Hey Lottie Dottie...

...HEY LOTTIE DOTTIE HEY!

That was the first cadence I ran to this morning. Yes, I repeat them. Quietly, but I still repeat them.

Today isn't quite as cold as yesterday, but it's windy and there's a freezing rain falling, making running and walking outside inadvisable and downright treacherous. I about busted my ass coming out of the gym and despite my having the truck in 4 wheel drive and keeping my speed under 10 mph I still slid into the kerb turning onto our street.

So, I went to the gym (we have two full gyms on base and a mini gym with a pool right up the street from me) and ran on the treadmill. I was right in my assumption that running inside in the warm would be easier; it was. Today I covered a mile and just about a half in 20 mins and I managed to jog for 2 and 3 minutes at a time and then walk for a minute or two. So, I jogged for more than half of that distance. I felt like I could go further, but according to my beginning running program, I'm not supposed to. 'Go slower than you think you should, run a shorter distance than you think you can, and if you're finding it too hard repeat weeks'. Words to live by...for now, anyway.

I was getting some funny looks from the guy on the treadmill next to me when I was repeating the cadence, so I held up my iPod and said "cadence. It helps". He smiled and nodded, and seeing as he was active duty Air Force I'm pretty sure he understood. He ran to the same thing when he was in basic training and tech school.

I'm learning that eating frequently and well helps - I'm trying to do the 50-25-25 thing: 50% of my daily intake from carbs, 25% from protein and 25% from fats . Today I had a glass of OJ and some black coffee when I got up at 6, and a banana an hour before I went to the gym. As I write this I'm eating 2 boiled eggs and a slice of toast made with 7 grain bread. I filled up my 16oz water bottle this morning and drank half of it on the treadmill...and I'll finish the other half with breakfast. I find that being even slightly dry makes me tachycardic, so I'm trying to be well (but not over) hydrated.

On a non-running/eating note: I watched 'Stepbrothers' yesterday and laughed my motherfucking ass off. It's hilarious. I had thought that Will Ferrell was over-cast of late, but him and John C. Reilly together are just fantastic. They play off each other, and it's funny as hell - the sleepwalking scenes cracked me up, and there's a part at the beginning where Ferrell calls his new stepbrother a "fat curly-headed FUCK!" which for some reason tickles me no end.

Ok, breakfast is over. Time to go shower, and then I have laundry and knitting to do. I'm making my brother in law a hat and scarf combo for christmas, and I've still got half the scarf left to do. I can knock it out in an afternoon so I know it'll be ready, but I'd really prefer NOT to have to be knitting like a maniac tomorrow because I slacked off today.

Be safe, y'all, and stay warm.

GO ARMY!