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By kilax, October 22, 2010 5:28 am

When you eat out, are you more likely to go to a restaurant you know you love, or try some place new?

When you have guests in town, where are your favorite places to take them to eat?

We eat out so rarely now, that when we do, I find myself always wanting to go to one of our two favorite places – El Famous Burrito or Red Robin – I know that when we eat there, I will be satisfied. It’s less of a risk than trying some place new! Of course, when we are out of town, we like to try new places.

The best thing about Red Robin is that they cater to a lot of special diets and allergies – and they now have vegan burgers! It’s a testament to the power of voicing your opinion – I wrote to them asking why they don’t carry the vegan Boca burgers, and they wrote back a few months later saying enough people asked for them that they would! Score!

And when we have house guests (usually family) we end up taking them to these places as well. My family doesn’t have Red Robin where they live, so they like to go there. And who doesn’t want to eat a burrito that’s nearly the size of their head?

I was very tired this entire day… you can tell in the photo! Yikes!

Of course, when we have guests, we really prefer to cook at home, but it’s fun to eat out from time to time!

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By kilax, October 21, 2010 5:07 am

Awhile ago, I mentioned that the Lake County Forest Preserve is building a 2.5 mile trail that starts in our neighborhood!

I am totally geeking out about this. I watch for progress every day, and show it to anyone who comes to visit us.

This photo is in our neighborhood, behind a row of houses (those houses are in a prime area for people watching, once the trail is done!). They have cut down some trees here, and smoothed out space for the trail.

And these two photos are from where the trail will end, at a frisbee golf course.

I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL IT IS DONE!

Will we still live there when it’s done (next fall) though? We’ll see!

Last week I was talking to a friend who is moving to the Twin Cities. She was telling me about all the trails they have there. I told her that if I ever move, a good trail system will be my number one priority!

How did you decide where to live? Do you have plans to move in the future? What would be on your priority list for a new area if you were moving?

We live where we do because Steven used to work near here. Eventually, we will move closer to the city to cut back on my commute. I will miss our home though. I love it.

I could see us moving to a different state in the future too. Some day, far away…

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By kilax, October 20, 2010 6:48 pm

Thank you for your comments on my post yesterday! You all know how to make me feel better!

And you know what else almost always makes me feel better? A good run, out on the trail, just me and my thoughts (oh, and my photographer).

Today we had a high of 70 with a heavy breeze. I was lucky enough to be working the late afternoon at home (morning in Milwaukee) and could leave my house on time to enjoy the temps and the sunlight (the sun set today around 6:00 and that is normally when I get home).

Ah. That’s me feeling better.

What makes you feel better?

Comments (54)

By kilax, October 19, 2010 6:21 am

When I got back from Kansas City in September, after Steven’s mom passed away, I felt completely numb. I was home alone, I was sick, and I just wasn’t feeling like myself. Things at work that normally set me off (people not following direction, people submitting crappy work, etc.) didn’t. I was amazed at how calm I was at work. I didn’t get worked up over things at all.

Now I am starting to get worked up about things again. I’m not as calm/numb as I was. So, my brain sees that my behavior pattern is more similar to how it was before and is thinking “things must be ‘back to normal’ for me.”

I really don’t think they are though. I think that is just my brain trying to trick me in to thinking I am fine. Into thinking I am done coping, or something.

The truth is, there will be no “back to normal.” I have to discover a new “normal.”*

And that’s fine. But right now, I feel guilty, because I am consciously scheduling happy events in to my life to distract me from dealing with loss. I have always been one to plan events to look forward to, and now, it just feels wrong. Even though I know it isn’t. It’s okay to be happy right now.

And I also feel anxious, that I do not know how my role as daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and wife has been changed. I don’t understand what my new responsibilities are, if any. I don’t know if I should be acting different, doing more… or if I should just see how things play out.

I just don’t know how to help other people cope.

Sigh.

I am babbling. Thanks for reading.

Have you even been through a situation that changed your sense of what is “normal” in your life?

I don’t really have a photo that goes with the topic of this post (I’ve been trying to put photos in every post since I wrote this). But here’s one of Data looking uncharacteristically grumpy (usually he just looks disgruntled).

You know, Steven and I have been talking a lot lately about how many people say animals cannot have human emotions. There is a word for this belief that I cannot recall right now – can any of you?

Anyway, one time I was telling someone a story at work about how Data did something and was then embarrassed. And the person said, “Your cat was embarrassed?” Um, yes? He was definitely embarrassed by what he did.

Do you think animals have “human” emotions?

Obviously, we do!

*And if that new normal involves me being calmer, that would be a good thing.

Comments (50)

By kilax, October 18, 2010 5:26 am

The Corn Maze Run was SUCH A BLAST. I will definitely be running it again next year if they host it. And if you live in Illinois or Wisconsin, I recommend that you run it too! There’s no other race experience like it!

I must say though – it is quite dangerous. The ground is uneven, and there are pieces of corn and corn stalks all over that present potential tripping hazards. So, watch out!

On to the fun and games!

Me and Erin pre-race

Me, Steven, Erin and Andrew

This was the inaugural year of the run, but I get the impression that Richardson Adventure Farm, in Spring Grove, IL, has had a corn maze for quite some time. Besides the maze, the farm also has zip-lining, ORBiting, pig races (sorry we didn’t get to stay for those, Erin), paintball, what looked like a petting zoo… you get the idea. We didn’t stay for any of that stuff, because it was an additional cost. I think zip-lining sounds fun though. Maybe someday…

Since the course is narrow, they let one runner off every 5 seconds instead of letting everyone go off at once. They requested estimated finish times when you registered, to try to put people in order by speed, but it got a bit messed up for our group. Depending on when you registered online, different finish times were offered to choose from (if you registered later, they offered longer distances). Long story short, I was bib number 132 and Steven was 292! So he started over 13 minutes after me (add 5 seconds for every number between ours). They wouldn’t let me cut in with him because of how they were tracking our overall time. So I ran on to the course, then stopped and hid in the corn stalks to wait for him! Ha ha.

The start line

Waiting for Steven in the corn stalks

And since Erin registered on site, she was number 414 and didn’t get to run for more than 30 minutes after the start time! It wasn’t really a big deal though. It was mostly easy to pass people. And while this is a fun race, I wouldn’t recommend trying to run it with a bunch of friends at once! The course is too tight!

Enough talk about that! What was it like to run in a corn maze? Besides the tripping hazards (I rolled my ankles a few times) it was SO MUCH FUN. It was just such a unique, new experience, that I loved every bit of it. I had no idea where I was or where I was going, I was just focused on running and having fun. And sometimes, you should just run a race for fun! I rarely looked at my Garmin, and didn’t even notice that the course was marked until I got to mile “3.” And they even had a water station on the course!

And I thought it was so fun that I got to do this with Steven, Andrew and Erin*. I am already talking to Steven and Andrew about our next family run (and am always talking to Erin about our “next” run, ha ha).

*I ran with Steven, but Andrew and Erin ran on their own.

I made some videos to show you guys what the course was like. The course had 250 turns in it, and two sets of stairs!

And check out the Garmin map! Ha ha:

Here are the Garmin stats if you are interested – 2.61 miles in 29:15.

The course ended up only being about 2.6 miles long (it was supposed to be a 5K)! I was disappointed to be done so soon! It was a beautiful, sunny day (in the 40s) and I was really enjoying myself.

I thought this was pulled off great for being the inaugural race. My only complaints are that:

1. There was not more of a warning about the course being dangerous (this sign was not very visible):



2. You could not change your estimated finish time on race day.
3. General Admission to the Farm was not included for after the event (we did not have to pay to get in, but if we wanted to do anything, we had to pay general admission then pay for the thing we wanted to do). I thought that would have been a nice perk! Ha ha.

I have many many positive things to say:

1. I LOVED the course. What a unique experience!
2. The course was very well marked.
3. I LOVE the race shirt. Love it!





4. They had a water station.
5. They had water, gatorade, cookies (Steven’s favorite kind – Matt’s cookies), bananas and bagels after the race.
6. The volunteers were nice (whether or not they were knowledgeable about the race is another question).

So, who is running the Corn Maze Run with me next year?

I love doing goofy races like this. There is such a great spirit at the event; it seems like everyone is just out there to have fun.

What is the goofiest race you have ever run?

Steven and I once ran a race where everyone dresses up as Santa! I plan to do that race again this year!

After the race, we went up in to the Observation Tour to take pictures of the maze. And of course, we took other goofy pictures too.

(We’re pointing at our One More Mile hats!)

Comments (17)

By kilax, October 17, 2010 5:26 am

This is the week of the World’s Largest Corn Maze 5K on October 17.

Whoa, this is week 52 of training! That is ONE straight year of doing some sort of physical activity most days of the week. Hmm, when I write it like that it doesn’t sound so cool.

Day 358 | October 11, 2010: rest

Day 359 | October 12, 2010: cross

During my lunch break, I walked two miles on the treadmill. I am not so sure if that was a good idea. I felt exhausted when I was done. From walking! And my IT bands/quads were still super tight. I need to keep foam rolling.

Distance: 2.0 | Incline: 3.0 | Time: 30:00 | Avg Pace: 15:00 | 1: 15:00 | 2: 15:00

Day 360 | October 13, 2010: cross

After my lunch workout, one of my coworkers who saw me in the gym was teasing me, asking why I was going so slow on the bike. Ha ha! I WAS going slow! I told him I had good reason – I just ran the Chicago Marathon! He laughed when I told him.

Recumbent Bike Time: 40:00 | Distance: 5.13 | Average Speed: 7.7 mph | Set on “Forest Ride”

Day 361 | October 14, 2010: 3 m run

On Wednesday my legs finally felt normal again and the stairs were no longer a challenge, so I decieded to run on Thursday.

I cannot recall the last time I was on a treadmill. But whoa! Those things are easy and reliable! I wonder if that is why we did so well on our first half marathon – we did so much treadmill training and it made us run more consistent splits.

Distance: 3.0 | Incline: 1.0 | Time: 31:00 | 1: 10:31 | 2: 10:20 | 3: 10:09

Day 362 | October 15, 2010: rest

Day 363 | October 16, 2010: rest

Day 364 | October 17, 2010: World’s Largest Corn Maze 5K

Steven, Andrew (Steven’s brother), Erin and I will be running a 5K in this:

I am really excited about this goofy race and have been telling a lot of people about it. Everyone asks: Is the course marked? Yes! That would be fun if it wasn’t though! Here is an example of how it will be marked:

Steven, Andrew and I made sure to fuel well for the race on Saturday night… by eating Andrew’s German Chocolate Birthday Cake! (Steven made the cake)

Expect a race report later!

Week Summary: 5.6 miles

Yay for recovery weeks…? Ha. I kind of missed running this week, but enjoyed doing light, easy workouts at the same time. I’m ready to start training for another (shorter distance) race, and really focus on strength and stretching this time.

Since Andrew is in town, I finally got to give him the hat I bought for him for his birthday at the Chicago Marathon Expo (his birthday is 10/10). What do you think of the hat?

Ha! I fully expect to see him wear it as he trains for his next triathlon in May.

A few more thoughts on the Chicago Marathon:

I know, when will I quit talking about it?! Soon, soon!

I wanted to mention that I never once thought during the race “I’ll never do this again.” A lot of people have said they had that thought, or questioned why they signed up. For me, my most negative thoughts were “I wish I was running with someone” and “Damn, I wish it wasn’t so hot!” I know I can run another marathon stronger, after better training (especially mental training).

I kind of want to write my sports medicine doctor and tell him I did run the marathon and thank him for his help. But… he never billed me! Ha, and that would probably prompt him to. So… I’ll wait!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!! YOU’RE SO OLD!!!!!!!!!

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By kilax, October 16, 2010 2:57 pm

I got fitted for new running shoes today. I was curious if I needed something with less support, because in May, I had two separate shoe people tell me I did (after analyzing my gait).

What did I end up with? The Asics Cumulus 12 – a neutral shoe.

I wore Asics when I started running in fall of 2006. I switched over to the Brooks Adrenaline 9s (then 10s)  – a support shoe – in spring of 2009. I had those fitted at another running store in the Chicago suburbs.

The salesperson who helped me today had already seen me before and was one of the first people to tell me I needed a shoe with less support. When I saw him today, he was really upset to see me running in the Adrenalines. He said they were completely the wrong shoe for me, and that I should go back to the other store and kill whoever sold them to me (he was kind of joking). He kept apologizing that I have been wearing them for so long, and he even said he would have let me return them at their store if I would have bought them there. He told me not to even wear them for walking. He asked me if I had ever had any stress fractures while wearing the Adrenalines… yes. Four.

Dramatic, right?  (Him, not my answer about the stress fractures)

Why did he think they were the wrong shoe for me? Well, apparently, he thinks I don’t overpronate. At all. He thinks I actually underpronate (supinate) a little bit, and that the shoes were making me underpronate to the extreme. Or something like that.

It all confuses me (if it confuses you too, here are some videos that explain pronation). All I know is that when I look at my right foot in the picture below, something is NOT right with the way my foot is landing.

And that is how my form looked when I ran the Wisconsin Half Marathon in May, too (same shirt!).

I tried the Asics on and they felt great. So, whether or not the guy is right, I will give them a try on the treadmill to see if they work for me! If I decide to use them though, I will no longer be shoes twins with Erin and Steven (and the many other bloggers who wear Adrenalines)!

What kind of running shoes do you wear? Have you gone through different styles of running shoes? Do you think this salesperson is right about my pronation issues?

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By kilax, October 15, 2010 5:57 am

Update on last week’s Friday Question about updating cell phones… I broke mine on Sunday and Steven picked out this new one for me on Tuesday. Ironic, no? But, true to my word, I didn’t care about the technology of the new phone. Steven just went to the store and got what he thought was the best one for me. Would you let someone else pick out your new cell phone?

This Friday Question is a draft post I started on April 1! My perspective has changed a bit from what I first wrote, so I updated it.

Does sharing your personal goals make you feel more encouraged to meet them? Or does it make you feel more pressured to meet them? Do you keep some goals private?

Personal goal – teach Data to use the toilet. Ha! Just kidding. I just wanted a picture for the post and thought that would be funny. Hey look – there’s my old phone! Aww.

I know there are many studies out there that say sharing personal goals with people can help you stay on track with meeting them. And in the blogosphere, people are sharing goals all the time.

I’ve found that for me, sharing certain goals helps me meet them, but some goals are better kept private.

Sharing exercise goals helps me meet them. I feel encouraged to update people on my progress and that keeps me motivated. But sharing weight loss goals does not help me meet them. I don’t mind talking about it, but it just doesn’t help. Sharing what I will call “character” goals – things I want to change about myself – while making me feel better, doesn’t seem to help me meet them either. And work/professional goals? Ha, do I even have them? (No)

And I am all about altering goals. Didn’t meet it this month (weight loss)? I will next month. Wasn’t able to do it last year (run a marathon)? I’ll do it this year. That sorta thing. I’m really forgiving with myself. Is that good or bad?

And I am not sure if I have ever kept a “secret” goal – I am an open person and like to babble, it’s just that there are some things I babble about less than others.

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By kilax, October 14, 2010 6:44 pm

A coworker shared these “behind the scenes” Chicago Marathon finish line pictures with me, and I thought you might enjoy them.

The “Heat Sheets”

Medals

Medals Close Up – something about this picture really inspires me!

Water

Bananas

Iced towels

Beer

Would you drink a beer immediately after a marathon?

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I think at Chicago you had to drink the beer before you left the finish area (I saw them making people throw their beer away to leave). Beer doesn’t sound good to me. Ever. I could have gone for a popsicle though.

I ran for the first time after the race today! A nice and easy 3-miler on the treadmill.

The racing bug has caught me and I am looking at upcoming (inexpensive) races. I think I definitely have a 10K and some 5Ks in the future! A half would be nice too… I’ll keep the mileage up just in case.

Comments (45)

By kilax, October 13, 2010 5:14 am

I finally bought a visor at the Chicago Marathon Expo. I got it at the One More Mile booth, per Erin’s recommendation. One More Mile has a lot of funny products! I really like the visor and am happy I bought it just in time for the race. I can’t imagine having that sun in my face!

The one I picked out says “Running is cheaper than therapy.” Ha!

Of course, I was thinking about this statement. Can running be a replacement for therapy? Even if it is cheaper…

I know that when I got out and run, I come back with a clearer head and in better spirits. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I am (always) thinking about “my issues” and working through them while I am running. It’s more often that running is a distraction and the endorphins make me feel good. Sure, often I go out after a stressful day and a run makes me feel better. But it’s not like it will make, real, hard issues just go away.

The day after the marathon, I was reading the October issue of SELF and stumbled across an article called “150 Miles,” about an ultra marathoner. Of course, I was immediately intrigued and loved reading it. As I was aching in the tub, it reminded me that there are tougher goals out there than a marathon! I highly recommend it (you can read it here)!

The article is about Laurie Andrews, a woman who stumbled in to ultra marathons and became sort of obsessed with them. One of her quotes made me think of the slogan on the visor:

I have a sense of peace and joy when I’m outside running that I don’t get from anything else, and I can’t get enough of that feeling.

The article goes on to mention how exercise is a proven mood improver, and that in one study, 20 minutes of exercise made people feel positive for up to 12 hours afterward.

Andrews ended up doing really well at a few ultras, then had some setbacks. She kept pushing herself though, and in the end, became very injured and bed-ridden.

Then the article kind of changed gears and said that all of this time, Andrew was struggling with depression, and trying to use running to mask it. The article said that:

Although she had no history of depression, it’s not an uncommon side effect of training for sporting events as intense as the Marathon des Sables. After months, even years, of pushing everything else aside, athletes often feel lost when they return.

Jack Raglin, M.D. calls this the “staleness syndrome” and urges athletes to prepare for a letdown and find a way to relieve their accomplishment afterward, perhaps by talking to others who were there. “You have to come off of that running high as gently as possible, stop training and allow time for recovery.”

So, Andrews realized running was just another stress in her life, and after she recovered, she started swimming and biking, and having more of a social life. She still plans on running ultras, but lives a more “balanced” life now.

What is the point of me sharing all of this? Does anyone really think this much about a logo on a visor? Geez.

I guess I am just thinking, if you have real issues, running or other any form of distraction is not a replacement! If you need therapy, go. I have. Or talk to family and friends. Ha. But the visor is still funny to me (since I have gone to therapy and realize it the visor slogan is meant to be humorous!).

I think sometimes we have habits of distracting ourselves instead of taking care of issues. Or, at least avoiding issues and hoping they will resolve themselves.

Have you ever distracted yourself rather than faced an issue you were having?

Do you use exercise to improve your mood? Do you sometimes work through your issues while you are exercising?

Have you ever experienced the “staleness syndrome”?

Like I said, I sometimes do! But not everything can be solved that way.