Gettin' Down on the Treadmill

Rain was supposedly on its way today (and has still yet to arrive) so I decided to do my run on the treadmill.  Not that I am afraid of rain, people!  In fact, I love running in the rain.  It’s refreshing and fun.  I come from Chicago.  I have endured it all and have tough skin because of it.  I just wasn’t feeling it today and I wanted to enjoy some TV while I logged my miles.  Yes, the girl without a TV wanted to watch TV.  I am human.

I didn’t have a super long run on the agenda because Chicago Marathon training doesn’t start until June.  This is the first time in awhile that I am not training for anything.  It feels strange but I think I will begin to enjoy the no-pressure runs.  Did I mention I am not running Skyline to Sea?  I start my new job the Monday before the race and can’t ask for time off.  Don’t worry, I was looking for an excuse to get out of it and BINGO!  

The pretty kitty that lives outside of the fitness center.

We thought about taking her home with us but clearly she is loved.  She is fed daily and has a Kitty Condo to stay in with a plush blanket and ocean views.  I think she's living the life.  

So, back to my treadmill run.  The ten miles came and went without much boredom.  I found it bizarre because I am always bored.  My attention span is that of a fly so how did I manage to stay put for almost 90 minutes?  And better yet, how did I stay on the elliptical yesterday for 90 minutes?  Hmm. 

Here are a few things I took away from my indoor weekend workouts . 

3 ways to Make a Treadmill Run Fun 
(for me, anyhow)

•  Listen to obnoxious dance music.  You know, the kind that makes you gyrate uncontrollably.  When you hear it at a nightclub you instinctively climb into one of those cages and whip your hair back and forth.  Okay, maybe that's just me.  I mentally transport myself to a dance floor somewhere and imagine a cocktail in my hand instead of a water bottle.  It’s fun; trust me.  You just have to find that perfect music. 
• Watch Women’s Sports.  I hate sports but I find inspiration watching strong women dominate on the tennis court.  Knowing how hard they work (and how great their bodies look) encourages me to keep going and to push harder.
• Mix it up.  Change the incline and your pace throughout your workout.  It keeps you engaged and breaks up the distance.  I could never last more than a few miles at the same pace.  Total snooze fest.  I would much rather throw in a few faster minutes and hills and maintain a relatively “easy” pace the remainder of the time – this goes for long(er) runs. 

If I had a dollar for every time I wound up with a bloody sock...

Besides my weekend gym sessions, I had a pretty low-key weekend.  I took our poor kitty, Friday, to the vet and 4 hours and $400 later we discovered she has Urinary Tract Disease.  I went home with a bag of meds and special food.  She’s even on a kitty version of Prozac.  I think it’s time to switch vets – this guy talks to me like I am a stupid woman that needs pictures to understand anything.   

Waiting for the Doc like a good girl

On top of Frida’s health issues, Ang has come down with a bug of her own.  She must really love me because she was willing to sit in a noisy bar for 3 ½ hours with me and our friend Sarah.  She downed 2 beers and some delicious vegan fare all the while a fever was coming on and her ears and throat were killing her.  Ang is the definition of a trooper.

 

Even sick, she's beautiful.

To make it up to her, I ran to the grocery store 7 minutes before it closed to get her soy ice-cream and carob chips to soothe her sore throat.  I also took over cleaning and laundry duties today and if you know me, you know I’d rather hire someone than do it myself.  

Here comes the rain straight from L.A. where all the marathoners had unusually crappy conditions.  Congratulations to all of the finishers! 

Ten Ways I Break The Rules

Beth, over at Shut Up and Run, is starting a little trend.  Everywhere we look, there are rules and guidelines on how we should live our lives.  Eat this, not that.  Get 8 hours of sleep, never eat after 7:00 and floss daily.  Some of these rules are beneficial, I'm sure, but I'm sick of being told what to do.

Here are 10 rules that I break on a regular basis.  I am confessing to you my deepest and darkest secrets, people.  You are not allowed to judge me.  If you can't stand me after this, just Un-follow me and you'll never have to see my face again.  Deal?

1. I bite my nails. I know it’s a disgusting habit and I don’t need a lecture about how germy my nailbeds are and the diseases I can catch. Trust me, I hear it almost daily from Angela.
2. I don’t drink water. I may have a few sips throughout the day, but I rarely drink an entire glass of water. I don’t know how I am still alive.
3. I text and drive. I'm cringing at the looks you are probably giving the computer screen right now. I know, it’s worse than drunk driving and I plan to kick this habit to the curb.
4. I eat copious amounts of sugar. Sugar in my coffee, ice cream, candy, you name it. Every single day.
5. I run alone at night. I don’t carry a cell phone or wear reflective gear.
6. I swear (a lot). Self-explanatory. Tisk, tisk.
7. I drink too much. It’s not that I drink too frequently, but when I do drink an alcoholic beverage, it never stops at one.  No, I don't need Betty Ford.
8. I don’t want children. Although it’s becoming more common, I still get strange looks when I tell people this.
9. I burp, fart and talk about my vagina. I am so far from ladylike, I make my mother cringe. Luckily, she is forced to love me.
10. I take the elevator. This is exactly what’s wrong with Americans, right? I figure I burn enough calories running, it’s okay to give myself a break now and again.  Plus, I hate stairs with every fiber in my body.

Wow!  That felt great. 

Feel like sharing some dirt?  Please do!

A Big Week in My Little World

Last week presented a lot of great news and changes on the horizon.  I've also been a busy little bee so I haven't had the opportunity to blog much (but don't worry, I still read yours daily!)

Early last week I was notified by the egg donation center that an Australian couple had chosen me to be their donor.  We set a date in May to begin the process.  They will be flying all the way to San Diego with the intent to go home pregnant.  I have high hopes of making that happen for them.

I was also offered a position at an incredible organization that recruits and trains court appointed special advocates for children in the foster system.  I had been crossing my fingers (and toes) in hopes of getting this position in Development and sure enough, Friday came with great news.  I am thrilled to become a part of their amazing team.  On the same note, it is bittersweet saying good-bye to the oranization I currently work for.  I believe it was fate that I found my job here and quickly became part of the "family". 

To celebrate my job offer, Ang and I went for a fun 7 miler on the San Diego harbor.  What better way to bask in the glory of good news?   After a quick stretch session we grabbed some food and headed to the bookstore.  Ever since I was a kid, the bookstore has been one of my favorite places to spend time.  In fact, my aunt and I used to spend entire days at the bookstore drinking coffee and reading.  I wished I could have an apartment directly above the store so that I could spend my days surrounded by the smell of books and coffee.  Childhood dreams are the best.  Actually, that still sounds pretty enticing.

The weekend came with a blast of activity and productivity.  I was up by 6am (which is unheard of) and off to watch our friends Dana and Daniel run a 4 mile race.  Angela and I played with their insanely adorable daughter, Isabella and Petey the pooch while they ran through Mission Bay Park.  Angela proceeded to drag me (literally dragged me) to spin class.  I did it and felt great!  If it's not running, I'm usually not inclined to do it.  Luckily, we had a female instructor which I found more entertaining than a dude.  She wore nothing more than a sports bra so I basically stared at her abdominals the entire time. 

Me and Izzie, Just Chillin'

In other good news, I experienced my first enjoyable long run since the marathon!  This is huge.  Lately, my long runs have been nothing short of dreadful.  Fatigue and weakness overtook my body.  But not yesterday.  I felt strong and energized.  I ran 16 miles solo without music or distractions of any kind.  I stayed in tune with my body the entire way and finally processed all of the big news I receieved last week.  Boredom didn't strike once for over 2 hours.  I even ran my old pace! You know, the faster pace that I haven't been able to find for awhile.  It was unreal how smoothly it all went.  

Running along the harbor

I can't imagine processing things the way I do without running.  Like many runners, I think best while on the run.  I'm more lucid when I am in motion.  I can piece together my life -- the good and the bad -- in an effective way.  I am coherent and clear-headed and able to take on the world when I'm running...thank goodness for that.

Does anyone else have good news to share?

Running: In 6 Words

The New York Times online asked people if they could sum up love (and loss) in 6 words.  People responded.  Here are some examples of what they wrote:

“ Met in leftist group; felt right.”

“Love means never leaving me behind”

“Saw him. Hired Him. Married Him.”

“Ups, downs, and repeat. That’s love.”

“Engaged in three weeks; still married.”

“My dogs give me better kisses."

“Warning, love: I blog my breakups.”


Of course, after reading these, I had to make up my own for me and Ang.

Locked eyes. The rest is history.

Blue eyed girl, took me by storm.

OR...

That little blondie turned me gay.

That's a joke.

Since this is a running blog, I tried to think of how I could sum up running in 6 words.  I came up with a ton!

First comes love, then comes marathons.

Life is sweeter when I'm running.

I run for peace and pizza.

I push myself, to find myself.

We run, therefore we are awesome.

More than exercise.  It's a lifestyle.

Running: My therapist, lover and friend.

Sexy calves: More reason to run. 

I could go on all day!

What would your 6 word running poem be?

Please Share!



A Pseudo-Celebrity Encounter

As many of you know, I don't own a television.  I do, however, have access to the internet and websites like Hulu that allow me to sneak some trash TV in now and again.  One of my favorite shows to watch on the Mac daddy is Modern Family.  While I may miss the Bachelor's latest make-out session and Snookie's trash talking, I never miss my favorite families. 

This past weekend, Angela and I got hooked up with opening-night tickets to Little Miss Sunshine: The Musical, in La Jolla.  Thanks to my mad babysitting skills (for the Set Designer as well as the Director), we had access to the pre-party and the after-party.  Oh yes.  We did.  It was the one (and only) moment in my life I felt like a V.I.P. 

I sat directly next to a critic from the New York Times (find his review here) and two rows in front of-- drumroll please, the one and only... Mitchell from Modern Family! 

In case you don't watch -- Mitchell is the one in Pink with a Teddy Bear

We were even introduced to Mitchell (I don't know his real name) and his partner after the show!  Did I get a picture?  No.  I was literally starstruck.  I felt like such a loser.  I could barely say "Hello".  I am just glad I was speechless and didn't make a fool of myself by calling him Mitchell or telling him I am thrilled that he really is gay.  Silence is a virtue - in times like these.

We went on our merry way, elated that we had met Mitchell. 

Too bad that giddyness didn't carry over to my run on Sunday.  We went up to Torrey Pines for what was supposed to be a 16 miler.  It was cut short at 11.3 due to flippin' fatigue.  I just couldn't move my body.  Lately, I've been experiencing extreme fatigue, which I mentioned earlier, may be due to anemia.  I've been taking my iron daily but have yet to notice a change in my energy levels.  I am just plain pooped every day of the week.

I am trying my best to keep a positive attitude but I am also allowing my body the rest it needs.  I am cross-training and cutting runs short if need be.  In the past, I would never stop a 16 miler at 11 miles.  This is a new Kate with new goals.  This Kate allows herself to slow down, stop and take consecutive rest days.  This Kate doesn't hate herself if she can't meet her goal pace or finish a run.  This new and improved Kate is taking up other interests like tennis, rockclimbing and surfing to avoid burn-out. 

That's right.  This weekend, Angela and I are going indoor rock climbing and shopping for tennis racquets and balls.  In high-school I was on the JV tennis team.  I was awful but I really enjoyed it.  I love racquet sports mainly because I love whacking balls around.  We have a surfing & yoga class on the agenda as well. 

I am looking forward to this time playing around with other sports and letting go of my goals.  Chicago is in the distant future, so I have plenty of time to lay off of the speed work and long runs.  This could also be a great time to go through the egg donation process.  I wrote about being an egg donor here.  The recipient couple backed out at the last minute due to financial reasons which was disappointing.   The good news is that another couple has chosen me so I may be back in baby-making business.  We'll just have to wait and see...

My Fire Is Back!

In my last post I wrote about burn out and listening to my body.  I could feel it coming on.  Running was starting to feel like a chore and I was no longer looking forward to runs that exceeded 8 or so miles.   I took a break for 3 whole days and spent some time cross training.  3 days may seem menial, but trust me, it made a significant difference.

This week was the emancipation from burn-out I was hoping for.  I gave myself the freedom to skip my runs and to completely disregard my training schedule.  Once I allowed myself that freedom it was as though a weight was lifted.  I gave myself permission to run for fun, or not at all.

I didn't even run with the running group I lead.  I just gave orders.

I even had the audacity to have Nya carry me to run group as part of her workout.  Very Jillian of me.  :) 

Last night, I put my running shoes on and attempted this whole running thing again.  This time, my body did not feel heavy.  I felt light and smooth, like I usually do.  The fresh air in combination with my deep breaths cleansed my stale lungs.  I didn't have a mileage goal in mind and left my watch at home. Pace was not a thought.

I wound up running 7 miles at what felt like a swift pace.

3 days off and a change in attitude can have quite an impact on training.  Once I adjusted my outlook on training, it all came back together as it should.  Even the pain in my foot has dissipated.  I think it may have been psychosomatic, caused by the stress I was putting on myself to train hard.

Running felt invigorating last night, just like old times.  I am happy to say that I think I have my fire back.  My passion and love affair with running are in tact once again.  Worry no more!  I will be running the Skyline to Sea Trail Marathon as planned.  My finish time will be significantly slower than Surf City and I am okay with that.  Like I mentioned before, this is an adventure run -- not a race.

Sometimes, I think we need to let go of our goals.  Yes, they are important and they give us something to work toward.  However, if they're taking the fun out of something that is meant to be enjoyable, we might need to kick them to the curb, at least temporarily.  Doing so has certainly worked wonders for me.   Just consider it if you're starting to feel burnt out.  Allow yourself freedom and flexibility.  The rigidity of a training schedule can sometimes cause more harm than good.

Love yourself & give yourself a break from time to time.

__________________________________________________

Is it weird that I cuddle with strangers' dogs in the park?

 I couldn't resist this big lover and he was all alone.

{Proof that I need my own dog}

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!