren't a car fan... it was neat! We ended up walking back to our hotel which is a LONG walk!

Now to Saturday (the bulk of our mini vacation) We all didn't drink that much, surprisingly... I think my stomach was so full with food that anything else was just WAY to much! We had breakfast of champions in the morning "McDonalds" and then took the boat cruiser to one of the hotels and walked across the street to the outlet mall and movie theatre... We ended up watching the movie "Eagle Eye" and then shopping! After we were loaded with new clothes... we took the boat cruiser back to our hotel and had dinner... eating TOO much food led to a long walk around the river... A thing Jeremy and I did the night before "Friday"! We took the boat cruiser to the first hotel "The Riverside" and walked to the "EdgeWater"!

Our gambling consisted of:

• Jeremy: goldfish penny slots, Wheel of Fortune quarters, and Keno
• Me: Wheel of Fortune dollar slots, goldfish penny slots, video black jack, and Keno
• Megan: I got her hooked on the goldfish penny slots, she played Wheel of Fortune, Hitchcock game, and Keno!
• Sky: Played so many slot machines including the ones mentioned above but had the highest return on video black jack!

The only downside to our vacation was the bugs! Nats (sp?) were all over the place... grasshoppers were too! So at night when they were swarming around... we didn't talk much, instead we hummed our words, because you know I can't keep quite!

Good times!

Vacation mode

I am getting into vacation mode and have started to book my calendar to get all my necessary things done before my trip to Tennessee. This weekend is Laughlin and I am pretty much ready for it since it is only 3 days! I have VERY little free time on my hands from here on out though.

My hair is starting to get long... for me! So I booked an appointment to get it cut before TN and the only day I could do it is this Sunday so before bowling and after the 4+hr drive home from Laughlin I hope to make it to my 2pm appt. I won't be getting highlights until after my trip because #1 it is too expensive and #2 takes too long and I am too busy!

That is the jump start into my preparation for TN. It doesn't end their as I will need to do much needed laundry on Monday (after Laughlin) and then do laundry again on Thursday to pack that night for TN. As for my workout routine it will be normal with Monday & Thursday attending my tap class and Tuesday & Wednesday running around back bay for my midweek mileage! Friday is my travel day and then Saturday is the Stump Jump run in TN.

I ran 8 miles yesterday and plan on doing 6 today. I am sore but it's a good sore! Jeremy made cookies last night so I have plenty of yummy snacks to get me through the rest of the week. I am running 9 miles on Friday morning before we depart to Laughlin... I don't want to run their by myself I am not much of a late sleeper anyway! This will take care of my goal of 23 miles this week... as I am getting back in the swing of things in training for my Marathon 1/18/09!

Warning: I don't think I will be posting much until mid October due to my traveling arrangements... so be prepared for lots of posts and pictures upon my return!

Please pray that we have a great time this weekend... the weather is good and for our safety while we concur the 300 mile journey to Laughlin on Friday and back home on Sunday.
All that being said... thank you for tuning in for some Melissa LIVE!
:::Signing out:::

1st day of Autumn "Fall"

I am celebrating with my heater under my desk in my office and a sweater on... My office always is set to the "ice berg" setting....

I am loving life! My hubby is off work from his evening job this week so we are making Waffles for dinner tonight after my tap class... which he is going with me to watch me tap and to watch the whole class as a whole! Then tomorrow I am running 6-8 miles the Back Bay with Paul and then I will be home for some time with my hubby before he goes to Atomic to dance that evening. On Wednesday I am running 6 more miles with Paul at Back Bay, then I will be home with Jeremy... (after my shower) we are going to have a Netflix movie night and watch "Leatherheads".

Thursday will be fun... Jeremy may go to a swing dance place after work and I am ditching my tap class for my mentees... we are going to The District in Tustin and working on getting as many raffle/auction items for our event on October 25th. I hope my sacrificing tap class will get them closer to their fun-raising goal and gear them to get more items on their own for the raffle/auction portion for the event.

Friday will be a wonderful day... I am getting up early to go for an 8-miler while I let Jeremy sleep in a little bit. Then around 10am we will begin our road trip to Laughlin, NV... we plan on arriving their in time to settle into our hotel at Harrah's and having a nice dinner at the Mark Twain restaurant. Later that afternoon/evening... Sky and Megan will be arriving to join us for a fun-loaded weekend.

::: Happy Trailing:::

A Happy Friday indeed!

Can I just tell you how much I love Friday's

• Next Friday I will be heading to Laughlin.
• Then the following Friday I will be on a plane to TN... I am so looking forward to the race, family visits, and of course the food!

I hope you enjoy the pictures from the last post! This is my official last Friday to work until Oct. 17th!

:::Peace::::

Recouping

This week has been a WEEK! I got some sort of bug on Tuesday and I have been recuperating ever since. I think it was a mild case of food poisoning and am finally on the road to recovery. Of course this hit me at about mile 4-5 on my Tuesday Back Bay run... which caused me to walk the rest of the way to my car to finish my 6-miler!

Ever since then I have been eating soup, cereal, and now graduated to steamed rice. I have had cake and cookies too...

Saturday I plan on running 7-8 miles with the team and I hope to help some teammates with their milestone be it their first 7-miler or 8-miler! On October 4th I will be running my 11 mile trail run and I will do this thinking about my team and their first Double Digit Day. My team will have hit their first 10 miles on the day I run my first 11 mile trail run just 2,000 miles away.

Other than that I have been resting, relaxing and recouping.

I will be back to the swing of things starting Saturday! YIPPEE!!!!!

As for my team... I have 4 mentees and they are doing great! I have the least number of mentees out of all the mentors... but our ROAR is stronger!

The whole winter team is planning an event on 10/25 and it is going to be a swing style thing with yummy chinese food. Amantha has donated her time to teach dance and my friend Peter K. who if the founder/owner of Back In Time Entertainment has donated is time to DJ for the event. Jeremy is going to step in and help with the lead portion of the swing class!

How exciting!!!!!

The count down is on. I leave for TN in two weeks from tomorrow morning. I can't wait. Also tomorrow will be my last Friday working for 3 weeks straight! I am leaving for Laughlin next weekend and then TN for 10 days! I so need a break from my daily routine! It will be great to do this SO soon!

My plans are mainly to learn how to rest and relax... I thought R & R mean't run and run some more....

Thanks for checking in... I am going to post some links below for Disney Pictures. I haven't bought any yet as the price to download or get a CD is $79 each and their is two of us... Jeremy and I! YIKES!!! $158 to come up with! Their are great ones so check them out....

• PIRES, JEREMY
• PIRES, MELISSA

OK I am heading to bed. zzzzzzzzzzz

Dancing with mice!

Surprise appearance on the dance floor at Carnation Plaza in Disneyland:

• Amantha leading Minnie Mouse... picture 1 & 2
• Melissa "Me" following Mickey Mouse... picture 3 & 4
• Jeremy leading Minnie Mouse... picture 5 & 6

lots of firsts!

How do you like the new look, I am going for a Fall theme and some Good'ol Tennessee colors... Go Univ. of TN!!!!

Yesterday I ran 6 miles with Coach Paul and today after work I plan on doing 8-9 miles... we will see how that goes since I am working all day too...

I started a new tap class this Monday and I love the the song. My tap teacher's parents wrote the swing piece. It has no words but a lot of Spunk!

I am getting really excited for my trail run this October 4th! My first 11 miler in an uncharted path... I have only been on Signal Mountain once! My Cool Cuz lives their with her wonderful hubby and 3 kids. .

This race is going to be special on so many levels: My family out of state can see me finish a race (even my dad), my first long distance trail run, my first race out of state, and of course my the fact that I am actually starting the race at my oldest second cuz elementary school... is way COOL!

After the race I have no idea what they have planned for us to do. I am just so excited that in 3 weeks I will get to see them all again! I love them from over 2000 miles away!

This Saturday I am running 6 miles with TNT and then off until Tuesday on the running front.

Miles accomplished this week will be 20 if I do 8 today. No bowling this week but the new league starts up next week!

On the home front, Jeremy is signing up for the Surf City 1/2 Marathon on Feb.1, 2009. We are doing wonderful and enjoying life. My dad's right arm is healing nicely - per doctors... dad thinks he needs a 2nd opinion! Pray his hand heals and is cast is off before our trip on Oct. 3-12!

That's about all that is going on here.
:::PEACE:::

The lovely story

First... I am letting my body rest and not working out on until this Saturday for the 4-miler with TNT!

Now the story you all have been waiting so patiently for!

Jeremy won... yep I got beat by him... fair and square! As I said in previous posts... if I beat my own past record time of 2:18 I would be happy and if I beat him too... that would be icing on the cake! I am very pleased with my new record of 2:01... who needs icing anyway, lol!

With my help, Jeremy beat me! He did say I was hard to beat and he couldn't have done this without me...

The morning of the race we made it to Disney at 4:30am and they let everyone get into their corrals around 5:15am. The race was awesome... as always Disney out does any race I have been too. Mickey and Minny had their running gear on... they don't run but they sure looked cute. The monorail stopped on West St. with all of Mickey's friends sticking their heads out and waving at all of us as we started the race... 14,000 of us out their. The well organized race had three waves and each had their own start time. I was in the first wave at 6am and Jeremy was in the second wave at 6:10am.

Off I went before him... in order to beat him I had to finish at least 10 minutes faster than him... although are start times are different the race is based on when your foot crosses the first pad at the starting line and ends when your foot crosses the finish line (aka: chip time).

Speaking for Jeremy... he did great the first half of the race. He started to feel as if he couldn't finish at about mile 7! I gave him Sport Beans by Jelly Belly with Caffeine in them and a shot blok... these things help supply the things you lose in an endurance event... like salt, electrolytes, etc. So at mile 7 he began with a shot blok and it did nothing for him... then from their to the finish line he would pop a sport bean at every mile... that got him to the finish line in 1:56!

I did finish the race first but my time was 2:01! This means although he started later than me he was able to make up 5 minutes... and if I was 5 minutes slower he would have passed me or we could have finished together!

I didn't know where he was on the course or how he was doing. I did know that he hadn't passed me, because I kept a good look out for him. I was in front of the 2:00 pace group... that help people finish at that time. I ran with them when they caught up to me for a few miles and then they ran past me around mile 10 but where in my visual the rest of the race unless their was a turn ahead. I high five'd a bunch of people throughout the course (Girl Scouts, Cheerleaders, High School bands, spectators, Police officers... you name it they got a high five)! I always appreciate the cheering at a race... it keeps me up to speed!

When I finished... I felt pretty good! I was pooped but good! I never ran so fast in my life for that long and it took alot out of me! I had a chance to eat a banana real quick and hit the port-a-potty! When I was done and walking back to the finishing location... their he was... more pooped than me but with a few minutes that had passed... I knew I was finished and that Jeremy won! I was hoping for some miraculous chance that I was the winner but soon it was confirmed online!

It was funny because we both had our cell phones on us to find each other and we never needed it! It was easy for us to spot each other after the race and we were together from their on out! Then when we went to the finishing stretch of the race to cheer others on... Gwynne's hubby Joe... was leaving the restroom as I was walking to the woman's restroom! Joe and Jeremy talked... we ended up running into him without the need of our cell phone yet again! Gwynne would text Joe on her mile marker every time she passed one. When we saw Joe... she was at mile 10! We did see her finish and I high five'd her too! She Rocked at 6 mos pregnant with a time of 3:19!

We also ran into our Team in Training friends Suhkraj, Diana, Paul, Dennis, and Shari! It was a blast.

Later that evening Jeremy and I were getting sorer by the minute... and I had to bowl for my league! The first game I did well but we lost by 23 pins... after that my games went down hill... I was tired and I think even today I am still recouping from lack of sleep on my 3 day weekend! We won the second game and lost the rest so we are out of playoffs! No trophy for us but their is always next season, right! I believe we are keeping our name... "Streaking Strikers" and the next league begins on 9/21!

The next day we were pretty sore... I bounced back by Tuesday and Jeremy bounced back by Wednesday. He and I are registered to run two 10K's by the end of the year:

• Turkey Trot... Thanksgiving Day in Long Beach
• Make Room for Santa... Dec. 14th in Irvine

I plan on running with him until he passes me :) I have come to realize that he will be faster than me but I hope to one day beat him! I think the 6'2" Jeremy and me at 5'2" is like watching a chihuahua and a golden retriever run together!

I hope this made sense to you guys!

:::Hugs:::

Melissa

And the Winner is...

Jeremy :)

JEREMY PIRES #5617
Age: 30 Gender: Male
Clock Time: 1:56:36
Distance: HALF MARATHON
Clock Time: 2:07:40
Chip Time: 1:56:36
Overall Place: 1216 / 10849
Gender Place: 913 / 4442
Division Place: 134 / 661
Age Grade: 50.8%
5K: 26:02
10K: 52:39
15K: 1:21:33

MELISSA PIRES #3001
Age: 28 Gender: Female
Clock Time: 2:01:49
Distance: HALF MARATHON
Clock Time: 2:03:13
Chip Time: 2:01:49
Overall Place: 1718 / 10849
Gender Place: 510 / 6407
Division Place: 81 / 1125
Age Grade: 54%
5K: 28:40
10K: 57:03
15K: 1:25:56

Stay tuned for the lovely story!

Disney Headliner

What a crack-up!!! Disney has made headlines for the 1/2 Marathon taking place this weekend: http://ocresort.freedomblogging.com/2008/08/26/disney-half-marathon-to-snarl-downtown-anaheim-traffic/

If you are going to be there to cheer us on... this article is good for road closures!

PS: I ran 5 miles on Tuesday and finished it with a time of 45:18! That is 8:58 average pace per mile!!!! I am stoked!

Jeremy ran 5 miles yesterday and did very well too!

GOOD TIMES!

Disney excitment!

This week is all about letting my body rest up for Sunday! I am running today around 4-6 miles and then on Saturday for team in training for 4 miles! I am so excited for this weekend and not too long ago I found out it was a 3 day weekend! Oh, how I will need that!

I had tap class last night and I have it again on Thursday and that is all I have planned for my exercising this week! I may go swing dancing tonight but that is up in the air until 7:30pm... if I feel like attending and have showered... I will go! Otherwise I could lay around my house... and watch a movie... that does sound much more relaxing, don't you think! I am going back and forth on that and will be a spur of the moment decision, I am sure!

This weekend is full of excitement... after all the Disney Challenge is less than a week away! Saturday after TNT I will be getting my oil changed and car washed... then we are heading to the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon Expo where Gwynne, Jeremy and I will get our race bibs, race chip, and other goodies that will prepare us for Sunday! I might even go shopping for Disney attire! After that we will head on over to Finbars for some yummy Italian food and carb up for the race!

I will stay home the rest of the night and get my rest so I can run my fastest 1/2 Marathon EVER! Of course, all I need to do is beat my best time of 2:18, but sub 2 hrs would be awesome... I don't know if it is possible this weekend but AWESOME it would be!

Sunday's wake up alarm is 3am! The race will start at 6am and will be finished by 9:30 to allow the park to open up for its guests. When the event is over I am heading home for food and sleep and then BOWLING!

YES you heard me right! We are still in play offs, which is a GREAT thing! We won our match last Sunday and are now in the top 4 of 18 teams in our league! GO STREAKING STRIKERS... it would be so funny to actually win a trophy with our team name on it, lol! That match was such a nail biter! We lost the first game and won the second game, leaving the third game as the deal breaker... that pressure got so intense that we were actually tied on the third game in the tenth frame! To conclude the tenth frame we won that game by +1 YES, you got it right... 1 pin! YIKES, now we are in the third round and the next match is the same day as my race!

Wish me luck and say many prayers... the race is at 6am and the bowling league is at 5:30 pm! See why I need a nap! The 3am wake up call doesn't help my beauty sleep, lol!

That just about wraps me up. I will try to post before my race... until next time!

:::HUGS::::
Melissa

Go 169!

Peters Canyon Trail Run on Thursday August 7, 2008 see my previous post for details on the butt kicking race. It was only 5 miles but it felt like a half marathon while on the course. I saw the camera man and changed my face expression for the picture.... I more or less looked like a female version of the guy behind me in the white shirt until I saw the camera...

Not bad for a first trail run. More to come I am sure.... afterall I did buy a new pair of shoes for this... and they need to get 300 miles on them so I don't waste my money on trail shoes.

Good Times! I love a challenge!

Tapering down

Last Saturday was my first mentor training day and we did 2 miles. I met our participants and can honestly say that they are all so cool! Later that evening Darin and Dionne (head coach and assistant coach) went to Disney and I got Darin to dance with me on a few songs. We had a great time and stayed until the park closed! It is kind of funny but I was thinking about my friend Amantha and how I inspired her to do a marathon... even though her love isn't in running or walking... she is a dancer at heart! Darin and Dionne are coaches for TNT and they are runners/walkers at heart... I talked to them and they have begun swing dancing. They are fast learners... let me tell you!!!!

Sunday I did my big miles before the half marathon... Coach Paul and I ran around the beach for 13.1 miles! I did the miles in 2:15 which beats my record in San Diego at 2:18! I am hoping to have an official time better than both of those ones! My goal is to mainly beat my time and if I beat Jeremy next Sunday that will be icing on the cake... just kidding honey :)

This week I had tap class yesterday... today and tomorrow I am running 5 miles (1mile less than last week on each day), tap dancing on Thursday, then in training on Saturday I am running 3 miles, and Sunday I will finish it off with 6 miles and bowling.

BOWLING ROCKS and so does our team... "Streaking Strikers" are in play offs... that started on last Sunday and we won 7 out of 7, which keeps us in the running [my fav]! It starts out with 16 teams, this Sunday is 8 teams [we are one of them] and then next week if we win a minimum of 4 points we go to the next round and will be in the top 4 of the league.... if we win that one we will play for championship title and get big trophies! I will keep you posted on this! Last year our team was 2nd place... the season that just past... we were bumped out of the running the first week... I would love to win championship title... (their is 18 teams on the league and as of now we are in the top 8)

No Disney for me this weekend... I am hanging out in the HOT Riverside area and visiting with my friend (more like non-blooded sister) in her neck of the woods... pray for cool weather as the temps are 10-20 degrees hotter their than at my places... and also pray for no traffic since it is a long drive for me (1 hr away). It will be fun whatever we do... we haven't seen each other since March! Jeremy is hanging out with his best friend Sky, while Megan and Carla are hanging out together... so we will all be paired up doing other things this weekend!

GO TEAMS (running and bowling)!!!!

Melissa

Wrapped up

Sorry for not keeping to my promise of updating on Monday. This weekend that just passed was full of fun and excitement. I did play a round of mini-golf with my in-laws and niece who was visiting from Washington... I came in 3rd place overall out of 6! In everything I do... I usually end up in the middle, lol!

I had a full day on Saturday that started out with a 6 mile run, then I showered and made it to TNT kickoff... had a big lunch and headed to Corona for my brother's wedding reception party... I left their after about 2hrs of partying and went to Disneyland and danced until the band stopped playing around 10:30! I was out like a light in the car ride home that night... followed by another shower and more sleep I woke up at 8am and celebrated my 5yr wedding anniversary.

We had a very relaxing day... he napped while I played my Wii game for 2hrs, then we went swimming and had a VERY big dinner. My in-laws got a new dog so we introduced ourselves to "Bella Pires" after dinner before heading home for some much needed R&R!

Monday I went to tap class and said by farewell's to my niece as she headed home on Tuesday (yesterday).

Tuesday I ran with Coach Paul and then had dinner with my parents... together and what an interesting dinner that was, lol! I think I was 12 when I did that the last time! I then headed home and took care of things around the house... I made a dinner that ended up in the trash... I guess I should follow instructions and not deviate from them (who would have thought their was a difference between tomato paste and diced tomatoes)... the Chili creation was very watery to say the least!

Today I am not going for a run as I originally planned... I will be running errands and doing my laundry before it grows like last week's nightmare of 6 loads... I think I am at 3 right now which is much easier to handle and much less time consuming!

Thanks for checking in...

Training started yesterday for my next marathon... PF Changs Rock in Roll Phoenix - January 18th!

GO TEAM!

Results are in!

Yesterday's trail run... kicked my butt to say the least! The first hill was HUGE... and I was defeated after running it 75% of the way... which means I walked up that thing for the remainder 25%. Overall, I did well... and better than expected. I placed 56th place out of 170 with a pace of 9:47/mi. and finished in 48:51 minutes. I have a whole new RESPECT for trail runners and admire their efforts. I do know that the Stump Jump run in TN is going to be one not for time but for pleasure... but if my time is good... that will be icing on the cake!

The other good news is that I didn't fall or get an injury and I am not sore today!

I have a busy weekend ahead of me and Kick off for Team in Training. I am so excited to meet my mentees!

I will update on Monday... Stay tuned!
:::Peace:::

A big day!

Today at 6:15pm I will be running my first trail run and trail run race... it is only 5 miles but from what I hear the trail kicks your butt. After the trail run I am going to CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) and picking up dinner for two! Jeremy and I get a treat tonight, not that we need it but my friend Amantha is fundraising tonight their and I need to support her and the LLS/TNT!

If you live near a DQ make sure you buy a blizzard today... all proceeds go to a good cause... for more information visit this site: www.miracletreatday.com!

WOW, yesterday was busier than expected. I am still recouping! I went to Sam's Club, the grocery store, and did 6 loads of laundry. By the time I was done, showered, and ready for bed... it was 11pm! I was on my feet from the time I got off work (5pm) to 11pm! Nonetheless I slept great but woke up late this morning... at least I made it to work on time :)

I didn't run yesterday but I sure felt like I had with all my errands! Tonight after my race I am planning on getting dinner and vegging on my bed for the evening... I hope this actually happens!

Stay tuned...

:::huggles:::

Soon to be trailing

A busy weekend ended and a busy week ahead! I ran 10 miles on Saturday around Irvine's Famous Turtle Rock! For those who don't know it... since it isn't really that famous... It is a LONG hill and about 4 miles to go around! That thing kicked my butt! After that I went home and relaxed a little bit... then I hung out with friends and ended my day at the Happiest Place on Earth... Disneyland! We swing danced a little and rode some rides :)

Yesterday a friend of ours had a pre-anniversary party for us and also her parents whom we share the date with... On August 10th we will be married for 5yrs and her parents will be celebrating their 60th on the same day. They were at our wedding and it was awesome! The day was filled with yummy burgers and snacks, swimming, and dessert! Afterwards I went to my league and bowled a 130 average! It was a fun-filled weekend!

This week, as I mentioned above is also going to be busy... here is the bullet pointed version!

• Monday - Tap dance and pre-bowl for this Sunday
• Tuesday - Run 6 miles and lots of laundry
• Wednesday - Run easy 5 miles
• Thursday - 5-mile Trail Run at Peters Canyon in Tustin... breaking in my new trail running shoes (FINALLY)!
• Friday - Dad's Day... dinner and movie
• Saturday - Kick-off for Team in Training Winter Season... NAP... Luau Reception for my brother and his wife... Dancing at Disney!
• Sunday - Anniversary... we haven't planned anything yet but I am open for the hubby

That about sums me up! I am hoping that Jeremy and I can run on Sunday together to get him ready for our August 31st Disneyland 1/2 Marathon! He has been doing better on his ankle pain and I think we will be a go for Sunday! Let's call it Anniversary Miles, lol!

Stay tuned on my progress this week... I am stoked!

Mucho Better-o

I am feeling much better... I slept 10hrs and woke up 4 times last night! My throat is a little scratchy and I am still stuffed up on my right side... at least I can breath on my left side!

I have a little more energy today and I hope it can carry me longer so I don't go to sleep at 8pm like I did yesterday. I will be attending my tap class tonight and I am hoping Jeremy will come with me like he did on Monday! Tomorrow my dad and I will have a dinner/movie night and then on Saturday I am getting up early for a 10mile run with Coach Paul. I am starting to store my energy now, lol!

The Disneyland Half Marathon is exactly one month from today... I have 4 weeks to get Jeremy up to 10 miles! Their is a little set back I haven't mentioned yet! On Sunday Jeremy hurt his ankle running. I think it was due to pushing himself real hard too fast. Sunday I did a 5 mile walk with my friends and Jeremy was too join in and we were going to run. He decided not to join after all and he went for a run on his own. I don't know how many miles he did but I think it was around 8 and he had not ran more than 6 prior to this... mind you he also took about 2 weeks off of running in between his 6 miler and 8 miler, hence the injury! All week he has told me that he learned his lesson and every day he is icing is foot! So I think when the pain subsides we will get him back on the running wagon and get him to his 10 miles with this week off from running to heal. I imagine next Saturday will be a 6 miler, then the week after 8 miler, and the week before race day 10 miler!

Thanks for checking on me :)
:::hugs:::

Still Stuffy

Kmart in Diamond Bar, lots to clean up after the earthquake yesterday... so glad I don't work retail anymore. The magnitude changed from 5.8 to 5.6 to 5.4! No major injuries or damage reported :)

I have regained a little bit more energy today... last night I was up alot because I couldn't breath out of my nose. Once that cleared up thanks to Nasonex at (1-2am) I fell fast asleep. Unfortunately my alarm clock tells me to get up and go to work at 6:45am so I am tired in that regard but the reduced energy that I felt the last two days has subsided.

No working out today. I plan on running 10 miles on Saturday, lets hope that works out!

Right now I would love to sleep in a normal position (not propped with pillows) and for a long period of time. Only 4 more hours of work and I can try and make that happen!

Earthquake update

It was centered in Chino Hills. It’s been downgraded to 5.4 but it caused damage to runways at Ontario Airport , John Wayne and knocked out a radar unit at L.A.X., as well as breaking a water main near UCLA.

Travel may be affected ~ Mel

5.8 Magnitude Earthquake

The earthquake was centered in Chino Hills... about 26 miles from my work! All my family and friends here are fine! I am doing better, lol! I am on cold medicine and work next to railroad tracks so we feel shakes all the time... This one was different and me being on medicine didn't help matters. I was already dizzy and lightheaded... it took a few extra seconds to realize it wasn't a choo choo train going by and then I said "Oh Sh*t, it's an earthquake" while on an important phone call at work! Got to love my professionalism, lol! Thank the Lord for my door being closed in my office... I could have gotten in trouble. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080729/ap_on_re_us/california_earthquake

So now that you know I have a cold, it's minor but it has completely taken away all of my energy. I began feeling "punk" yesterday morning and thought it was allergies... NOPE! Later in the day that felt like FOREVER... I realized it was something more... (sore throat, stuffy, and energy depletion)! It took all of my willpower to attend my tap class... I have missed an entire week and felt the need to go even while feeling punk! Afterwards I was supposed to attend a non-mandatory TNT meeting... I canceled... took a benedryl and went to bed!

Woke up this morning and still not feeling well... the appetite is still their but energy is still LOW!
Today before our earthquake, I canceled the OC Fair plans with my mom for tonight and canceled my running for tomorrow with Paul and Amantha. Today and tomorrow are for me to rest after work!

Back to yesterday, to my surprise Jeremy decided to attend my tap class. He sat in the back and watched as we tapped away for the full hour. OUR Super Guest for the night... I let my tap teacher introduce him to the class as I am stage fright even with my tapping friends! He may make another appearance on Thursday night.

This week is going to be a bit different for me and it's definitely for the better (except for catching a cold). Jeremy is off work from FedEx this week... taking a vacation! So all of my friends and family besides Jeremy are put on hold as this week is for me to spend extra time with my wonderful hubby!

Another announcement I didn't mention yesterday is my brother John got married in Jamaica to a wonderful sister-in-law Mitzi on July 28th! I don't know much of the details since I am in California and couldn't afford a trip to Jamaica but here is their site: http://www.mywedding.com/johnandmitz/index.html! Their will be a Luau Reception at my mom's house on August 9th at 4pm, which I will definitely be attending! That will be a big weekend for me!

August 9th is Kickoff for TNT from 8-12 then I have the Luau Reception 4-? and will end our day at Disney at midnight!

August 10th is our 5th Wedding Anniversary and I am spending the whole day with my love!

Lots of excitement around here the next couple of weeks!

I plan on running long miles (10mi) on Saturday... so pray this cold leaves me just as fast as it came on! Also please pray for the Chino residence and all those affected by the quake today. Pray that we have no injuries, deaths, or severe damage! Thank you!!!

:::PEACE::::

Staying Busy :P

Happy Monday to you!

This weekend was super busy for me. I ran 8 miles on Saturday with Coach Paul and then on Sunday I got a group together and we walked 5 miles! It was great having a bunch of people to hangout with and walk many miles together. I didn't realize how hard it is to walk that many miles non-stop! Apparently our pace was terrible on Sunday (2hrs for 5 miles)... that is WAY to long! Disney Half Marathon has a time limit of 3.5 hrs and that is for 13.1 miles! So this weekend we are planning on doing 6 miles and hope to pick up our pace for the walkers! On Saturday Paul and I ran 8 miles and the average pace was under 10 minutes per mile (finished 1:19)! I think I am best to stick to running, don't you agree? LOL!

Thanks to Amantha, Gwynne, Sukhraj, and Diana who joined in on the Sunday fun!

In my bowling league, I bowled great! Well... anytime I bowl over my average (119) I think it is great! My games were 124-131-145 = 400 scratch series! We won 5 out of 7 points last night which was greatly needed since we have maybe took 4 points in the last 6 weeks, lol! Most importantly we had SO MUCH FUN!

This week I plan on running on Wednesday (6 miles) and Saturday (10 miles)... I may go for a 6-mile walk on Sunday with the ladies, if nothing is going on at the home front!

Jeremy did lots of miles yesterday too... he has some ankle pain and has been icing it as much as he can... it is getting better but I think he pushed himself too much!

I have a mentor meeting today and tap class... Jeremy is off work (FedEx) this week so we are looking forward to some extra quality time! Tomorrow I am going to the fair for the last time with my mom while Jeremy goes dancing at Atomic. Wednesday I am running with Coach Paul and then hanging out with Jeremy until he goes to Strutters Ball Swing dance venue... Thursday we are chilling out together in between my tap class and our work schedules.... then Friday... I believe he will be out dancing again... as it is his favorite thing to do and I will hang out with dad...

Thanks for making this page such a success.... I am only 10 more views away from hitting 1000!

Sorry for the lack of updates. Since the last event NORMALCY has hit my life! Not much new to report but I am hoping that changes as soon as TNT Mentoring kicks off on August 9th!

Jeremy and I will be married for 5 yrs on August 10th... I am taking off from bowling that day and having a romantic day with my most wonderful hubby in the world :) WOW... time flies!

:::Hugs:::

Pumped

Today I am running 6 beautiful miles along the Back Bay... my only day of exercise during the week... I will make up for it on the weekend though since I surprisingly don't have much going on! I am hoping Gwynne and Amantha meet up with Coach Paul and I!

Yesterday's BOOT CAMP MENTOR MEETING... rocked! It was 2 hrs but they provided Domino's pizza and for that my tummy was grateful! Seems as though non-profit organizations know patience! The Staff ordered the pizza at 5:30pm and since it was donated aka FREE... the pizza didn't arrive until 7:30pm! That is right 2hrs later!!!! So when it arrived I ate 3 slices, had 2 cheesy bread sticks and two cups of Sprite! My stomach doesn't know patience!

As a Mentor, I am assisting in the recruiting aspect of TNT! Anyone who has followed this blog and wants a piece of this excitement can join at www.teamintraining.org This WINTER 08 Season is going to be a blast with 3 events offered that are both runner and walker friendly! Team in Training info meetings are available in your area just click on the above link to find one! Who knows... I may be there to answer your questions! Here are the events offered:

• Santa Barbara 1/2 Marathon, November 1st
• Honolulu Marathon, December 14th
• PF Changs Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Rock'n'Roll Phoenix, January 18th

As a participant... all costs are included in your fundraising so you don't pay anything out of pocket! They really do make the fundraising easy! If I could do it... so can you! That is if you are interested, of course!

I am doing RNR Phoenix! I would love to do Honolulu, Hi but I think I will wait until Jeremy and I can take extra time off and make a vacation of it! So look out in 2009 or 2010! I will rock that event then!

Can you tell I am pumped, lol!

:::GO TEAM:::

Official TNT Mentor!

Sorry for the lack of updates. I was so surprised to find 960 hits on my blog... WOW, I love it!

This week was really busy! I managed to tap dance on Monday and Thursday, swing dance last night, run 5 miles on Tuesday, and 6 miles yesterday morning! I feel like I am back in the swing of things with 11 miles accomplished this week.

I AM A MENTOR! Whoo Hoo! I am so excited. I actually got the news last Saturday. I had my first meeting yesterday and I have two meetings next week (Monday and Wednesday) I am so excited to be able to inspire and help others with their fundraising to find a cure for cancer!

Also I just finished my thank you cards for my first marathon through TNT! They turned out great... I hope everyone gets them soon by mail! If I don't have your address and you donated or offered any other support like prayer... I would love to send you a card... e-mail me at melissapires2003@yahoo.com and I will get one out to you! Believe me when I say I felt the prayers. I hit the wall at mile 19 on my marathon and after that I may have looked tough but boy was I really pooped! I put a cool picture on my Thank You cards and I think you will enjoy it!

I have my bowling league tonight and I hope we WIN all the games!

This week will be very busy and unfortunately tap dancing doesn't fit in my schedule this week so I will be absent! With Monday's Mentor Meeting and Wednesday's Team in Training Info Meeting. I will not be exercising those days. Tuesday I will get a nice run in with Coach Paul, Gwynne, and Amantha! Thursday I should be at my tap class but Jeremy took off that day from work and we will be at the fair. I am actually meeting him up there after work because I couldn't get the time off! My tap teacher is performing at the Plaza Stage on Thursday and he is video taping it so I can see the routines! I have a good friend dancing 6 tap numbers and 2 jazz numbers!

That about sums me up! I should shower and eat before bowling! I think others would appreciate it!

:::Peace:::

Train Wreck

This week has been a struggle. I haven't ran because of my pulled leg muscle... then I had a food allergy causing upset stomach and cramping... I have 2 parties to attend to this weekend and at least the nausea has left my body and same with the pain in my leg.

On a funny note... I caught myself from a fall down my stairs and hurt the foot opposite from the leg that hurt, lol! TRAIN WRECKER!

I donated blood on Tuesday and I am so glad that I could do this selfless act to help others in need... my next appointment is on Sept 2nd.

Still no word on TNT Mentoring... today is the day that we find out if we are on the team as mentors... LORD I HOPE ITS ME! I have faith in the outcome and the anticipation is truly killing me...

I did manage to tap one day this week and that was my only source of physical activity... definitely out of the groove this week. Next week I will be back on track... I can feel it!

Our July 4th Experience

I hope everyone had a happy 4th of July celebration! Jeremy and I ran a 5K race before the Huntington Beach parade. It was a great run and both of us put our all into the race trying to finish with the best time!

My stats were my best ever!

• Female ages 25-39 placed: 16 of 93
• Overall 438 of 1774
• Pace: 8:34
• Time 00:26:39

Jeremy's were even better...

• Male ages 30-34: 14 of 63
• Overall: 209 of 1774
• Pace: 7:35
• Time: 00:23:36
  

As I ran my fastest ever... the last 1/2 mile was hard... even though the distance was short the speed really had an affect on me... towards the end I started to back off and it was then that a guy behind me complimented me by saying " you have been pulling me the whole way with your great pace... finish your race strong" That kept me up to speed and he finished two people behind me. That was so cool!

Jeremy had is first racing experience and did an awesome job... I was very impressed! He told me he couldn't run that pace for 13 miles though, well either could I with my pace, lol!

I thought we were going to head home after the run and to my surprise he decided to stay for the open 5K, kids races, and even to the beginning of the parade where two fighter jets welcome the parade as it starts and the police helicopters fly in the sky. We didn't stay for the parade as our location is at the end of the parade so we left after the air shows were done. We were hungry and desperately needed showers. After Carl's Jr. and showers we both took a nap... after all we were up at 6am for the race!

In the evening it sounded like a war zone in Huntington Beach, which is hilarious considering Fire Works are illegal in our city! I bet law enforcement had their hands full in our area, lol!

To say the least, we had a blast!

We are excited to do the Disney half marathon and Jeremy is feeling confident to do well! We have plans on running 8 miles this Sunday before a birthday party that afternoon!

We ran his 1st 6 miles ever on Sunday (7/6) and did great. I on the other hand pulled a muscle in my leg and I am still recovering. I had to cancel the trail race tomorrow and plan on taking it easy until Sunday... with hopes to run 8 miles!

:::hugs:::

Happy 4th of July

Tomorrow is our Independence Day :) I am already in red, white, and blue!

Jeremy and I get up at 6am for our 7am run down the Huntington Beach Parade zone. I believe my in-laws will be coming over around 9ish to park in our gated community and watch the parade. It will be a nice day, sitting around 80 degrees and having no real plans this weekend should make the three days both relaxing and entertaining... as we are usually too busy for our own good.

Be Safe!

Mentoring?

I did it! I filled out my application to become a Mentor and I sent it in the mail. I should hear from TNT on July 11th to see if I have been chosen. I hope I am... the only thing that could deny my mentorship is the fact I will be missing 3 Saturday runs in a row... 1 for Laughlin and 2 for my Tennessee trip! If this is the direction I am supposed to take, God will do his work! So I wait and see and of course have faith!

Today I decided that I will run Mile Square Park. I am going to have fun out their and hopefully I will feel a breeze in this 80* weather! Did you know that your body temperature increases 10-20 degrees when you run! That is why runners like to beat the heat and it is easy to start a run in 50-60* weather! I am not a morning person so I will take the heat like a tough girl!

Yesterday's tap class was challenging! I love my cross training exercising... it is so much fun!

3 Days until Freedom... remembering the soldiers who fough so hard for our freedom and risked their lives for us! Keep the Families in your thoughts and prayers!

Gotta run! Thanks for checking up on me and my hubby!

Patriotic Melness

Monday Madness

Breaking News:

I am now technically a full-time employee. I have been working less than full-time hours as a bookkeeper/office manager for Woods Group Architects and have been asked to come on board with CenterStone Communities. The president for Woods Group is also a partner in CenterStone so I will be working 10 hrs for Woods Group and 30 hrs for CenterStone. I am so excited by this invitation and I know that God was behind this all the way as the pieces fell right into my lap without my knowledge! In this change I am gaining so much and I praise God for his works in this offering!

Yesterday was my sister-in-law's birthday... Happy 28th Birthday Rachel! We had a party which included great BBQ food and yummy strawberry cake w/ strawberries and ice cream! Jeremy and I ran 4.6 miles and I went bowling too! I bowled my highest game this season yesterday with a 163 first game and then I must have got cocky or lost my energy because my other games were down the tubes... with a 101 and a 93!

With my new work hours 8-5 Monday - Friday... I am going to stop working out in the morning as it is hard to get up at 6am, this means that as long as the sun is shining after work I will work out then... so 5:15-5:30 is when my runs will begin... Once I am done with my runs then I can hang out with all you fabulous people!

Today I am tap dancing... we are learning a routine to "Sing, Sing, Sing" which is a fast song... I really sweat during this series! On Tuesday and Wednesday I am running after work and then on Thursday I continue with my tap class. Friday this week is Fourth of July and Jeremy & I are celebrating at 7am with the HB race before the parade! Fun times are sure to be had! No set plans after the race so call us or me and lets wing it with fun times!

Recap of last weeks mileage accomplishments

• Jeremy 4.6 out of 12 goal miles
• Melissa 12.7 out of 14 goal miles

This week's goals are

• Jeremy 12 miles
• Melissa 17 miles

Happy winds-day ~ Pooh

I am well rested today. I went to bed last night at an early 10:30pm and woke up bright and cheery this morning at 5:30am... I actually got out of bed around 7am and then did a 4.5 mile run in the cool morning beach air.

The run was nice and the weather was perfect (in the 60s)! The heat wave has given us a break :)

Accomplished miles, this week (so far)
Melissa 8
Jeremy 0 (he is scheduled to run tonight and tomorrow)

We are running 6 miles on Sunday and it is supposed to be 85*! This will be his first 6 mile run, whoo hoo!

Yesterday I had a blast with my friend Erin! We went to the Huntington Beach Street Fair that takes place every Tuesday. We had a tasty hot dog and coldstone ice cream (birthday cake remix) ! The mixture didn't agree with me so next time I will try something else!

The OC Fair starts up 7/11-8/3 and I plan on going at least 3 times! I love fair food and the whole atmosphere! I will go once with Jeremy and friends, another time with mom, and another time with dad! The fun part about it is each visit is a whole different experience. My dad is all about the art exhibits, Mom is all about the shopping experience, and my hubby is all about the food! I love it all and it's so hard to fit it all in one day so spreading it through 3 days periodically throughout the span of the fair works great for me!

TTFN (ta ta for now ~ Tigger)