Comments (19)

By kilax, September 4, 2012 6:30 pm

Funny story. 

Maybe.

I was having a hard time deciding where to ride my bike today. “Ooo!” I thought, “I will ride my bike to the post office and see if I catch Steven there.”

On the way to the post office I was thinking, “Ooo, I will ride my bike to the post office, then Steven can give me a ride home in the car. Muah ha ha.”

Only he drove the Datsun. 

Dammit. 

We chatted for a bit, then we both went our separate ways. 

Well… I was taking a hard turn on to the bike path when my tires got caught in some ruts in the trail – 

Can you guess what happened next?

I went flying off my bike, landed on my left side, then crashed the back of my head in the to grass.* Ha ha. That did not help my beginning-of-the-work-week headache.

I laid there for a minute, deciding whether or not I wanted to keep biking, then called Steven. He asked if he should go home and get my car. Nah, “We’ll figure it out!” I said, “And if not, I’ll suck it up and ride home.”

We figured it out. 

And then I had my first ride in the Datsun! With a bike tire between me and Steven!

Kind of funny that I have NEVER ridden in either Datsun, despite having them in our garage forEVER. It was fun. I look forward to a ride without a bike crammed in there. 

I had to fix my chain when I got home (grease from the chain – I had my gloves on when I fell!)

but my bike is fine. My left leg and arm are scratched up, but nothing bad. 

I’m sure I will be back on my bike later this week setting myself up for more falls. Steven did say on the way home there is no way he is buying me a road bike.** Sniff sniff.

Do you think I need to replace my helmet since I landed on it in the grass and it did not crack?

Bobbi, don’t let this scare you from biking. You are not reckless and stupid like me. 

*Since I have le Garmin, I know I was going about 14 mph when I crashed. Too fast to take a turn? YES.
**Obvs, I will buy me one. 

Comments (22)

By kilax, September 4, 2012 6:46 am

One of the reasons I am really looking forward to cooler weather is because it’s been mostly sunny all summer, and that made me feel like I should be outside, being active, all the time. I feel guilty if I stay indoors (“being lazy”). However, I do not feel guilty if I stay indoors on a cool, overcast, gloomy day,* so bring more of those my way. 

What a twisted thought.

Does anyone else feel guilty when they do not maximize time outdoors when it’s sunny out?

Anyway, Labor Day was one of those sunny days. Sigh. WHERE ARE MY COOL TEMPERATURES?!

I ran in the early morning, spent some time around the house midday, then felt that need TO GET OUTSIDE again in the afternoon. 

Pair this need with this book my father-in-law gave me for my birthday, and you have one dangerous combination:

I now have this book**, which contains listings of 113 trails spread throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. I feel like I must visit all of these trails. I MUST! Gah – for some reason, when I see a trail, I just need to explore it. So this book is feeding a bad habit. 

Right now I am obsessing about the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in WI. You get to ride your bike through three carved rock tunnels on this 32-mile trail. Doesn’t that sound AWESOME?! The tunnels are so dark you need lights to see where the eff you are going. Thrilling!

I digress.

That trail is a little far from home – 180 miles – so unless anyone wants to make the journey with me anytime soon***, I’ll be sticking to the trails close to home. Which lead me to the Prairie Trail and Hebron Trail, both in McHenry County. 

I actually live on the edge of Lake and McHenry Counties, so it’s a bit of a shame I have not explored these trails before, especially since they are less than half an hour from my home. 

I got on the Prairie Trail in McHenry and rode it all the way to Wisconsin. It was paved for a few miles at first (yay!) then went to very compact crushed rock. I loved the open prairie portions, but adored the canopies of trees and interesting overpasses:

The trail reminded me a lot of the trail close to my parent’s home that I would sometimes ride on growing up. Another shame – that I did not realize how many trails were in my hometown until I moved****. But I digress again.

I could tell when we got close to Wisconsin because the trail terrain changed. 

I turned around and headed back to the Hebron trail (also crushed rock), which connects close to the state border. I didn’t ride the entire 7-mile trail – I was already 12 miles out from the car and didn’t want Steven to wonder why I was gone for so long. 

So I got a tiny little glimpse and headed back. 

I marked the two trails in my book, because I am a dork like that…

And I plan to mark up these pages A LOT in future!

Alright guys, it’s time to get real. There have been an ALARMING amount of biking focused posts on this blog this summer. First and foremost, I am a runner! Don’t let me forget that! I am counting on YOU to help me out!!!

*Although those tend to be the best days to run…
**Which I believe Matt recommended to me?
***Meet me there, Dad? 
****Really, years later.  

Comments (27)

By kilax, August 30, 2012 6:44 am

• We did some boxing last night in my strength class (click on the link for a video). My hands are still shaking this morning. Typing is difficult today. So bizarre.

• I have been consuming most all of my fruit in smoothie form lately. I brought a peach to eat today, and it just seems like so much work. Sigh.

• I mentioned in July that Runner’s World contacted me about using a photo that we took in their October issue.  I saw the October issue on the newsstand this morning and the photo was not in there. Worse, it seems that they reformatted their magazine… I’m not sure how to describe it. But it looked more like a fluffy/glossy health magazine, at quick glance. Anyone else notice this?
• Steven and I want to take a trip late this year to celebrate our five year anniversary. Let me know if you have any tips for inexpensive travel to wherever. We are open to all suggestions.
• Anyone have any fun Labor Day plans? I am looking forward to sleeping in!!!

Other Random Thoughts Thursday Posts: XIX, XVIII, XVII, XVI, XV, XIV, XIII, XII, XI, X, IX, VIII, VII, VI, V, IV, III, II, I.

Comments (23)

By kilax, August 20, 2012 4:59 am

Sad news. The schweet blue bike tires that Steven bought me for my birthday are not available yet anywhere in the US.

From biketiresdirect.com

The person at the bike shop asked me if I wanted them to put black tires on instead.

Ha ha ha. 

NO.

Now that I know there are blue tires out there, I will wait for blue. Steven said “When I saw the blue ones, I knew those were the ones I had to get you.” He knows me too well. Unusual bright color?! Yes, please!

So I wait. I wait for my schweet road tires that will make me exponentially faster on my bike. In the meantime, I am trying to make my bike more efficient in other ways.

Steven took my bike in for the tune-up he got me for my birthday. I picked it up last Friday and I could tell my bike was riding smoother just by pushing it out of the shop. Exciting! We went on a bike ride Saturday and it shifted and rode so nicely. Hells yeah!

I also had the shop add pedal straps to my bike. Because I haven’t fallen off yet and this is sure to do it. 

All joking aside, I am hoping the pedals will make my pedaling a bit more efficient… and allow me to pull, maybe a little. Because dammit! The faster I ride my bike to get to my french fries, the better!!!

I think 50% of my bike rides this summer have involved a mid-ride snack of french fries. While it’s not quite 100%, it’s a start. 

Only one bike ride has involved a mid-ride rope walk. Definitely less important than the french fries. Fun, but less important. Was it odd that I was the only adult waiting in a line of kids to do this, hmm?*

Was it odd that I wore my schweet new bike jersey for a 7-mile round trip ride? One of the people in this photo below thought so…

I think that person was just jealous that the bike jersey had THREE pockets in the back that could hold money, a phone, keys, napkins, candy, a piece of pizza… VIRTUALLY ANYTHING. 

Okay. Enough silliness. 

Do your bike pedals have straps/cages or are clip in?

Do all of the things you eat on your bike ride negate any calories burned, like they do for me?

No wonder I love biking so much!

*Ha! I meant for this to be a period, then “Hmm” as a sentence on its own, but as I proof-read it, this sounded more Yoda-ish. So me gusta. 

Comments (32)

By kilax, July 9, 2012 6:48 am

Awhile ago, Erin and I decided to spend this Saturday together (and our husbands conveniently planned to work on the project car together that same day!). We didn’t have any set plans figured out, so on Friday I put together a bike ride idea to send to Erin. I hit send, then refreshed my inbox, and got a proposed bike ride route from Erin! Ha ha. Some of our routes were even the same! Great minds think alike!

We ended up combining our two rides for a fun tour of four (five?) trails with some planned (and not planned!) stops.

Click to see larger

Not Planned:

Lemonade stand on a trail/road intersection. Not planned but delicious and absolutely necessary. The stand appeared to be run by a brother/sister team. I commend them for getting along. And being so polite and cute. 

Not Planned:

Red-Winged Blackbird Habitat Sign. Britt was recently attacked by red-winged black birds, and a I can commiserate, so I had to take a pic of this sign to send to her. 

Planned:

Chicago Botanical Gardens. This was Erin’s brilliant idea! There was an art show there this weekend, and we decided to check that out, as well as the gardens. It was a beautiful, three-hour stop on our ride! And funny thing is, our husbands were worried about us riding in the heat, but Erin and I noticed how pleasant it was when we were there. We checked the temp and it had dropped 10 degrees since we started! Lucky us!

The gardens are even more amazing than I recall. And it’s amazing that entry is free (it costs $$ to park – but not if you are on your bike!).

Click to see larger

Not planned:

Riding through Ravinia. So odd how the Green Bay Trail / Robert McClory Bike Path goes through parking lots. You feel like you are lost… until you get to the end of the parking lot and see signs for the trail again. We meandered through Ravinia, when people were arriving for a concert. I wonder what the show was!

Not planned:

Seeing Lake Michigan. We got off course but were rewarded with a nice view of the Lake!

Planned:

Beautiful Trails! We rode the Des Plaines River Trail, the North Shore Bike Path, the Skokie Valley Bike Path, the Green Bay Trail, and the Robert McClory Bike Path (which I thought was what the Green Bay Trail was, oops). The trails took us through a variety of landscapes – wooded, prairie, residential, commercial. It was fun to see it all!

Photo by Erin

Planned:

Pit Stops! Ha ha. I knew I would need to eat and drink a lot to feel energized (especially after a long run in the am) so when we came upon our turn back on to the North Shore Bike Path (which is not marked at all, see below), I busted out the fig newtons. 

Photo by Erin

Planned:

Finishing! 41 miles at just under 11.0 mph. Decent for me being on a mountain bike… and biking there and back in to the wind (how does it always turn out that way?). 

Now to explain that title. Who is the wannabe cyclist? Well, it’s not Erin! It’s me! My biking skills are very limited. Like I said, I have a mountain bike. I rejoice when I remember my bike gloves, and bring enough with me to eat and drink. I know how to put my chain back on when it comes off. I don’t have a pump for my tires and would not know how to fix a flat. I can’t even remember which wheel to put my lock through when I lock it up (the front one). I’m slow. I don’t have shoes that clip on to my pedals. 

But! I still love to ride! And I am up for crazy adventures like this! Erin and I had a ton of fun, and we are planning on doing it again. I really miss our long run time from last summer, where we chatted for hours on end and pushed each other through tough runs. This is a great alternative to that (and less painful!). 

And this was a new bike PDR (personal distance record) for me!

What is the furthest you’ve ridden your bike? Do you feel like a real cyclist or a wannabe cyclist?

Comments (31)

By kilax, June 20, 2012 6:35 am

I’ve been particularly aware of how sunny it’s been this year. I think it’s because I started running in shorts and a tank in March and immediately had a ridiculous tan (most noticeable on my legs).

Sno-Kone!

I am not as good as I used to be about remembering to wear sunscreen. And I don’t wear a moisturiser each day that has sun protection in it. Couple those two facts with me getting a lot darker than I ever do in the summer (and a lot sooner) and I have been thinking about seeing a dermatologist, just to be on the safe side. Ideally, the dermatologist would look at my skin and tell me if I have any moles to watch for changes… and maybe they would even do one of those cool scan things that shows how much you have damaged your skin by being an idiot and running for hours in the sun without sunscreen on?

Knowing me, I won’t go. I could at least start wearing sunscreen though.

Have you ever been to a dermatologist? Are you getting particularly dark this year too?

Comments (30)

By kilax, April 16, 2012 5:17 pm

Ha ha ha. The title is kind of funny, because Dates is our nickname for Data. I am not talking about senior citizens going on dates. I make me laugh. Moving on…

When my parents surprised me by visiting in March, my mom commented on how skinny Data is. I told her that Data is in perfect health and the vet has commended him on his weight for the past few years (after he lost a pound or two per the vet’s recommendation). I politely told my mother she wasn’t used to seeing a fit cat, since their cats are more… robust. 

Ha ha. 

But I did ask the vet during Data’s routine check up on Friday if we should be concerned about his weight. 

And yikes, I am happy we asked – Data has lost a pound over the past year. That’s 10%* of his body weight. We haven’t changed his diet. He’s been getting fed the same amount of food for the past few years. What is wrong with Dates?! 

The vet said Data is a senior cat now (at the old age of 8) and that thyroid issues are common for senior cats… so maybe Data has a thyroid issue. And maybe that is why he’s lost a pound. 

This was all a surprise to me! I didn’t think Data was “senior.” I think he’s a hyper little punk. 

Anyway, I am going to take him in next week for blood work (and a teeth cleaning, boo yah). Until then, he’ll be enjoying a bit more food at breakfast and dinner.

So there you have it. A lot of information about my cat that you never cared to read. 

Where does your pet fall on the health chart?

From here

I can say, Data is the only one in the family who has an issue with being underweight. But he might not be the only one with a thyroid problem! I found out recently that quite a few of the women in my family have thyroid issues. Could that explain why I hit the wall every afternoon, can’t stop yawning and feel like I could fall asleep at any moment? It surely couldn’t be my poor diet, or all the running I do… (<– sarcasm).

*Or something, I am not so good at math these days. 

Comments (23)

By kilax, March 6, 2012 8:53 pm

I had a surprise realization in kickboxing class tonight that I want to document, but don’t know how to without sounding obvious and judgmental.

Basically, I was doing all the kickboxing moves, feeling strong, when the thought flashed in to my head – “I would rather be strong and be able to do these moves, than be at too low of a body weight for me, not have any energy, and not be able to do strong punches and kicks.”

Now, my goal has never been to be stick thin. That… would just not look good on me. And I am happy with the way I look (except for some issues with a certain body part which is so unusual for me and really upsetting me that it is even bothering me). But the way I felt in class just reminded me that I want to be healthy, to feel healthy and strong. Not be healthy to get skinny. 

It was a good realization. Or rather, reminder. 

That’s all. 

Maybe not. It feels wrong to post without my standard picture(s) and question! So here are some pictures of acrobat cat, or, as I like to call him, Acrocat. 

It’s funny. Now that I have a smart phone I seem to be taking even more random photos, and using them later in blog posts… when I never planned to share them. 

Do you take photos with sharing them in mind? Or do you take them then later think, “I should post this!” (or “show to so and so”)?

Comments (29)

By kilax, February 11, 2012 12:55 pm

Ugh, I can’t stand to have a whiny, revealing post like that last one up on it’s own. So here’s some fluff.

For how long have skinny jeans been trendy? Really…? I just now bought my first pair, last night, so that I would not have to fold my jeans to get my boots on. 

When we left the store, I said to Steven “Skinny jeans make me feel fat!” He humorously responded, “Isn’t that why they are called skinny jeans?” and made me laugh. 

Actually, what I meant was, when I picked up the jeans to try on, I grabbed a size 10 and 12, because I have been fitting in to size 10 lately. I even said “I am not going to buy these unless the size 10 fits!” So when I had to buy the size 12, I was annoyed. 

But oh my freakin’ gosh, who cares and what does it matter? They are jeans that fit my body! Stupid clothing size number. I am going to leave this sticker on all day and wear it proud.

Okay, not really. I am not sure if Steven would take me out in public with a sticker under my butt! Ha ha. 

Do you own skinny jeans? Do they serve any other purpose besides making it easier to wear boots over your jeans?

Comments (29)

By kilax, February 9, 2012 4:43 am

Some of these bullets turned in to downer bullets (kind of funny after the last post). That is not a reflection of my actual mood!

• My head was in outer space last week, and I accidentally sent back our unopened Netflix DVD without realizing it (I thought it was one we had already watched). I was bummed on Friday night when I found out we didn’t get to watch Contagion since I sent it back. Duh. Has anyone else ever sent back their unopened Netflix movie by accident?
• We did get to watch Contagion on Tuesday night (Netflix sent it back to us). 
• Speaking of movies, Erin had a really fun idea for a rating system if I start to do movie reviews here. Maybe I will work on that at the end of the month!
• In case Monday was not already bad enough (after the canceled trip fiasco), I decided to ruin my phone by spilling a bottle of water on my wallet, which my phone was in. Oops. Actually, this doesn’t bother me too much – I was feeling anti-social anyway. The only bad part is that my phone was my MP3 player!
• The good news – I did take the canceled trip as a cue to take it easy and did not schedule any extra lunches, or evening plans this week. I have felt like I’ve had more free time. 
• Binge free February did not start out so well. I am really struggling and don’t like talking about it. I actually bought a food journal – something that has never worked for me in the past, but I am willing to give it another try! The journal came yesterday. It has a huge instruction section with weight loss tips, and it even comes with “stickers to conceal that you are using a diet journal” (see cover sticker that says that). I find the stickers very humorous. 

• Kind of related: I thought this article on mindful eating and Buddhism to be interesting. Put  your fork down between bites, think about what you are eating – so simple, but hard for me.
• Did I mention I have an assistant at work? But only when I work from home:

• What do you guys think of my “Random Thoughts Thursday” posts? This is just where I put all the little ideas that don’t deserve a whole post… but then it does get quite long!

Link Love:

• I loved Maggie’s post yesterday – “I’m Doing This For Me” – about the people in her life who question her running (is she running too much/why does she run so much/does she have time to run/etc.?!). Lately I have talked to a lot of people who are getting these types of comments about their running. It always surprises me when people are not happy for you when you tell them you are exercising.
• Gina finished the C25K program and can run for three whole miles! Check out her post here. I am so proud of Gina!!!

Other Random Thoughts Thursday Posts: IX, VIII, VII, VI, V, IV, III, II, I.