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By kilax, November 30, 2013 11:50 am

Running the COOL 5K last year with Bobbi and Gina was a lot of fun. The race is always the Saturday after Thanksgiving, at a wooded local forest preserve, on crushed limestone trails. COOL stands for Christian Outreach of Lutherans. Their mission is “is to give comprehensive assistance to families in need, by reducing hunger and homelessness while encouraging personal growth and self-sufficiency.” So both the proceeds and donations from the race support their mission. And I brought some donations this year!

Ha ha ha. I donated canned goods too!

So, small race, good cause and on trails? My type of race!

I had hoped to come back and do the 10K this year… I just wasn’t sure in what capacity. When I first started getting the emails from COOL during the summer I was thinking, “I can just stay in shape after my marathon and try to PR!” Then, I didn’t really do any speedwork for the marathon, and it took me awhile to recover from it, and I was all “Forget that race. I am not ‘racing’ anymore this year.” Then this week I somehow caught an end of the year racing bug and felt bummed about not doing a turkey trot on Thanksgiving. Geesh, Kim! Make up your mind! So this morning, I decided to do the 10K, after all. Hooray for race day registration!

Of course, I decided I should go for a PR effort (which would have to be average 8:12 pace or lower) even though I hadn’t trained. And on a crushed limestone course. With some slight inclines. On a windy day. This makes a lot of sense.

That “effort” lasted two miles. Ha ha ha! Then I decided I needed to slow the heck down if I wanted the race to not entirely suck. It’s funny, even though I was running fast for me, I am not sure if a 10K has ever felt like it’s taken so long! Maybe because I was by myself for most of the race? When we FINALLY reached the turn around, I commented on how relieved I was to see it to the men behind me, and they didn’t share my sentiment. Ha ha.

The nice thing about the turn around was that it was a somewhat out and back and I could see I was second woman overall and that gave me some motivation to not slow down tooooo much in the end.

My official time was 52:27 for a avg 8:27 pace (updated: results changed to 52:46, 8:30 pace). I did end up being second overall, and first in my age group. Luckily, the woman who beat me was not in my age group (as she got first overall and first age group, and they only did first place for 10 year age groups <– if that sentence makes any sense), so I received a placement medal, which is always fun.

Lessons learned: Kim, if you are going to bull shit a race (not train), do a 5K, not a 10K. And when you bring arm warmers, trust your instinct and wear those instead of your UA ColdGear. Gah. I was too hot!

I am proud to say that I kicked butt on running the tangents. The trail is a but curvy in spots, and I made all the right running path choices. Must have been annoying to anyone trying to pass me. It probably seemed like I was trying to block them!

And! It was fun to see some people out there from Efit kicking butt on the trails too!

And (one more thing)! I love that they give out head gear instead of a tee. Last year it was a stocking cap, and this year, a headband. So useful!

I hope to do this race again next year – it’s well organized and the people who put it on are super nice. Maybe I should just train, if I plan to have a pace goal. Ha ha. Nah.

Comments (12)

By kilax, November 29, 2013 6:32 am

One of the (many) things I love about the studio where I teach is the close-knit, family atmosphere. We keep our group classes smallish – about 8 people max. You have the opportunity to sign up for weekly classes in month blocks  (which most do) or drop in from time to time. You get to know the people with whom you’re working out. Better yet, I get to know the students. I become familiar with their strengths and weaknesses, their favorite “mode” of workout, what kind of music they prefer… even though it’s a group class, I get to make it somewhat personal.

I’ve been thinking lately about how lucky I am to work at Essential Fitness (Efit). To have a job I really look forward to and enjoy, to spend time with what I consider my “workout family,” to build people up and to build relationships. To have flexibility to design/customize workouts to what my students and I prefer/enjoy. 

I know. So cheesy. 

Along with that cheesy thinking, I have wondered what it would be like if I taught at a gym that was set up different. Or, maybe just more traditional – certain types of classes offered at set times and people drop in as they please. There would be “regular” students, but I wonder how deep you would get to build that relationship, if you didn’t really know who was going to show up each night. Just something I have wondered! Both types of set ups have their perks!

If you take a strength or fitness class, what is the atmosphere like? Do you feel like it’s your “workout family” and you’re building relationships?

Even though I have 2-4 races left this year, I am getting REALLY excited about doing my 2013 Racing Statistics Infographic! If you are done racing for the year or want to get an early start on yours, check out my post from last year for a template to get you started!

Comments (20)

By kilax, November 27, 2013 6:22 am

Don’t worry! This is not a how-to… as usual, I am just asking you guys what you think!

The other day I posted this on my personal Facebook page:

Update: a lot of gifts are ordered. I am getting there! And Anne said she would help me wrap gifts in late December. Schweet!

It was kind of weird that I posted a link to my blog on my personal Facebook page, which I don’t think I’ve ever done before. I like to keep the two Facebook pages separate (for work privacy reasons, and to avoid content duplicity). 

But a lot of people post their blog links on their personal Facebook page, or post the same content on their personal page and their blog page. And I imagine some people post the same content across all platforms (blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… what else is there?).

So I was just wondering, if you use more than one social media platform, how do you decide what to post, where? 

I keep my blog to one-topic posts (unless it’s Random Thoughts Thursday) that I have a bit to say about. I use my Facebook blog page to link to those posts and to post little things that I won’t blog about, or share links. So, I think of the Facebook page as supplemental “content.”

And my personal Facebook page… sigh. I would really like to go off Facebook, but I keep it going because I use it so much for my work as a personal trainer at Essential Fitness. And actually, my issue is separate from the question I asked above (ha ha, oops), since I am only on two platforms – the blog & Facebook. I struggle with what to post on the same platform. Since I started a Facebook page for my blog in June of 2012, I sometimes have a hard time deciding what to post there and what to post on my personal page. I try not to double post too much. Or if I post about the same thing on both, say something different or use a different picture. 

And yes! This post is completely hypocritical because I am doing exactly what I said I try not to – recycling “content” someplace else! Ha ha!

As always, this blog and the social media stuff is just for fun. I am not losing sleep over all this. Just wondering what your thought process is behind it all, if you use the same platforms – or especially if you use more! And since I obviously overthink everything, this post will probably help you understand why I stick to two platforms!

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By kilax, November 26, 2013 6:29 am

I was driving past a high school last night and they had a big neon sign near the street that flashed “Be a defender,” then, “Not a bystander.”

Right away, I got that this was a bullying reference – a simple reminder to speak up when you see someone being bullied, and not just stand by, watching. What a great reminder, even if it’s easier said, than done. 

And while I saw this sign at a high school, and it’s obviously very important to teach kids about bullying, I don’t intend for this post to be about children. Because… I don’t have any, so what the eff do I know? Ha ha. What I was really thinking when I drove by that sign, was that while it was at a high school and was aimed toward kids, what a great reminder it is for random adults driving by, like myself. 

A great reminder for adults who are experiencing bullying (because while it may be more likely to happen in a school environment, that doesn’t mean it stops then) or, who just need the reminder to speak up, and defend something. Defend your principles, defend a company’s culture, defend your choice! 

I think we sometimes do need that reminder! A reminder that it’s okay to voice what you want, or that you are unhappy/uncomfortable with a situation. It doesn’t mean you will always get what you want, but it sometimes feels better to know you voiced your opinion.

Ha ha. And I am not trying to encourage being argumentative. Just speaking your mind, when appropriate, so you feel at ease with the situation you are in.

And that… is what I got out of seeing a flashing sign at 8:00 pm last night. Ha ha. 

Are you likely to speak up when you feel uncomfortable with something?

I am (unfortunately?) outspoken at times, and this actually got me in a bit of “trouble” last year. I wish I could share that story!

Comments (41)

By kilax, November 25, 2013 12:10 pm

A daily running streak, that is.

I’ve seen a lot of people pledging to do the Runner’s World Running Streak – run at least one mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day – and asking if others are going to join them. 

From the Runner’s World site:

We know how easy it is to fall off the running wagon around this time of year. If you’re a training-plan devotee, you might be in the dead zone—your fall goal race is over, but it’s too early to start a plan for your spring goal. If you’re more of a free spirit—you run how far you feel like running, when you feel like it—you might skip a run (or two, or several) after a late night at a holiday party, a day spent braving crowds at the mall, or a long trip to see far-away family.

The streak is a great idea if you fit in to the categories mentioned above – off a plan and feeling lost, or worried that you won’t fit the miles in with the busyness of the season. Or! For anyone looking for a fun challenge. And I think it’s smart to have one mile “rest” days, as they recommend. 

But I don’t think I will be doing it this year, based on what I learned about myself from the running streak I did last year. 

In 2012 I ran every day from December 1 – January 2. I decided to start it on December 2 because I had already run the first two days of the month, and why not keep going? I was also hoping to get more miles in than November*. I was originally just going to run at least a mile a day, but then Slowing Tri-ing set up a 5K a Day Challenge for December and I joined that. And looking back at my posts about the challenge, you would think I would be doing it again this year:

• My body felt great and I thought running less overall was helping with my plantar fasciitis (which I have had NO symptoms of this year, woo hoo!). 
• It was easy to fit in a short 5K every day, instead of my standard 5+ miler. 
• It helped me stop obsessing over weekly mileage (which was something I really needed).

 But there were some not so good parts about it:

• Runs became less memorable. 
• I found it annoying to run every day. 
• I missed my long runs.** 
• I had to buy new shoes because running on them every day seemed to wear them down quicker (I wonder if I wasn’t rotating shoes as much then).  This was only a bad thing because it was so close to the holiday that the only shoes available in my style were the brand new, expensive ones. 
• It felt “wrong” not to run every day, when it was over. 

I think the big thing, which apparently I didn’t write too much about (?) was that when it was all over, I felt like I had really let go of my endurance, because I was running a 5K**, or not much more, most days. And that was my choice, of course. But in January, I was annoyed to have to build my endurance back up a bit. I like to be able to run 15 milers whenever I want. The way I did** the challenge didn’t keep me in that state. So. Anyway. 

I am hoping my December 2013 will be like a normal month of the year for me – run 5-6 days with at least one double digit run each week. Hopefully lots of fun in the snow. Rest days with no exercise. 

Side note: when I started running (and sticking to it) back in 2007 I found the month of December to be really challenging to fit workouts in. Of course, I was commuting three hours/five days a week, and actually going to stores to buy holiday gifts, and all that. It’s nice now, to have my time management figured out****, and to approach December without the worry of how I will fit it all in. I know I’ll get in what I want to get in!

Are you streaking this holiday season? Or planning out how you will make this busy time of year work for you?

*which typically ends up being a low mileage month for me, following an early November marathon
**I think it could definitely be more structured and still include “purposeful” running (you know, speed work, tempos, etc. – all that stuff I favor “junk” miles*** over), and I could have included longer runs. But once I  had the ” ‘only’ a 5K” a day mindset, that was often all I wanted to do. 
***Junk miles for me = I run for fun. 
****And a WAY more flexible schedule. 

Comments (13)

By kilax, November 25, 2013 6:24 am

Shh! I broke the “rules” at the Lincolnwood Turkey Trot on Sunday- I wore the race shirt to do the race!

It wasn’t planned, but it was absolutely necessary! Don’t turn me in! Ha ha. On the ride down to Lincolnwood, I realized it was 13°F out, 10 degrees cooler than my run the day before*. And I had been cold on the previous day’s run… while wearing more clothing than on my way to the race. Oops.

So when I picked up my packet and saw a long sleeved tech tee in it, I was excited to have another layer! I even had an extra pair of gloves in my car to layer up my hands, too**. I think I’m just going to leave some extra gear in the car for the future*** – I won’t always be that lucky! Do you leave any running gear in your car?

Anyway.

Erin has told me how great this race is in the past – especially how flat it is and easy for spectators to find their runners.  I’ve wanted to do this race for awhile and this is the first time it’s worked with my schedule! Anne showed me a deal to do it for a discounted price and we both signed up to do the 5k together! Erin ran the 10K, and my friend Kelly from Essential Fitness did the 5K too!

Anne, me and Erin

Me and Kelly

Thanks to Erin’s husband for the pics! Steven was planning to come spectate, but he’s sick. And standing outside in the cold seemed like a bad idea!

Lincolnwood is just north of Chicago, and the race start was super close to the highway, so it was quick to get to, and easy to find, with free parking. I loved that it didn’t start until 8:45 am and I got to sleep in until 6:30. Woo hoo! I don’t mind a race start at that time when it’s cold out****! And they had a sponsor tent and fire pit to hang out in and stay warm before the race. I actually got there a bit too early since it was such an easy drive so I just hung out outside until I saw my friends. I even used the race’s gear check. Normally I just throw my stuff in the car, but I wanted to keep my coat on a little bit longer this time. Ha ha. Anyway, it was great to have that service offered! I think they announced that it was the 38th year of this race, and they really have the organization down. 

Oh! The actual race! Hee hee. Our plan was to take it easy! I am coming off the marathon, Anne was recovering from the flu, and we just wanted to have a good time. We were successful! The sun was shining, the course was pancake flat, and the race went off without a hitch (even thought it was so cold that I almost slipped at the aid station because all the spilled water had turned in to slick ice! ha ha). The sad part is when it ended and we didn’t get to chat any longer. We’ll have to take more time at the next race/run. It’s just so nice to catch up with a friend by doing a race together. 5K’s just not enough! Or maybe I talk too much? Nah…

*But less windy, which does count for something.
**This walk to the car to change must be when I lost the sock? Who knows. Ha ha. 
***Or, I could actually go outside and see how warm I feel in my outfit before leaving the house. Ha ha. I just tend to dress really cold for runs and am usually okay. Not so much this weekend. Derp. It’s not like they announced 5000x on the radio how cold it was going to be, or anything. 
****In the summer that would be a deal breaker!

Comments (14)

By kilax, November 24, 2013 8:31 pm

Well, no lost sock story will EVER beat this one, but I thought this was funny.

After the race in Lincolnwood* today, I was walking back to my car and noticed one pink SmartWool sock on the ground. “That’s funny!” I thought. “Someone must have also run the North Face Endurance Challenge and gotten the same pair of pink socks in their goody bag. But why the heck would it be out here on the sidewalk?!”

Sigh. 

Flash forward to a few minutes ago, I am putting away laundry, and hmm, wow, only ONE pink SmartWool sock in the dryer. Is the missing sock stuck to a shirt? No. Stuck to a towel? No. In the dryer? No. On the path from the dryer to my closet? No.

Mutha F*@%#!!! That was MY sock! My freakin’ sock is probably still on the sidewalk in Lincolnwood. I pulled a coat out of the dryer to wear to the race this morning. The sock must have been stuck to the coat and fallen off during the walk to the race start or something. 

Hey! At least I know where the sock is, right? So I won’t lose my mind looking for it? Ha ha ha. 

You totally know I am going to email the race and asked if anyone turned in one pink sock. Ha!

What is the silliest place you have ever lost/left behind something?

*yes, 40 miles from home

Comments (11)

By kilax, November 24, 2013 2:58 pm

Highlight of the Week: So many workouts with friends! If only every week was this way! It’s so easy to get the workouts in when you’re meeting someone. 

Monday | November 18, 2013: 8 m run (w/Kelly) + teaching strength class
Loc: Grant Woods, Temp: 37°/36°, Time: 1:27:27, Pace: 10:56 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: adventurous – lots of trees down!
Strength: medicine balls, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great! had a lot of fun
Tuesday | November 19, 2013: 6.2 m run (w/running club peeps)
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 27°/26°, Time: 1:01:47, Pace: 9:58 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: okay/like I should rest on Wed.
Wednesday | November 20, 2013:  rest
Thursday | November 21, 2013: 5 m run (w/Kelly)
Loc: Savanna, Temp: 40°/40°, Time: 48:25, Pace: 9:41 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good!
Friday | November 22, 2013: teaching strength class
Strength: medicine balls, Difficulty: easy, Felt: sleepy (shhhhh)
Saturday | November 23, 2013: 6 m run (w/Bobbi and Sara)
Loc: Deer Grove FP, Temp: 22°/22°, Time: 1:06:18, Pace: 11:02 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good! cold! (ha ha)
Sunday | November 24, 2013: Lincolnwood Turkey Trot (w/Anne)
Loc: Lincolnwood, Temp: 13°/13°, Time: 38:31, Pace: 12:24 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great

Notes:

• Another week of easy recovery from the marathon! I feel like I am 99% back to (my) normal! I am itching to get some more running in, especially now that it’s so nice and cold out!
• Is anyone asking you for a holiday wishlist? What’s on yours? Running gear? I feel like I have all the things I “need,” but it’s fun to see all the new stuff out there.
• Anyone else doing a “Turkey Trot” in the upcoming week? I think the one I did today will end up being the only one I do. I have three “holiday” themed races in mind for December though. 

Comments (14)

By kilax, November 23, 2013 10:43 pm

Do you know what RPE is?

It’s rating of perceived exertion – how intensely you feel you are exercising on a numerical scale*, from extremely easy to extremely hard. It gauges your comfort level and how exerted you feel.

It’s individualized – your “hard” may be another person’s “easy,” or, their “extremely hard.”

RPE is a super useful tool, but I don’t want this post to be a personal trainer learning session, so I won’t get in to it. RPE has just been on my mind recently. We’re nearing the end of 2013. We’re getting close to the time when some people start making New Year’s resolutions related to their health. Right now, most people are probably focused on trying not to pack on the holiday pounds and whatnot, but I do know a few people already making some health-related lifestyle changes. And I expect to start hearing plans/goals from others soon!

Anyway, in speaking with these people, I am reminded of what an effort it takes just to start to make some changes. It’s not easy. Habits take awhile to form. We all know this. Blah blah blah.

But beyond that, it can be nerve wracking and intimidating to start working out. To go to a gym and feel like you are being judged. Or to try to eat healthier and have no idea where to start. To feel like a dork asking for healthier options at a restaurant.

I have always thought it is important to encourage any effort at a healthier lifestyle, but now that I am a certified personal trainer, I feel it’s even more important for me to do so, since I am a member of that industry.

So how the heck is this related to RPE? I just hope that we all remember, when we see others working out, that they are working out to their own intensity scale. Maybe they are working out at a “somewhat hard” level today. Maybe your “easy” is their “hard.” Whatever they are doing, they are there, and they are trying.

It’s soooo easy to compare numbers in fitness. Miles ran, pounds lifted, pushups done, whatever. It’s also easy with food – calories, food groups, omg you eat processed stuff?! Ha ha. We all have our data. But we don’t have to compare it one another. We shouldn’t. RPE, remember? Everyone is doing something different – something to their level.

So. Yeah. This seems completely out of the blue. I’ve just heard some worry from loved ones about being judged at the gym for how they look or not knowing how to do things. I would hate to have worry like that hold people back from living and feeling healthier! And I hope that those of us already out there would be encouraging to someone trying it out.

*There are two scales, each with its own range, but no point in getting in to that.

Comments (16)

By kilax, November 19, 2013 6:28 am

As in, do you tend to write with your gut or with your head?

Data writes with his butt. 

Well, you can probably tell from reading my blog that I write with my gut – I kind of just go with the flow, stream of consciousness style. I go back and edit and all that, but I try to keep the passion in whatever I was talking about. 

I am typically the same way with emails. Especially personal ones. I just fire away my response. At work, I try to do a better job of crafting my response. But… I tend to be pretty transparent.*

Anyway. 

I have gotten in to this bad habit of looking at my phone to check the time when I get up to use the bathroom during the night. What is wrong with checking the time on my phone? Well, I have emails pop up on my lock screen, and a few times in the past week I’ve seen an email in the middle of the night, then spent most of the night thinking about how I will respond. 

Sigh. 

It’s not like me to “worry” like this, over an email. I even took a whole DAY to respond to one of the emails. But I still responded with my gut feeling, just used some “head” logic in the response. At least, I hope. 

And… all this vagueness is not to be annoying! It just made me curious to ask you how you tend to respond, in written form. 

And we don’t have to be vague – I have just had some feedback on how I got my entry for the Naperville Marathon and what I wrote in the post about it, and I have been trying to respond with care. 

*I had previously written “Oops” here (You caught me EDITING!) but that’s not true. I want to be transparent. I don’t want to hide my true feelings and thoughts. I don’t want to be dishonest. I just have to be careful with my facial expressions sometimes… but that is not what this post is about! Ha ha.