Comments (20)

By kilax, May 19, 2009 6:47 am

I get a lot of comments at work like, “your lunch is so healthy,” “your snacks are so healthy,” “you always eat so healthy,” “do you count carbs or calories?”* “what do I need to eat to lose weight?” “when is your next run?” “what do I need to do to start running?”**

I think that people think I am some sort of… health freak? They see me walking around with an apple, or eating my homemade granola bar, or getting fresh veggies out of the fridge for lunch, and think I am super focused on eating healthy ALL THE TIME.

Ha. Ha ha. I WISH! While it is my goal to get closer and closer to eating a healthy, fresh diet most of the time, I am totally not there yet.

I have two secrets to share:

1. I want to run the Chase Corporate Challenge 3.5 miler in 28 minutes.
2. I’ve gained 4 pounds in the last 4 weeks.

The second secret pretty much cancels out the first one.*** Because, I can feel the small amount of extra weight and it is slowing me down a bit during my runs. I can feel it shaking in my butt.

AND, it’s NO BIG DEAL! I was stressed out, I was eating emotionally, blah blah blah, what did I expect to happen? Mathematically, I knew my calories in was higher than my calories out, even when running 20+ miles a week. I just chose to ignore it for awhile. Because I am human, and I cannot eat perfectly all the time, no matter how hard I try. And I don’t even WANT to eat perfectly all the time. How boring would that be?

Anyway, it makes me laugh at work when I get SO MANY comments on what I am eating and how healthy it is, because I do not “eat healthy” all of the time and I don’t think of the food I eat during the day as “healthy,” I think of it as the food I want to eat – fruit, veggies, whole wheat crackers, granola bars, cereal, veggie dogs, etc.

The good thing is, when people keep saying that to me, it encourages me. It keeps me going. It reminds me that I do need to be making conscious, healthy choices most of the time. And not just “for show” (which it’s not), but because I want to.

So even though the comments do get annoying from time to time (I mean, come on, can I just prepare my lunch in peace?!), I am going to channel it into good – encouragement.

And I am going to quit all of that mindless gosh darn**** snacking.

*Give me a freakin’ break. I am NOT afraid of carbs.
**My punctuation kind of went to crap in this paragraph.
***So I think I will try to finish in under 30 minutes.
****This is me not swearing.

Comments (18)

By kilax, May 17, 2009 5:12 pm

Apparently, besides worrying about bugs flying down my bra and biting me (yes, that happened today), water from my hydration belt spilling all over my legs (felt kind of good), having to poo (always a concern), and a killer sunburn (totally my fault), I also need to worry about GETTING LOST while I am running.

Today I decided to do an 8-miler close to home, but I chose to explore the neighborhood north of ours (thought that would be FUN). Without looking at a map (first mistake!) I figured it was small and only had two entrances, like ours.

Uh, no.

About 5 miles into the run, I realized I could see a major street that I shoudn’t be able to see. And wasn’t planning on seeing during this run. I knew where I was, but only by the major street – and there was no way I would run on it because of the high speed limit. So I kept heading east then south then east then south (with one long accidental north) until I finally got back to an area I had run by earlier. I was kind of freaking out a little bit, because I was running low on water, but I felt reassured knowing I had my phone and could call Steven for directions. Ha!

Has this happened to any of you?

It was pretty funny when I got home and uploaded the map of my run – I had accidentally run into another neighborhood that I didn’t know was connected to the one north of our house.

If I am wearing a Garmin Forerunner 405, shouldn’t it tell me how to get back home? I mean, it IS a Garmin! It has GPS! Who knows. Maybe it can. I think the new model should have an actual map with directions as well as a thermostat. Just because that would be cool.

And you know what else IS cool? I figured out how to set up the 1-mile lap button on Jack so I can share my splits. Because they are oh so awesome. Not. I tried really hard to start out slow, but I still started out too fast and ended slower than I wanted. I need to work on that. Along with not getting lost.

Distance: 8.01 miles | Time: 1:14:05 | 1: 9:19 | 2: 9:24 | 3: 9:09 | 4: 8:58 | 5: 9:14 | 6: 9:12 | 7: 9:18 | 8: 9:20 | 9: 0:06

Comments (22)

By kilax, May 16, 2009 5:49 pm

Guess who got their full dose of Vitamin D today?

I did! And Diane probably did too, since we were together all day. I can’t believe I got so red. I usually slather myself in sunscreen. And I even had it in my car today, but was having so much fun, I didn’t put it on. And… that’s how you get skin cancer! I won’t let this happen again. Anyway…

Diane and I went to Grant Park for SELF’s Workout in the Park. It’s a huge workout – they have a main stage set up and everyone follows the workouts. They also had a “quiet zone” (which was right next to the loud speakers for the main stage) to do yoga and pilates, as well as various vendors there.

The main stage

The weather was absolutely perfect – sunny and blue skies! But the ground was absolutely saturated with water. I wonder if they had two shoe vendors there because they knew buying new shoes was sure to be on everyone’s mind at the end of the day?

Our very muddy shoes… and the very muddy ground.

Diane and I tried a few of the main classes (Cardio Tai Box, Movieography, and Million Dollar Knockout) and one “Quiet Zone class – Hippie Yoga. (Jeez, is that all we did? Why do I feel so tired?). I was worried about the yoga, because I’ve only taken ONE yoga class and I got really sick and dizzy at it. This “Hippie” yoga focused on your hips and upper legs, so we didn’t have to do any of that crazy upside down stuff and I REALLY LIKED IT! Maybe I will start doing yoga now? Steven did the P90X yoga for the first time this week and really liked it. He thinks I should try it (but admits he has his doubts about me calming down enough to do it).

Looking good after working out all day… right? RIGHT?!?!

We kept commenting on how there was such a variety of people there! Different ages, different races, different SIZES – it wasn’t what you would expect to see at a workout. It was empowering to see such a variety of people out there, working on being healthier, together. It encouraged what I already believed – you can get healthy at any size!

Jillian Michaels is a contributing editor (or something?) for SELF now, so she was there. She gave a very short introduction, then signed books for 50 people who had lined up at 5:00 (!!!) in the morning to receive a special ticket to get to meet her. I saw the line of girls there to talk to her, and some looked really emotional. One girl was even crying, as she talked to Jillian. I wonder what it is like to have that much influence on someone… to be that inspirational, I mean.

Jillian talking…

Me and Jillian. See, I got my picture taken with her! Ha ha ha.

Overall, this was a really fun event. It really got me pumped up, and made me wish I could take a fun class at a gym… with Diane!

Comments (14)

By kilax, May 15, 2009 7:22 am

How long do you take to respond to an email? Or rather, are you INCREDIBLY back-logged on personal emails, like me?!

At work, I make sure I ALWAYS respond to emails directed to me with in a day, if not within the hour. But when it comes to my personal emails, it seems to take me much longer to respond, especially if the email is highly personal chit chat, which a lot of mine seem to be.

If it is something crucial, or quick, I will respond right away. But something about reading a long email, and writing a long response back… tires me out? Or something? I love exchanging long emails back and forth, but I want to give them the thought and concentration they deserve when I respond, and I feel like I rarely have the time to do that. So they just build up and build up and build up… and I have an email box with 30+ “marked as unread” messages, so I avoid it…

It just makes me feel bad. I feel bad that I am running around writing posts, leaving comments, and living my life, but not responding to emails right away. I’m trying though. And I almost always respond back (because it’s kind of rude not to ever respond at all!).

Comments (16)

By kilax, May 14, 2009 5:54 am

I was flipping through an old issue of SELF magazine (July ’08) at the gym last night and felt like the blurb “Prevent summer letdown” was speaking directly to me:

(In fact, that entire page – front and back – may have been speaking directly to me. The article next to it was titled “How I stopped cursing a blue streak” and the one on the back side of the page was “Be a good gossip.”)

I spend a lot of time during the winter and spring fantasizing about the summer. A LOT. Steven can back me up on this because he’s had to listen to me talk about it all winter long.

What am I fantasizing about? Weekends spent at the cabin in Guttenberg (Iowa), boating, swimming, eating, lounging… and also nice summer days, with long runs in the warm sun.

Steven and I have coordinated our schedules so we have a quite a few 3-day and 4-day weekends this summer. But, who’s to say that we will be able to stick to our plan of getting away to Guttenberg 100%? I know we won’t. We already have weekends filling up with plans that require us to stay home over the weekends, and who knows what the weather will be like anyway. Oh, and it would be good to get some chores done and not abandon Data completely.

The article recommends keeping an element of reality in your fantasy. And isn’t that good advice for any fantasy? I would say so. It seems our fantasies become more attainable (and turn into goals!) when we DO give them a sense of reality.

So I am going to follow some of the tips when I feel like I am “stuck at home” this summer. We have an amazing forest preserve system in the county I live in that I have really been wanting to explore. We have a grill, and neighbors we like to spend time with. And we do live “close” to that wonderful city of Chicago – there might be something to do there!

Maybe I should have saved this for a Friday Question (since I seem to have trouble coming up with them), but do you have summer fantasies? Do you usually see them out? Or do you need to prevent summer letdown as well?

Comments (14)

By kilax, May 13, 2009 12:53 pm

I’ve casually mentioned here that I am in the process of becoming vegan. I call it a “process” because there is research I need to do (NOT because I plan on making becoming vegan a process by slowly phasing out dairy and eggs). I don’t want to jump into veganism before I fully understand the way the lifestyle affects my health. First, I want to create a balanced diet, learn the many different names of animal products found in processed foods, and fully understand the lifestyle, THEN make the change.

This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, but only recently begun researching. I wanted to participate in Chase Daylight’s 30 Day Vegan Challenge in April, but didn’t. At the time, I discussed it with my nutrition commadre (Steven), and he pointed out that it may not be a good idea to alter my diet too much before our 5/2 half marathon. I thought that was a good point, so I’ve been waiting.

Yesterday, I was at lunch with Diane, and she asked me if I had started the vegan diet yet. I thought it was super considerate that she asked me (to which I answered “no,” even though I had a vegan lunch) and it made me think that maybe people would have questions about me becoming vegan, or veganism in general. I want to use this post to invite all of you to ask me any (serious) questions you have. I will write a post and answer them all when I am ready to make the switch. I will also give an explanation then of what the lifestyle is, and why I am following it. There is a lot I want to say now, but I will wait until then.

Funny note – after I got done writing this, my mom called me and asked if I had started the vegan lifestyle yet. She said, “Make sure you get all your protein!” I told her about this post and that if she wanted, she could be the FIRST person to leave that question. I bet it will take her awhile to get here though.

Comments (25)

By kilax, May 12, 2009 5:18 am

I know some of you have got to be sick of all my running posts, but I really need to get this out there. And it’s not too brag, or gloat, but just to share my happiness.

I am at a point in my running where it feels so good to run. It feels so natural. I feel like I could keep going and going. I don’t want to stop. I look forward to my run all day long. I veg out on it. I let my mind wander. I let my body take over. I let it do what it wants to do. It feels right.

I really think my body wants me to be a runner.

I am trying to enjoy every minute of this, because I am aware of the taxing effect running can have on your body if you are not careful. I am aware that I could sustain an injury that would sideline me for awhile. I am really hoping that doesn’t happen, but I know it’s a risk, so even though I love running so much, I make sure not to run too much. I make sure to take a day off here and there, even though I don’t want to.

Yesterday was the perfect day, running-wise. I checked the forecast on Sunday, and knew it was supposed to be somewhat sunny, in the upper 50s around 6:00 PM, so I got up extra early, and got to work by 7:00 on Monday, so I could leave at 4:30 and run at 6:15. I saw the sun all day at my office, and on the train ride home, and I was just stoked. My neighbor decided to run with me (the awesome neighbor I am always writing about), so we chatted the whole way. We ran an easy 5 miles (around 10:00 minute mile pace), and pushed it the last quarter of a mile (between 7:00-8:00 minute mile pace). It felt great! He was so stoked when we hit 4 miles, then 5 miles when we ended, because he hadn’t run that far in quite some time. His excitement and energy rubbed off on me as well, so I felt even better.

I was done running around 7:20, and Steven was just finishing the end of the P90X Shoulders and Back and Ab Ripper DVD. I took a quick shower, then we made dinner together and were able to relax a bit before going to bed a little early! A perfect run, followed by a perfect night! I usually have to exercise after dinner, so it means a lot when I actually get to sit down with my husband.

I just wanted to share this, because I have been portraying a lot of stress here lately. And I am stressed, but aren’t we all? I don’t want to portray myself as an unhappy person – just your normal, “stressed out from time to time and trying to figure themselves out” type of person. It helps me relieve stress by writing about it here, but I don’t want you to think that’s all that I am about. I am actually very, very happy right now.

And I hope that all of you can find an activity that makes you happy, whether it is exercise or not! Something you really enjoy and make the time to do – something that you can just “get in the zone” of it and clear your mind a bit.

Comments (19)

By kilax, May 11, 2009 5:25 am

Do you think some people only listen to what you’re saying, or pay attention to what you are doing, because they are specifically looking for something to make fun of you about/disagree with you about, or point out something you did wrong?

I do.

I also think it is incredibly lame to do this. It automatically makes me think that the other person is insecure, or maybe jealous, or intimidated by the person they are doing it to.

Or… they are just a really big clueless jerk.

Either way, it doesn’t impress me. It makes me feel sorry for the person doing it.

Comments (15)

By kilax, May 10, 2009 8:20 am

This Mother’s Day, while thinking about my mother, I am especially focusing on one of the defining characteristics of a mother – she is someone who always puts others (her family) first.

Does this define your mom? It defines my mom to a T. Even though we are all grown now, she is still running around, helping everyone out, before she does what she wants to do. She thinks about everyone else’s well-being before her own. It’s amazing that our mothers (and fathers!) are so selfless. I’ll have to call my mother today and thank her for that.

Seeing her act this way has taught me to be considerate of other people’s thoughts, feelings and agenda. People need to feel special, and they feel special when you give them attention and show interest in their interests. Our parents are probably the people who are most able to make us feel special, because we almost always feel like they are focused on us (except for when the grandchildren are around). I mean, who else will drive 250 miles to watch you run your first half marathon, take home your broken down car and look the other way when you eat enough food all weekend for everyone who ran the race?

Bye bye Kimbot II!!!

I am lucky to have such great parents!

Okay, I lied, there are actual TWO things I am focusing on this Mother’s Day. The other thing is what a goober my mother is, how much she likes to have fun, and how she makes me feel like it is okay to be silly and enjoy life! Life is much more fun if you are able to laugh at something each day (hence the tagline – the most wasted of all days is one without laughter).

My mom and I do this hilarious (we think) thing when we sign our emails to one another. I am not sure who started it. Probably her (see –  I learned to be goofy from her!). It started off with simple closings like “hugs and kisses, mom” but then that turned into (see some examples below):

Continue reading 'It’s all about the closing / Happy Mother’s Day!'»

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By kilax, May 9, 2009 5:52 pm

Things making me happy this Saturday:

• Sleeping in until 9:30!
• Waking up to Steven making banana donuts.
• Steven helping me find vegan-friendly* products at Target.
• Buying a dry-erase calendar to keep track of events/training!**



Too lazy to take a photo with my actual camera!

• Running an overcast 34:24 4-miler
• Registering for the 10/17/09 Kansas City Marathon. Steven and I discussed our long-term fitness goals a lot this week. He is going to start the 90-day P90X workout series soon, and focus on building muscle, along with becoming a better***/faster runner. I am going to start the marathon training in June, and focus on endurance, as well as speed training and mileage upkeep in the meantime. Steven told me to go ahead and register for the Chicago Marathon (through a charity) without him, that he would be a spectator, but I really don’t want to run that one without him, or search for a charity to raise money for that I am not 100% behind. I want to save the Chicago Marathon for something special that we can do together, whenever that may be. I chose Kansas City because it is still in the midwest (won’t have any travel shock), is a “smaller” race, and is Steven’s hometown – his parents, brother and a lot of friends still live there. And since the Kansas City Marathon registration is open until the day before the race, he is going to see how he feels about jumping in on the marathon training with me, and either sign up for the half marathon or full marathon version of that race.
• Steven getting to work on the Datsun 280Z today.
• Knowing we get to go to the park to run and see Star Trek tomorrow!

What’s making you happy today (whether or not it’s Saturday when you read this!)?

*I am planning on making trying veganism soon, and his support really means A LOT to me.
**I love calendars. I love writing out what I have to do and crossing it off. This makes me really giddy.
***Not better as in “faster is better,” but better as in, better breathing, better form, etc.