Katie Tri's

Roadblock aka My Bad Attitude

2012-02-08T10:57:00.004-06:00

Yeah, that pretty much sums up how I feel.

If it was a flaming, shit-covered, profanity spewing roadblock it would be exactly how I feel. But those are hard to come by.

I feel like my life is stuck in a vicious cycle of two steps forward, one step. Wash, rinse, repeat. Every time something goes right BAM! six other things will go incredibly, frustratingly wrong. I can't name names or give details, those goodness knows I so desperately want to. I also one to punch enough people to probably get my ass thrown in jail, but I am an adult so instead I give scathingly dirty looks, delete emails and pretend to not hear them when they speak (very mature). But anyone who's come within a 5ft radius of me can feel the radiating hostility and frustration. And probably has seen me cry. Whatev.

What in the WORLD does this have to do with running? Or marathon training? Or, well, anything?

Wellllll, every well-meaning soul out there is advising me to get out and run. You'll feel better! Well I call bullshit. There I said it. BULLSHIT. Going for a little run never solved world peace, gave food to the starving children in Africa or anything else. Now granted, neither does wallowing in my self pity and anger, but let's not split hairs.

When life hands me a lemon I want to know where the vodka tonic is to put it in. And then I want some Gushers to put in this vodka tonic with a lemon (trust me, it's fabulous). Cocktail in hand I want to pour myself onto the couch and watch hours of mindless bad tv. Sometimes, like last night, the shitstorm and stress of life makes me want to clean. While drinking vodka, obviously.

Monday was a rest day, so drowning my sorrows in beer and bleu cheese was totally ok. Last night, however, was speedwork. I didn't even pretend I was going to go to the gym for a run. And AM Shreddin' hasn't happened yet this week. Nope, no way no day. The alarm may go off, which doesn't really matter because I'm not sleeping at night anyways, but my ever expanding ass doesn't budge from bed for at least another hour.

Tonight I may or may not make it to my 6m run. I'd like to say I will, but who the fuck knows with the way today is going.

I'm watching my bad attitude and this current suckfest called life come between my goals like one giant fucking roadblock or never ending detour. I want to PR my upcoming half marathon. I want to finish my first marathon. I want to be tone and lean and lose those pesky lb's.

Just not more than I want a vodka tonic and bad reality tv.

12 Miles like BAM!

2012-02-06T17:54:00.000-06:00

That's right, boys and girls, I officially logged my longest run since 2009 on Saturday. And I lived to tell about it (with only a bit of chaffing...).

So here's how it went down.

W had an 8miler on the schedule so he decided to head out with me for the first 4m of my run. It was as perfect of running weather as you can ask for in February. Mid-30's, sunny, dry pavement. In February! Ah-mazing. We headed out to the Lake loop and headed away from downtown (east maybe?). I like to run my lake loop that direction to get the majority of the "hills" out of the way early on.

I love that my ponytail is long enough to swish when I run. :)

The first 4m we ran at a pace W was comfortable with and new he could maintain for his 8m. That combined with the previously mentioned "hills" kept the pace hovering between 11:30-12:00. At 4.01m W immediately turned around, mainly to avoid the next big hill, and headed off to finish his run. That left me with 8m and 2/3 of the lake to run around yet on my own...it also meant I could pick up the pace a bit. Yeehaw!

The next few miles went from the 11:30-12:oo min/mile pace to low tens, which is a touch faster than I should have been running but felt good. The first 6m were run in 1:10:24, roughly an 11:44 pace.

Around mile 7.5 I talk a brief walk break, the only walk break I took I am pleased to say, to eat some Sport Beans (the only food I had in the house) and get a few good swigs of water. At this point I was along John Nolen nearing Monona Terrace and it was chilly. The breeze off of the sort of frozen lake was enough to make me shiver and wish I had another layer on. From there I followed the bike path for a bit (vs Jennifer St). I wasn't even really thinking when I followed the path vs the lake loop, but it was a nice reprieve from the lake breeze. I followed the path until "ice ream" aka Schoepps, where I headed back into neighbor....where I forgot there were a few more hills between me and home.

Around mile 9 or 10 I started to get a little achy and sore. I knew I had a few more miles in me but was ready to be done. I looked at my watch with just under 2m to go and was right around 1:55:xx. It was at that point that I desperately wanted to finish my run in under 1:15:00. I ran and calculated and new it would be a stretch. It would require my last 2 miles of the day to be my fastest. Welllllll, I didn't make it. I came close, but didn't have quite enough gas in the tank for 2 sub-10 miles.

All in all, the goal pace for the run was 60-90secs slower than my 1/2m goal pace which would put it in the 11:15-11:45min/mile. The entire 12m run came in at 2:15:56 with an 11:19 avg pace. The first half was 1:10:24 (11:44 avg pace) with a negative split for the second half for 1:05:32 (10:55 avg pace). I officially have 27 days to add 1.1m to the distance and shave 57sec off the total time...seeing as Saturday felt good I think I can do it!!!

#30DayShred

2012-02-02T07:45:00.001-06:00

This morning was Day 6 of shredding for me. I'm no math wiz, but as it has taken me almost 2wks to rack of 6 days of shred it's pretty obvious that I am not doing the full 30 day challenge. At least not this time around.

When I first started following the #30DayShred progress of my Twitter peeps I was all set to jump in. Let's do this! If I can trim down a few inches, build some muscle and maybe even shed a few pounds in 30 days, I'm in. But then I realized that I was attempting to juggle my first ever marathon training plan and (some) strength training, work, life, home reno's, puppies AND the 30 day challenge? Yeah, seems a bit much. Especially the strain of the AM shreds and PM runs on my calves. I had to rethink my strategy. I decided this time around that I would incorporate shredding into my weekly workout regime without putting the pressure on myself to do it every day. I also had no idea how my body would handle this or what I was getting myself into. I feel good about my decision.

That being said, am I seeing the results that other people have? No, probably not. Do I feel the burn, and sweat and grunt my way through each workout? Definitely. As horrifying as it might be should I bite the bullet and take some measurements and track my progress? Probably.

What I have noticed is that the days I wake up and workout before work I feel more awake and energetic in the morning. Sometime I even skip coffee (today was not a good day to do that...). Between the running and the shredding and the conscious food choices (sometimes) I am feeling better about myself. I don't know if my clothes are fitting any different or if I look leaner and meaner, but I feel better so there's that. And it may only be my imagination, but I am fairly certain my butt looks better in my lulu crops already. :)

I will say that post marathon I am planning to buckle down for the FULL 30 day challenge so I can be high and tight for swimsuit and shorts season. Did you hear that junk in the trunk? I'm coming for YOU!

Wordless Wednesday: Worst Running Partner

2012-02-01T08:18:00.004-06:00

No matter how many runs she sandbags, I will always love my Lazybug.

*Edit*

The 'Almost Wordless Wednesday' details: I should tell you that I love this fleabag to bits and pieces. I love her more than W. I kid. Sort of. But when 1/2m into a 3m jog she decides to start dragging her paws and pretending to be a 65lb weight on the end of a rope, I want nothing more than to tie her to the nearest tree and pick her up later. Maybe. AND THEN when we get home and she goes all off the reservation crazy and starts tearing around the house with endless amounts of energy? That is when I want to put her in a closet.

2012 Lululemon Warehouse Sale

2012-01-30T09:05:00.010-06:00

aka "Bitches Be crazy"

aka "Yogi's Gone Wild"

What I assume it looked like Friday morning before the start of the sale.

source

(And all sorts of other pics from this weekend's sale)

So for those of you not on the Lulu bandwagon, this past weekend Lululemon had their first ever US Warehouse sale in Rosemont IL at a gigantic convention center. It started Friday at 9am and went through Sunday at 9pm.

I dabble in Lulu because their stuff is way cute...but ridiculously overpriced!! I just don't have $90 to drop on a pair of yoga pants or running tights. I don't even know if I could exclusively shop there if I had the money...Anyways, a good friend of mine Jenn had decided to take the train in from STL for the sale. Discount Lulu alone wouldn't have lured me to Chicago for the sale, but the chance to hang out with one of my fav's AND score some cute running clothes....SOLD!!

We tried to coordinate our schedules and arrive in Rosemont around the same time. I was driving down from Madison, which is roughly a 2hr drive. That is unless you miss your exit and get lost like I did. Somehow I ended up in the blackhole known as O'hare Airport. Seriously. I ended up in the Avis rental car lot...at the International terminal...all the while trying to reach W to give me directions the fuck out of that place. In case you are wondering, my next car WILL have an in-dash GPS. After my 45min detour, I finally parked at the convention center at almost noon. Jenn's train was suppose to get into Union Station around 10, followed by an easy eL ride to Rosemont, getting here there around 11...but instead that stinker took a car from the train station to the convention center and was there by like 10:30, making me really late. Shit.

Needless to say, being the self-proclaimed Lulu addict that she is, Jenn got in line without me. By the time I got inline she was already shopping. The stress and panic of being lost, running late, yelling at W because I was lost and late (don't ask), and now waiting in line by myself for who knows how long was almost enough for me to get back in the car and head straight home. The linw as moving relatively quick, and the ladies around me were friendly enough, so I stuck it out. A little under an hour I was entering the sale...

I have to give the Lulu peeps credit, it was no where near as chaotic as I thought it would be. It was busy but not overwhelming. The photo at the top gives you a much better idea of just how HUGE the sale was. Lulu as far as the eye could see. Best news of all was that I was able to find Jenn relatively easily, which calmed me down immensely. Let the shopping and fun finally begin! We shopped and gossiped and hung out at the sale for an hour or two before deciding we had enough!

We tried at this point to get Jenn checked into her hotel, which was a debacle in and of itself. Lost reservation, reservation at the wrong hotel, "husband" out to sea and unavailable...it was a comedy of errors. An hour later she finally had a room. A king bed rather than the requested 2 queens, with 2 complimentry bottles of water and a Twix bar, but it was a room. We sorted through and inventoried our finds, coordinated with another friend who was planning to drive down for the night, and made plans for dinner. All along I had been planning on heading back to Madison Saturdat evening. I did not need 2 days of Lulu shopping. Plus I had painting and cleaning to do at home. STD*, as my office mate would say.

Drinks with friends and stay the night OR Drive home in the dark...hmmm...It was hard to convince me to stay. Real hard.

Jenn's Saturday afternoon finds.

(In all fairness, she was shopping for friend's too.)

A few of the goodies I snagged for my coworker.

We headed to a nearby Mexican restaurant to refuel and enjoy a few margaritas. The bartender, who must have been listening in on our conversation, decided that we deserved bottomless margaritas. We were most definitely not going to argue. :) Our friend Nesa arrived just in time to peruse the sale, again, and the hit up the hotel bar for a nightcap before we all called it a night. After all, the plan was to be up at the crack of down to be the first people in line. Like I said, Bitches Be crazy!

After the debacle that the hotel room was, the hotel was nice enough to offer us complimentary room service for breakfast. Now most normal people would have enjoyed the ROOM service in the room. No, no. Not us. We drew the line at actually rolling the room service cart to the lobby to wait, but that didn't stop us from stacking the plates and bringing it all with us.

Picnic breakfast in line for the sale. Classy.

We waited for close to 2 hours Sunday morning, but we were 5th in line for what that's worth. When the doors opened at nine It was like a yogi death match. There was running, pushing, pulling, grabbing. You name it, it happened. Zen went right out the window. I have never been to a Black Friday sale but I can only imagine this to be the equivalent of people fighting over a $100 87" flat screen tv of the one and only PS7 at Walmart. I am also known for getting claustrophobic in crowds (which isn't really claustrophobia at all...I think it's actually ochlophobia, but you know what I mean). I'm not introverted, at all, but I am definitely too timid for shit like this. I opted to stand guard over the Jenn and Nesa's finds rather than push through the crowds and paw through the racks. An hour later, we were all DONE and OVER IT!

We said our goodbyes. Nesa headed back to Milwaukee, Jenn went to nap before catching the train back to STL, and I am happy to report that I made it home on the first try, with no detours or side trips. :)

I'll try to update this later today with a pic of my goodies. :)

*Shit To Do

Three Things Thursday: It's Haaaard

2012-01-26T07:53:00.008-06:00

1. Marathon Training

I knew training for my first marathon wasn't going to be easy, but this shit is no joke. per multiple recommendations I am following a plan from www.halhiggdon.com. I decided to go with is Novice 1 plan for beginners because it should be the easiest, right? WRONG. I started the 18wk training plan with some base, but not where I would've liked to. What can I say other than 3wks in Thailand will do that to you. My runs vary from awful to amazing, and everything in between. The speed is coming back (on the short runs) and the distance is building, but it's so haaaaaaard. Especially the Wednesday runs. Mid-distance runs sandwiched between two short runs should be a piece of cake. But it's not. I know it's building endurance and whatever, but every Wednesday I toy with the idea of taking a rest day.

2. #30DayShred

I knew from Biggest Loser that Jillian Michaels is one bad ass chick. I also knew from Twitter that the #30DayShred DVD was no joke. Jillian is determined to make you sweat, grunt, and suffer for every lest minute of the workout. Rumor has it the ladies of Twitter are liking the results, even those Shreddin' for only a week. THAT was enough to coax my butt out of bed at 5:30am and jump on the bandwagon. It's just another workout DVD how bad can it be. HA! The difference is that this one is haaaaard. After 20 minutes I am a hot sweaty mess, with quivery arms and achey legs. After 3 successful days of AM Shreddin' I have decided that I am NOT ready to commit to the full 30 day challenge. Call me a sally, but that's just too hard. Especially when combined with marathon training. Pffft, no friggin way.

So instead I have devised the following training to maximize the Shreddin', survive the runnin', and even do a little restin'.

With only 3 days of Level 1 under my belt I can't say I've seen any results. But I feel like I am getting a solid all around workout, it's all hard and shit, so there's that. But I swear to blog, if this shit doesn't work, I will personally be hunting down Jillian Michaels and force-feeding her doughnuts. Or writing her a strongly worded letter. One or the other.

3. Losing weight is haaaard!

I have been trying to shed the same annoying 12-15lbs for oh, over a year now. True, the ultimate goal is more like 25-30lbs, but let's not get crazy here. I just really want to be back to where I was back in 2010, pre-surgeries. Let's be honest, I am obviously not trying all that hard, because if I was, those pesky lbs would be gone. But since being home from Thailand I've been trying to make better food decisions, watch my portions, and exercise. So far? Nada.

source

I share an office with three very weight focused coworkers. One is your typical type-A triathlete who believes that foods only purpose is to deliver the needed nutrients, and nothing more. He may consume little more than coffee, a bag of (undressed) lettuce, and a sweet potato during the day, but he is the picture of health. Maybe a tad too skinny for my liking, and the ultimate lightweight, but he is slim and trim and FAST. He has been advising another coworker on how to slim down as she was struggling to shed the wanted lb's with exercise alone. He has her following a strict 30-day raw diet. The the first 2wks she was down 7lbs, by week 3 she had lost 10lbs. Obviously there is something to it...but is it sustainable? My third office mate is a calorie counter. She is more liberal in what she eats, but counts every single calorie.

These three, clearly dedicated, coworkers of mine make me feel bad about myself daily. I am embarrassed to eat at work. I am always hungry. And while you might think this would help my cause, it actually just results in binge-eating when I get home. It also means that my post-work, pre-binge runs, are done with very little in the tank which is likely why they have felt so awful lately.

I have another friend who went strict paleo recently. In one week she dropped 7lbs. AMAZING! She also works her tail off at Crossfit, running, yoga, and who knows what else. But the paleo diet seemed to be what kicked her weight loss into hi-gear. I know that she see's it as a looong way to go yet, but I think she looks amazing!

The problem I have with all of these restrictive diets, paleo, raw, etc., is that they just don't seem sustainable. It seems like the sort of thing I could do for a few weeks to jump start my weight loss, but what then? As soon as you incorporate foods back into your diet I can only assume the lb's come back. And quickly at that! I've been told that the first few weeks are the hardest and the cravings subside, but it just doesn't seem like the right fit.

Ughhhh, it's just so hard!! I'm hoping that the #30DayShred, combined with my marathon training, combined with moderation and better food choices, will lead to maintainable weight loss.

But in the meantime I am going to whine about how everything it really REALLY really hard today.

The Way Girls Work

2012-01-24T20:09:00.005-06:00

What is it about girls that always equals drama? Especially if you put group of independent, intelligent, fun ladies together. No matter how great they are it's like BAM! insta-drama.

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It's not even to say that girls are mean. Well, duh, some are. Some are straight up bat-shit-crazy beotchs. But that's not the case at the moment. It's more that cliques form, a pecking order evolves, and not everyone can be at the top...or even on the guest list Not everyone makes the cut. Not everyone is in the know. It's just the way it is. But that doesn't make it suck any less to be left out of the inner circle.

I'd like to think that now that I am a mature 30-something (just barely 30-something, btw) it would be easier to navigate these friendships and groups of women. But it's not. It still sucks to not be part of the in-crowd, to not get the invite, to be the last one picked for dodgeball.

source

I've spent so much of my life being insecure. I'm not skinny enough, pretty enough, or funny enough. I'm not fast enough, trendy enough, or wealthy enough. Am I too loud? Too outgoing Too honest? Did I do something wrong? Did I say the wrong thing? As much as I try to maintain a don't-give-a-fuck demeanor, there's always something weighing on my mind. And it's exhausting!

Quite frankly, I'm ready to throw in the towel in on all of it. I don't want to end up in another not-on-the-list situation. Why bother being a friend and putting myself out there when it may not be reciprocated? I'd rather just stay home.

10 Minute Mile

2012-01-20T12:15:00.001-06:00

And the day I kicked it's ASS!

That's right. Last night I broke the 10-minute-mile wall for the first time in over a year. More like 18 months. It was something I never thought I was going to be able to do again. Granted it was only for one of the three miles, but it was the last mile of my run. So it counts.

In other running related news, despite an entire week of missed training runs, January is on course to break the 50 mile mark. I'm not sure the last time I had a 50m running month, so I am pretty proud of this accomplishment.

I may or may not be losing a little bit of balance in my world. I go to work, I run after work, I veg for a bit, and go to bed (before 10 I might add). And repeat. I'm more or less ok with this as it is all I have the energy to do AND it's cold and wintery outside. But I just hope I remember how to do other things one of these days...

After stalking the workouts of fellow Dailymiler Annie, and reading her awesome post on Fit Milwaukee, I have decided to start Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred on Monday. Wish me luck!

So help me, if I don't look like that in 30 days I will hunt down Jillian and force feed her butter.

Running: A Look Ahead

2012-01-16T21:28:00.002-06:00

We are now a few weeks into 2012, which makes this post long over-due, but that's life. Being a few weeks into 2012 also means that by now I would have broken any resolutions I could have made. Eat better, workout more, do laundry weekly, read more, and so on. For some people the idea of a clean slate and resolutions works. I'm not one of those people. Kind of like I don't buy the whole confession frees you of all your wrong doings and guilt, but THAT is an entirely different post.

So instead of making a list of resolutions that will only be broken and inevitably make me feel bad, I've decided to focus on one area of my life and what I'd like to do there.

Running.

In 2009 I finally felt like I was getting somewhere with my running. I was comfortably running in the 9's, I was conquering longer runs, I was in the best shape of my life. Welllll, that clearly didn't end as I as hoped. 2010 was epically worse than 2009 in the health and running department, which made 2011 a year of rebuilding. After I was finally given the all clear to start running, the next 10 months were an uphill battle. Every slow, torturous mile hurt. The speed was gone, the endurance was gone, my willingness to wear spandex in public was gone. But I kept at it because I am mentally ill. Or something.

So here I am, safely tucked into the new year. And what's on the agenda? I could stress about all the things I want my running to be. Faster, farther, lighter. But instead I am thinking big picture. In 2012 I want my running to be consistent. With consistency will come the other things.

It doesn't hurt that I have catapulted myself into race mode early on. I'm registered for my first half since 2009 in roughly 7wks. A hop, skip and a jump after that I will be attempting to finish my first marathon. In between the two will be my favorite 10k. With more races to follow, and adventures to have, the way I will stay healthy and is to be consistent.

Not that it would hurt me to finally shed those pesky 15lbs I've been bemoaning for over a year, or spend a little more time in the kitchen cooking, or do my laundry on a regular basis.

But first, consistency.

Running: A Year in Review

2011-12-30T20:50:00.001-06:00

2011 was far from where I hoped it would be, but leaps and bounds better than 2010. I'm am going to choose to celebrate all 179miles (and change) that I ran in 2011 rather than worry about the miles I didn't run.

This little screenshot from Dailymile pretty well sums up the year.

Late February I was finally given the green light to start running again, nearly a year and a half after the whole foot debacle began. So 1/2 mile at a time I labored back into a sport I use to love.

March was still full of PT and pain and babysteps. Against my PT's better advisement, I snuck in the Shamrock Shuffle 5k. No records were set but I had a great time running one of my favorite races.

April I upped the mileage as I wanted to run the Crazylegs 8k faster than a coworker of mine (petty motivation, I know). I did not accomplish that goal, but came close. It was also sometime in April, I think, that I committed to running #RagnarChi with a group of total strangers. I was so desperately afraid of being the weak link on the team that I tried to kick it into high gear and cover some miles.

The Ragnar motivation carried me through May, as did the Lake Monona 5k. In past years we've run the Lake Monona 20k...but had to scale back this year. May also took me to TX, with my boss, to work IM Texas...where I was shamed into running extra miles. Its hard to be the chubby out of shape girl at an IM event.

June was my highest mileage month in 2011, in large part due to #RagnarChi, both the training for and running of. Did I mention that I had an amazing time at Ragnar and am so very excited to be running it again this year?!?

The summer heat started to get to me in July and the mileage dwindled. At that point I had no future races on the calendar and felt ok about running if, and only if, I felt like it.

The busy season really started to set in at work in August, which gave me 101 excuses not to run. I'm fairly certain it was the incredibly last minute decision to join a #RagnarGR team that motivated any miles at all in August. I have to admit that over 1/2 of August's miles were Ragnar itself, which explains why it was such a sufferfest...

September. Yep. GOOSE-EGG. Between work and getting hitched I just didn't make time to run. I'm more or less ok with this.

October was only slightly more active than October. Another busy work month, half of which was spent in Hawaii and we all know that running in Hawaii would be just dreadful...

I'm not sure what my excuse is for the secondhalf of October/first half of November, but I certainly couldn't not be motivated to run. Uh, oh well.

The end of November took us to Thailand for nearly 3wks of honeymooning. While I'm sure we walked dozens of miles, there was no running on the schedule. I think our trek through the Chiang Mai zoo and 1/2 way down Sutthep should count for something, but neither of those feats were done at anything faster than a brisk walk.

Which brings us to the tail end of December. Thus far I have 11m for the month. If I can eek out 20 3/4m by the 31st I can finish 2011 with 200m in the books. I am incredibly tempted to attempt this. Probably not my brightest decision as that would be doubling my mileage from last week, which is so much more than the 10% that is traditionally prescribed, and probably a sure-fire recipe for injury, but since when do I make good decisions?

UPDATE

Since the Dailymile screenshot was taken I I have made it closer to my 200m goal. I am now ~9.75m from breaking the 200m wall. I did in fact take a rest day today, so with only one day left in the month, and only 6.5m planned for tomorrow it's not looking like I'm going to ake it. Unless I do a two-fer tomorrow. But perhaps it's time to stop stressing over what I have, and have not, accomplished in 2011 and focus on what's in store for 2012.

Not Bondi Bands

2011-12-29T20:43:00.000-06:00

That's right, what you are about to see are NOT my any stretch of the imagination Bondi Bands. The craftsmanship is quick and dirty, and the final outcome is eh, ok.

But I'm stoked with what I've made.

It all started with a haircut and some new pretty cute bangs. Cute, yes. Functional for a runner, not at all.

By day I was sporting a sassy new do, but by run I was at a loss for comfortable and effective hair containment system. I looked online at Bondi Bands, I checked out the overpriced, but cute, options Lulu had to offer...but then I found a headband that had been given to me at the Ragnar Great River Relay.

It was little more than a strip of stretchy synthetic fabric turned into a stylish headband. LIGHTBULB! I can make that. So I headed over to the fabric store on the way home from work...to find a completely atrocious assortment of usable fabrics. I guess it's just not that season.

What to do...what to do.

On my drive home I realized I was sitting on a jackpot of headband appropriate material at home. You know those oddball race shirts we all have floating around? The ones you receive that are too ugly to wear, or run way to small to actually be worn? Well I decided it was time to up-cycle some of those unworn shirts AND solve my bang dilemma at the same time. Win, win!

First I dug out a few sacrifice-able shirts...

...and I started cutting.
I cut strips approximately 18" x 5".

You could sew them just like this, but I opted to taper them at the back to help them stay in place.

I'm lucky enough to have a sewing mating, but with as little sewing as this project entails you could definitely do it by hand

Voila! My quick and dirty, bang containing, sweat catching, headbands.

Not too shabby if I do say so myself. :)

Now to get out there and log those miles.

- Typos courtesy of my iPad

Three Things Thursday

2011-12-22T11:21:00.004-06:00

1. I've been a little MIA since getting home from Thailand. In case you were worried, we made it home safe and sound, just as planned. Truth be told, I didn't want to come back. Ever. And just as soon as I devise a plan to live and work in Thailand I'll be on the next boat. With the dogs. Obviously.

2. So yeah, Christmas. It's this weekend or something. I've never been a big holiday person. I think it goes back to one too many mediocre (at best) holidays as a child. The holidays always seem to bring little more than drama, which is in fact the EXACT OPPOSITE of what they should do. We were given 2 little fake trees by my MIL the week we got home from Thailand, because it wouldn't be the holidays if our house went undecorated. Her heart was in the right place, so I promptly tricked them out with all things miniature pink things I could find at Target.

I even wrapped some presents for under the little trees, because I LOVE wrapping presents. For real.

3. The real inspiration for today's post is this little gem of a video I just came across today. I realize that it's been circultaing the interwebs since the end of Novemeber, so posting it here today is my admission of being late to the party. Whatever. It made me laugh. And it's awesome. And pretty much embodies everything I despise about the trends and fads.

Smarter Than Your Average Bear

2011-12-08T09:01:00.002-06:00

We've been in Phuket for a few days now, and will in fact be attempting to head from Phuket to Krabi tomorrow via ferry... But itinerary aside, I had a very interesting conversation with a local today, one worth sharing.

We took a speedboat tour of the Phi Phi islands today (very stereotypical tourist, but still really friggin' cool.). Our tour guide was a young Thai man not much older than I am, I'd say mid-30's at most. While many of the tourists on the trip kept t themselves, I took the opportunity to talk with him.

Turns out, he's been working boat tours for almost 20yrs. He likely left school prematurely when he left his family to move to Phuket and support himself. While not traditionally educated he spoke Thai (obviously), Japanese, Korean and English fluently and is currently working on his Russian. How many of us can say that?

He also, if given the opportunity to talk, had much to say. Most of the people on the oat, either from lack of english or lack of interest, or both, paid no attention to what he had to say. From stories about his past, to how he lives now, to where he was with the tsunami it in 2004, he was a wealth of knowledge. He also wasn't shy about telling you what cultures were the worst to work with. Interesting, very interesting.

Point being, it's easy to become frustrated with cultural differences and language barriers. But it's no easier for those on the other side. And just because you cannot you don't speak the same native language does jot make either superior.

Oh, and you never know when someone is judging your culture, so tread
Iightly!

PS. Wear your sunscreen when near the equator...

- Typos courtesy of my iPad

Phuket

2011-12-05T11:57:00.003-06:00

I am finally here.

I have been dreaming about the Andaman Sea and beaches of Thailand since middle school...when Leo romped on the white sands and splashed in the turquoise waters of The Beach.

Not because it was a particularly, or even remotely, good movie mind you, but because it was this amazingly lush and beautiful place. Something that seemed to only exist on a sound stage.

But it was more than Hollywood. It was a real. I put it on my list of places I dreamed to go, but would likely never see.

I cried in 2004 when Phuket was devastated by unprecedented tsunami. And felt my breath Catch earlier this week as a Thai recalled that day almost 7 years ago.

We arrived in Phuket in the middle of the night. I have yet to even see the sandy beaches, but I know they are there.

Chiang Mai was amazing but being here...is a dream come true.

- Typos courtesy of my iPad

A change of plans

2011-11-29T06:50:00.003-06:00

We checked out of our hotel Monday with plans of catching a midday train to Autthaya for the night...only, lucky for us, our cab driver asked where we were headed from the train station. Apparently mother nature and her floods were not so kind to the former Capitol of Siam. While the trains had resumed service to Autthaya, many of the sites are closed until further inspection and restoration. Fingers crossed that the outlook is better before we leave Thailand...

There we were, in the back of a cab, checked out of our hotel with luggage in tow, and no place to go. We came on this trip with no set itinerary, expectations, or back-up plans. So with nowhere to go but out of Bangkok, we asked the driver to change course and take us to the airport, where we found a flight to Chiang Mai leaving in 90mins. Did I mention that in Bangkok it is possible to purchase a plane ticket, check baggage, get through security, and book a hotel with time to spare in this situation? Yeah, TSA could learn a thing or two from these people.

An hour flight later we were in Chiang Mai and on our way to our hotel.

I suppose it is worth mentioning here that while it is very possible to stay cheap in Thailand, thus far we have chosen not to. By American standards the places we've stayed have been very very reasonable, but we have not made the foray into $15/night guesthouses yet. We were advised by multiple people that Bangkok is not the place to skimp as it is, to put it mildly, so hit or miss. What can I say, it's out honeymoon.

We checked into our hotel in the old city of Chiang Mai, rested a bit, and ate a late early dinner. By this time it was just passing from dusk to dark and we decided to take a walk to see the neighborhood.

A few short blocks later we noticed that trailing across the sky were a dozens paper lanterns. As we got closer we heard fireworks which appeared to be coming from a temple down the road. We followed the fireworks and lanterns to the gated yard of the temple where inside were a few dozen Buddhist monks and students, intermixed with other locals and some tourists.

Unsure if this was a private ceremony or not we hovered awkwardly until a middle-aged American couple invited us in. In turns out this couple spends any where from 4-12weeks in Chiang Mai yearly for business, a business I am quite curious to know more about, and considered this their "home" temple.

The locals were celebrating something, which I did not catch, by sending lanterns into the sky. As far as I can understand, the release of the lanterns is symbolic of sending away or letting go of the bad. A sort of cleansing. The Thais, who are also a superstitious lot, will release the lanterns with a firework* attached to scare of ghosts.

While I do not typically wax profane, or even consider myself a sentimental person, this ritual was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. The children of all ages playing with lanterns and running through the lot. The joy and calm of the monks. The intrigue of the tourists. It was magical to say the least.

*The lantern I released had a firework attached, that when the monk lit it, I almost peed my pants...

- Typos courtesy of my iPad

Chatuchak Weekend Market

2011-11-27T21:04:00.005-06:00

My second sleep in Bangkok was not nearly as solid as the first, but I didn't wake up with a vicious drug hangover either. I suppose there are trade offs.

We wandered down Th Suhkumvit in search of breakfast...and found ourselves back at McDonalds. The problem I have with the steer vendors and open air restaurants on Th Suhkumvit is that it smells so friggin bad. I don't even know How to describe the street smells, but I find myself fighting back the urge to toss my Pad Thai just about every time we are outside in Bangkok. I don't know if all of Bangkok is this stinky or if we landed ourselves in a seedy part of town. Either way, I cannot wait to get out of Bangkok.

Anyways. McDonalds. McNuggets. Don't judge. If it makes a difference, they make everything fresh when you order it here...and the fountain Coke is legitimate real sugar Coke.

After breakfast/brunch we wandered the streets a bit before recruiting a tuk tuk to take us to the market. Interestingly enough, the first tuk tuk driver we spoke to told us the market was underwater...but offered to take us on a tour of the nearby sites for 150TB. It seemed a little odd so we declined, much to his protesting, and walked to a nearby cab.

Turns out, the market, not flooded.

Side note...Thus far my experience with the people of Bangkok is that they are not nearly as friendly or as helpful as the guidebooks would have you believe. But I suppose that would be like people judged the US based on the behavior of NY cabbies.

Back to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. The market itself seems to wrap around an indoor shopping center, which I could not tell you if it was open all week. I can however tell you it's air conditioned. We wandered the outdoor market for probably 2hrs in the 90degree heat before seeking shelter of the AC.

Outside the vendors ranged from antique Chinese furniture, to puppies, to clothing, and everything in between. There was likely a plan to the layout, but I couldn't tell you what it is. Each area seemed to have its own "food court" of sorts serving up all of the local fares.

It was hot, sometimes stinky, crowded...and fascinating.

Chestnuts roasting over an open fire...

Thai corn on the cob?
I cannot believe W passed this up.

Amazing fabrics

Beads sold by the strand or weight.

Shoes...some new, some used.

All of the latest in Thai fashion.

A HUGE fish section.

Inside we indulged in ice cream from a "traditional" American ice cream shop.

Later today we will attempt to navigate the Thai train system and make our way to Auytthaya, the ancient capitol Siam. It's another balmy day here...and the train to Autthaya isn't air conditioned. It could be a very long ride.

- Blogging from my iPad

Bangkok He Said, So Bangkok She Did...

2011-11-26T14:22:00.003-06:00

Hey-o!

Can you tell my travel insomnia has set in...?

After almost 30miserably long hours of travel, we arrived in Bangkok around midnight Friday night/Saturday morning (11am Friday for those of you playing along at home). Except for a bit of a language barrier at immigration, as in she spoke no English and I spoke no Thai, our first trip through the airport was blissfully uneventful. Our luggage even made it here unscathed (thank you Delta!).

We hopped a cab and headed over to our hotel, which was just off of Th Sukhumvit. We are spending our first few nights in a Radisson...can you guess who booked that? Somebody, aka W, was giddy like a school girl when he saw that Bangkok had Radisson hotels just like back home. Ok, whatever.

My initial observation as we navigated our way to the hotel was that we must be staying in a seedy part of time, but in the daylight I've come to believe that's just Bangkok. But I'll come back to that.

Our room was spacious, air conditioned and clean, so I have no real complaints. We settled in, climbed into bed around 2am, and much like a fine Calgon soak, we let Ambien take us away. As a side note, I had to BEG and plead with my dr for a very small allotment of Ambien for the trip. For our 20 day trip I was able to finagle 5, which was after a visit to the dr and 3 phone calls. W, on the other hand, made one quick call and was set up with enough drugs to put down a herd of elephants. For a month. WTF?

Anyways...I woke up Saturday morning around 8am initially to the sound of construction. Awesome. Luckily I was just drugged enough to pass back out for another 2hrs. When I woke up at 10 I felt like I had the worst hangover of my life. Seriously wretched. I don't know if it was the Ambien, the travel, dehydration or all three, but I thought I was dying. All I could think about was how badly I wanted a Diet Coke the size of my head. We showered and wandered down the street to the convenience store...only to find no recognizable soda. We snagged a few water and kept on walking. At the next convenience store I found Coke, but no diet. I've come to surmise that they just don't have Diet Coke in Thailand, which unfortunately means I could never live here. Their loss!

We decided to wander the street markets on Th Sukhumvit a bit in search of palatable food. Coincidently, wandering the streets of Bangkok was not what this hungover girl needed. It smells like a mix of leftovers gone bad and pee. Or perhaps that someone peed in your questionable leftovers. Barf. Also note, that in modest culture that won't allow women into some temples an other such things, it is perfectly acceptable to sell religious tchotchkes, knock off DVDs, and dildos from your cart. On the street corner. In plain daylight. And apparently Viagra is OTC here. Bizarre.

After navigating several blocks of street markets, I spied what I do believe saved my first day in Bangkok. McDonalds. Let me tell you, those McNuggets were pure magic. Turns out that the hangover curing powers of McDonalds' greasy, salty goodness is universal.

So yes, I am telling you that our first meal in Bangkok was McDonalds. And I'm ok with that.

Stay classy San Diego.

Three Things Thursday

2011-11-10T23:24:00.001-06:00

1. So about that training plan of mine. You know, the pre-training-plan training plan? Still haven't gotten around to starting that. Huh. Being out of the country for 3wks and coming back to start marathon training (for my first marathon, mind you) with virtually no base is going to kill me. Worst. Idea. Ever.

1 1/2. Since when did finding motivation to run and work out become so difficult? It used to just be what I did. Sort of like brushing my teeth before bed. It was just part of the daily routine. Lately it's a good week if I manage to run or workout once. WTF?!

2. Speaking of things I say I'm going to do but never really get around to doing...minimizing my muffin top. I have been desperately wanting to lose all the weight I've gained in the past year and a half and get back in shape. Admittedly 2009 and 2010 were ROUGH. Multiple surgeries, multiple stints on crutches, lots of self pity and what not. Wah, wah, wah. But I don't have those excuses for 2011. Last spring the motivator was to be tank top and swimsuit ready by summer...which then became a need to trim doing by the wedding...and when THAT didn't happen I shifted gears to being swimsuit ready before our honeymoon. The post-wedding, pre-honeymoon goal was 10lbs in 2mos. Plenty of time to do it the healthy, responsible way. Riiiiiight. Pretty sure that hasn't happened.

2 1/2. In my defense, I have lost and kept off 7lbs since last spring. But 7lbs in 6+ months is hardly something to write home about. I have become much more aware of what I'm eating and portion control. That's not to say I don't routinely make poor food decisions, but I would like to think that those 2 little things have helped stave off any weight gain and helped me get those 7 measly pounds off. Now if only I could get my lazy ass to exercise...

2 3/4. I have a friend who has been working on getting into shape for sometime. I can't say for certain when she revamped her lifestyle and went all hardcore because she's always been active, but DAMN has she made some progress in the last few months. She's always been pretty, and stylish with a wardrobe to die for, but she is transforming herself into like a goddess. Arms to die for, sculpted legs, and I'm just sure she is well on her way to rock- hard abs. She still eats and goes for cocktails (frequently), but she works out with dedication and it shows. She is like the definition of healthy, active, and HOT. I wish I had even an ounce of her motivation...

And yes, I have a TOTAL girl crush on her.

3. I started packing for our trip earlier this week. Trying to sort through my backpacking, tech-y travel clothes and see what still fits. I am happy to say that everything more or less fits, which is so not what I thought would happen. Some things definitely fit better than others, but there weren't any tragic outfit failures, camel toes, mom butts, or other such fashion faux pas. So that's a win.

3 1/2. I had challenged myself to lose 5lbs before we leave. I know, I know. I don't have a very good track record with the whole set a goal and work towards it thing, but if by some stroke of dumb luck I do lose a few lb's before our trip my clothes will fit a smidge better. And that would be pretty a-okay by me. I have exactly 2 weeks left from today to attain this goal...and so far I'm only .5lb down from where I started. Unless I go all fad-diet-juice- cleanse or some crazy shit, I don't think this is going to happen. #FAIL

Happy Birthday Wyatt!!

2011-11-10T00:01:00.004-06:00

From flamboyantly intoxicated nights on the town

to questionable outfits,

quality time with the pups,

and trying to be hand around the house...

From playing in the leaves,

to helping around the house,

to fearlessly taking on the hornets nests,

and sharing his hidden talents;

Here are to many more birthdays and growing old together. <3

Psssst.....You can send Wyatt a little birthday love of you own on the Twitter: @wyattjirsa.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T23:14:00.004-06:00

11/9/11 First Snow
(as seen from my office window)

Foto Friday

2011-11-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

Hyde's Mill

I purchased my first DSLR late in July this year knowing that I had a handful of photoworthy trips and events happening in the coming months. For the first few weeks I brought that camera EVERYWHERE I went and took pictures of EVERYTHING. I was starting to get the hang of the basics. And then work ramped up, and my free time became virtually non-existent, and my camera sat for weeks on end safely tucked in it's bag.

I had a little time while in Kona for work to play with the camera again. Much time was spent working hard to capture sunsets, ocean views, and athletes in motion. I stumbled upon some great photos, but genrally came back feeling frustrated at my inability to use my expensive new toy to the fullest of it's capabilities. I also came back wanting like 3 new lens, a flash, and a new camera bag, but that's a while other story...

On Saturday 10/22/11 I headed out to Hyde's Mill with a local photog group. This was definitely stepping out of my comfort zone as this was a group of all new people, I was going alone, and I was feeling RUSTY with my relatively new Nikon 3100. The group was, for the most part, super friendly, and many of them were in my shoes not so long ago. There were a few pro's in the group, but mainly there were just there to answer questions and give pointers. I've never been shy at asking questions, so I took full advantage of picking their brains.

A pro I'm not, but here a few of my favorites from my afternoon at Hyde's Mill in Ridgeway, WI.

A shot of the original water-powered mill in Iowa County. This was a test in difficult lighting (direct sunlight, none the less), framing a photo, and capturing moving water. No easy task as I learned that when I adjusted for one condition, say moving water, I had to then compensate for the other condition, direct sunlight. Definitely a learning experience!!

Close up shot of the original mill wheels, once powered by the water wheel. This was me playing with macro, sans a proper macro lens. It was also a test of my limited DSLR knowledge and how to focus on the near, and soften the far.

If you were paying attention of your surroundings while on your way to Hyde's Mill, you would have noticed a quaint church on your right as your turned onto Mill Road. I, however, did not. This was taken from 1/2m away, up the hill, on Mill Rd. I toyed with bringing the distance into focus while letting the foreground soften and merely frame. I also had the epiphany of, duh, using manual focus to force the camera to take the shot.

Behind Hyde Church was a quaint cemetery, mainly filled with headstones and monuments dating from the early to mid 1800's. This is another attempt at macro work, sans proper macro lens. The sharpness of the photo is lacking, but I still love the color of the interesting moss, and the softness of the background.

All of my photos can be found on my flickr site....just click on the widget on the left to take a peek.

Three Things Thursday

2011-11-03T10:21:00.002-05:00

Thailand Edition

1. For better or worse, come hell or high water (too soon...?), our airfare has bee purchased. We waited too long to nab the best of deals, but came in under our max, which is promising. On Thanksgiving day we start the 23hr trip to Bangkok....and don't head back to the good ol' US of A until December 13 (19 whole days!!!).

1 1/2. If you all note in your calendars to make sure we make it back on December 14th that would be excellent. Check the blog, stalk me on Twitter, peruse my facepage, shoot me a text, or perhaps stop by (if you're in the area), just please make sure we're alive and on US soil. If not, please contact the US Embassy.

2. Now that the tickets are purchased, I'm actually getting, um, nervous. All this time I've been cavalier and bold. I've talked the game of a season traveler, of an adventure seeker. But now that the proverbial ball is in motion I'm wondering what I've gotten us into.

I've wanted this to be a low-budget, backpacking adventure, with maybe a touch of luxury along the way. I wanted to arrive in Bangkok with little more than our backpacks, a fistful of Bahts, and nothing but time. Sure we'd have a checklist of things to see and our dog-eared LonelyPlanet guidebooks to help us get there, but other that it was a game of wait and see.

But now I'm wondering if this fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants plan is really such a good idea....

3. Then there's all the unknowns. Like, can I find vegetarian food? Will anyone understand us? Will the flood waters be down? Or, will we be able to find potable water? What if one of us get sick? What if, what if, what if.... But isn't all these what if's and unknowns that make it an adventure?

November 1st

2011-11-01T10:44:00.004-05:00

Not to state the obvious here, but today is November 1st. November is busy month in my world. Many, many birthdays (including my own!), Thanksgiving, the Saris Gala, an abundance of loose ends to tie up at work...before our trip to Thailand, typically the first snowfall, and so on.

But what November 1st signifies to me this year, on this day, is the start of my pre-training plan training.

It's no secret that my fitness level is way, way down. It's actually been on the decline since July 2009. As of late though it's taken a even bigger hit. I can probably count on one hand how many runs I've taken in the past two months, all of which have been miserable might I add. Starting a training plan 3 weeks prior to leaving the country for almost 3 weeks seems silly, but to wait until after our trip is like putting all of eggs in the proverbial basket. Instead, I had hoped to start ramping up my fitness level over the next few weeks so that it won't be as much of a shock to the system when we get home. In December.

But instead, I am coughing, and sneezing and sniffling here at my desk. I am eating some questionable Chinese takeout, the spiciest item on the menu just hoping to be able to taste something, and staring out the window. Staring at the 60 degree day. Staring at the sunshine. Staring at my coworkers coming and going from the lunchtime runs and rides. I ambitiously packed my running gear just in case I felt up to a lunchtime run...but it never made it out of my car.

So here it is, November 1st, the start of my training, the month I turn 30....and here I sit.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:00:00.002-05:00

From BumbleBug, SkeleBurton and WillyDog

On a whim...

2011-10-25T08:29:00.006-05:00

...I signed up for Rock and Roll New Orleans. The half marathon to be specific because I haven't completely lost my mind. I blame the coupon. The amazing deep discount that RnR offered for 1 day only. The kind of discount they never offer. I was seduced by their discount.

What have I gotten myself into?!?

Now this isn't to say that I haven't run a half marathon before. Because I have. But I haven't run any significant distance since June 2009. And my training, and dedication to a training plan, has been impulsive and inconsistent at best. As I right this I should be running, but I'm not. I know part of me was hoping that signing up for a race, giving my self a goal and a timeline, would motivate me. But so far, nada.

It was pretty fabulous to watch all the people on Twitter realizing that we ALL took advantage of the great price and signed up. It's safe to say that everyone and their mother is going to be in NOLA the first weekend of March. And that is something I want to be a part of.

But between here and March is training, and self-discipline, that I'm just not sure I have these days...

Friday Funk

2011-10-21T10:18:00.001-05:00

It's Friday and I know I should be be in a good mood, but I'm not. I'm far from it in fact.

Things just aren't playing out as they were planned. I'm treading into new uncharted territory at work, I've completely fallen off of the running map, the house is a disaster...and it looks like our honeymoon is out of the cards for us.

That last one stings the most.

So yeah, it's Friday, but I'm just not feeling it today.

The next thing I knew it was October!

2011-10-20T12:08:00.009-05:00

I don't even know if anyone stops by this place anymore it's been neglected so long. For all like 4 of you who previously read my musings, I thought I'd attempt to recap the last 3 or 4 months for you.

Everyone warned me that the time would FLY by but I just don't know where it all went. It seems like just yesterday it was spring, I was running, I had free time, things were mellow and good.

Then June hit.

It's probably a lot more fun if I show you were I've been....

The chaos all kicked off with Ragnar Chicago Relay. Well worth the lack of sleep and sore muscles. I've made some truly amazing running friends. xoxo!

Then my BFF came to visit from NYC and we made our annual pilgrimage to Summerfest, complete with tickets to see Britney Spears!

W and I then moved our kitchen mini-remodel full steam ahead! Those flower tiles HAD to go.

Note: No actual before pictures were taken because the kitchen was SUCH a disaster. Ugly, messy, and in disrepair. Shudder...

Flowers GONE! But drab cabinets and weird green walls remain...

Nothing a fresh coat of paint on the walls and cabinets can't fix!

(I'm trying to track down a picture of the other half of the kitchen....you know, where the cabinets are...)

Kitchen remodel finished, complete with custom bench designed and upholstered by yours truly, chalkboard paint wall, and a new spice cabinet!

Now if only the new floor and counter fairy would swing by Claire St.

The weekend remodels were intermixed with working events like the Robbie Ventura Gran Fondo

And Centurion Wisconsin.

Which was immediately followed, of course, but Trek World!

I found time to sneak in another race and joined the Pavement Pirates last minute for the Ragnar Great River Relay.

Where I earned my "Make it a Double" medal for doing both Chicago and GR in one season. Huzzah!!

Before I knew it I was off to Vegas for Interbike 2011.

I mean really, who doesn't want to spend 7 days in Vegas the week before getting married...

All the house cleaning and home reno was not for naught though as we hosted our rehearsal dinner in our bcakyard on our fabulous patio.

Then we said some vows...

...took some pictures....

...and had a party!

Followed almost immediately by hopping on a jetplane and heading to Kona to work the Ironman World Championship.

And yes, I was close enough to snap a pic of Chrissie crossing the finish line and regaining her title. OMG.

Don't worry, I had a chance to enjoy a Hawaiian sunset or two.

I realize so much of this is worthy of posts all their own, and I promise to do just that, but not now. I'm almost out of time on my lunch hour, and, well, I am still trying to get caught up from the last few weeks.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T18:10:00.003-05:00

Something old, something new, something borrow, something blue.
AND a set of toasting glasses from my BFF.

Makes the debacle that was my family bridal shower all worth while.

- Blogging from my iPad

Ragnar, A Race Recap

2011-06-29T21:55:00.001-05:00

In the weeks leading up to Ragnar I had a hundred and one different reactions to the upcoming race. Excitement, fear, regret, apprehension, and so on. Seriously, what I had I gotten myself into? I was on team of all ladies, none of whom had ever met in person before. AND with every passing the day the team rooster was changing. What if I hated the girls? What if they hated me? What if I like them and they couldn't stand me? What if I let them down?

There, I said. My biggest fear was letting this team of perfect strangers down.

Just in case they turned out to be a bunch of serial killers, I recruited Ryan and W to come along. They were going to volunteer in the morning and then follow us along the route. Cheering us on, hanging out, pacing if needed, and just generally being my awesomest supporters. But in the days before the race W decided he didn't want to come along. Sure, he'd still meet us in Chicago and charter me home but he wasn't interested in being part of the process. Jerkface.

Did I mention that the week of Ragnar was my first week in my new job? And that there were like fifty jillion things that had to be dealt with ASAP. I found myself working 10+ hour days trying to get everything done. I wasn't getting in my runs because I was so stressed about being off of work. As I put up my out of office Thursday at almost 7pm I left almost in tears in the midst of a panic attack. There was no way I should be taking Friday off...

Too late now. That same day we found out that one of our runners was out with strep throat (ew) and another had a badly sprained ankle and would be able to run of her legs at best. We were already down to 10 1/2 runners...there was no way I was going to bail. So instead I stayed up until the wee hours packing, unpacking, and repacking, all the while texting Kritta looking for reassurance that these ladies (well, the ones she knew anyways) were cool and that I could do this. I big pink puffy HEART Kritta!!

Friday morning rolls around and soon enough there is 15 passenger van pulling up in front of my house. For there being ONLY 4 ladies in the entire 15 passenger van...it was overflowing with stuff. Like out of control. The lady behind the wheel, our almighty captain Jenn, was make-up'd out and looking fabulous despite apparently being out way too late and feeling a little hung over. Renee was running somewhat of a mobile command station with our race binder, her phone all a buzz with Twitter and text updates (PS-it was like 8am). Maureen was cool, calm and confident, generally quiet at this hour of the day but that didn't last long. And Laura. Poor Laura looked like a deer in headlights! So quiet and I'd say overwhelmed...

So there we were, van 2 of Online Relationship: Renee, Laura, Jenn, Maureen and I.

Talk about an awkward picture of me...

It didn't take very long at all for me to decide that these 4 women were amazing and we were going to have a wicked good time.

Since we were van #2 we had plenty of time for a McDonald's stop before making our way to the 6th exchange in Lake Mills. We got there, checked in, and eventually, albeit briefly, saw our other van. Before I knew it it was my turn to run...

My Ragnar race was CycleOps Powered!!

I felt spoiled as I started my first leg of the race. Just 2 or 3 short blocks and I was lucky enough to find myself on the packed gravel goodness of the Glacial Drumlin trail. For the better part of my first leg I found myself on the flat cushy gravel path. I was running just slightly faster than my projected 10:30pace and I felt good. Going into Ragnar I decided to a Galloway approach to my legs: run mile, walk a minute. Right around the 4th mile I turned off the path and onto the shoulder of a county road. Not only had I left the forgiving path but I was headed up hill...not steep but looooong. Ugh. 4.78 miles and 51 minutes later I wrapped up my first leg. I handed off to Maureen who took off like a nat outta hell!!

Being short runners meant swapping runners around a bit, so Kelsey joined van 2 for a leg or two. Maureen flew through her first leg and handed off to Kelsey who kept things moving right along...or was it Laura...it got kind of confusing keep track of the extra kegs and who was running what.

While we were waiting at the next exchange to send Jenn off on her first leg I ran into Kritta!

Someone handed off to Jenn...who handed off to Renee who rounded out of first runs. From there we stopped by Noodles for some pasta-y goodness before settling into the comforts of the Martin Luther HS parking lot. We had roughly 3 hours to nap and get ourselves ready for our night legs.

I was the first of our van to run that night. There was a lot of hub-bub about running at night. Granted I was running at midnight and not 3 or 4 in the morning, but I was stoked about my night leg. I started out down 76th St by the Southridge mall made a right and a left and found myself on the desolate, dark blacktop of the nearby Root River Parkway. With the exception of the beam my headlamp, and the occasionally blinding reflection off of a runners vest, it was dark and quiet and I LOVED it. My night leg was only 3.7 miles long, so just under 40 minutes later I found myself handing off to Maureen again.

Maureen cruised through her miles like a hot knife through butter and handed off to Laura who handed off to Renee for Renee's first of two night legs. Renee handed off to Jenn, and had just enough time to inhale some food and water and get ready to run her 2nd leg...One more swap from Jenn to Renee, who dug DEEP to make that last leg happen. We cheered Renee in and sent van 1 on its way.

From there it was time to snag a few hours sleep, eat some breakfast and get our last legs over with.

I kicked it off with my last 4.8 mile leg. At this point we were in Waukegan, and once again I was the lucky duck that got to run almost all of my miles on a packed gravel path. Score. I was struggling come this leg. I was sore, my ankle was puffy and stiff. I was ready to be done. I wasn't able to hang onto my 10:30 pace of my last 2 legs and found myself walking more and running slower. I wrapped up my final 4.9 mile leg in 57 minutes. The first words out of my mouth were something along the line of "the only way this would be better is if I could shower," and wouldn't you know that my leg ended at a YMCA that was letting us shower. Thank you Jeebus!!

Maureen was off on her first leg...which was LONG (which meant I actually had time to shower). She came in and handed off to the ever consistent Laura who cruised through her 6 or so miles in an hour and handed back off to Maureen for her second leg. Yes, second. After running something like 10 miles in her last leg Maureen still had it in her to run another 4+ mile leg. Maureen ran it in and handed off to Jenn, who hung in there for her 8+ mile leg and handed off to Renee to bring it home!

Re-enacting crossing the finish live.

36 or so hours later we were done. DONE. DONE!!!! Not only did I run farther than I had in 2yrs, but I did it with a team of ladies I didn't know. AND I kept my cool, despite being surrounded by an overwhelming amount of estrogen and running on little to no sleep.

To say I'm proud of my accomplishment is an understatement

Van 2: Renee, Laura, Maureen, Jenn and I

I don't know that I could have done this race with anyone else. We gave it all we could for one another, and even when we were pooped we dug deep and gave some more. We cheered one another on. We gossiped. We laughed. We were AWESOME!

Thank you Renee, Jenn, Maureen and Laura!! I cannot wait to race with you ladies again.

Next on the agenda is what I learned at Ragnar, wedding woes, and my running roadblock...stay tuned!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T07:24:00.000-05:00

Early wedding present from W to me.

Who needs a limo when you have a PINK tandem?!

My how the time flies...

2011-06-27T21:37:00.004-05:00

Last I was here I was frettingabout the impending Ragnar race...and that has long since come and (sadly) gone. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in living life I forget to blog about it, and I think that's ok.

Before I get down and dirty with my Ragnar recap, I feel like I should catch ya'll up to speed....

Much of the month of May was spent in a funk. I has previously interviewed for a position I really wanted, but had yet to hear anything. I was stressed, I was tired, I was CRABBY. In the midst of all this I spent a week in Houston for Ironman Texas with my would be boss (if I go the job). Talk about stressful. To add insult to injury, I am a sweater. Like drippy, swassy, nasty mess sweater. And I don't know if you got the memo, but Houston ain't cool. There I was, pit stains and all, trying to impress my potential future boss when all I wanted to do was curl up in a tub of ice water and take a nap. FML!! I did get to spend some time with the likes of tri superstars likeLinsey Corbin, Tyler Stewart and Michael Lovato (and of course all of the other IM roadies who I rarely see these days), so not all was lost.

(left) Michael Lovato manning our trainer blender smoothie experiment.

(right) The Corbins and Stewarts catching up.

Home from TX I had a little time to play catch up around the house...do some laundry, buy some groceries, plant my garden. I would LOVE if it I was able to maintain my garden this year...and not attempt to do that on crutches. Because that sucked summer.

Then. Look at those itty bitty lil plants.

2wks ago...it's even bigger now!

Before my bags were even unpacked from TX W and I decided to undertake our biggest DIY home improvement project to date: a brick patio. Behind our house we have a small cement patio area, but it's not really big enough for a table or even for chairs for more than 2 or 3 people. Being that we love to be at home and outside when the WI weather permits, creating a useable outdoor space was high on the list of things to do. We debated between a patio or a deck. We priced out options and got quotes. And then, on a whim, decided to do it ourselves.

Let me tell you a little secret. W is many things, handy IS NOT one of them. He tries so hard and he means so well, but all I can do is thank D-O-G every time we finish a project with all of his digits in tact.

So yeah, patio. It was big. And A LOT of work. Thank goodness for long weekends and fabulous friends who are willing to help!!

The space trenched, graveled, and (almost) retaining walled out.

Ryan taking Roberta the Bobcat for a stroll through the yard...my poor yard. :(

4+ days of back-breaking labor and two very baggy eyes later...the patio is done!

That brings us to June, which is almost over now. Wah. Where is the time going?!? June has been a much better month than May was. We've been to two weddings, one of W's friends and one of my friends (which means I could wear the same dress-SCORE!). I try not to go all bridezilla up in here, because, well, there's enough crazy bitches out there. I think the Bare Naked Ladies said it best when they said "It's all been done before," but I digress. Sandwiched in between the weddings was Ragnar which is arguably one of the coolest things I have ever done. And being that it was good, bad and ugly all wrapped up in a 15 passenger, Ragnar certainly deserves a blog post all its own. Last weekend was WIBA and ToAD...and that means next weekend is the 4th of July.

Pretty soon we'll be getting hitched. Yikes.

Oh, and did I mention I got the job? 'Cause I did. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T10:23:00.000-05:00

http://www.runningday.org

Happy National Running Day!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T09:06:00.002-05:00

PW: A Race Recap or 2

2011-05-03T10:22:00.005-05:00

PW as in Personal Worst, as in not fast, as in not good. 2 weekends, 2 races, 2 PWs. Boo. HISS!

I made a deal with myself Friday before Crazylegs: if it was raining on Saturday when I woke up I could skip the run, if it was sunny I had to go. I mean seriously, should a sick girl be running in cold rainy weather? I think not. Typically I HATE rainy, cold weather but I seriously sat and hoped and prayed that that's what i would wake up to on Saturday so i didn't have to run). The over paid, highly educated, local meteorologists were all predicting rain so all things were pointing to staying in bed.

Wouldn't you know, it was sunny when I woke up on Saturday. Awesome. Great. I'm excited.

Fuuuuuuuuck.

The only redeeming quality of the day is that however under the weather I was, Wyatt was even more hungover. Like slightly green, rough around the edges, HUNG OVER. I half expected, nay hoped, that he would decide he was too inebriated to run but he was not going to be one to let his Friday night decisions keep him from running.

Looks like I was going to run. I jumped in the shower to try to wake up and loosen up my congested lungs. I suited up, Sugoi Brand Champion shirt and all, and we were off. And then promptly back home because I forgot something. Ok, lessoned learned. Always get your race gear together the night before.

We hustled down there, found our start corral (some 4 blocks from the start line), and we waited. For 55mins. Apparently it takes a while to get 20,000+ runners started. We get to the start line (35mins after the 10am start) and we're off!

I went in with an A, B and C goal.

A. sub-50 (not likely)

B. sub-55 (strong possibility)

C. sub-60

The first mile or so I felt pretty good. We were keeping a 9'ish minute mile, moving right along. I think my favorite part of the entire race was actually running down Langdon. All the crazy college kids, frat boys and sorority sisters, were pre-party on the frat lawns for Mifflin Street Day. It reminded me how much I loved my 4yrs at UW and being a greek. Oh, the good years...

You know what happens after Langdon St tho? Observatory Hill. I am a firm believer that no, and I mean NO ONE, should have to run up Observatory Hill. Ever. For any reason. But it seems just about every local race course takes you up that damn hill. Did I mention I walked the hill? Because I did. I was sick. These things happen.

Just beyond that dreaded hill we hit mile 2. I was feeling a little gaspy, and winded, but I chalked that up to the congestion. It was at that point I decided I would Galloway the rest of the run taking a 1-2min walk break after each mile. Things were pretty uneventful for mile 2 and 3. My legs felt surprisingly strong. My foot wasn't bothering me. But by the 3rd mile I was losing my breath from coughing and the wind. Did I mention it was WINDY? Oh so windy.

Mile 4'ish is when I started to feel, um, done. My legs were starting to get a bit tired and I was just so weezy and coughy and miserable. I had maybe 1/4m of self pity and internal complaining, but I decided that I had to make the last 1/4m strong. I was too close to being done to throw in the towel. So I picked up my pace a touch and just keep moving forward. Before I knew it I was turning into the stadium and running onto the field. And the best part of all this? I beat Wyatt by 30-some odd seconds. Boo-ya!

Crazylegs 2011 57:24 later, was in the books. I came close to my B goal, but as my grandpa always said, close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.

From there it was a matter of getting separated from W, being cold and frustrated, finally finding W and then the 2+ mile walk to the car.

Fast forward to this past Saturday. The very first race Wyatt and I ever did together was the Lake Monona 20k. I was well trained, W was not. We ran it for fun, er, I ran it for fun. It was slow, but I remember loving every step because we were running it together. Awwww. Well, we obviously didn't run last year as I had a bum foot. And I didn't think I could run it this year because I was/am just not ready for a 20k yet, but guess what?!?! The wonderful folds at Race Day Events added a 5k this year! Squeeee!

Pre-race photo, courtesy of Focal Flame Photography

The highlight of the race was that the Cambridge Girl's Running club, a wonderful group of 3rd and 4th grade girls, were out running their first 5k! So fun! They were so inspiring and cute I couldn't even be upset that the majority of them beat me...

The lowlight of the race was 1/2m in when some yuppie asshole in a grey Mini Cooper (who lives very near Winnequah Park in Monona) decided he couldn't be bothered to wait for the runners to pass his intersection, on the well marked course, and turned INTO the runners nearly hitting one of the previously mentioned Cambridge girls. And when W yelled at him, which was probably against his better judgement in the first place, the yuppie douchebag proceeded to get out of his car and start yelling at the runners. Give me a friggin' break loser.

The rest of the race? Pretty uneventful. Despite my heavy legs, I kept a strong 9:30min pace for the first mile and a half. And then it kind of unraveled. I felt crampy, and sore, and just unmotivated. I just didn't feel like running, that was kind of the bottom line.

My only goal for the day was a sub-30 time. But just past a mile and a half, when I decided I needed to take a walk break, I knew that goal was not going to happen. Ugh. I thought just maybe if I took that little walk break I would be able to get my legs moving and keep my pace. But maybe 1/2m later I could feel my calves and hams getting tighter and heavier and just needed to walk. Again. So I did. And as I stared at my Garmin I watched my sub-30 goal becoming less and less likely.

I knew I could finish, but just wasn't feeling it. And wouldn't you know my dear Wyatt decided to prey on this weakness and he decided to pick up the pace just a touch in the last 1/4m. I watched him do it. I knew I could catch him, but I doubted I could hold that pace, so I let him beat me. By 7 seconds. Yes, I am using the word let loosely there.

W enjoying his victory!

Lake Monona 5k 2001 31:11 Close, and yet so far, from my goal.

And there you have it. 2 weeks, 2 races, to PWs.

PS - Somehow neither Crazylegs nor the Lake Monona 5k were able to capture a finish line picture of me...Booo!! I will continue to scour the untagged photos in hopes of finding proof of my participation, but I'm not feeling too hopeful.

Under the Weather

2011-04-29T10:48:00.004-05:00

Here I am, slouching at my desk, feeling pretty miserable. (Hey bossman, what's up! I am totally breaking the rules, blogging at work. Sorry!) My poor little immune system resisted the department plague as long as it could before succumbing to the bug.

It hurts to swallow, I can't hear, my head feels like it is full of cement. Seriously, I am sick. AND whinny. Whatever.

I have been a trooper this week. I've made birthday treats because well Ryan turned the big 3-0 yesterday and treats were needed. I've dined with dealers because they were in town. I got up early to attend a fundraiser breakfast. I've gotten up in the middle of the night to let the damn puppy out.

All of these things aside, you know what really chaps my ass? Tomorrow is CrazyLegs. And I'm sick.

Yes I would like a cheese with my wine.

Prior to Tuesday of this week, with the plague set in, I've been running and feeling good. I've been making progress not only in form, but in speed. I was confident that I could finish CrazyLegs and feel okay doing it. I had times goals in mind. And now, I'm not even sure I am up to running tomorrow.

Especially with a forecast like this:

Rain, seriously? It's like Mother Nature is mocking me!!

Do I attempt to muscle through the run? Be wet, and cough-y, and miserable for 5miles? Or do I throw in the towel, sleep in and be bummed that I missed CrazyLegs? Ughhhh.

RAGNAR!!

2011-04-26T09:12:00.004-05:00

Oh hai, it's been a while. I just wanted to stop by and say it's official. I am signed up and ready to rock 'n roll at RAGNAR in June!! That's right, I am one of the newest members of Team Online Relationship.

And I. Cannot. Wait.

So far I've gotten to know a few of the gals through the interwebs. You know, the Twitter, Facepage and such. And if these couple of ladies are any indication of how cool the peeps are, I am stoked!

AND THEN I saw the RAGNAR Double medal, and I want it!

Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement a few weeks back. It's amazing, and inspiring, that there is such a great community of athletes out there.

And PS-who's in for the RAGNAR Great River Relay?!

Mom Butt

2011-04-13T22:02:00.004-05:00

As I lay on the mat doing my crunches tonight I couldn't help but think about my running analysis. Specifically about the mASSive expansion of my butt bouncing up and down in slow motion. And as I replayed that horrifying memory over in my mind I could help butt* reflect on a topic of conversation my coworkers and I explored this past weekend: Mom Butt.

If you aren't familiar with the phenomenon I insist you take a minute to watch the SNL Mom Jeans skit. Go ahead, press play. I'll wait.

Now that we're all up to speed, let's discuss.

I get that having children leads to inevitable biological and structural changes. I mean, before I'm going to squeeze a watermelon out my girly bits somethings going to have to move. And I don't mean to be insensitive to the cause. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the Mom Butt epidemic terrifies me.

I am confident there are mom's out there who don't fit the mold. Like J Lo. Ok, bad example because if I recall correctly she's insured her ASSets. Is it possible to avoid the Mom Butt? Or reverse it? Do all mom's get it? What if you adopt? Is it still called Mom Butt if you are not in fact a mom? What if you're a lesbian? And why aren't dad's subjected to the same woes of childbearing?

It seems only inevitable that, with the already abundant bottom I have, that I will someday be another victim of the Mom Butt**. This is in fact a reason for me to think twice about procreation (well, that and a certain niece who shall not be named). But I digress. I vow to do everything in my power that if I cannot avoid it, I will do my best to delay the onset for as long as I can.

Did I mention that I did an extra set of glut bridges tonight? Because I did. Just for good measure.

*Yes, I meant this typo was intentional.

**And NO, I am not preggers people so don't go there.

All Things Running #FTW

2011-04-12T09:52:00.005-05:00

Over the past week or so I have taken some major strides in the active world.

I have been running consistently, and consistently well, for the past 3 weeks. It's still not far, and certainly not fast, but it is feeling better and better. I definitely think I am making progress on my form and strike, I am running at a faster pace, and my recovery time is shorter. Last night's run was a major break through with 20minutes run at a 6.1-6.5mph pace. And even after pushing the pace for 20mins I still had enough left in the tank to finish 3 4x1 intervals. Huzzah!

I've also acquired a few new pieces of running gear. Remember that unfortunate near-camel toe incident a few weeks back? Yeah, well rather than taking any more chances with different brands and styles i have decided to stick to the tried and true gear of Sugoi.

Those Canadians know how to make some serious running gear.

I have always love LOVE loved, and sworn by, their compression socks. They give my calves a nice little hug without breaking the bank, which is key in my world. From flying and roadtrips, to expos and events, to post smashfest recovery, they just do the job. I have always been a little skeptical of the calf sleeves tho. I mean, won't they make my feet swell up? Seeing as my budget, and sock drawer, only allow for so many pairs of socks I took a chance with the sleeves, and they are awesome. Two thumbs WAY up! I also splurged on a few new pairs of capris. I did a pair of Piston 200 Compression Capris, which are magical, and a pair of the Hatha Capris which are just about as comfy as it gets. And functional.

Let's review.

Sugoi = comfy + support + cute + NO CAMEL TOE = Happy Katie :)

OH! And last week @jenn_if_er from "From Stilettos 2 Sneakers" made like a jillion of these super cute running headbands and sent them out to her Twitter running buddies. How sweet is that? It keeps my rogue bangs out of my eyes, stays in place, which is like a friggin Christmas miracle in my world, and is adorable. So cute I am in fact guilty of wearing it not only to run in, but to work as well. I can only imagine the funk my sweaty headband is accumulating, but I suppose that's the price you pay for fashion. If you can get past the awkward phone/mirror picture, and the streaking dirty mirror, AND the Smurf blue walls of our bathroom, which I thought was an excellent idea at the time, you'll notice I am sporting a super cute zebra print headband with my Threadless "Don't CareBears" shirt.

Thanks Jenn!!

I keep trying to think of a way to pay it forward, but seem to lacking some serious creativity these days. Cute, functional, running related, DIY...? Any ideas?!?

Hard to top a good week of running, new running gear, and Jenn's headband? Abso-friggin-lutely. But being one of the newest member of Team HoneyMilk comes darn close!! That's right, I found out earlier this week that HoneyMilk has decided to add me to their roster of grassroot athletes. So not only will my bio be on their page, with the likes of Crowie and Chris McDonald, but I'll get to help spread the word on a super product.

With all this excitement it's hard to imagine that I'm going to successfully pour myself into bed now, but I am. I've got PT in the morning and a running eval...where hopefully I'll get the green light for RAGNAR and all my other running and tri plans....

Oh wait, and the BESTEST news of all????? I've managed to knock off 7lbs in the last 3 weeks!!! You have to love when hardwork, exercise and small changes start to add up to big accomplishments. It's only like another 15lbs or so til I'm back to pre-surgery race weight, but whatevs. I'm going to bask in my accomplishment for the moment and keep trucking along.

RAGNAR?!

2011-03-31T08:47:00.006-05:00

Last summer, post-surgery, I optimistically sat and wrote trainings plans and race schedules to include all of the things I wanted to do last fall, winter, and for 2011. Most of those plans were quickly squashed by a long-slow recovery and a cautious physical therapist.

Needless to say, my plans to coordinate a RAGNAR team for the Chicago relay in June (and the Great River relay in August) went right out the window along with everything else. For those of you living under the proverbial rock, the short of RAGNAR is that it's a series of 2-day, ~200mile, 12 -person relay races. Pretty sick, if I do say so myself.

Wellll, I never got around to putting together a team. BUT yesterday I stumbled across a team of Twitteratti looking for a 12th team member. It sounds like 11 running gals from around the Midwest (and beyond) created a team and plan to run together. How friggin' cool is that?! Did I mention my love of the Twitter? Because I pretty much want to send it flowers and chocolates and maybe even ask it to marry me. But I digress. So this group of runners, the majority of whom only know each other through Twitter have made a team and are looking for a 12th.

How perfect is that?!

But...

The downside to running with a group of people I don't know is that I feel like I would be the weakest link and that relative strangers (who haven't been through the last almost 2yrs of injury with me) may not understand my weaknesses and woes. I truly believe I can be trained and ready to the relay, albeit slowly, but is that enough? Granted, the runner they are looking for has 3 moderately easy legs, all in the 5 mile range. I know I will be able to run more than 5 miles in one go, because shit, I can just about do that now. But is 3-5mile legs in 24hrs? Will that be too much? Will I re-injure myself? Will I let my team down?

I *really* want to do this. I have even written up a very doable, but conservative, training plan to get me to the relay. But I just can't keep the self-doubt from creeping in...

How Yesterday's Run FAILED

2011-03-28T10:57:00.004-05:00

Man alive was yesterday's run AWFUL. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would simply stay in my pajamas. On the couch. With the dogs. And it didn't just suck balls for one reason, there were like eleventy hundred reasons.

The first of which was a MAJOR outfit malfunction. Thank the little baby Jesus that I follow the "nothing new on race day" rule and tested out my new Skirt Sports capris at the Y. I put them on at home and stretched and wiggled around. The cut was cute and flattering, functional little hip pockets, it seemed good. I bought these in the same size as all my other SkirtSports clothing, which fit great and I LOVE, so I never thought these would be so awful. I should've given more thought to the fact the waistband kept rolling and bunching, but I didn't. I book it over to the Y, hop on the treadmill and instantly knew this was not going to work. With every step the waistband was rolling and inching down. Like unflatteringly, uncomfortable, dangerously creeping down. I spent the first several minutes pulling and adjusting. I even tried jacking them up dangerously close to camel-toe territory. If I wasn't so uncomfortable I would have actually been embarrassed to be doing this in public. Ugh, fml.

Second, I forgot my inhaler. Most of the time this wouldn't be a deal breaker but I have been hella congested lately. I'm not sure if it's a touch of a cold or my allergies starting to rear their ugly head, but my sinuses are like concrete. Aerobically I've been feeling pretty good so I didn't think it would be a problem, but I was wrong. The fact I came into the warm gym from the cold outside probably had a hand in it, but I was wheezing from the word go.

Third, after the Shamrock Shuffle I took 2wks off. Not purposely. Not recovery time. Just travel for work, everyday life and exhaustion got in the way. When you work 5 12hr+ days in a row its hard to motivate yourself to do a whole lot more. Did I mention that these 12hr days were out of town and over the weekend? I was overworked, sleep deprived, the house was destroyed, there was laundry to do AND a new puppy. Oh, and it's still cold out. Where the hell is sprnig already!!!! Yeah, that's like a quadruple whammy! I realize these are all excuses, wah wah wah, but whatever. Life happens. And sometimes when life happens I just don't make it to the gym.

Finally, no music. I realize many people tun without music but I just can't do it. At least not inside at the gym. Outside, or with other people, no probolem. Inside, on the treadmill, in the noisy smelly gym, no friggin way. The iPod was DEAD which super pissed me off as soon as I got there. For reals, this relatively new iPod has little top no battery life and it never has. Drive me CRAZY!!! My back up was my iPhone...except that I never took the time to load music on to it. FAIL. So instead I deciede to stream Pandora...except that it kept cutting in and out. At out point I *almost* threw my phone at the window. But them I'd be the crazy girl not only sporting a camel-toe and holding up my pants, but throwing a public tantrum. And I'd have a broken iPhone and no moolah to replace it.

So it was at that point, approximately 17minutes and 1.2 miles into my run that I got off the treadmill.

And that is how my run failed in every way possible yesterday.

Race Report: Shamrock Shuffle 5k

2011-03-27T12:33:00.005-05:00

2 weeks ago today was the Shamrock Shuffle, a race that has always been near and dear to my heart. I mean, what's not to love about a run that celebrates St Patty's and has men in kilts playing bagpipes on the course? Not to mention the last time I ran the Shuffle I PR'd the 10k and felt great doing it. But that was so not going to be the case for this year.

Last race I did was the half-ironman where I fractured my foot. That was June 2009. Since then I have done a whole lot of nothing. PT, surgery, R&R, and more PT. Just about the time I was able to start running in December I went back under the knife for more surgery, which put me back at the R&R and PT. Needless to say I was super stoked when my PT said the Shuffle was a go!

I knew I could cover the 5k distance because I had been doing it for weeks at the gym, but I certainly wasn't going to do it very quickly. And the time thing was almost enough for me to not to do the run. I've never been a fast runner, but the thought of running 15min miles was daunting to me. I'll say it, I was embarrassed at the prospect of a 45min 5k on my race record. I wrestled with that until just days before the 5k when I decided to just get over myself and do it. We all have to start somewhere, and after a year and a half of injuryI decided this was as good a time as any to restart my running

Saturday night I laid out my outfit and I pinned on my number. I dug out my Garmin which has been packed in a box for well over a year. It took me a bit to remember how to use the damn thing. After some swearing, and instruction manual reading, I figured out how to set my pace alerts: no faster than a 12min mile, no slower than a 16min mile. I figured with that would give me a generous window to run in and walk in (as my PT would want it).

W and I headed down to State St and who did we run into, but a coworker of ours and his girlfriend. Now this coworker of ours is fit. Like built for speed, negative body fat %, animal on a bike, FIT. He has just recently taken up running as a way to stay in shape with all of the travel he does. I was not happy to see him. It's one thing to suck it up at a race, it's whole other thing to have to suck in front of a coworker. I'd be lying if I didn't think about trying to hang with him at any cost. Screw common sense! Screw the prescribed run/walk intervals. I just wanted to with this coworker. Shit.

We head into the start corral and that's when I decided that I needed to keep this run about me. Not my coworker, not the other runners, me. As soon as we started shuffling our way across the start line it hit me, I was running. Its been a long, hard process, but I was running. And it felt GREAT! It wasn't fast, it wasn't pretty, but I was loving every minute of it. And I was tearing up. Yes, I was that girl trying to nonchalantly wipe tears off my face. What can I say, I never thought I would see this day again.

Did I mention that I was running faster and for longer than planned? Being out there with all of those people it was hard to slog along at a 14min mile, so I ran how I felt comfortable. The plan to run 4/walk 1 was quickly replaced with walk the hills. We clipped along at a 10:30min pace, which is pretty much what we kept for the duration, the exception being Observatory Hill (which is just CRUEL to make people run in the first place), a short flat by the Horticulture building, and a portion of the hill by the Lakeshore dorms.

Photo courtesy of the talented people at Focal Flame

In the end W and I finished in 37:37 and had a great time doing it! And yes, that is W over my left shoulder looking a little more, um, rough than me. :)

Next on the schedule is the CrazyLegs 8k.

Yoga School Drop Out

2011-03-25T13:16:00.006-05:00

After much debate and over-analyzing, I have officially become a yoga school drop out.

This is something I've been hemming and hawing over virtually since the teacher training began. not even a week after the first training module I headed in for stomach surgery, which was far from the ideal way to kick this whole process off. Surgery turned out to be much more serious than planned, and the recovery was more than triple what I anticipated. About the time I was feeling better we headed into event and sale season here at work, and it just hasn't stopped yet. Every weekend is booked, work weeks are running looooong, there's now a new puppy in the house. I'm exhausted!

Ladybug and the new pup, Willis, napping together.

When it comes down to it, this winter/early springs schedule has been so busy that I just wasn't giving myself the time to practice and dedicate to the teacher training. And the less free time I had, and the more exhausted I was, the more I stressed about the situation. The more I stressed, the more I resented even going to yoga classes.

And that seems just about as anti-yoga as it gets.

As I looked ahead to late spring and summer, I was noticing that the majority of my weekends were already booked and it's not even April yet! Not to mention the number of weekends that were already double-booked... I'm exhausted just thinking about it!

Part of me feels guilty and like a huge failure, but more of me feels relieved so I think it's win-win situation in the end.

Massages, Martinis and MTB'ing

2011-02-15T10:12:00.007-06:00

And sushi. And sake.

Also know as a trip to Milwaukee.

Also known as Our Valentine's Extravaganza.

Related: I'm a kick-a$$ fiancé!

So for Valentine's Day I decided to plan a little mini-break to Milwaukee. We had something we had to do in Madison on the morning, for the life of me I cannot remember what it was, but then Saturday afternoon we headed to Milwaukee for a relaxing weekend at The Pfister Hotel. Nothing says I Love You like a swanky hotel room, right? Er...

Anyways. The catalyst for this mini-break was actually a trip to the spa. Seeing as the local spa of choice was booked solid, I decided Milwaukee was the next logical place. It didn't hurt that a coworker of ours was having a birthday shindig at Ray's on Sunday. And lucky for me, my favorite hotel has an awesome spa in the basement, the Well Spa. Score! It was on like Donkey Kong for Hamman Showers and massages. Not to mention mimosas, chocolate covered strawberries, fresh fruit...I was in heaven! Pampered, chocolate covered, intoxicated heaven! If you have the chance to stop in there for a little TLC I highly recommend it. The staff was wonderful, the rooms and amenities were fabulous, and the massage was excellent!

I left dinner up to W for the night, which is HUGE for me because I hate surprises. Hate them! We ended up going around the corner from The Pfister to an Asian-fusion restaurant called Umami-Moto. OMG! Drool! YUM! Ugh, I want more sushi.... That pretty much sums up my thoughts on the place. It was SOOOO good. So good. A little yuppy for me, a little crowded, maybe a little overpriced, but it was all worth it! We split a couple of appetizers, a few of their house rolls, a bottle of Mu sake, and dessert. I don't actually know what was my favorite at dinner, but the Lobster Potstickers and the Crispy Shrimp roll were to die for. And the Chocolate Peanut dessert was lick your plate delicious. Yum, yum, yum.

We ended Saturday with cocktails at Blu. Their martinis are some of the best in Milwaukee, and I kind of a die-hard martini drinker, so it was a no-brainer. Holy balls, was it busy! And the crowd there was a strange mix of young and old, casual and dressy, refined and raucous. Definitely good people watching. Needless to say I was passed out asleep within minutes of getting into bed...and I didn't even hear when W walked into the closet door thinking it was the bathroom...and he has the bump on his forehead to prove it.

Sunday it was on to Ray's MTB for a little indoor mountain biking. Eep. For a girl who hasn't mountain biked, in oh, 5+ years, I was scared. Like shaking, indigestion, almost in tears terrified!! I'll put it right out there and say I didn't even want to go. But I did. And by the time I was in the car on my way home I finally stopped shaking. W, on the other hand, was like a kid in a candy store! Obstacles, the CX course, the pump track, he was all over it I am proud to say I did dabble in the beginner's area AND I didn't even get hurt!! Winner winner, chicken dinner! Am I ready and willing to call my self a mountain biker? Absolutely not. Will I give it another shot? Sure. Maybe. We'll see.

That pretty much sums up my weekend.

Did I mention I made it to the Y for some quality "wogging" once last week? Cause I did. I win!

Happy Valentines!

2011-02-14T09:52:00.002-06:00

My love of all things Apple would beg to differ...

Hugs and kisses to all my favorites from the blogosphere!!

*Bucket list, mountain biking, Asian Fusion, and more to come...

Can I get a Dt Coke...

2011-02-09T18:53:00.004-06:00

A 30 Before 30 Update.

I've officially been soda free, specifically Dt Coke free, for 1 month. Huzzah! My first thought was that as of tomorrow I can have a Dt Coke...yesssssss! Not only is it caffeinated, but it just tastes so friggin good.

Considering I didn't really replace it with anything, it was almost like going caffeine free. Almost. I still did made 2-3 cups of coffee a week, but that is no more or less than when on the Dt Coke. And seeing as I have never really been a sugary soda drinker I'm not really sure if I accomplished anything, other than self control. Hmmm, maybe there's a happy medium to be found here.

Anywho, cross that off the list!

I've also been to ass-kicking yoga workshops in January and February, which puts just a little bit closer to being a certified yoga instructor. But oh my, does it seem like this process is going to take forever. Seriously, for-ev-er. All in all it'll be less than a year form start to finish, but 1-2 20hr workshops a month PLUS practicing during the week PLUS homework and reading. Ugh. So much to do. Somehow I feel like the 3wk condensed trainings, while intense, seems like it might be the way to go. How I will come up with the $$$ and vacation time from work, I don't know. Details. But it seems like the way to go.

January AND February yoga workshops, CHECK!

I also managed to read a whole book. Granted, it was a shorter book...and nothing overly intellectual, but I read it. God that makes me sound like such an illiterate nimrod. I swear I'm not. Somewhere along the l way I just stopped reading, and that's so sad! Typically by the time I climb into bed I'm ready to go to sleep. And what use to be my reading time has long been replaced by my phone time with Wyatt when he's out of town, which is the majority of EVERY week.... But I digress. Back to the book.

I read "Oogy" by Larry Levin, and it was such a great book. It's a true story about a dog with a tragic start to life, that was given a second chance by family. Being the owner of a wonderful Pit Bull pup, rescues and misunderstood breeds are near and dear to my heart.

So um, yeah, with January in the books there have been some wins and some losses for the month. I have failed to find a place, and make contact with someone, to start volunteering. I didn't make it to the climbing gym. And for the life of me I cannot remember if I went to a new restaurant or watched a movie I've never seen before or not last month... Oh well. February is a new month!

I'm done rambling for the night. Which means maybe I'll maybe, just maybe, I'll make it to gymyet tonight.

Catch 22

2011-02-02T19:50:00.004-06:00

Monday I went to my PT appointment with my training plan and 2011 race list in hand. I was feeling well planned and prepared. Until I got there. And my hopes and dreams were shattered. Ugh.

My PT told me she'd rather I not plan or commit to anything so that I don't feel pressured to do anything. She's afraid that if I register or commit to races I will push myself to hard, which could result in re-injury or a new injury. Realistically speaking though, injury is always a possibility. Have you met me? It just is.

If I don't commit to something how in the world am I suppose to find the motivation to get back into it? SERIOUSLY?!? Let's be honest here. I don't exercise because I like it. Let me rephrase that. I don't like exercising enough for that to be my only motivation. I need a plan, events, goals.

I'm not getting crazy aggressive here. There is no PR in my near future. There's nothing extreme. But the Couch Potato to 5k plan had to planned for someone, right? How can a couch potato be in a better position to start training for something than I am? I mean at some point in the not to distant past I was active. I ran and biked and shit. Even if I am starting over at square one, I've been there and done that before. That has to count for something. Right? RIGHT???

So without further ado, my 2011 Race Schedule:

3/13 Shamrock Shuffle

4/30 Crazy Legs 8k

5/7 Lake Monona 20k

5/29 Madison Half Marathon

6/18 High Cliff Sprint Tri

7/17 Door County Half-Iron

8/20 Madison Mini-Marathon

9/23 Sprinting down the aisle...

10/29 Haunted Hustle Half Marathon

It's possibly I will do all of these, none of these, or anything in between. Only time will tell. But I've put it out there and I'm going to do my best to get to the starting line of as many of these as possible. I may walk some, I may even DNF, but I'm going to try. Dammit.

Damn the man, save the empire!!

Unmotivated.

2011-01-24T20:46:00.000-06:00

Hi, my name is Katie and I am unmotivated.

There I said. Admitting your problem is the first step. Right?

Coming off over a year and half running-ban is hard! It's like starting over and relearning to run. That coupled with a fear of getting hurt, again, has help fuel my lack of motivation. How in the world do I start over? How did I start in the first place? How, how how?? Whine, whine wine!!

I just cannot get back on the workout-wagon. No matter what I try. I use to routinely come home from work, let the dogs out and head out on my evening run. Days I didn't have time to run after work I would head out for a 30min run at lunch. Waking up at 5 was just part of the routine so that I could swim before work. Toiling over the details of writing the perfect training plan, following it, revising, and tracking it, gave me a sense of accomplishment and excitement.

Heck, even two months ago, in the absence of running, I was able to find the energy and motivation to make it to yoga 3-4 times a week.

Those days are loooong gone.

I'm in a vicious cycle. I am too tired and stressed to workout. All I want to do at the end of the day is veg. It seems thats all I can muster the energy to do. I know that if I got my act together and made sweating part of my daily routine the energy would come back to me, but it's the initial energy I just don't have. I feel like such a sloth!! Ugh.

The Victor

2011-01-18T16:07:00.003-06:00

The Victor

by: C. W. Longenecker

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you are out classed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of your-self before
You can ever win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

I am boring this poem from the infamous Redhead Running. As if her accomplishments and optimism aren't inspirational enough, the Redhead posted this poem last week in an honest and wonderful post. It definitely all resonates with me.

Without going all inspiration poster "I can, I will, I am" on you, there is absolutely something to setting your mind to your goal and going for it. There will always be obstacles, but there is always a solution. I think. I hope so anyways.

Oh, and be sure to wonder over to Redhead Running a give Red some love because her blog is pretty fabulous!!

Too much frosting, and other unrelated things...

2011-01-17T23:00:00.002-06:00

Where to start...

For the most part I am seriously lacking the bridal gene. I just am. I'm not going to cry over dresses or flowers or center pieces. I don't really want to deal with caterers or djs. Traditions, while some have been known to make me tear up a bit at other weddings, don't hold any special place in my heart. I may have even suggested we elope to NYC City Hall before jet-setting to Europe or some tropical island. So when I was faced with going to a bridal show, I was less than excited. That's a little too high of concentration of estrogen and bridezillas for me. Shudder. But the fact of the matter is that we still needed to find the names of bakeries and find a dj for the event, so Wyatt and I went. Yes Wyatt not only went, but he suggested we go. Like woah.

The Rolling Pin Bake Shop

Their Lemon Poppyseed cupcake was BY FAR the best of the day!

What was the outcome? A sugar high like never before and a case of frosting induced nausea. That's right, we power tasted every bakery in the joint, and got the flock out of there. I had enough buttercream to swear off cake for life (or at least a month or so), but we did find one or two joints worth setting up an official tasting with. And I learned A LOT of what I don't like. Disco balls, bows, Christmas lights, and rotating plexi-glass displays. It's all a little too 1980's for me.

Speaking of the buttercream induced nausea, I broke down and had half a Sierra Mist at the show. I was doing soooo good. No Soda, specifically Diet Coke, for a whole. And out of desperation not to toss my cookies in public I resorted to white soda to settle my stomach. I had decided that I was ok with this and that it didn't caught against my 30 Before 30 month of no soda (which started January 9th if you were curious) but then yesterday I found myself fighting back chunks at work and succumb to Sierra Mist AGAIN. I feel like such a failure!! If my choices are purging in public of having a soda, I have to admit I will ALWAYS go the soda. There are just some things I am not willing to do. Yuck.

Does this mean I have to start over? I legitimately have not had a drop of Diet Coke in over a week now. That should count for something....

In other 30 Before 30 news, I had my January yoga workshop this past weekend. I was suppose to spend Friday evening, all day Saturday and all day Sunday at the workshop, but giving my still healing state I opted out of Saturday. I think it was the right decision because I was hella sore after Friday evening, not to mention Sunday. But I learned some super cool stuff about prana and energy, and postural compensations and corrections. I find myself wanting to incorporate these things not only into my practice, but every day. But like any new habit, it takes conscious effort to make it happen, and that is not always easy or pleasant at first.

There are so many ramble-y things I could mention. Katie vs Landlord, Landlord 0, Katie 3 #FTW!!! Or how I am diving head first into one of the more stressful weeks of the years this week, but that's probably not approved blog content. OR the laundry list of DIY home improvements I desperately want to accomplish, um, like yesterday. But at the moment I am hungry and distracted, so I'll have to save all that for another day!

30 Before 30

2011-01-04T20:24:00.012-06:00

So 2011 brings, among other things, my 30th birthday. Surprisingly I'm not yet panicked or depressed by this age. In fact I am hopeful that my 30's will bring things that my 20's haven't. What those things are exactly, I'm not sure, but I know there will be plenty memorable moments. But I digress.

I've never really been a put it out there sort of bucket-lister. I mean, what if I fill my bucket with unobtainable goals and put the list out there, and years later have nothing more to show than the original list? Sad.

For example, I wanted more than anything to finish my first Ironman before I turned 30. 2009 was going t be that year. I trained, and trained, and in the end never made it to the start because of injury. I was crushed. For a while anyways. But I got over it. And I realized that my Ironman and triathlon goals are less about checking something off on a bucket list, and more about a lifestyle. There will be another race, another year, and another Ironman.

So I've decided that in the next 11+ months I have plenty of time to accomplish 30 things. I actually started writing this back in November but never quite finished my list or got around to posting it. Shocker, I know. My list is both big and small, significant and mundane, a lifestyle and the unfamiliar. Many of these things I use to do on a regular basis, but have let life and excuses get in the way these days.

Here goes.

My 30 before 30.

Eat at one new restaurant a month

January: ?

February 12: Umami Moto

March 17: Cooper's Hawk
Read 1 new book a month

January: Oogy

February: ?

March: The Love Machine (not my first time reading it, but who doesn't LOVE a little Jacqueline Susann from time to time)

Run 500+ miles
Run 2 Half Marathons
Complete a 70.3
Run my first marathon
Get Married!!

The date is set for September 23, 2011
Re-learn to mountain bike

Started at Ray's MTB 2/13/11

To be continued...
Participate in 1 WORS mountain bike race
Cook 1 new recipe a month

January 1, 2011: Lemoncillo Bundt Cake

February 7, 2011: Bake Chili Fries--AWFUL!! For you're sake, don't try them.

March 3,2011: Turkey Meatloaf (not my first turkey laof, but a new recipe for it. meh)

Give up fried food for 1 month

Climb at Devil's Lake
Watch 1 new movie a month

January: ?

February: Blue Valentine

March: Youth in Revolt

Go camping at least 2 times
Go snowboarding
Visit somewhere I've never been
Ride the IM WI loop at least once
Give up soda for 1 month

Started 1/9/11....wish me luck!

Ended 2/9/11
Use my wetsuit 10 times (should be modified to say FIT in my wetsuit...)

Visit the BFF in NYC
Build a piece of furniture
Try TRX
Clean out my closet AND dresser

Fit into my skinny jeans

Learn to knit a hat
Learn to geocache
Take dance lessons

Started 2/10/11

Go on a roadtrip

Well there you have it. For better or worse, my first bucket list. I should add updating the list as a sub-item on the list, but I think that's a given. Wish me luck!

Top 10 of 2010

2011-01-04T18:42:00.009-06:00

2010 had it's lows, and by lows I mean ass-kicking, gut-wrenching, super-duper-sucking lows, but it also had it's highs. It's true that what goes down must come back up, er, however that cliche saying goes.

But before I look to 2011 and share my thoughts and goals for the new year, I thought I should post the obligatory Top 10 of 2010 post. If not for your perusal and enjoyment, than to remind myself that 2010 wasn't too shabby.

Without further ado, in chronological order.....the Top 10 of 2010!

10. On March 15th 2010 we brought home all 10lbs of furry, tail-wagging, butt-wiggling joy, Ladybug! She's been part of our family for almost a year now, and despite the time or 10 that Wyatt threaten to give her back, she has been a love!

9. The beginning of April took me to DC for work, which in itself is nothing to write home about. But when your BFF takes the bus down from NYC to meet you for the afternoon, attention must paid! Not only did the BFF make a cameo appearance, but we had the chance to hang out with a few college friends and see the sites with locals.

8. June brought surgery for me, and mountain bike racing for the guys. Not even crutches could keep me from tagging along as the official "in case of emergency" contact and cheering section.

7. Once off crutches Wyatt and I embraced the mini-break, and took long weekends to the Twin Cities and the Windy City. 4-star hotels, restaurants, shows like the Blue Man Group, and leisurely strolls along the lakefront and river, it was fabulous to break up the summer with a trip here and there.

6. Biking! The few months of nice weather we have here in Madison would not be complete without biking. We are now the proud owners of an Xtracycle Free Radical (awesome!!). It served as my chariot while I was on crutches, and later in the season it was out grocery-getting, picinic-going, farmer's market-going station wagon.

Did I mention the Pinglespeed got some mileage too?!? Woot!

5. Arguably the most memorable moment of the year, and number 1 in my heart for 2010, on September 11th 2010 Wyatt closed down an entire state park to propose to me.

September 2011 we will be Mr & Mrs!!

Sigh.

Tear.

Squeeee!!

4. Later in September we headed down to Vegas for Interbike for work, followed by a few days of vacation and debauchery. And the cherry on top? My BFF joined us! Wyatt had his hands full keep track of not one, but two Vegas virgins.

The Palm, Cirque du Soliel, Peep Show, 3 Tiffany's locations, Ceaser's Palace, craps, the Playboy Club, and oh so much more!

3. Early November had me heading to the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater...and as it was Wyatt's birthday, I brought him along. While I worked the event (booo), Wyatt's days were filled with sleeping in, long walks on the beach, seashell collecting, and general relaxation. In the evenings we did have the chance to meet up with another coworker of ours, see some friends and eat some delicious food. All in all, not a bad lil work trip.

2. November 20th we celebrated our engagement with our closest friends by throwing a little shindig at the local brew pub. Wings, cupcakes, beer, wonderful company, and an embarrassing toast made for a memorable and wonderful evening.

1. Every year we make it our mission to make it to at least one Badger game. Being a UW alum, these games are very near and dear to me. This year we were at the season closer, where the Badgers officially tied as Big 10 Champs and sealed the deal on a trip to Pasedena.

Storming the field was a must!

So there you have it, the Top 10 of 2010. Now that it's been posted I can officially close the 2010 chapter and focus on 2011.

I'm back...

2011-01-01T20:36:00.005-06:00

Yeah, so, um, hi. It's been a while now hasn't it....

(shuffle, shuffle....nervously pokes head around corner....)

Last time I was here I was jumping ship. I wasn't sure this was home to me anymore. But I think I may have done that prematurely. Turns out, I still have a lot to say. And do. And try. So my only New Year's resolution is to take the time to blog more. To take the time to empty the random thoughts rattling around my brain.

2010 was a rough year. Ankle surgery in June....followed by MONTHS of PT and recovery. And wouldn't you know that right about the time I am ok'd to start training and running again (hooray!) I had to go in for surgery on my freakshow rare stomach condition. And let me tell you, that surgery just a few weeks ago was way worse than anything else I have been through. This recovery has been rough, and I imagine it will continue to be rough for a few more weeks. Ow. Blech. Boo.

But on the flipside, I have two doggies that I LOVE, I have been lucky enough to have met some truly wonderful people, like @legaleagle, and I've been able to spend quality time with my besties, @rswebs and @sequinsandspice.

And I became engaged to my BFF and love of my life, @wyattjirsa!!! Squee!

Don't let this optimistic little ditty lead you to believe I have turned over a new Sally Sunshine kind of leaf. I haven't. I'm still me. Snarky, sassy, realist, even bitchy at times. I spent the past few sleepless recovering weeks writing and rewriting some sassy posts in my mind. Maybe it's for the best they have yet to make it here to the blogosphere, but they might. Eventually. Who knows where this blog will go in 2011, but I'll be here. Snarkin' to pass the time.

All good things must come to an end

2010-11-04T21:26:00.003-05:00

For now anyways.

I started this blog a few years back as I took on life in a new city, a new job, and most notably training. Always training for something. Chasing that athletic dream. Being a stranger in a once familiar town training became my focus, my life. I loved being fit and healthy and ready for the challenge. And there were always bigger and better challenges. Until I got hurt.

I am lucky that my injury is only a minor setback. To be cliche: a speed bump on the road of life. But in the meantime priorities and interests have had to change. Adaptation. It's a matter of survival.

I've been sadly absent from here for sometime now. When I have come here it seems foreign. Like I don't speak the language. Like I don't belong. An outcast in my own space. I tried to come here and say the things I wanted to say, but it didn't fit. So I stopped talking. But that didn't feel right either. So I've decided to take my musing to another place.

It's not to say I won't be back. I'm sure I will. But for now you can find me here:

http://kt-did.tumblr.com/

Much love to my supporters along the way. Know that I will continue to peek into your lives like the virtual peeping Tom I am.

-xoxo-

The Rules of the Road, Part I

2010-08-18T12:38:00.005-05:00

I've been think this A LOT lately. It's always gotten under my skin, but when this happened it really hit close to home. And while that accident had a (more or less) happy ending, I don't want to have to see any more Ghost Bikes in Madison or anywhere!!

As a cyclist, competitive (yes, I am using that word very loosely these days), casual and as a commuter, I try to lead by example. I wear a helmet. I have lights on my bike (and a bell). I use hand signals. I communicate with other cyclists and runners on paths (an "on your left" goes a long way and isn't very hard to say). I follow the rules of the road. I am also very aware and mindful of other cyclists and vehicles on the road. But very few are!!

@sawaboof said it best: I'm pretty over the "Share the road means give me the road" attitude. Equal road rights means equal road rules.

It's true.

When on foot, few pedestrians think twice before stepping out into traffic. Have you ever been down on campus when classes let out? Walk sign, crosswalk, traffic, or not. The pedestrian mindset is that they have the right of way.

Bicycles want equal road rights, and lanes and laws, but many are quick to shirk the responsibilities of being on the road. Stops signs are run, turns are made without signaling, head and tail lights are not used.

This isn't the war that it has been made out to be. It's about being courteous and cautious of one another. It's about knowing the Rules of the Road and following them!!

The bicycle is defined as a vehicle. [340.01(5)] The operator of a vehicle is granted the same rights and subject to the same duties of the driver of any other vehicle. [346.02(4)(a)]

Before you make your next turn or lane change while driving down the road, check your blind-spots, look in your mirrors, yield to a cyclist as you would another vehicle. And the next time you are riding down the street on your bike, signal your intentions, observe and obey the traffic signs, and ride smart!

Please please pleas, for your safety, for the safety of others, for the safety of the people you care about, take the time to read the Rules of the Road and check out the Bike Fed's newest safety campaign: Share & Be Aware.

from Fat to Fit

2010-08-13T09:44:00.002-05:00

I am currently typing this from the comfort of my own home, while enjoying a much needed day off! After surviving the trade show from hell, and doing it with an epic cold, a day away from the corporate grind was a must.

So yeah, I'm still a fatty. It's true. And this week did nothing to help that.

Looooong days on your feet and being sick does not exactly inspire you to get in an extra workout. In fact, all it really inspires is food on the run (and usually not good food) and sleep. It's all about creature comforts.

And this weekend is wifezilla's reception. Aaaawesome. Super stoked. The redeeming qualities of this weekend? I'm not working (woot woot), we're headed to the Great Taste before the reception AND my BFF is my copilot all weekend (heck yeah!!).

So needless to say, I don't expect there to be much exercise or healthiness this weekend. I just don't. And I'm full of excuses.

I am happy to report that biking is becoming less painful and I can go farther before feeling it in my foot or getting tired. So I consider than a little step in the right direction. And, I am excited to announce, ChaLEAN starts Sunday!

Speaking of goals for this fall/winter, the PT has put the kibosh on a winter marathon. Sad face. She thinks, and probably rightfully so, that early December could be a bit much too soon. We are still on track to start running in a month's time, which is a hug win....albeit 15 months later, but building quite that much mileage in time for Vegas will be push.

So instead I am shooting for the Tyrenena 1/6th barrel beer run in early November and a January 1/2 marathon somewhere warm (details to be announced at a later date).

Goals for next week:

Full week of ChaLEAN

No fried food (which means no french fries.....)

Bike commute everywhere non-work related

Wish me luck!!

Thankful Thursday

2010-08-12T17:48:00.003-05:00

Woah, it's been almost forever since I was here last. It's been almost as long since I've last been able to give my undivided attention to the interweb and all of the fabulous blogs out there, which gives you an idea of what life has been like lately. I am an internet junkie, very little keeps me from the interweb. But I digress. So yeah, I'm just stopping by to give a shout out to some of the awesome things in my life!! More soon, I promise.

This week has been trying to say the least and I'm THANKFUL it's OVER!! We had a marathon like trade show for week, and it was, um, unpleasant to say the least. Looooong hours, lots of standing, and talking. And I got sick with some plague-like cold. But it's over now and I am oh-so-thankful it's behind me for 365 days!

Let me also verbalize my gratitude for the interweb and social media, because they are fab-u-lous! Twitter, blogs, Google, Travelocity, and oh so much more!! This may sound somewhat superficial, and perhaps it is, but these things have helped me meet some super wicked awesome people, keep in touch with friends near and far, help me pass college (for reals) and so much more. Was there life before internet? I'm thankful I don't have to think about it.

I also give a little thanks for the great people in my life. My friends are wonderful and I love them! And I am so super excited thankful that my BFF is coming to visit this weekend. I super HEART her and and am sooooo so so thankful I get to have quality girl time with her. HUGS!!

I'm also thankful that I'm headed for sushi and drinks. Mmmm, yeah. Gotta go!

The Windy City

2010-08-02T21:40:00.007-05:00

The last week of July had been set aside for vacation, since well last summer. We debated between RAGBRAI and Glacier National Park...but decided that roadtripping, hiking, backpacking, biking and camping was the way to go. Really no contest in my opinion, but Wyatt is not the camper that I am. Anywho. Obviously this whole foot thing pretty much put the kibosh on that adventure. And it's not like, given my handi-capable state, RAGBRAI was an option. I was bummed to say the least. No racing, no running, no vacation in 2010. Grumble, grumble, grumble.

I should also mention that I burned through a large portion of my vacation time with surgery so I did even have the time to take. Double grumble.

We decided to take a few long weekends this year and spread out the vacation time as best we could. Thus Katie and the mini-break were united!

Our first mini-break was this past weekend as we headed down to the windy city for 3 days. In all truth it was more like 2 1/2 by the time we hit the road on Friday, but we were on vacation so sleeping in and being lazy is totally acceptable. We left, um, noon-ish. What we weren't anticipating was siting in traffic for-ev-er. Seriously, the GPS said 2 1/2 hours, allowing for traffic and incidentals, we assumed 3'ish. But 5? No way. It was definitely a trying experience. Wyatt, who was just down in Chi-town during the week for work was having none of this. Crabby doesn't begin to explain the mood of the car.

We got down there and settled into the hotel around 5-530. We had booked a room online and didn't really know a whole lot more about it. Turns out the Sax hotel was super swank and very cool. It was next door to the House of Blues, a few blocks off Michigan Ave and just generally in hip little corner of downtown. We checked in to find out that Kidd Rock's official after party was in their hotel bar/lounge that night. Woah. Not that we are big Kidd Rock fans or anything, but it was still cool to see a little red carpet outside the hotel and the excitement associated. Our room had huge windows, a big clean comfy bed (not something you find at the area Red Roof Inn, now is it W?) and bathrobes! I've never stayed in the kind of fancy-schmancy hotel that provides soft snuggly bathrobes for their guests, so pardon my excitement.

Friday night, given the time we arrived, was the perfect time to wander Michigan Ave and take in the sights and shops. Burberry and Louis Vuitton and Tiffany's, OH MY! I gingerly stroked (to be read as manhandled) the classic Burberry raincoat, I ogled the fine smocks that LV had on displayed, and I channeled my inner girly-girl and and sappy at Tiffany and Co. Le sigh.

We attempted to grab a bite to eat nearby, but everything has a 2+ hour wait. INSANE! My empty tummy was having no part of that. We opted to take a 5min cab ride just a wee bit down the rode to a pizza place and were greeted with a much more manageable wait. Success!

We wrapped up the night with a cocktail at Dick's Last Resort and called it a night around 11 or so.

Saturday we got up at the crack of noon and went in search of food. Wyatt had an inkling, nay an obsession with, to find a restaurant from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The closest diner/breakfast spot, the Steak and Egger, was a 10 or so minute drive southwest of downtown. Off we went. What did we run into along the way? A giant street festival, Fiesta del Sol if I recall, in a hispanic part of town. We should've known we were in trouble when the cabby advised us to take the cab company's number as cab's didn't come out that way. We grabbed some brunch, Wyatt thought his was super tasty, mine not so much. We wondered the festival which was hoppin' for it being only like 2pm, and decided to call for a cab.

An hour and 3 phone calls later we still were without transportation. Fuuuuuuck. We consulted the iPhone for the nearest train or bus stop, but the real life saver was the gentleman who recognized us for the lost gringos that we were. He directed us to the nearby stop and even advised what line to take.

We continue to wait...

Once we figured out the "L" system tho getting around Chi-town was a breeze (and cheap!!)

After all was said and done, and that little adventure was behind us, we headed straight to the MCA which is my all time favorite museum. There was a pretty cool Calder exhibit, a new curation of the permanent collection and we even got be art!

Dressed up after our performance.

Our visit to the MCA even left enough time to stop back by Tiffany's. Oh how I love that store! (For the record, I blame my mom for inundating me with fabulous classic movies for creating this monster,)As Holly Golightly once said...I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like. It's like Tiffany's. Left unsupervised I may or may not have made my way to the extra sparkly and out of the budget section. And I may or may not have been busted trying on extra sparkly rights on my left hand. I don't know what to tell you other than I'm not sorry.

On the way back to the hotel we noticed masses of people congregating and gawking. Of course we went over to investigate, who do you think we are? What did we stumble on while on mini-break? It was Transformers 3 filming 3 blocks from our hotel. Wyatt just about peed his pants. OMG! Transformers! Robots! Explosions! WOAH!! They were filming a scene where Transformers, presumably the Deceptacons were coming across the Wabash St bridge and just generally tearing things up. It was like a kid in a candy store. Wyatt was so so soooo excited.

Eventually we bid adieu to Optimus Chicago and made made our way back to the hotel. We changed for dinner and headed just a wee bit south to a great Mexican restaurant. The food was good, the drinks were ah-mazing, but the service was awful! Ah well, you can't win 'em all. We got of there and hopped the train to Wriggleyville to check out the Blue Man Group, which Wyatt can only describe as rad. Totally rad. It was midnight-ish and i was too pooped to par-tay so we headed back to the hotel for another blissful mini-break night of zzz's.

But not before we stopped back at the Transformer set to see everything in the moonlight. One of the security/production assistants was handing out the shells from the epic fight scene they had been filming. Wyatt got 2. I think he is still carrying them around with him...

Sunday we got up early, um 1030ish, and decided to wander the riverwalk and enjoy the weather. We walked down to the lakefront, almost to Navy Pier and eventually grabbed a bite to eat at the Chicago Burger Co. Not too shabby.

Lunch on the river before heading home.

We called it quits and headed home around 3 or so. I wish it didn't have to end but we were both pooped and ready to start the drive home.

I definitely recommend a weekend in Chicago! It was great to park the car and just wander and explore from there. Even Wyatt, a non-Chicago fan, had a great time and wants to go back. So IronBri, what are you waiting for?!? I'll meet you in the windy city!

There are so many more things I could tell you about the weekend and why I love Chicago. Not quite pack my bags and move there love, that's reserved for NYC, but it a fabulous city I'd visit any time.

Blah.

2010-08-02T13:27:00.003-05:00

Yep that pretty much describes my day. I have a headache. I should be sent home in case it's contagious...

Where have I been? Besides on Twitter, duh.

Well, between Restaurant Week and work and a mini-break to Chicago I kind of fell off the blogging-bandwagon last week...and this week AND next week is certainly not going to be any week. Blech.

I certainly had a better attitude and things I am thankful for last week. I even mentally wrote my post while biking home from dinner on Thursday. It was going to the be Late Night/3 Cocktail addition. But then I got home and fell asleep pretty much immediately. Oops.

Oh! And Fat to Fit was a giant FAIL last week. I mean, I am walking way more and biking places more than I have in months, but there was a 1# gain last week. I blame PMS. And junk food, let's be honest. Tomorrow I meet with the PT for the first time and on Thursday I see the doc again, so I am optimistic that between the two I will get the green light to transition to running by September. Cross your fingers (and toes) because this girl wants to go to Vegas!

Let's not poo-poo my Chicago mini-break either. That deserves a post all its own. Maybe I'll be able to squeak that out while watching The Bachelorette season finale tonight (go Chris!). But let me tide you over with tidbits like lost in the ghetto, Transformers 3, and Blue Man group. Yeah, it was a swell time.

My lunch has come to an end...and as I would rather stay on the boss-man's good side I better scoot.Publish Post

TTFN!

Can I go the distance?

2010-07-27T21:11:00.004-05:00

So when I got the doctor's a-ok to stop wearing my robo-boot (the first week of July) the first question I asked was when I would be running. I know, I know. I wasn't even walking pain and/or limp-free and I wanted to know about running. The doctor prescribed a month of self rehab with PT starting the first week of August. After PT started he said I'd have a better idea of when I would be able to start running, but that September would be a reasonable guess.

If I rewind back to when I decided to have surgery in May, I was really hoping that my rehab would be well underway in late June or early July, running by August. I really wanted to run TNF trail 1/2 marathon the end of October. Don't worry, the doctor put the kibosh on that real fast. He said even if I was running by September I would not be looking to do that sort of volume by the end of October...hmph!

So how about by December?

I figure the best way to fully get myself back in the game is to pony up the dinero to do a destination race I've always wanted to do. In this case, it's the Vegas Marathon (or rather the half marathon in this case). And the running buddy is totally on board for this. A little mini-break, a little run, maybe a little wedding?!? Just kidding....I am soooo not a Vegas bride. Or am I?

But I digress.

The way I see it most half plans are 12 weeks long. 12 weeks before race day (December 5th) puts me at September 12th. Obviously I'm not looking for a PR, or even to run the whole distance. If I could jog the distance, hell if I could run/walk the distance, I would be stoked. Super stoked!

But can I do it? Is it too much too soon? Is the doctor going to shut me down?

If the Vegas Half is a no-go, there's always the Arizona Rock-n-Roll Marathon the beginning of January, but that's just not Vegas. Vegas baby, VEGAS! My second choice would be to run the Disney Marathon in January, but I really really want to run the full marathon and not settle for the half on that one.

I realize that this is an ambitious goal. I suppose it goes hand in hand with the ambitious year I want to have next year. Maybe the Syttende Mai run, a couple of marathons, a couple of long distance relays, maybe a 70.3 or two. Why not get rockin' and rollin' with a a half yet for 2010?

From Fat to Fit

2010-07-23T06:14:00.002-05:00

Week 1 is in the books.

I was asked, why Friday? Well it's for selfish reasons. Mondays are bad enough as they are without a scale. And there has never been a Monday morning in my world that has been kind to the scale. Even when racing and having long training weekends, Monday's numbers have never been great. I blame the weekend. And now, with weekends being spent lounging and living the luxurious life of the tubby, Mondays are not going to be any better. So there you have it, weigh in before the weekend and the problem is solved.

Anywho.

Well the numbers are holding steady this week. No changes, which to be honest, is amazing. I feel a bloated hot mess, but the numbers aren't worse for the wear so I'll take it!

Last Friday I went for my first bike ride since pre-op. Possibly since last fall to tell you the truth. I made it 2 miles to the restaurant and 2 miles home. And it hurt! We're talking a slow going flat bike path ride, and it hurt. Every time I pressed down on the pedal it twinged and seared. Not what I was hoping for. So after that spin I decided to put pedaling on the back burner for the week. I do plan to attempt it again this weekend tho.

Saturday morning marked the first time in months that I have been able to walk the entire farmer's market! Sure, I made it all the way around at Art Fair on the Square (no to mention Art Fair Off the Square and the mini-market), but I had to stop and rest. Not because I am that out of shape. It hurt. And it was like hades hot that weekend. But this weekend I made it all the way around in one fell swoop.

Sunday we took the doggies to Devil's Lake to go swimming. There was a little bit of haul from the parking lot the the dog beach, but I made it. In flip flops none the less (shhhh, don't tell the doctor). We spent some time in the water with the dogs. Neither dog is wild about the water, even in their puppy PFDs, but they stuck it out. It was hilarious.

Monday I tried some pilates, but anything that required pushing off of my foot or balancing on it was a no-go. I guess it turned more into stretching than anything else.

Tuesday was a bust. I was tired and sore.

Wednesday I ran around like a chicken with it's head cut off. So many errands, so little time. Do you think errands count as exercise?

Thursday was a bust as we took wifezilla and her hubby out to dinner.

I realize that I am going to need to step it up if I want to get back to where I was. And, good gracious, do I want to be fit and fabulous again. I also don't want to end up injured and on the bench again. It's become a balancing act of knowing how hard to push and when to rest. I can't wait to have something to log on Daily Mile.

So all in all, week 1 isn't anything to write home about but at least it's a start.

Thankful Thursday

2010-07-22T21:57:00.003-05:00

Or rather...

Not So Thankful Thursday

That's it. I'll admit it. I'm just not feeling very thankful this week. I know, I know, there are many that are much worse off than me. Children are starving. People are dying. And I'm a selfish bad person. Yes, I got the memo.

But that doesn't make me any more thankful.

I mean should I be celebrating and thankful that we dropped a major chunk of change taking a rather ungrateful pompous pair of newlyweds out for dinner? Or maybe I should thank jeebus that I left dinner feeling even worse about myself than I did earlier in the night. I needed a real kick in pants. Thank you wifezilla.

Oh, or maybe I should be thankful for the sleazy disgusting all-expense paid company bachelor party my boyfriend went on lately. Yes, use your imagination, it happened.

Gosh, maybe I should be thankful that for over a year now I have been pain and unable to walk normal because of my broke a$$ ankle and foot. Because that is sweet. Super sweet!

I know, I know. I am little more than an ungrateful beotch today. Maybe there's a streak of PMS running through this, maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, maybe things just aren't always sunny in my world. But whatever it may be, I'm going to let it go. I'm hoping that once I send this off the abyss of the interweb it will be like purging my demons. An exorcism of my bad attitude if possible.

Ironman Advice...?

2010-07-19T20:31:00.002-05:00

So my friend Sarah is gearing up to do her first Ironman this fall (IM WI, woo woo) and is looking for words of wisdom. I've told her everything I know from my industry and tri experience, but as you know I fell short of IM WI myself last year.

She's definitely logging some serious miles and is well on her way to be trained and ready, but it's all those other things...food, clothes, special needs bags, pacing, and so on!!

For example, one woman told me that as a female participant do whatever you can to get a men's colored swim cap. Huh? No explanation, just those words of wisdom. Can anyone confirm or deny this bit of advice?

She's also toying with the thought of a 1/2 iron less than a month before IM. Good or bad idea? Why? (For the record, I said bad: taper and rejuvenate before the big day.)

What was your most useful piece of advice as a first time endurance athlete? Ironman? Marathon? Ultras? Whatever it is, share the love.

Don't let me down interweb, pay the tri love and knowledge forward!!

Once upon an apartment...

2010-07-18T19:52:00.001-05:00

Gather round boys and girls for a cautionary tale. The sort of tale that will make you rethink leaving the nest and staying close to your parents. This is no fairy tale. While some details have omitted, I promise you that this is no fictional story.

In February 2008 I decided it was time for some changes, most notably the city I called home and I my job. After securing employment I was left to scramble to find an apartment in a the non-rental season of Madison. After several run-ins with small, characterless, and all around uninspiring apartments, I found home.

I met with the young landlord and was surprised, but as time was of the essence, relieved that he was not interested in checking references or running my rental application. Considering that this apartment was in a dream of a neighborhood and oodles of character I was happy to leave that visit with the keys in my hand. Despite the fact it was dirty dirty, I was ready to move and start the next chapter of my life.

In the year and a half I lived at this humble abode, the low-lights include but are not limited to:

~an upstairs neighbor with a MAJOR herb addiction and "friends" who will pick fights and throw rocks at his windows at all hours of the night (which the landlord did nothing about...)

~next door neighbors who had violet, wall shaking fights at all hours of the night (which the landlord did nothing about...)

~a non-functional kitchen sink for over 2 weeks (don't worry, I was advised I could use the bathroom sink or tub...)

~a non-cooling fridge and freezer for over 2 weeks (don't worry, I was advised that if I filled both with bags of ice it would help keep by food from going bad...)

and the piece de la resistance

~a leaky toliet (don't worry after months of complaining, it was replaced...and I was only without indoor plumbing for like 3 days)

Look! My landlord was nice enough to cover the pipe with a random piece of cardboard and a rock to keep the sewage gas from leaking out.

Fast forward to August 2009. W and I, having a acquired a new home, needed to get rid of my apartment. I approached my landlord about renting the apartment. He was not on board for this initially. But after working with him and allowing him to choose the new tenant from all that I showed it to, he was willing to transfer the remainder of my lease to the new tenant. Or so he told me.

Then I noticed, a few months later, that I had never received my security deposit. And this my readers, is when the real shenanigans began. 9 months later and I still have yet to see said security deposit, but my reconnaissance mission is in motion.

My purpose here is not just to vent. It's to educate my fellow 20-somethings and renters to know their rights and not let others take advantage of them. For reals. Not to be preachy, but there are just some things that are not ok.

And in case you aren't sure of your renter rights, the Tenant Resource Center is pretty excellent.

And that, my friends, is the end of my political activism for the weekend.

Friday: From Fat to Fit

2010-07-16T06:28:00.001-05:00

In all fairness to myself, this series should really be called 'From Fit to Fat and Back' but that was getting wordy.

Summer 2009 I was in the best shape I had been in in years. I could swim, bike, and run with the best of the MOP'ers. I would wear short skirts, swimsuits, and just generally cute summer clothes with very little hesitation. Now don't get me wrong, I was FAR from skinny. I was certainly no size 2, but I never have been. The scale never dipped near 100lbs, but there again, I don't think I ever weighed 100lbs. I was healthy and I was comfortable with my body.

But them I went and broke my foot and proceeded to spend the next year on the inactive list. At first I embraced the inactivity. It gave me a chance to do things I would have otherwise passed on last summer. But that lasted like, um, 2 weeks before I was over it. Completely.

So here I've sat for the last, oh, year being moody and getting fat. Maybe not full on elastic waist moo-moo fat, but certainly far from fit. My skinny clothes, well I don't look so skinny wearing them any more. And really I much prefer my muffin tops on my muffin bottoms and NOT peaking out the top of my jeans. Not hot. Not fit. Not healthy.

The only other time I have found myself in this conundrum, and by conundrum I mean frumpy and out of shape, was a handful of years ago when I spent some quality time at UW Hospital and went through a really rough break up, but I came out that situation a fitter, healthier, happier person. I'm looking to channel that same go-getter attitude this time around too.

I am definitely way too much of a girl and am not comfortable giving you my numbers (weight, measurements, etc). There are some things you just don't ask a lady! And I may or may not have coworkers, etc who peruse this and would judge the SH*T out of me.

So here's the nitty gritty of it.

My Goals:

realistic: last summer's weight/shape

unrealistic: my HS weight/shape (which is really only 10lbs less than last summer, so it's not that unrealistic...)

My Numbers:

Last mandated dr weigh in (early May?): 23lbs over last summers weight

(but you know, I was fully dressed, wearing jeans, had a big lunch, feeling bloated, excuses, excuses, excuses)

7/8 home weigh in: 16.4lbs over last summer

7/15 home weigh in: 18.4lbs over last summer

So let's put the numbers and goals together here. To get to my realistic goal of last summer's shape/weight I need to lose, we'll say, 20lbs. If I shoot for my unrealistic goal I would need to lose an additional 10lbs. Woah, that's a lot.

I'd be a liar if I didn't acknowledge I've had thoughts of diet pills, eating disorder, crash diets, and more. Anything to make this easier! I just need to jumpstart the process, right? Wrong. Those thoughts were fleeting, I promise you that. I want to eat the things I like and have the energy and fitness to do the things I love.

I think that once I can get running again things will head in the right direction pretty quickly. Heck, once I am able to take the dogs for long walks (without being in pain) and start actually riding my bike again, I think things will be headed in the right direction. Beyond that, I am starting to formulate a plan of attack. It may or may not include ChaLean, which comes highly recommended. There will probably be some swimming, especially now as that's all I'm allowed to do. We'll see, we'll see.

My ultimate goal is to next year be able to run at least 2 marathon, a myriad of other runs and races, and compete in a few tri's of varying distances, like the good ole days. And of course look HAWT in a bikini. And reclaim my skirts and strappy tanks and dresses....ooo, and my skinny jeans. Ok, so really my goals are as superficial as they are fitness and health related. Whatev.

I'm hoping that there will be people along the way who will not judge me and my numbers and goals, but I know there will be. But maybe, just maybe, I will find that kindred spirit, either local or thru the interweb, who will support me and my goals. Kick my a$$ when it needs to be kicked, cheer me on when I need motivation, and hold my hand when I need help.

It's official. This is my last Friday as a FATTY!

Friday: From Fat to Fit starts now.

Thankful Thursday

2010-07-15T13:03:00.005-05:00

So I was going to take Thursday is a new direction starting today, but I realized that I still need to stop and think about the good things in life. And as lame as it is, Thankful Thursday make me stop and do just that.

Life is rough right now. Not like all day every day, but things are certainly far from easy. I would go as far as to say I just about hit rock bottom in the past two or so weeks. But I am breathing, rebooting and taking baby steps towards things being better.

But definitely stop back tomorrow and see what's been kickin around brain. It's somewhat of a work in progress, and it is definitely going to be a challenge.

Without further ado...

I am thankful for...

*being able to wear 2 shoes!!!

*having found a doctor that knows what's wrong with my throat/stomach (the conition is known as achalasia), has a plan on how to fix it, AND has a great demeanor! With the exception of having to have another surgery, I'd say this is a HUGE win, and I am super thankful for it.

*my boss and the fact he has been really cool with everything going on in my world these days. But shhhh, don't tell him. It'll go to his head.

*the dogs coexisting peaceful together last night. Both pups behaving at the same time never ever happens. And really, I am just super thankful for them, and their cuteness.

*great friends. Near, far, online or in person, you people are keeping me sane. And I love you all for it.

*being another day closer to walking, riding, yoga-ing, running, and just generally resuming life as normal.

Call me old fashion.

2010-07-13T12:53:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I have posted anything of substance on my blog. I feel as thought I have been neglecting the interweb lately. But then again, who reads my mindless drivel anyways. I do have quite a few 'drafts' going that as soon as I am at liberty to let them snap, oooo gurl, watch out! I digress... Anywho, here I am coming back, first post of substance in months, and I'm about to get all high and mighty on your a$$t. But I'm on lunch, and it's my blog, and I'll write what I want.

Marriage. Relationships. Loyalty.

What happened to these things? Do they exist? Do these values still matter to people?

What happened to the sanctity of marriage? Now please, don't get me wrong here. I am not by any means saying one man-one woman, we're here to procreate, blah blah blah. What I am however asking, is what happened to the days of committing yourself to that one person. And honor that person and commitment? If you are married, have a sig other, god forbid you have children in said committed relationship, there are just some things you should not be doing. Period.

Is it too much to ask that your significant other love, respect, and honor you? When you find that person you want to be with, who challenges you and makes you a better person, who you love and cherish, don't you put them before childish and impulsive decisions? Don't you stop and think about the consequences of your decisions and actions?

Am I the only one out there that wants these things? Call me old fashion. Call me Victorian. Call me what you will. But I am still holding out for my sweep me off my feet, all consuming, you complete me (thanks Jerry McGuire), one person for the rest of my life love. And I'm not going to settle for less or allow others to belittle what is important to me.

So there. Just another thought in the whirlwind that is my mind.

WORS # 6

2010-07-11T19:18:00.000-05:00

Saturday we drove up to Minneapolis for a night away and stayed at The Westin downtown. It use to be a bank so it has this old school very uppity and regal interior. Very swank and posh. The restaurant and bar on the first floor were aptly named, Bank, and they even recycled the old safe to now serve as a wine cellar. The pool and hot tub were this ultra sleek all stainless shiny room on the 3rd floor. Very hip.

We wandered down Nicollet Mall for dinner and ended up at Barrios. Yum. Fabulous guac, crab empandas and cocktails. To borrow from krittabug, NOM NOM NOM.

Sunday: Chippewa Valley Firecracker

We'll skip right over the traffic and detour that almost caused a mini-meltdown for W and fast forward right to the event. Because we totally made it there with time to spare.

You know it's going to be epic when you pull up to see not one, but two ambulances leaving. (Turns out one guy had a heart attack while riding and other dude broke his arm riding into a tree. Hope they're both doing ok...)

Anywho, WORS, as always, put on an excellent race. Being this was my first boot-free race this season I was super stoked to get to limp out onto the course and watch some of the race. It was dry and fast, and there were quite a few times I thought someone was going to careen off the course directly into me and Ladybug but that never happened. The most I saw was a dude miss the course and going into the bushes, breaking and losing his chain.

And I am happy to report W did not finish last! Go get 'em tiger!

Before the race

At the start

The corner I thought so many were goign to wash out on

And Ladybug, just cause she's cute.

(and shush, I tried several times to rotate the picture and it always loaded it this was. So tip your head or monitor and don't complain.)

Back in the game.

2010-07-08T17:11:00.003-05:00

Sort of.

I was at the dr today (again). At this point I really should have some sort of frequent flier card with the UW system. Perhaps a punch card working towards a free Jello cup or my very own hospital gown. Anyways...

Dr. Today. Cankle. Go.

I am officially working my way back to being active. WOOT WOOT!! I have been given the green light to start weening off of the boot, but knowing me I'll go cold turkey. I have been told swimming 3-4 times a week would be great rehab (ick) and biking, albeit indoors, is back on the to-do list. PT starts the beginning of August and there is good chance, if I follow the rules, that I will be able to start running again September-ish.

Only 14 months later.

Let the journey from fatty back to fitness commence!

Thankful Thursday

2010-07-01T09:17:00.005-05:00

I am thankful...

to be one day closer to biking, running, yoga, and life as normal

for clean sheets and freshly made beds

to be able to shower WITHOUT a garbage bag

for toe nail polish

for Diet Coke
for 4 day weekends

for creativity and cute blogs (hello Bluestar Bloggery, you make me smile)

that even at her worst, Ladybug still makes me laugh

Destroyed bed #1

Destroyed bed #2

2010-06-24T17:13:00.001-05:00

Sorry about that.
For the longest time I could not get things to post from my iPhone to my blog. Sad face. But now it seems as though the technology gods are smiling down upon my blog. Woot woot!

I'm back...

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-24T15:34:00.001-05:00

I'm thankful for...

sunshine

air conditioning

American Players Theatre

puppies

great friends

a wonderful boyfriend

good books

ceiling fans

Check. Wait. Repeat.

2010-06-22T19:15:00.002-05:00

As in, do you ever find yourself incessantly checking your email just waiting for that one email to come? Or not come? Or your phone. Did it ring? Did I miss a call Do I service? Are there any new voicemail?

Or the mailbox? The old skool mail. I never check the mail, because the only thing that comes in the mail is junk and bills. But I stalking the mailbox like an animal stalks it prey.

One week to the day. There should be some sort of communication by now, shouldn't there be? Is this thing on? Did the Gmail server go down? Is my iPhone 3GS protesting receiving calls because it is not a iPhone 4? Seriously.

Check. Wait. Repeat.

I am being held hostage by all modes of communication.

Check. Wait. Repeat.

I am cast free!!

2010-06-17T15:37:00.001-05:00

I am cast free!! I am cast free!! Oh most wonderful glorious day ever, I am cast free!!

My leg was not nearly as gross as I thought it would be, but I still opted not to take any pictures of the shriveled hairy mess that it was. I did sort of like the faux-hawk I could make with my leg hair... but Wyatt kept getting squeamish, so I got rid of it.

Meet Robo-Boot!

My coworkers are convinced I am transforming into a storm trooper, but I'm not so sure. I think this is just a temporary piece of armor.

Life from the sidelines

2010-06-13T11:54:00.004-05:00

So this is what it's like to ride the pine pony. I sit here, on a rock, and watch others frolic and have fun. Literally, I am perched on a rock watching the WORS race. Not that I really want to be hauling my arse up the ski hill on a bike, but it sure would beat being cast-bound sittin' on a rock.

Wyatt and Ryan are out "racing" today and I am the ICE contact on site. I am thinking of taking my place in the van and watching some Glee.

That's just the bad sport in me coming out. I don't really mean it. I want to watch them race. In fact I would love to be able to chase them around the course with a cowbell and extra bottles of water and actually cheer them on. But I am on crutches. Crutches + ski hill = IMPOSSIBLE. I know the wrestler on The Bachelorette scaled a mountain (or whatever) just to get some one on one time with Ali, but I'm just not that tough. Or dedicated.

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-03T16:13:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I've put one of these down on paper, and now while I am feeling at most beat up, I think that this is something I need to do.

So deep breath, and happy thankful thoughts...

I am thankful for...

Wyatt being home for my surgery and the following week when I was at my worst

spring flowers and sunshine

central air!! Especially as I am in a cast for the next few weeks...

snuggly puppies

my BFF's

Passion

2010-06-02T20:38:00.002-05:00

So I was watching So You Think You Can Dance tonight (don't judge, see where I'm going with this) and I kept feeling myself getting a little choked up. Now it could be the foot pain, the puppy inspired frustration, the sleep depravation...but mainly it was just an overwhelming sense of passion.

The dancers out there auditioning and the performances they are giving are amazing. They are fighting and working and pursuing their dreams. They ooze of passion and dreams.

Where's my passion? What have I dropped everything for and worked towards with every iota of my being? What can I not live without?

I want to feel alive and passionate about something like they do. I want to end the day, the week, the year, my life, knowing that I left it all out there and have no regrets.

Passion.

Thankful Thursday

2010-03-18T11:29:00.000-05:00

I am also REALLY thankful for my iPhone. And Dramamine. Thank goodness for Dramamine.

This Thankful Thursday is still brought to you fromthe back seat of the G6 rental. Still on the way to Indy.