Comments (33)

By kilax, September 10, 2013 12:26 pm

You know what is flattering? When someone asks for your advice. And listens. And! Maybe takes it!

You know what is annoying? When someone gives you advice you didn’t ask for. And they don’t know what they are talking about, anyway!

Ha ha ha. No worries… the first one happened to me today! A friend asked my opinion on how she should set up a blog. Like I said, I was flattered the friend valued my opinion. 

In what fields do you feel qualified to give advice?

So, I have to be honest. I see a lot of advice floating around on the interwebs and think, “Hmm, is that person or their reference really a good source? Are they an authority? What are their credentials/experience?” What can I say? I question things. I DON’T TRUST YOU, INTERNETS! (sometimes, anyway)

But! I do think we all have special little areas of knowledge we can share with people.  I love hearing about people’s unique interests and the knowledge they have amassed from it… so tell me… what is yours?

Now, some advice?

Comments (17)

By kilax, September 10, 2013 7:23 am

On Tuesday again, ha ha. Linking up with Rachel!

Just kidding! That cake was delicious, even with my lack of planning!

Don’t worry! This is NOT going to turn in to a post about the importance of planning when it comes to achieving running goals. I think I should take a break from talking about running. And besides… while I do believe planning is good, I also think some people get by without planning at all, and still have a great running performance!

Okay, lips are zipped about running* until Sunday.**

ZIPPED!

So. 

I am sure Rachel totally*** intended for the Demotivational Monday series to provoke serious thought… right? Ha ha. But really, I wanted to put a picture up that wasn’t running or cat related and thought of this one, and then about how my approach with the cake (act now, plan later) is the same way I plan most things in life, not just in the kitchen. 

I am NOT a long term planner. I have no idea where I will be in five years (or one year). I am not completely irresponsible, either! I save money for the future, da da da, but do I have any idea what that future will be? Nah. Do I think about specific things? No, more like… feelings and ideas. I want to be happy, like I am now, maybe travel more. No big planning over here. 

However, if you ask where I am going to be on a certain day in the next few months? Yeah, I plan my weekdays and weekends out like crazy. I have things on the calendar way too far in advance. 

It’s strange to me that I care about the here and now, and less about the long term future… but maybe that just says I am living in the present?! Yeah… that’s it…

Are you more of a long term or short term planner?

I have to share a planning story, that I am sure I have shared before. When I lived in Rome in spring of 2006 I decided to stay there and work over the summer. Only… I didn’t have a place to stay! I hadn’t been planning on staying the summer, so I had a ticket to come home for a week in May that year, then fly back. When I came back to the states, I still had no idea where I would live when I got there! Yet, I had a ticket to go back! I just figured if it was meant to be, it would work itself out. And lo and behold, one of the contacts I made at the cat shelter there called me during my stay in the states to tell me they found me a place to stay (for free, yo!)!

It cracks me up that I can be sooooo dang anxious about the stupidest little things, but not care that I didn’t have housing lined up, and just knowing it would “work itself out.”

I was that way a lot over there. I flew to places on the weekends and just figured things out as I went… without a smart phone (omg). 

I liked that brave, adventurous Kim! I like having an “I’ll figure it out!” attitude!****

*I didn’t say exercise or personal training!
**Think I’ll make it?
***Tots, for Anne. 
****Unless something’s broken, then it’s all Steven. 

Comments (24)

By kilax, September 9, 2013 12:30 pm

You guys all know how much I love the Frosty Footrace 5K, in my Illinois hometown*. The race is small with great organization and wonderful volunteers, the proceeds benefit the community**, they have awesome post-race treats (ha ha), and… I usually place in my age group. The only bad part is that the course has tiny little hills on it. 

Well, the Frosty Footrace 5K is in February, but the park district puts on a 5K with the same course in September. I have never been able to run it though! I was signed up a few years ago, but couldn’t participate due to a stress fracture***. And in years since I have been out of town or doing a different race. 

But! Yesterday, the stars aligned. Um, after I remembered the race even existed, on my drive home from the Lung Run on Saturday. Ha ha. 

Of course, I had to rope in my PIC****, Bobbi. We had been talking about running together, anyway. Why not throw a (cheap!) 5K in there?

Bobbi and I met before the race to get a few miles in. And realized… holy cow, it was super humid! At the beginning of our warm-up run was talk of fast goal miles and at the end, it was, yeah, “I am not sure how this race is gonna go…” Ha ha ha. 

Spoiler though – we both had mostly successful races. There is no chip timing, so I made sure to start near the front to have the most accurate timing as possible, then tried to run all the tangents. Hey! In a race this small (maybe over 100 participants?) with no crowding, you can easily run the tangents.  

Speaking of it being a small race… I ran a lot of it with no one by my side. I passed one lady in the beginning, two men passed me at 1.5 and right at the end, and that was it! Which is good – no one had to hear my crazy breathing.

I could see the first place and second place women (a mother-daughter team) almost every step of the way, unless there was a turn. You know in the first mile I had grand illusions of passing them and taking the lead. Buah ha ha. I let go of that idea half way through the race.  I had totally positive splits – 7:41, 7:58, 8:59 (?!?!). What can I say? Those tiny hills in the last mile always get me! 

I still had an overall time of 25:55 – third woman overall, and 1st in my age group. Yay!

And that silver medal?! Bobbi was second in her age group! Woo hoo! And someone from our running club WON the race. What a fun day! 

Since I stayed around for awards, I had time to chat with a lot of the runners, and geesh, there are just so many friendly, nice, runners out there! I had some WANT ALL THE FRIENDS!!! feelings creeping up, fo sho. Especially since most runners are local and I know friendships are feasible. Kim. Just. Stop. 

Okay. Stopped. 

I am really happy I was able to fit this in to my run, and it’s always fun to get an age group placement!

Speaking of age group placements, Gina and I were talking about them last week (she just placed third in her division at a race!!!), and about how much they depend on the race and who comes out that day to run. I mean, obviously, that is how it works, right? Ha ha. 

But, the topic it’s just fresh on my mind, and it got me thinking. I am not too speedy so age group placements happen for me at races with low amounts of participants*****. And even then… low participants does not = slower than YOU participants. Ha ha. 

So, age group placements are super cool and make me feel good and all that, but it’s just a snapshot in time of that specific race, and my performance on that day. I know it doesn’t mean I’m speedy, in the grand scheme of things. It makes me feel good. It makes me excited. Okay, it even makes me feel a bit special. But does it make me feel talented? Nah. I don’t put that much effort in to my running! 

And this all sounds like I am trying to diminish the placement. I am not. I am jazzed about it. I think people should be when they get one (or when they run at all or do whatever sort of exercise they like). A placement is a placement. It doesn’t need to be followed with, “I was the only one on my age group,” “not many people showed up,” (*cough* guilty *cough*) “I tripped someone then took their spot.” People should be proud of their accomplishments!

But! I am also a realist, and have just been thinking about how a placement does not equate to running skillz for me. Middle of the pack, for eva!!! Ha ha. 

(Also, when I place, and it’s not a PR, I am always thinking, “Well, I know I could do better than that at some point!” Again – snapshot of THAT day. I am not in PR shape!)

A placement DOES mean that I have one more medal to put on this bad boy! It’ll be awhile before the rack on the left looks like the one on the right!

Oh! Before I forget! Three other thoughts:

1. Love the race shirt!

2. During the second mile I had to use my mantras “push” and “pump,” as in, pump your arms. Pumping my arms usually helps me pick the speed back up in my legs. Usually. Do you have any tricks or mantras that help you pick if up in a race or workout?

3. Super awesome that they had a photographer there and that they put the pics up on Facebook today!

*Well, the race is technically in Round Lake Beach. I live in Round Lake. Literally close enough.
**This race benefits the Special Olympics.
***I wore that race shirt to bed Saturday night for good luck. Buah ha ha.  
****Partner in crime
****Or if there is no one else in my age group, ha ha. 

Comments (41)

By kilax, September 9, 2013 6:49 am

Have you ever read a blog you felt had a particularly hostile/negative (pissed off?) tone? Did you keep reading it? Was it this blog? (I kid, I kid… I hope)

I’m not talking a random rant or “woe is me” post. We all have bad days (weeks? months?)!

I’m talking about the blogs where the person seems to find the negative in everything. There’s always something.

It’s odd this bothers me so much – I highly value honesty over a false illusion of it always being rainbows and unicorns.

But damn. Sometimes I’m just like, “Really?! Everything bothers you!”* 

Then I can’t read the blog anymore (just like I can’t stand these peeps irl). I start to pick up on every, single, dang, little negative thing.

That seems unfair. Maybe I don’t “get” the blogger?

Maybe I don’t want to?

Of course, I was thinking about this in the whole “spot it, got it” respect. I’ve had people tell me I’m negative. I don’t think I am.

Yet, I wrote a post last night saying using the word “marathon” in a road distance that isn’t 26.2 miles bothers me. I have a race report coming saying I don’t think age group medals mean anything for me (but that it’s a lot of fun to get them!).

Those could been seen as negative turn off posts to others, whereas to me, I’m thinking I’m just starting a convo and there’s always a possibility my views could change.

And sometimes I wonder if what I think is sarcasm or me being funny (well, trying) comes off as negativity. 

Hmm. 

What’s the point of this post? Eh, just me saying negativity irks me. But dishonesty does more, so while I consciously try not to be negative, being honest always wins. Here, anyway. 

Stay tuned for a post about being honest in social media versus fabricating the best version of your life. 

Just kidding, I’m not going to write that post.** 

Or maybe I will! It’s hard to get me to shut up. 

*And I often honestly worry that the person is very unhappy with life.
**And that is the advantage (fun?) of social media, anyway!

Comments (50)

By kilax, September 8, 2013 9:50 pm

The reason I asked the question “What is worse – being called a jogger or hearing someone call a 5K a “marathon”?” in the 10QRQ is because I knew someone who would tell people they’d run a marathon. When in fact, it was a 5K. Only, they weren’t lying – they really didn’t get when races are called marathons. They didn’t know it was a specific distance.

And I suppose titles like this don’t help:

I saw this as part of an ad for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Cleveland race. “NEW 3.5 MILE MINI MARATHON ADDED.”

Hmm.

I don’t mind the random race distance – that’s fun! But the title gets me. Ha ha, it made me crazy last year to call the Allstate half by its official name – the Allstate Life Insurance 13.1 Marathon. Why couldn’t it be “Allstate Insurance Half Marathon”?

And it seemed weird to call the Ironman relay we did “Ironman 70.3 Kansas.” Instead of Half Ironman Kansas. 

Hmm. So for someone who doesn’t seem to know much about words, why do I care?!

I don’t know. Maybe because I think it confuses people? And sometimes sounds… stupid? Ha ha ha. I suppose putting the race distance in the title does technically tell people how far the race is. There is no questioning there. And! The odd race name sure gets you to notice it! I mean, it worked for this Cleveland race, right? (only, it turned me off)

Does anyone else give a crap when they see the title “marathon” being used in a race distance that is not 26.2 miles?

Or should I just shut it? Ha ha. 

Comments (14)

By kilax, September 8, 2013 4:42 pm

Highlight of the Week: Hmm! Such a fun week, I don’t know what the highlight is! Bike riding with Steven was very enjoyable. Running with friends was awesome. Teaching the first Friday am class. Two races. Who knows!!!

Monday | September 2, 2013: rest
Tuesday | September 3, 2013: 8 m run (w/Adam)
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 54°/53°, Time: 1:13:53, Pace: 9:14 avg, Difficulty: mostly easy, Felt: great
Wednesday | September 4, 2013: 4 m run
Loc: Chicago, Temp: 68°/78°, Time: 40:23, Pace: 10:05 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Thursday | September 5, 2013: 6 m run (w/Bobbi) + teaching strength
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 69°/71°, Time: 1:00:10, Pace: 10:01 avg, Difficulty: medium/hard, Felt: out of breath!
Strength: Back to School 1200 Workout, Difficulty: easy (mostly observing)
Friday | September 6, 2013: 2 m run + teaching strength + 2.1 m run (w/Pete & Brian) + 7.7 m bike (w/Steven)
Loc: hood, Temp: 51°/51°, Time: 19:23, Pace: 9:42, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Strength: Back to School 1200 Workout, Difficulty: easy (observing)
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 53°/54°, Time: 20:56, Pace: 9:59, Difficulty: easy, Felt: like running more
Loc: Prairie Path, Temp: 81°/76°, Time: 44:37, Pace: 10.4 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: very happy to be cycling w/Steven
Saturday | September 7 2013: 17 m run (10.7 m (5-10 w/xaarlin) + Chicago Lung Run (6.3 w/Anne + Melanie))
Loc: Chicago Lakefront Path, Temp: 68°/71°, Time: 1:43:11, Pace: 9:40 avg, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: great
Loc: Montrose Harbor, Temp: 71°/76°, Time: 1:20:45, Pace: 12:54 avg, Difficulty: mostly easy, Felt: good
Sunday | September 8, 2013: 7.8 m run (4.3 m WU w/Bobbi + On the Run 5K + .4 m CD) + strength
Loc: Round Lake, Temp: 67°, Time: 45:03, Pace: 10:29 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: super sweaty
Loc: Round Lake, Temp: 67°, Time: 25:55, Pace: 8:12 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: strong then gassed at the end
Loc: Round Lake, Temp: 67°, Time: 3:52, Pace: 9:45 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Strength: circuit, Difficulty: easy, Felt: okay

Notes:

• Gah, what a difference cooler temps make! My Tuesday morning run felt so easy, and it was at a faster pace for me. Thank you, 50 degree temperatures. Now… let’s just keep them dropping… ha ha ha. Next week, not looking so great.
• It was so nice to go on a bike ride with Steven on Friday night! And then follow it up with Asian food take out. Ha ha.
• And! Fun to run with so many people this week! I am spoiled! I wasn’t expecting to run with xaarlin on Saturday, and that was great! Especially since she is probably pacing me for a marathon in November…
• My mileage the past few weeks have been a bit over 40, and I keep thinking, “I wonder if I will get to 50 soon!” Derp. Then I realized, if I counted Sunday- Saturday instead of Monday-Sunday, I would be at 54.1 for the week. Ha ha. If you count weekly mileage, from which day to which day is it?
• My strength classes this week were almost 100% instruction. Most of the time, the class is following me and I (selfishly) get a workout too. So, I decided to do a little strength workout in the studio Sunday after a consultation with a new client.

Comments (12)

By kilax, September 7, 2013 2:36 pm

Today was the Chicago Lung Run!

You know, the one Anne has been working her butt off for, doing MAJOR fundraising?!

I am so happy that I got to be on her team this year, and do my little part in fundraising. In the end, Team Take My Breath Away raised $2160 – mostly by Anne’s efforts! That, is amazing. 

I felt like I should have been more reflective during the race, thinking about lung cancer patients… but I just couldn’t stop thinking about how amazing it is that the team raised so much money for lung cancer research and awareness. The race felt like a celebration of everyone’s hard work, to me. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who donated!!!

Have you ever participated in non-required fundraising for a race?

I felt so good after the race, I decided to go home and register for two more races. Ha ha ha. 

Oh, and that was “felt so good” as in, spirit-wise. Ha! Not race performance wise! I had a fun time running the race with Anne and Melanie (and seeing Ian!), but I think I messed up my fueling during my warm-up run (part of which I ran with xaarlin!!!) and I had a little mini crash during the 10K where I had to quickly eat two GU then find water. But! I felt better after that!

This is a fab race and I hope I am able to do it again next year! It feels really good to support a cause so important to Anne. And really, this cause is now important to me, and I hope other people joined teams to support their friends/family and now feel the same way. 

Comments (33)

By kilax, September 6, 2013 6:43 am

Heh heh.

This is out of context, because there is no context… no particular instance made me feel like writing this (well, besides a conversation with Kelsey). But! The post flowed right out, so that means, I post it. Even if it makes me sound crazy. I promise I am not (in this regard). I just like to be honest, and share the feelings I sometimes have. Because more often that not, SOMEONE can relate!

I consider myself a mature person. I am not jealous. I don’t get caught up in comparisons. I try to avoid drama. I don’t have FOMO (fear of missing out). I feel secure with who I am. I am happy. 

But, gah. I am POSSESSIVE!

Of what? My things? No… I am very good at sharing my stuff. I am generous. 

I am possessive of my relationships. 

Okay, okay, I will say it. I am possessive of my friends. Ha!

I am not that bad. I promise! 

But the feelings are sometimes there. 

I think it’s my friends’ fault, not mine! They are so awesome, I don’t want to share them! I want 100% of their awesomeness all for myself! Yep, that’s it!

Really though, it’s not a feeling I have that often. Just from time to time, I want someone all. to. myself. 

Which sounds creepy. But I promise I don’t have anyone tied up in my non-existent basement.

I think this weird feeling goes back to not really having ANY close girlfriends until the past several years. So when I get close to someone, it feels so special! And in a world where none of us are really unique or actually special… it feels good to have that connection with another person. But NO, they CANNOT have it with anyone else!

Ha ha, I am totally joking. I feel like I have lots of connections with different people, so why wouldn’t everyone else? And I am involved in lots of groups – bloggers, running clubs, and so on – there are going to be cross relationships between lots of people! 

But that logic doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes get that emotional gut feeling of, “I want you all to myself! I don’t want to share you!”

So… maybe I am immature? Maybe I can’t share after all?

Do you ever feel like you don’t want to share your friends?

(when I write the question out in bold, there is no denying it – it does just sound crazy)

This probably just has to do with not wanting your friends to like someone more than they like you (see: “maybe I am immature” above). Which is da-umb, since we have talked about how we have different situational friendships in our life. And so what if we are not #1? You can still be a good friend without that title. But maybe that is just an instinctual feeling… maybe?

Data says the only way to avoid these feelings it to be friends with no one. And sleep all day.

Comments (32)

By kilax, September 5, 2013 6:27 am

• The Chicago skyline looked much better during yesterday’s lunch time run, compared to last week’s! 

• I’ll be on the Chicago Lakefront trail again this week! I am running the Lung Run 10K with Anne and plan to run a bit before and after to turn it in to my long run. So I can sleep in on Sunday. Ha ha. Anyway. Maybe I will run in to a few of you out there…? Have you ever turned a race in to part of your long run? The last time I did this (that I can remember) was training for the Chicago Marathon in 2010!

• Speaking of the Lung Run… I’ve mostly been bugging you guys to donate to Anne’s donation page this summer, but I have one too, if you want to make a donation! Donations benefit the programs of Uniting Against Lung Cancer. UALC is dedicated to funding innovative research and raising awareness to find a cure for lung cancer. 
• More money talk (heh) – the Wisconsin North Face Endurance Challenge is coming up in two weekends (September 14-15) and spots are still open! There is a 50M, 50K, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, 10K and 5K. I am running the half with my favorite cat lady. You can use code KSKAFF13 for 15% off!!! North Face sponsored my entry to the half – a huge thanks to them!
• Also… I have a code for my FAVORITE race, the Wisconsin Half Marathon and full again this year. Like last year, if 10 wonderful people use my code, I will get a free entry (full disclosure, yo). I think almost 100 people used it last year, which was pretty cool. Anyway, race registration opens September 15 and the code for $5 off is KIMSCODE. The race is May 3, 2014. I will put an ad up in the side bar closer to when registration opens.
• The 5:00 am group strength class starts tomorrow morning! Yee haw! I’ve kind of been overdoing it with the early mornings lately. I try to wake up early to get everything in each day – a workout, work, time to help Steven with packages, time to teach class, time to hang out… we’ll see how much longer this lasts! I may have to make Thursday a “sleep in” (until 6:20 am) sort of day so I am totally fresh for the Friday class! Sigh. I am discovering (duh) that it’s hard to fit in teaching and my workouts, and life, and work. And duh. Duh de duh. 
• Thanks to everyone who filled out my 10QRQ yesterday! It’s fun to read your answers! 

Other Random Thoughts Thursday Posts: 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, XXXVII, XXXVI, XXXV, XXXIV, XXXIII, XXXII, XXXI, XXX, XXIX, XVIII, XXVII, XXVI, XXV, XXIV, XXIII, XXII, XXI, XX, XIX, XVIII, XVII, XVI, XV, XIV, XIII, XII, XI, X, IX, VIII, VII, VI, V, IV, III, II, I.

Comments (44)

By kilax, September 4, 2013 12:49 pm

10 Question Running Quiz!

Ha ha. I wanted to ask the first two questions, but that seemed a bit lame so I added 8 more. 

Feel free to copy and paste your answers below or on your own blog… or to just mark this as read. Ha. 

1. Who is your running shoe twin?

You know, who wears the same running shoes as you – whether it’s someone you know… or someone famous!

I know that Emily and Britt also wear the Asics GEL-Cumulus from time to time. Edited: And my bestie, Gina, wears them too! My newest (known) shoe twin is my mom’s mom. She tried on my running shoes at the end of June and said she thought they were really comfortable, so I ordered her the blue pair. She’s had bunion issues most of her life, and these are the first “regular” (non wide) shoes that feel great on her feet. She noticed that my pink pair have dark laces (and “hide the dirt better’), so I swapped her white laces out for blue ones. Hmm, what is next, a shoe charm?

2. When do you pause your watch on a run?

Lately I have seen friends pause their watch during a run if we take a walk break. This is interesting to me, because I don’t – I would rather track the mileage than worry about pace. But, I will pause my watch at an intersection, or at a bathroom break, or a water stop… which others have told me they don’t do. I NEVER pause it during a race. 

3. What is worse – being called a jogger or hearing someone call a 5K a “marathon”?

Shudder. Both. But the 5K “Marathon” is worse, to me. 

4. What is your preferred running shorts inseam length?

At least 7″. Lately, I am digging these (only, I buy them on Amazon, where they are $16 cheaper). 

5. Spitting when you run – gross or necessary or neither?

Absolutely necessary AND not gross, to me! Ha! A friend of mine was running an ultra and someone he met on course was offended when he spit. Really? At an ultra trail race?

6. What is more exciting randomly seeing a friend on a run, or hitting a goal pace/workout?

Randomly seeing a friend. 

7. What has been your worst running injury (something that happened on a run or something caused by running)?

ALL THE STRESS FRACTURES!!!

8. What is your perfect running temp?

35°F, or lower. 

9. Do you follow a running plan or make your own?

Make my own. 

10. Preference – treadmill, road, groomed trail, or technical trail?

Groomed trail. Never never never on the treadmill, for me. I ran on it once last year and once this year… that is enough. 

The questions for you to copy and paste (if you want):

1. Who is your running shoe twin?
2. When do you pause your watch on a run?
3. What is worse – being called a jogger or hearing someone call a 5K a “marathon”?
4. What is your preferred running shorts inseam length?
5. Spitting when you run – gross or necessary or neither?
6. What is more exciting randomly seeing a friend on a run, or hitting a goal pace/workout?
7. What has been your worst running injury (something that happened on a run or something caused by running)?
8. What is your perfect running temp?
9. Do you follow a running plan or make your own?
10. Preference – treadmill, road, groomed trail, or technical trail?