Sunday, January 24, 2010

Sunday sunday sunday!

MMM. Delicious dinner of shrimp, squash and sundried tomatoes over fusilli. Tasty. A tastebud-friendly end to a relaxing day.

Now... I'm thinking its time to decide my A races for the year. Grandma's and Pikes Peak? Hold out for NYC 26.2? Decisions, decisions.... On Saturday morning, Girls on the Run had a booth at Runners Edge. I've heard lots of good things about this group. I'm thinking it might be a good thing for me to try. I'd like to focus on running, getting faster and more comfortable out there. Besides, AQ loves it, so it must be worth a try!

In other news, I have some amazing friends that I must brag about. I had 2 wonderful Girls Nights this weekend, with my 2 separate girl groups, and left each evening feeling blessed by a few wonderful friends. The kind of girls you can trust, confide in and rely on. I must also mention a delightful happy hour from earlier in the week, with a sorority sister that I never really got to know before - but we bonded and connected on many levels and I'm interested in seeing where this friendship grows. That whole night felt like a scene from The O.C. and if you know me, you know how much I loved that show...

(PS. Dan is now in the dog house. It's a good thing he's recovering from a horrific bout with the flu or some equally horrendous virus so I can't hold it against him too long.)

(PPS. See, I'm already over it.)

:-)r

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

10 Commandments of Endurance

I just read this really cool article and had to share it with you...

There is, perhaps, no one more qualified to speak on the subject of endurance than 58-year-old Marshall Ulrich of Idaho Springs, Colorado. Outside Magazine once dubbed him the "Endurance King"--and for good reason. In 2008 he ran 3,063 miles across America in just 52-and-a-half days. That's equal to 117 marathons. He has won the Badwater Ultramarathon. four times. And he has climbed the tallest summit on each continent--a feat known as The Seven Summits.


A motivational speaker, Ulrich recalls being asked to address a group of Navy Seals in 2007.

"And I said to myself, 'What can I give these guys?' You know, for instance, they throw them out in the water and they're struggling for their lives…'what can they think about? What can I give them to help them?' The same thing holds true for our lives. What can we have in hand that will help us deal with things?"

That's when Ulrich wrote his Ten Commandments of Endurance, which he shares with Endurance Planet.


10. Expect a journey and a battle--

"Life is not always simple. Don't think that it's just going to be smooth and not a rocky road. Accept that in your mind and then you can deal with things."

9. Focus on the present and set intermediate goals----

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself. Just stay in the present. If you've got some sort of problem…just deal with that. Take a deep breath and solve that one problem and then you can go on to others."

8. Don't dwell on the negative--

"I think it helps to step outside of ourselves and not live in our own space or our own head too much. Look at what's happening out there and focus on even problems of the world or other people. It kind of takes that focus from ourselves."

7. Transcend the physical--

"If you've got an injury, say you've twisted an ankle and you want to keep going--providing you're not doing damage to yourself--take that focus off that ankle. You can keep going as long as you don't get locked into thinking about it continuously. You can transcend that physical aspect."

6. Accept your fate---

"Just accept it for what it is and take it one step at a time."

5. Have confidence that you will succeed---

Recall experiences, "where you've had success in the past. It will give you confidence to go beyond what you normally thought you could."

4. Know that there will be an end---

"There will be an end and we can go on to more fertile soil."

3. Suffering is okay---

"That's the human condition. We're all going to suffer on one level or another."

2. Be kind to yourself---

"If you're running and you need to walk a little bit. That's okay. Know that you have weaknesses just like anybody else."

1. Quitting is not an option---

"Everybody is going to think about quitting. I think about quitting. But you can't let it overwhelm you. You can't let it stop you from your success. And if you frame it in that way--that quitting is not an option--I think that's the best thing to do."

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

10 Songs You’re Embarrassed to Like

Now, this is a tough list for me. I don't get embarassed by much, especially my choice in music. I might, on occassion, be embarassed about my horrible singing ability when I really jam out, but that's another list entirely. :-) There are a few songs that can really get me going, so here they are.

1. See you Again, Miley Cyrus: Most would be embarassed about this. Me, not so much. I totally jam out to this song and it's almost guaranteed to put me in a better mood.

2. Pussy Control, Prince or whatever he's called these days: In college, my sorority sisters and I had an official dance to this song. It would always bring us to the dance floor, sober or schnockered.

3. Hold On, Wilson Phillips: I know there's pain. Why do you lock yourself up in these chains?! Seriously, everytime I'm down in the dumps, I blare this song and sing at the top of my lungs, and occassionally make my dog dance with me. Then I'm better.

4. Lady Gaga, All of Lady Gaga: OK, so I am a little embarassed about liking him/her/it. But the more embarassing thing is that my boyfriend thinks she/he/it is hot.

5. Oops, I Did It Again, Brit-Brit: It's old, but it's fun. And I think I know the dance.

6. Step by Step, NKOTB: Not embarassed by this at all. This is the band of my youth! My first concert, my first crush. Oh Joey, you're so hawt. Embarassing: my brothers' liking the band when they were 13-15 years old!

7. So Yesterday, Hilary Duff: You'd think you must be a Nickoldeon regular to like this, but nope, not me.

8. Abba and the Mamma Mia Soundtrack: No need to pinpoint one song. Its all a little embarassing and its all something I love.

9. Wake me up before you go-go, don't leave me hangin' on like a yo-yo... take me dancin' toniiiiiiiiight!

10. Pieces of Me, Ashley Simpson: Definitely the less talented Simpson sister, but its just so darn fun to sing along with!

And the Inspiration Emmy goes to....

This is seriously one of the best stories I've heard in a long time. So inspiring and motivational. I usually only get really excited about the Ironman stories like this, but man. It gets me.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Maybe a Shamwow woulda helped

Ouch. Kids, don't try this at home.

BF's humidifier had some really nasty caked on funk so in the process of trying to scrape it out, I figure tossing on some bleach would kill whatever nastiness was in there.

If only I had his safety glasses on when I was 8 inches from the puddle of bleach....

Cue more tears and snot than I've produced in months.

Learn from me. Don't let this happen to you.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Start me up or... don't. And Joel is Satan Incarnate. Together a good day.

Today started out crappy when my car didn't start, making me late for a client meeting. I had to wake up my wonderful roommate to tote me to the BF's to borrow his car so I could attend said meeting. Afterwards (luckily they were very understanding!), BF and I learned a bad battery was the cause of the morning's demise.

My '99 Jeep has nearly 160,000 miles on it, so putting too much cash into it just doesn't make sense to me. I was worried it was going to be a huge problem and I was going to have to buy a car and what kind would I want and how would I afford it and could I get a loan and would the interest rate be horrible and maybe my dad would cosign but then how am I ever going to accomplish the 2010 goal of being debt free and what am I going to do!?

Luckily, diagnostics proved only a bad battery, so I invested in the Jeep to keep it around longer by putting on the needed new tires. Ugh. My checkbook is so mad at me right now. Have I mentioned I love the constuction industry standard of getting paid weekly?! That is seriously my savior right now.

Once I got to work, my day drastically improved. I got a lot done, and am ready to continue the roll I started tomorrow. I have a great working to-do list and that has been keeping me (mostly) on task. I admit, facebook and all you blogger friends do call my name occasionally.

Then, homeward bound to accomplish a few chores before heading to KC Multisport Spin class. Wow. Tonight was a tough one, aptly named "Tough Love" or as I like to call it, "Joel is Satan Incarnate". Our class leader, Joel, gave us a tough warm up of progressives, one-legged, and muscle tension drills (that burned!) for the first half, followed by a 31-minute interval session. No rest. Just up, down, faster, slower, this gear, that gear, burning, dripping, moaning...

As hard as it was, I had a blast. It feels so good to be back on the bike, active and energetic. Plus it always helps when I look around the room of 65-some athletes and see many who seem to be in way better shape or are way more experienced than I - suffering more than me. I have improved so much over my last 2.5 years of athleticism, its astounding. And now, I get to EAT and EAT some more. Training is wonderful.

10 Best Movies You've Seen Lately

I think "lately" is a relative term, so here's some that I enjoyed "lately" and come to think of it, "best" and "enjoyed" are also terms I used loosely.

1. White Christmas: This might be the least Christmasy of Christmas movies, but I love the music and its a fun trip back in time.

2. Police Academy: This was one of the bf's Christmas gifts, fitting since he's a cop, it had been years since I'd seen it but I had a couple good laughs.

3. Up: Not at all what I expected, and not nearly a flick for the kiddos like I thought, Up was still pretty good and made me think.

4. The Hangover: Tigers love pepper. They hate cinnamon. I'm not gettin' a sig' on my beeper. Is this THE Caeser's Palace? I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack. Okay, well maybe we should tell that to Rain Man, because he practically bankrupted a casino, and he was a ruh-tard.

5. Night at the Museum: Cheesy but cute. I liked seeing Dick Van Dyke again!

6. The Taking of Pelham 123: Interesting movie. Makes subways a little more scary and makes me a little more happy KC doesn't have great public transit. John Travolta is pretty scary, but I like him WAY more in roles like Danny Zuko in Grease.

7. P.S. I Love You: OK, so I haven't seen it recently, but I did have dinner at Raglan Road, the Irish place in Power & Light, so that kind of counts. Plus my roommate took it to watch with his girl the other day. I cry every time I see it. If only men could really have that much foresight... Such a great movie, with delightful eye candy.

8. Julie & Julia: Great story. Great writer. And of course, what blogger doesn't aspire to having a book or movie about their online dribble?! I know I sure do!

9. My Sister's Keeper: This goes on this list not as a movie, but as a book. The movie butchered the book, which was wonderful in every way. The movie wasn't bad by any means, but the book was just about 1,000x better. So the book makes this list.

10. Wicked: Ok, ok. So it isn't a movie. But the broadway show came through KC a few months ago and I. Loved. It. I wanted ot see it about three more times, but instead I came home and instantly downloaded the soundtrack and proceeded to learn it word for word over the next 2.5 days.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Inglorious Bass Turds

So Dan and I sat down to watch Inglorius Basterds last night.


Hearing rave reviews, we were excited to see it. But...

It sucked.

I wasn't expecting all those subtitles or such a slow moving plot.

I was so bored, early on, that I only made it to the point where the Jewish chick turned hidden Frenchwoman decided to burn down her own cinema.

Lame. I should have known that I probably wouldn't have liked it based on the fact that its a Quentin Tarantino flick. I don't think I've ever liked something he's done.

However, there is something I do like. Well, besides Brad Pitt.



This Bass Turd shirt that Dan has. I like to wear it because it makes me laugh.

And it reminds me a bit of my Dad and his quirky sense of humor.

I'd take Bass Turds over Basterds any day.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

7 things about me

One of my favorite fellow bloggers was up to the task, and noting we have a few things in common, I figured I'd give it a go too.

1. I love lists.  I'd make a list about just about anything. To-Do lists, Bucket lists, Places to travel lists, Places I've already traveled lists, Things about me lists. I just like them. Order and some sort of "historical reference" I guess.

2. I must agree with my fellow blogger as she said: "I freakin' LOVE taking tests – the more absurdly standardized, the better." I was always pretty good at these in school and even this morning I took a "how fast are you aging" online quiz.

3. I hate rules. I think they were made to be broken. And a lot of times, I just think they don't apply to me. My cop-boyfriend on the other hand won't even park in the 10-minute parking spot if he thinks there is a miniscule chance he'll be inside for 11 minutes. And let's be real - the owner of the liquor store that posted that sign - where we just spent $50 - isn't going to do anything if we run into the grocery store for a snack real quick.

4. Again in compliance with Ms. Someday Tri, I am neurotic about spelling and grammar. I think it shows a lot about a person if they don't know the difference between your and you're, there/they're/their, etc. And seriously, if you're posting something online, more often than not there is a spell check available. USE IT dummy!  I'd rather not know if you're just not smart enough to spell "right" correctly. (That said, I better be careful how I write the rest of this entry!)

5. I think my parents set a wonderful example of a loving relationship and successful marriage. Since 1972, yes there have been hard times for them, but they are more in love now than ever. I had this conversation with a drunk girlfriend last night. Both of our parents have set wonderful examples for us,which makes both of us a little nervous about the success of our current relationships. Can they live up to such a high standard?
6. I'd take in every stray puppy I found if I could. I'd empty the animal shelters and bring them all home to live with me. I might even bring home a cat or two to entertain the dogs, because that's about all cats are good for. Nothing. :-) Dogs on the other hand... I even read during my morning online quiz that having a dog while you grow up helps boost your immune system and makes you healthier.

7. I've never had chicken pox. I had shingles when I was 4 and that was the most miserable experience of my life. Sure Mile 95 on the bike at Ironman was hard, but this was EXCRUCIATING!!! Vibarations from across the house caused me to scream. I'm still scarred on my leg and lower back. I was a medical mystery at the University of Denver and can still remember the 8 white coats and bright white lights surrounded me as they tried to figure out what was wrong with this adorble 4 year old whose father thought she had a spider bite.

Now, to tag my fellow bloggers. It's your turn to share 7 Thing about YOU!

http://mommymdintraining.blogspot.com/
http://themanfast.blogspot.com/
http://myproudmary.blogspot.com/
http://kate-growthspurt.blogspot.com/
http://chaoticstability.blogspot.com/
http://triathletebride.blogspot.com/
http://missysironmanflorida2008.blogspot.com/

What to do?!

I just set up a sitemeter for this blog, so I can now keep track of how many readers I have. I'm hoping more than just a few. PS - Many thanks to my commenters. Its nice to know I'm not just writing to an empty "web".

So, how crazy is it that I'm excited for 29 degrees?! Its still pretty darn cold, and not warm enough to melt any of this white stuff so a run outside it still out of the question. It is supposed to be mid to upper 30s this week, so hopefully at least streets and sidewalks can be cleared and Pete and I can go running!



Poor little guy just wants some exercise!

On a related note, I'm frustrated trying to figure out what I want to do training and racing wise this year. I don't know how anything can compare to 2009. Ironman is such a major accomplishment that it almost makes a marathon feel like no big deal, a half marathon something I don't even need to train for and a 5k a sorry excuse to break a sweat.

Now, I know that's not the case, but I'm worried everything is just going to feel like a let down. Plus, my #1 goal for this year is to get out of debt. I think its going to take a more than just these 12 months, but I still want that to be top priority, which makes the cost of racing a little rediculous, $225 Half Ironman or $70 marathon entry fees, not to mention the $65 for a decent gym membership, GU for long runs, massage/Graston for the inevitable injuries, Chiropractic care, a bigger stomach and higher grocery bill, etc.

Could I really just go exercise for the sake of exercising? Without actually training for a race? That seems like a novel concept... One that I'm not sure I'm up for. It would be better for my budget though, so that's something I'm going to have to ponder....

(And really, if it was summer already, I wouldn't even be worrying, I'd just be out on my bike enjoying the rolling hills of Southern Johnson County and the refreshing taste of gatorade as I hammer the long, straight flat stretches of 175th Street.)

Sigh.

Friday, January 8, 2010

TGIF Randomness

Why do I always have so much bloggery while I'm driving. It's not like I can stop what I'm doing and just start writing. Though sometimes, I think I should... Driving to yoga tonight, I had a great blog idea. And now, I can't remember what it was! How frustrating is that...!?!?!

So here's the random thoughts I DO remember...

Sometimes I like to pretend my mittens are puppets. Sometimes they "car"-aoke with me. Sometimes they talk to each other. Sometimes they talk to me.

This extra cold weather has really dried out my skin. I mean, who even knew that the Jeep registered -1*. I can't remember a time ever in my life when its been that cold. Well, when its been that cold and I knew about it. I imagine at some point in the Rockies, it got that cold ... but at least that was in the Rockies. That's a whole 'nother world where cold doesn't count the same as here in them flatlands.

I'm 99% sure I'm going to register for the Lincoln Marathon. It's the first weekend of May, drive-able, a flat course, and I potentially have a place to stay - all making this a pretty "easy" option for a marathon. I've got a training plan laid out, now I just need to get my butt in gear and run - and get to active.com and register so I have no choice but to get my butt in gear.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Moan... My sit bones....

I got on my bike last night for the first time since Ironman - yep, its been about 4 months and I decide to ride when its warmer in Moscow and Reyjevik than here in Kansas City. Luckily, it was in the basement of the Velvet Creme Popcorn factory for the KC Multisport Power Hour. Set up took a while, as I had to change to an older trainer tire, clean up the spilled gatorade that remained from the bump in the road at mile 87 in Madison, set up the trainer so my bike didn't rock and then lube up with Chamois Butter. The class was tough. Joel always works everyone hard, and the first week is the easy sessions. It's only going to get worse.


And it already has. I knew I'd be tired and sore since I'm out of shape, but I woke up this morning with sorer sit bones than I've felt in MONTHS. Yep, that little area between the legs - not quite the butt and not your lady parts -- OUCH!!!

It's only bound to get better right!? OK, maybe worse before it gets better, but it will get better. I think....

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

10 on Tuesday

I stole a cool idea from Yanowhatimean. Every Tuesday there will be a top 10 list, if I can keep up with it. Here goes #1....

10 Things You’re Looking Forward to in 2010

1. Taking a vacation with Daniel.
2. Tim and Chelsea's wedding.
3. Peter's 5th Birthday. Party planning has begun!
4. Setting a PR at a half marathon.
5. Enjoying whatever life brings to me, without stressing out about plans too much. (Wish me luck here!)
6. Warm weather. Its snowy and crazy cold right now and I just want it to be lake weather!
7. Success in my job.
8. Chelsea's bachelorette party. Heeheehee.
9. Watching my friends dominate Ironman Louisville and being there to cheer them on!
10. Getting out of debt!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Friday Shoot Out

A good friend of mine participates in the Friday My-Town Shoot Out. I don't want to steal her thunder and take all the wonderful ideas from our great town that we share, but I do think its a ton of fun and will give me a great opportunity to practice my photography skills, one of the things I'd really like to develop.

This week's topic: Under Construction.

EDIT: I didn't get photos taken this week. Guess I'll try for next Friday!