Biggest Loser

I've been watching Biggest Loser since the first season. I was trying to lose weight at that time, and I would slog away on my elliptical machine while watching the program and imagining Jillian cursing at me. So after a few seasons, I know the routine for the show. The contestants will be given choices that will affect the outcome of that week's weigh-in, and thus could determine who goes home and who stays. The contestants know not to take the challenge in the early weeks of the show; all that does is to make enemies with the other people and assure that you will be voted off the show if you fall below the yellow line. During the first weeks of the show, the only goal of the contestants is to lose weight and stay above the yellow line so they can stay on the Biggest Loser Ranch. I always assumed that if you are applying for a spot on the show, you've actually watched the show and understand the rules, both written and tacit. Apparently, that's not the case...

Last night, the contestants were given two opportunities to manipulate the game, one involving a 2 pound advantage at the weigh in, but only if they gave up the trainers for the week; then later they were given a challenge that, if they accepted it and won the challenge, they would choose who would weigh in for each team. I won't bore you, faithful readers, with the gory details, but Tracy accepted the first challenge and won the second one by eating a handful of cupcakes. Is she insane? Has she never watched the show? Does she not understand that she has now made enemies of everyone at the ranch, and will be eliminated the first time she falls below the yellow line? I couldn't even feel sorry for her when Jillian made her cry. I don't think Tracy realized what she had done to her chances to stay on the ranch until she posted an 11 pound loss, and there was no clapping or cheering. Was it me, or did anyone else see the huge bulls eye on her back?

Hubby Humor

I really love my husband-he's the greatest guy, and while he is not a runner, he supports my passion completely and he tries to understand as best as a non runner can. Hubby does, however, possess a wicked sense of humor and he knows that I'm just the teensiest bit sensitive about my lack of speed. So, keeping that in mind, here's the conversation we had yesterday while grazing through the free samples at Costco-or what I like to call a "cheap date":

Me: Honey, you're walking really slow-like really, REALLY slow. I know you like to look at everything, but this is ridiculous. Can't you pick up the pace a bit? I don't think I can walk that slowly.

Hubby: You can't walk that slow? Well, why don't you just run-that should solve the problem.

It took me just a moment to realize that what the Hubster was saying was that my running pace is slower than my walking pace.

Yeah, he's a funny, funny guy..

Barbie doll pink

I did an 18 miler on Friday and it was good. I was tired; I was sore; but I did it, running 3 mile stretches and then walking while drinking Cytomax and chowing down on GU Chomps. It took forever but I did it. Yay me!

I also got new shoes-Asics Nimbus 11, and they're great. I love them except for one minor detail, which leads to an open letter to the Asics company:

Dear Asics Company:

I love your shoes. I really do. They've kept me comfortably running for some time now with nary a black toenail and practically no blisters. I just have one tiny, minor,trifling complaint. Do you HAVE to trim the shoes in Barbie Doll Pink and glittery silver? Would it be possible to make a pair in, oh, I don't know, how about plain WHITE? Or gray, or blue-anything but pink. Because that was the only color my FNRS had in stock and I really wanted a new pair of shoes. the nice clerk warned me that they were bright pink before he pulled them out of the box, but I wasn't prepared and dear God they are PINK!

You see, Asics Company, when these shoes have lost their bounce for running, they will become my walking around grocery shopping and walk to the post office shoes. I will wear them around people who don't run. Those people will be staring at my pink clad feet, wondering what I was thinking when I bought them because the shoes are so stinking pink. I do not want people staring at me feet. Can you please, PLEASE tone down the colors?

Thank you.

Sincerely, lastplacerunner.

One of the good things about living in a small town

This is a great time of year if you love fresh veggies and you live in a small town like I do. We were driving home yesterday afternoon from the Big City, driving down the country roads of my little town, and the vegetable stand that we pass almost daily finally had something besides squash to offer-they had tomatoes! We stopped and bought beautiful, fat, ripe tomatoes as well as two baskets of absolutely perfect cherry tomatoes. These stands are all over town as people sell the excess produce from their back yard gardens; the stands are on the honor system and come equipped with a sign showing the prices and a jar for the money. You can buy home made honey or jam, strawberries, apples, tons of fresh vegetables-anything that can be grown in someone's back yard will be offered. I even know a house that, once a week, has fresh eggs for sale from an ice chest packed in ice. You bring your own container and you get a dozen fresh from the hen eggs for a dollar. You have to get there early, though-the eggs will be sold out by 9 am. I happen to know the egg seller; he tells me he just wants to make enough money to pay for the hen feed. So-lunch today will be whole wheat pasta with diced tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and a little vinegar...

It's NOT a trailer park!

I've been taken to task for calling a trailer park a trailer park-a very nice elderly lady informed me that they are mobile home communities. So, here's what I saw in my local mobile home community this morning during my 6 mile run-3 young 20-something women are leaving their trailer mobile home, and getting in their car. They are wearing the trailer park mobile home community weekend uniform of a tank top with a visible bra, pajama bottoms and dirty fuzzy slippers. So, faithful readers, where do you think one of the women carries her cell phone? That's right, there it was, tucked snugly between her breasts. I swear I am not making this up. They must have been headed for Walmart..