Comments (29)

By kilax, May 14, 2014 6:19 am

What are the stories that your family/friends tell over and over? What situation are you in, that makes that story come up?

Steven and the fortune (cookie). This story will never die. 

It comes up almost every time we eat in an Asian restaurant (derrrr) with his family. 

First, a little back story. Steven is meticulous about everything the method in which fortune cookies should be claimed. When the waiter brings them to the table, don’t just grab one. Steven will tell you which one was meant to be “yours,” based on the cookie’s placement. (This makes him sound like a jerk, but it’s really just amusing).

And second part of the back story, Steven and I used to save fortunes that we liked, with the idea that we’d frame them or do something cool with them someday (yeah… that hasn’t happened). 

So. This was way back in the day. We weren’t even married yet. Early 2000s. We were eating at a favorite Asian restaurant in Steven’s hometown, with all of his family (six of us). 

The fortune cookies came out. I ignored the rule and just grabbed my cookie to eat. Everyone grabbed theirs to eat. 

We were reading our fortunes to each other, and I had a particularly fabulous one. The story would be better if I remembered what it said, but you will see why I don’t, in a bit. 

So we’re reading them, and after I say mine and talk about how fabulous it is, I say I am going to keep it and start to put it in my wallet. Steven says that it should have been his fortune. That I grabbed the one that was meant for him (based on the placement, and I am sure, whatever fabulous thing the fortune said). I argue back that it’s mine and I am keeping it. 

Then he grabs the fortune out of my hand, puts it in his mouth, and eats it. Claiming it was his fortune. 

Everyone at the table laughs hysterically. I was in shock that he would eat a piece of paper just to be funny, but I was laughing too. 

And that is the fortune story. You can see why receiving a fortune cookie (after you are told which is yours, of course) at a restaurant would trigger this story. And you can see why I can’t remember what the fortune said – I only had it for so long before someone ate it. 

The funny thing now, is that a lot of fortune cookies have eggs in them, so I don’t eat them if they do, and don’t really get fortunes anymore (and sometimes, fortunes are more like advice or a statement, and that is kind of lame). So I’ve stopped collecting the ones I like. 

Anyway. One more question. Hee hee. Do you get (sometimes get) annoyed when the same stories are told over and over? 

Ha ha. Sometimes it bugs me, to hear the same stories over and over when I have nothing to do with them. I know, that’s awful. Especially cause I know that I do that to other people. And I know that people are just reminiscing. But sometimes you don’t find the same things amusing/entertaining that other people did (and sometimes you do and don’t mind hearing it a few times). And you’re sick of hearing about it. Again. Ha. So tell me if I am doing that to you. 

Comments (14)

By kilax, May 13, 2014 6:21 am

Have you heard of Williams Syndrome? I ran across this article What Happens When You Trust Too Much (pdf here) in my news feed, and with a title like that, of course I clicked through to read it. 

Williams Syndrome is caused by deletion of 26 genes at conception, and has several telling characteristics, but this article focused on the behavioral components – extreme friendliness, social interest, empathy, and distraction – and how these components might affect someone with this syndrome in the workplace.

Work is an arena where relationships are forged, and alliances are built. The modern office is a test lab for social discretion, where we quickly learn who we can trust, and who we should avoid. But for individuals with Williams Syndrome, who often trust indiscriminately, this can be a problem.

The article spoke of how it’s easy for employees with Williams Syndrome to be taken advantage of, because they tend to have a decreased sense of social threat and they want to please others. So it wouldn’t cross their mind not to pay for someone else’s lunch (or loan them money, or work more or who knows what else). 

Well… this is a long arse intro to what reading this article made me think about – a movie I just watched. Ha ha. 

UPCOMING SPOILER ALERT!!!

Have you seen Nebraska? While it had some funny parts, I actually don’t recommend it. It’s too brutally honest. Too painful. You know that dreaded feeling of being forced to do something you don’t want to, but have to out of obligation? That is what watching most of the movie felt like, for me. I mean, there are some heart-warming parts, definitely, and the movie is done well, but mostly… it just made me feel sad about families. And Kim no like feel sad. 

Anyway, on to the SPOILER. The premise of the movie is that Bruce Dern’s character thinks he won a million dollars in a Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize, because of a letter he got from them in the mail. Everyone in his family knows it’s not real, but he insists it is, and keeps trying to walk from Montana to Nebraska to claim his prize. One of his sons sees how distraught he is over getting to Nebraska, and decides to drive him there. There is character development and all that, and some good ole father/son bonding, but in the end SPOILER RIGHT HERE when they get to the Mega Sweepstakes Marketing office in Nebraska, it turns out he did NOT win. The “code” in his letter was not a winner. 

So the son is talking to the receptionist in the office, asking if this happens a lot, and she tells him that mostly elderly people come in to claim their winnings. She asks if his father has Alzheimer’s. 

“No,” he answers, “He just believes what people tell him.”

“That’s too bad,” she responds. 

END SPOILER

Gah, that line made me feel so sad. First of all, that someone would say “That’s too bad” when you are talking about how trusting someone else is. And secondly, that, yeah, you can’t really be 100% trusting, all the time – whether it’s because of a syndrome you have, or because that’s just the way you are, or whatever reason. 

So. That is how my brain works. Read that article and it linked me back to that movie. Why I felt the need to share both here and not edit one out? Hee hee – I thought they were both interesting. 

But on to the topic of trust. I know people who are overly trusting in real life. Believe anything they are told, even if it’s clearly a scam. Incredibly nice people, but gullible in a very scary way. I remember a friend being outraged when they found out a scam they were told wasn’t real. I tried to be empathetic, but it was hard, as I recognized the situation as a scam from the beginning. 

I think in our digital era (*giggle*) it’s smart to be skeptical and question what you read online. But it makes the world feel so harsh, when you take that skepticism everywhere you go. When you start to second guess everything. When you don’t even make eye contact with people in the street because you think they are going to ask you for something. 

And I put that quote from the article about the workplace in this post because I absolutely believe that is what happens at work. I’ve told a few friends lately that I never understood the concept of people “having their own agenda” in the workplace. Like, how to do you have the energy to do that, outside of your assigned tasks? But wow, people really do. It sure is interesting, and yeah, you learn pretty quickly who you can trust. 

So, which is it, right? Believe what people tell you? Or not?

I’m sure for you, just like for me, it’s very situational, and very dependent on the person. Hopefully, we all get to lean more on the trusting side than not, though. 

Do you know anyone who you feel is overly trusting?

Comments (18)

By kilax, May 12, 2014 11:56 am

Does your profession have an accrediting/certifying/licensing organization? Are you an accredited/whatever member?

Every May, I pay to renew a membership that holds records of my architectural work history from a few years ago – in case I ever decide to use that work history toward becoming a licensed architect.

Every May, I pay the renewal fee, and think “Why am I still paying this? I don’t plan on becoming a licensed architect. I don’t want to become a licensed architect. I am not even sure I want to stay in architecture!”

Every May (and throughout the year), I wonder how the heck we expect kids to know what field they want to be in when they leave high school. To choose which major to study. With sometimes no experience in that field at all. Just a thought, “I might like that.”

And you know, by June, I forget all about it, until the next May. Ha!

So, no, I do not have an architecture license or really participate in the architectural community. But I am certified for my other job! 

And while that will never be a full time job for me, I do enjoy it, and enjoy studying and keeping my certification up to date. So it must not be the process holding me back with my day job…

Comments (16)

By kilax, May 11, 2014 8:57 am

Highlight of the Week: Sleeping in on Saturday. 

Monday | May 5, 2014: teaching strength class + 3 m run (w/Bobbi)
Strength: Circuit, Difficulty: easy, Felt: okay
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 46°/44°, Time: 31:08, Pace: 10:22 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, a bit underdressed- oops
Tuesday | May 6, 2014: 3.2 m run (w/Kelly)
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 38°/38°, Time: 31:58, Pace: 10:00 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: okay
Wednesday | May 7, 2014: 4 m run (w/xaarlin)
Loc: Chicago Lakefront Trail, Temp: 50°/51°, Time: 39:46, Pace: 10:00 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Thursday | May 8, 2014: softball practice
Friday | May 9, 2014: teaching strength class + 4 m run + 23.4 m ride (w/Alyssa)
Strength: Circuit, Difficulty: medium, Felt: okay
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 71°/71°, Time: 44:48, Pace: 11:13, Difficulty: medium, Felt: out of breath/annoyed by the 24 mph winds
Loc: Prairie Trail, Temp: 65°/58°, Time: 1:58:53, Pace: 11.8 mph avg, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: good/happy to be on my bike
Saturday | May 10, 2014: rest
Sunday | May 11, 2014: rest

Notes:

• I’m happy I had Friday off to get some workouts in before a super packed weekend. Typically, I would wake up early to exercise before a day of weekend activities, but I just wasn’t feeling it. It’s probably good for me to get a normal night’s amount of sleep, every once in awhile, instead of trying to jam everything in! I’ve really felt like I’ve been burning the candle at both ends lately, so I think this will help.
• We all know I prefer the cold of winter for running, but I found another thing I like to do outdoors in the heat (besides bike) – play softball! I think it was in the high 80s on Thursday, but we had a breeze, and it felt great to be outside, practicing. Minus the dirt blowing in to my eyes. I will probably retract this statement when it’s in the 90s with no breeze. 
• I had a really fun bike ride with Alyssa Friday night! Riding with someone else made the (small amount of, ha ha) steep hills on the trail and 17mph winds feel like no big deal! And I was super impressed to watch Alyssa tackle a flat like a pro. I totally helped… by taking photos. And giving commentary like, “I think you are supposed to insert some random tip when you change a flat?”

Link to Training Week 237

Comments (34)

By kilax, May 9, 2014 6:37 am

Do you have a lucky number? What is it, and what is the story behind it?

For whatever reason, I have always been drawn to the number 33. Even in high school, I considered it my “lucky” (really, favorite) number. My team did not have enough players to have numbers that high though, so I went with 3:

We picked up our Cats with Bats shirts yesterday (I love how they turned out!) and as I was sending the photos of them to people, a few asked, “Why 33?”

I responded that it’s just always been my lucky number, and thought nothing more of why they were asking. 

Then this morning, when I was talking with teammate Pete about the shirts after our Efit workout, he asked why 33, and I told him, and he said his number was 34, based off of a favorite player. 

Oh. 

Ha ha. Maybe that is why people were asking?

So I have to google 33 to see what I should tell people I am basing this number on! Pete suggested Scottie Pippen. But I think since I know so little about sports, I should probably just keep saying it’s my lucky number. Hee hee. 

Comments (29)

By kilax, May 8, 2014 6:12 am

• Today is the last day to enter Rachel‘s Running to Remember Raffle for the Alzheimer’s Association The Longest Day event. Check out those awesome prizes! Or! If you don’t want a chance for a prize, come donate on my page, here! Hee hee. 
• I’ve been reading RAGBRAI: America’s Favorite Bicycle Ride to get pumped (ha, like I need it) for Day 7 of RAGBRAI, and when Jen2 told me the author, Greg Borzo, would be speaking last Sunday, I was super excited I could attend (thank you to Andrew for taking me!)! And even more excited when I realized I had not one, but two books he’d written, to bring for him to sign. I really geek out over having authors sign my copy of their book… especially when it’s a book I love! Do you have any books signed by the author? Did you get them signed yourself, or were they a gift? Steven and I also went to see the author of Eating Animals speak, and he signed our copy.
  

• I have several things on my racing calendar, but RAGBRAI is the next big “event” I plan to make any goal for. And that goal? Ha ha, it’s pretty simple. Just to get healthy between now and then, lose some weight, and enjoy the ride. Specifically, not suffer on the hills. 
• Ha, you guys already know about our “leftovers rule” and we have some other silly house rules, too. Like, you can’t watch a movie on TV if it’s a movie you own (just play the DVD – commercials are painful). Do you guys have any (joke) “house rules”?
• The official Wisconsin Half Marathon photos are available. Now, I have to say, I completely ignored the official race photographers, since Steven and Tyler were there taking photos. And, um, seeing the official photos made me even more grateful that Steven and Tyler were there – there are not any (many?) good shots of me, or me and Kelly (not that I usually buy race photos anyway)! I can’t imagine how hard it is for the race photographers to capture everyone, let alone try to frame the shot, or get more than one person in the shot! Yay for personal race photographers!

• I am not sure if I ever shared a photo of the lenses that Steven rented for the race. One of them was really intense! Steven had to go get a monopod to use to support the lense during the race. And so his shoulder didn’t fall off (I mean, he is our team pitcher, after all! Gotta take care of him!).  

• I am healing up nicely from my fall! The hardest part now?  Bending my knee and not picking this.

What, your scabs don’t talk to you, too?

• Thursdays are typically the one weekday I don’t (usually) have an obligation to be anywhere (teaching, training someone, at my downtown office, etc.)… and I really enjoy that. Ha ha. Well, today is the last Thursday for that. Softball games start next Thursday and run for 10 weeks. Eek! Can’t wait to see how our team does!

Link to Random Thoughts Thursday 61

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By kilax, May 6, 2014 12:53 pm

When you have a goal pace for a race, what do you use to make sure your pace is on target? Your watch and brain? Mile markers and watch? A pace band? A pacer? Something else?

For races where I am pacing myself, or pacing someone else, I have gotten in to the habit of using a pace band*. Cause… my brain no work well when I’m pushing it. A pace band shows what overall time you should be at at each mile marker, so you know if you are on track. 

The first time I tried using a pace band was in 2011, at the South Shore Half. I found some site that provided mile splits by goal time, printed it out, covered it in tape, and wore it for the race.

It was successful! I used this method for multiple races following that one. 

Then, Races2Remember provided me with some custom pace bands for the NYC Marathon in 2011.

Their site is cool because you can choose a pace band specific for your course (slower splits on uphills, etc) and you can have it show slower warm-up miles, or all even splits, or negative splits, or whatever. And, the paper is made out of material that won’t bleed when you get it all sweaty. So you don’t have to do the silly cover it in tape thing. 

The pace bands were helpful at NYC, but I didn’t met my target – no fault of the pace band though, ha ha. 

But! I did find the site super useful and have used it a few times since. Um, not as a paying customer though. Shhh. I just chart it out, print it out, and yeah, cover it in tape. 

Well, I was getting kind of sick of dealing with the tape, and having it fall off, etc, so for the Wisconsin Half Marathon, I bought a silicone pace band, from pacebands.com.

I actually liked the silicone paceband a lot! It didn’t feel uncomfortable, and the big numbers were easy to read. That is what kept us on track for so long, and that is how I knew it was time for Kelly to go ahead at mile 9. Ha ha. 

So. Yeah. I could see myself using one of those again. The only bad part is you have to pay for them (about $9), ha ha. And you might not use them very much, if you have different goals each time you race. 

Psst, no one sponsored me or asked me to write this. I am just genuinely curious how you guys pace yourselves!

*Typically half marathons, haven’t used one for anything shorter. 

Comments (14)

By kilax, May 5, 2014 6:06 am

Highlight of the Week: Helping Kelly meet her goal at the Wisconsin Half Marathon!

Monday | April 28, 2014: teaching strength class + 4.25 m run (w/Bobbi, Dawn & Kelly)
Strength: Circuit, Difficulty: medium, Felt: good
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 44°/45°, Time: 45:10, Pace: 10:38 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, nice to run after class!
Tuesday | April 29, 2014: rest
Wednesday | April 30, 2014: rest
Thursday | May 1, 2014: 3.7 m run (w/xaarlin & CB) 
Loc: Chicago Lakefront Trail, Temp: 43°/43°, Time: 35:51, Pace: 9:41 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Friday | May 2, 2014: teaching strength class
Strength: Circuit, Difficulty: easy, Felt: okay
Saturday | May 3, 2014: Wisconsin Half Marathon + softball practice
Loc: Kenosha, Temp: 47°/47°, Time: 2:06:53, Difficulty: medium, Felt: strong at the beginning…
Sunday | May 4, 2014: rest

Notes:

• Well, I really thought softball practice would be a gentle form of active recovery from Saturday morning’s half, and keep me from feeling too awful Sunday… nope. I woke up feeling completely wrecked. Not so much my muscles, but weird spots along my body from where I fell. Yay. I have a scab on my knee that feels uncomfortable when I walk. I keep thinking, how the heck did I run around covered in scabby knees when I was a kid? Ha ha. 
• Softball practice was really fun, again. My brother-in-law, Andrew, was able to join us. I wish he lived here so he could be on our team! Maybe next year!
• Even though my training recap is probably (hopefully?) the most boring thing you will read from me all week, it’s the post I have the most fun putting together, since I get to do a little collage and add links and stats and other fun (to me) stuff. It’s the only place I track all my training, and I actually reference it, a lot. Ha ha – this past week, I was looking back to last year see how I tapered for the 2013 Wisconsin Half and I couldn’t find the post! It was a draft I never posted (moody week), but I at least had the data! Do you go back and reference your training posts?
• Xaarlin let me run with CB for a bit during our run! So fun! I have always wanted to see what it was like to run with a dog (where I am holding the leash).

Link to Training Week 236

Comments (49)

By kilax, May 3, 2014 5:33 pm

New pro racing tip! Don’t jinx yourself days before the race:

Look at me and Kelly, being so smart, discussing race strategy ahead of time so no hard feelings/disappointment come on race day. Look at me above, mentioning I might fall.  Look at me below, all bloodied up and dirty during the race:

Ha ha. 

But. That is not what this race was about! This race was all about Kelly going sub 2:00! That was all I cared about. Kelly shared her training plan with me early this year, and we tweaked it together, planning how she could get in just below 2:00. Her goal wasn’t to go all out blazing, but to run her first sub 2:00 and feel good finishing. We trained together a lot – in crazy weather, at crazy early hours, at crazy paces, when we were feeling crazy…

And she was successful! I am so proud of her! But, I didn’t get to see her finish. Which was a previously discussed contingency plan. Just one I hoped we wouldn’t have to execute!

Like every other year, the Wisconsin Marathon and Half had really decent weather. All week it was cool, rainy and overcast. I was so hoping for those conditions for race day, as the sun seems to be my kryptonite, and this course is not shaded. We got the cool (low 40s and 15 mph wind, yay) but not the overcast – really sunny. It was cool by the lake at the start, but even as we were in the starting corrals, I ripped off my arm warmers and was happy to be in shorts and a tank. And I got really warm on the course. I am happy it was not warmer!

Kelly and I had a set plan – use the crowded-ness of the first few miles to keep us from going out too fast (aiming for a 9:09 pace) then Kelly would pick it up in the last few miles, as she has a great finishing kick (and I hoped I could hang on). 

And like I mentioned above, apparently also in the plans, falling. Like, in the first 3 minutes of the race. The ground was a bit slick (I fell in an area similar to the photo above) and I completely wiped out. Scuffed up my knees, hands, got dirt all over my shorts, tank, bib, and sunglasses. Ha ha. Kelly and a very nice gentlemen helped me up, and I tried to brush/laugh it off… but my hands swelled right away and felt weird. Anyway. 

We stayed right on plan for the first 7ish miles. Good pace, not running too fast, pumping our arms on the uphills, cruising on the downhills. Not talking too much, but smiling and feeling good. It was really fun to see Steven and Valerie‘s husband, Tyler, who was helping Steven take photos. 

I had fun joking around with Kelly, telling her not to wave her arms so excitedly at her husband and to save her energy. Ha ha. We were doing great. 

Until, I wasn’t! Ugh. At mile 9, which is in the middle of a “hilly” out and back, my wheels started falling off. Kelly got ahead, and I yelled at her to keep going. I knew I wouldn’t catch her, and stopped to give her husband my pace band (to give to her). And stopped some more with other spectators to ask how she was doing. And looked all over for her at the last out and back and yelled as much encouragement as I could. And kept thinking about her and hoping she would get her sub 2:00. 

I felt bad, and almost cried when I hugged Kelly at the finish (she got 1:59:39! my time was 2:06:53 – lots of screwing around in the last few miles*). But she was happy with her time and said she was grateful I kept her from going too fast in the beginning so she wouldn’t die in the end. And that made me feel better. As did her taking me to the medic tent to get cleaned. Ha ha. I never stopped during the race to get my wounds cleaned. I didn’t at my trail 50K** (where it’s totally acceptable to fall, unlike a road race), why would I here?!

But sigh, I’ve really been a shit pacer this year. Time to get my shit together. Hopefully?!

Anyway! As usual, it was fun to see a zillion people I know doing this race! A lot of my multisport club:

people I’ve met through my running club:

blogger buds like Bobbi,  Rachel (pictured), Valerie, Anne, Erin and Bethany:

and, like the last two years, Andrew (Steven’s brother) ran the race, and my father-in-law came to spectate:

The Wisconsin Half Marathon is always such an emotional and hectic day. So many friends with amazing goals, just trying to see all those friends, sometimes pacing someone… I can’t wait to see what next year will bring. Gotta keep the streak alive! 

I’ve done this half every year since the inaugural – it’s fantastically organized, close to my house, and a lot of fun. Have you done any races every year since the inaugural year?

*Including a running club friend running by and telling me they wished they had my backpack, then me giving them a swig of it. Ha ha. 
**I did joke to Kelly that I liked battle wounds and loved that Dean Karnazes commented on mine at my 50K. Where were you today, Dean, huh?

Comments (23)

By kilax, May 2, 2014 6:06 pm

What kind of milk did you drink, growing up? And now?

Ha ha ha. I know! Soooo completely random. But I think it’s interesting to find out… we drank skim cow’s milk in our house as kids, so anything heavier than that always tasted extremely gross to me! But! I know that people who are used to 1%, 2%, or whole would think skim was n-a-s-t-y. Hee hee. 

Now I drink vanilla almond milk in cereal, or bake with it or soy milk. I am not the type to drink a glass of milk. It’s not appealing to me, and it upsets my stomach (even though it’s not from an animal). Even eating a bowl of cereal with milk gives me an upset stomach. Bizarro! Luckily, I can have small amounts of it in smoothies, baked goods, chai lattes, etc. TMI. Ha ha.