Monday, January 28, 2013: I had extreme anxiety as I walked to the gym a few hours ago. Negative thoughts raced through my head:

“There is no way you are going to run for 28 minutes without stopping”

“You had to skip training last week because you were sick, you messed it all up!”

“You barely made 20 minutes the other week.  No way are you going to be able to do this”

Well, guess what?  I DID it. I just ran for 28 minutes straight.  That is literally the longest amount of time I have ever run for in my life.  I am 31 years old and training for my first (and hopefully, not last) 5k.

When I first started this training program, I could barely run two minutes. NO JOKE.  I don’t know if it was the mental blocks or the fact that I am was just sooooo out of shape. I began this journey 8 weeks ago and now, in my last week of training, I can say that I FEEL READY!  Our race is on Super Bowl Sunday.  In 6 days, I will put on my cold weather gear (yes, I bought those hideous Under Armor running tights that make even the most hottest bodies look nasty) and my long sleeved, mock turtle neck (yep, got one of those too.  I look like an out of shape Cat Woman when I wear this get up).  I will lace up my trusty (and old) Saucony gym shoes and head out with Costa to brave the chill of a Chicago Winter morning, along the coast of Lake Michigan. Stay Tuned.........

What is that smell?

The other night, on my drive home from work, I was listening to a podcast that I had recently downloaded, called “The Splendid Table.” The host was interviewing a woman who had lost her sense of smell after she had used one of those nasal inhalers for a cold she had. Note to self: NEVER use one of those inhalers! Luckily, the woman regained her sense of smell (after a few months) and so, the story had a happy ending. Anyway, I was really affected by this story; it made me think of all the smells in the world, or at least my world that I take for granted on a daily basis. To name a few:

1. Fresh Christmas Trees

2. Sophia's bedroom ( ahhh baby smell!)

3. Riley after he gets groomed

4. Costa and Costa when he wears Cologne

5. Basil,parsley, and cilantro

6. ROMANCE perfume

7. Lou Malnates pizza

8. Our house

9. Sweet Pea car fresheners

10. Bon Fires in summer and Fire Places in the winter

These are just a few of the smells I love.  What about you?  Any smell that you would miss if you lost your sense?