I Try to Only Talk About Running…

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…but then I get all existential and philosophical about life. I can’t help it, and I blame running. You see, running is a sport, indeed, but it’s also my therapy, my quiet space, and my drawing board. That’s why my posts seem to read like a self-help book sometimes, and I’m sorry about that.

This post, furthermore, which was supposed to be all about my awesome start to marathon training, turned into a combination of thoughts on running and happiness. Which, at least to me, somehow always go hand-in-hand.

But I digress….moving on:

There’s something magical about good days.

Yesterday was a good day, and I loved it. Let me tell you why.

I’ll preface it with something I realized yesterday, as things were going swimmingly, and it’s something I need to recognize more in my own life.

It’s important for us to pay attention when things are going good. And I mean really, really pay attention. Whether our good moods are due to the events and people around us, or simply because our stars have aligned correctly, I’ve found that taking notes on why we’re feeling so good fills us with a feeling of gratitude.

And gratitude, in my opinion, influences everything for the better: It shines a light on all the good things going on in our lives, while simultaneously taking power away from the not-so-good things. When we’re appreciative of the things we have, the things we don’t have seem to become less important, and we can focus our energy instead on all the positives around us. And when you start looking, there are a lot of positives.

In other words, acknowledging just one good thing can be infectious…and I credit this practice to why yesterday was so darn good.

I started out the day clad in rain-ready running gear, which was a very good decision as it rained the entire run and continued to rain, oh, the whole day after. Love you Seattle, love you.

The rain didn’t matter on this run though, as it was as close to perfect of a run as I can hope for.

I felt strong, calm, and completely balanced in terms of my energy. I normally feel alright from miles 1-3, great from 4-8, and then meh from 9-10 on my normal Tuesday runs, however yesterday I felt fantastic the entire time. Also, I ran dead even 8-minute splits, which I was psyched about. I’m not going to say out loud that I might be secretly training to run 8:10 miles for 26.2 miles in the hope that a certain race in a certain town might accept me to run in 2013, but if I were—this run would make me feel more confident about such a goal.

Afterward, I lifted and foam rolled and basked in the quintessential essence of a runner’s high.

Moving on, I continued to let this great start to my day weave its way into my morning: I had a fantastic breakfast, I worked productively, I smiled at everyone, and all that other flowers and sunshiney stuff that happens when you’re in a great mood.

I practiced yoga at my lunch break with my favorite instructor, and to my elation was able to hold a hand stand for TEN SECONDS. This never happens. Normally I’m just kicking back and forth on my mat whenever handstand time comes around, however the magic of the day infused itself in my shoulders and I was able to hold it. I was PUMPED, and the instructor winked at me after I came down.

{giddy}

I rode the wave of gratitude for these small tokens of affirmation, and the rest of my day continued to be all-around wonderful.

When I got home, BF had made cookies again (twice in a week!), and we made dinner together and watched a riveting episode of Dexter. Please understand the joy of walking up to your front door and, without even opening it, smelling freshly baked cookies inside.

Yes, I picked the right guy.

Except I’m getting concerned his chocolate chip cookies might compete with mine….and therefore we might have an issue…

So there you have it. As I look back, nothing was spectacular about the day: Babies weren’t born (well, they were somewhere, but I did not see them therefore it doesn’t count), I didn’t win the lottery, and no one knocked on my door with a basket full of golden retriever puppies. In fact, my day was 100% normal: I ran, I worked, I yoga’ed, I hung out with BF, and I watched Dexter slice up people’s cheeks(it’s a good thing, trust me.) However, these are all the things that make me happy on a day-to-day basis, and yesterday I feel like I was able to fully appreciate what each of them brings to my life.

It’s the little things, truly, and I’m learning more every day that being present isn’t just for yoga class or meditation—it’s for every day. The beautiful thing about the present is that it’s always there, waiting for you the look up say hello to it.

 

 

 

Be Clean

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Cleansing is a word we hear quite often nowadays. It has a variety of meanings, both literal and figurative, however to me, cleansing ultimately means a detoxification of our bodies and minds.

We can never be completely clean, and yet we are constantly in search of the things in life that will purify our systems and clean up the gunk that has accumulated. This longing has existed for thousands of years, all over the world, and can be interpreted in so many different ways.

In religions, cleansing is done through prayer, confession, meditation, and baptism.

Exercise and activity encourage our bodies to sweat out its impurities and heighten our senses through increased endorphin release.

In a dietary sense, there is an endless amount of information on foods that remove toxins, aid digestion, and eradicate gunk— all for the purpose of reaching a certain level of cleanness.

Thanks to the brilliant minds of programmers and techies, nearly all aspects of our Western lives have been regimented in a way that we have everything we could possibly need at our finger tips, within a moment’s notice. And it’s all in the name of keeping things clean, neat, and un-messy.

Now, I don’t need to ask why we are constantly in need of cleansing, because the answer is obvious and hasn’t changed for the thousands of years that humans have been around:

Dirt, in it’s figurative and real form, unsettles us; it distracts us from living our lives simply and without clutter. Dirt comes in all different guises: stress, angst, back aches, fast food, depression, addiction, bags under our eyes, laundry piles, smoking, laziness…and countless other things that we spend so much energy trying to rid ourselves of.

I have come to learn a few things about the dirt we accumulate, and I believe that despite all the measures we take to pray, eat, sweat, and sweep away all the impurities…we aren’t actually aware of why those impurities exist in the first place.

No one likes the dirt they constantly carry around, and although we are constantly presented with ways to get rid of it all, it seems that actually freeing ourselves is easier said than done. It’s not that we don’t know how to go about doing it, and it’s not that we’re short on resources to help us. I have found, however, that we are much too focused on the when as opposed to the how  in terms of cleansing our lives.

“When I do yoga regularly, I will be more stress-free.”

“When I organize my closet, I’ll donate things to Good Will.”

“When I lose 10 pounds, I’ll start dating.”

“When I make more money, have kids, pay off my debt, take up painting, and become a certified Pilates instructor, then I’ll be happy.”

Sound like anyone you know? Sound like you?

Personally, I am all-too-guilty of playing the “When this…then this” game with myself. It’s a slippery slope, and unfortunately it’s very easy to hide behind. When we get an idea of how our lives could be if we made these few, “simple” changes, we achieve a temporary comfort that —unfortunately—clouds the part of our brain that actually decides to act. Procrastination is an all too powerful being, and when we simply taste the thought of better things to come, we often settle. We have the option of making things better, therefore ultimately it will all be okay.

But what happens to the whole doing process? How often do we tell ourselves that we will do this, this, and this in order to clean up our lives—and then a year later we are still stuck in our piles of dirt?

I promise I have a point, and I’m getting to it.

There are two things I believe we, as humans, tend to miss when we imagine the clean lives we want to live.

1) What are we actually doing to achieve our cleansing goals?

2) Why is the dirt there in the first place?

These two questions, I promise, are a lot more difficult to answer then, “What do you want to change about your life?”

When we are able to face these two questions head on, we have the ability to make our goals—and the means in which to make them real—much more tangible. When we realize, “Okay, I’ve wanted to start reading more for years now, except I spend every night after work glued to the television until bedtime,” we recognize the problem, and therefore the solution becomes much more transparent.

The same is true, I believe, for much more complicated issues. I realize it sounds idealistic and easier-said-than-done, which it definitely is, but I encourage you to at least try it out. Next time you’re thinking of a way your life would be better and cleaner, ask yourself the two questions above. I think you’ll find that when you’re honest about yourself about why the impurity is there, a much more feasible solution will present itself to you. And if you already know why the dirt exists, admit to yourself exactly what you’re doing to clean it up.

Holding ourselves accountable is perhaps the most important step in leading the lives we want to live.

These thoughts were inspired by a run yesterday (where all my clearest thinking is done), and it was a run that exemplified cleansing both externally and internally. The entire run was done through a decently heavy rainfall, which cleansed both the snow from the sidewalks and all the sweat from my face. It was refreshing (once I got over being totally wet) and ignited the fantastic primal feeling of running.

The run was also cleansing psychologically. I started the run in a very bad mood, and although I obviously prefer to run with a clear and happy head, I knew that running would shake out the bad feelings. I realized, as my anger and distress washed away with the rain, that running didn’t necessarily get rid of our bad, dirty thoughts (no…not that kind of dirty thoughts), but actually quite the opposite.

Running, for me at least, brings my negative thoughts to the surface of my brain and forces me to pick them apart. I become confrontational with them, as opposed to submissive.

We are hard-wired to push bad thoughts into the back of our brain, where they eat away at our subconscious until they completely exhaust us. By facing these thoughts head-on, as I do when I run, they lose their power and we can see them for what they simply are—dirt.

I do not always feel 100% better about the not-so-good things in my life after a run; honestly, nothing has the ability to completely wipe our palates clean. However, because I am able to analyze why the dirt is there, I can be more honest about the things I can do to clear it away. Honesty is something we are constantly told to give to others, but we must also remember the importance of internalizing it for ourselves.

The first step to cleansing—in any sense of the word—is to allow ourselves to confront the truth, no matter how grimy and unpleasant it might be. After we inspect the mess that’s been made, we can begin to understand the tools and steps necessary to clean it up.

Question of the Day: How do you picture a Clean life? What kind of mess are you are trying to get rid of?

Friday Favorites

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No banter today…let’s get straight to the favorites!

1) Baseball hats

(awkward self-taken photo)

Oh baseball hats, how multidimensional you are. You provide relief from rain and snow on winter runs, you provide shade and coolness during summer runs, and you provide an instant fix to a no-shower or bad hair day.

I admit I have gotten in a bad habit of putting off washing my hair and simply wearing a hat all day. I wash my body every day….mostly…however it seems that these past 3 or so months I’ve adapted to the every-other-day routine in terms of shampooing.

I’ve heard this is good for your hair, and as someone who has abdicated haircuts until further notice, I need all the “health” my hair can get. Sure, sometimes it lasts longer than 24 hours…or 36…but that’s what hats are for, and I love them.

{I really am a clean person, honestly}

2) Little Rae’s sugar cookies

Git in mah bellehh!

So, I have this an undying love for the huge sugar cookies from our specialty grocers, the Metropolitan Market. These cookies change shape with every season and holiday, and I think that they are actually intended for children, but they are a staple in my dessert repertoire. These beautiful V-Day hearts made their debut this week, and BF promptly brought one home for me after spotting them.

True love, people.

3) Bird of Paradise pose

This is not me. In case you were wondering.

(Source)

I really like this particular yoga pose for two reasons:

1. The name, duh. Whenever my instructor suggests going into this pose she says, “Let’s rise birdies.” Obviously I know she is really talking to me.

2. This is one of the only advanced yoga poses that I can actually do without drawing too much attention to myself. I normally go to beginner classes, meaning that each pose has the option of the easiest to the hardest degree of difficulty. I’m normally somewhere in the middle, which is just fine, however I do like being able to do this one with confidence.

4) Google

It’s just really, really helpful.

I’m nervous it knows me better than I know myself, but for now…I accept it.

Okay, clearly I’m running out stand-out favorite things for this week. But that’s okay, because I’m generally just thankful for all the great things in my life right now—and sometimes it’s best to just be content in the present moment.

Rain is washing away our snow right now, and despite the mass amounts of water draining all over Seattle—I’m hoping we are on our way back to some normalcy.

Questions: What are your plans for this weekend? Do you have any particular favorite thing that stands out today?

State of Emergency

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In case you don’t live in Seattle, or you haven’t read anything on Yahoo, Weather.com, or any other news source, the PNW is facing some insane weather conditions. Schools have been closed for two days (looking like it will be three), ice and snow have been falling from the sky—yes I said ice—, and power outages are happening all over. So far, so good here. Still have power, no car calamities, and BF has been working from home for the past two days. Having a WFH buddy has been fun.

To those of you new to this blog…BF is the secret identity name of my boyfriend.

BF, I know you've been around me for 48 hours straight, but hopefully you still like me.

Yesterday, as we awoke and the roads had been laden with ice and snow, I decided that it was a great excuse to take a day off from exercise. I haven’t taken a day off in a while, and so it was the perfect set up to laze around inside. And laze we did. Apart from a short walk at the end of the day and two trips to Starbucks, we stayed in our little home all day. Mac and cheese included.

By the time we were up this morning, I was getting a bit restless. I hadn’t run outside since Saturday…and normally when I take a day off I am up and ready to go the next day ASAP. That doesn’t work so well when ice has coated the snow. Gym was not open, clearly. Literally, there was a layer of ice ON TOP of the several inches of snow, and you needed to break through it in order to clear any of it away. Cleaning our cars off was neat. Driving was even neater.

The best part? Frozen rain fell all morning; little pelts of freezing misery, which made the whole melting thing really difficult.

We are in a State of Emergency, as declared by the state, and the National Guard has been called.

So, what did I decide to do this afternoon?

A run is the best idea during an ice storm.

So, some of you may think I’m a fool and crazy. And that means you’re very smart, I am.

No one should feel the need the run on top of snow and ice, with a headwind, with mini icicles blowing in their face. If this doesn’t sound appealing to you, then I applaud you for being sane.

I am not sane, and I was in my own State of Emergency. This run, however, was awesome.

I didn’t realize how bad my cabin fever had been until I started putting on my running clothes. I hadn’t run outside since Saturday, and so I was really antsy to feel that wind in my face and get some miles behind me. Also, as I officially declared that marathon training had commenced on Tuesday, it was a bit paralyzing to have my wonderful running path stolen from me by Mother Nature.

Screw you, Mother Nature, I say.

(Not really, I’m sure she’s an  awesome lady and snow is actually really pretty when it doesn’t inhibit my ability to run.)

But seriously, I decided to act on my habitual, compulsive defiance of obvious variables and go for it. I bundled in an ear warmer, billed hat (most key element), half-zip, long socks, tights, and gloves (second most key element) and I went on my somewhat-apprehensive-but-kind-of-excited merry way.

2 forms of head gear are better than one

And truly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. The snow was compacted enough (thanks fellow West Seattle snow strollers!) that I didn’t really sink into it, and there was enough ice pellets/snow on top of the compacted snow to add some traction. I had to watch my step pretty carefully, and there were points where I had to keep my head down completely so as to avoid getting ice bullets in my eyes, but overall it worked out perfectly fine.

The end of my run was a trek up the hill by our house, which if you haven’t heard, is a  monster of a climb. At this point, it was snowing pretty significantly—and let me tell you about how much fun it is to run up a mega steep incline with non-compacted snow to slosh through.

Hint: it’s not.

So despite the slowww going at the end, I finished 12.75 miles (a bit more than I normally intend to do on Thursdays), and I was thoroughly infused with a sparkly feeling of adventure and accomplishment.

post-run giddiness/shivering

It’s really quite liberating to defy all the norms of inhibiting weather and go out and face it head on. I loved this run, not just because it was necessary and made me feel better about beginning marathon training, but because it helped me remember that running is so accessible—no matter the conditions. Sure, I was slower than normal and had frozen sweat/snot on my face the whole time (hot, yes), but I felt incredibly free—of both my cabin fever and the restraints that we so often let get us down.

 

Currently, BF is planning on working from home again tomorrow, and he made the impulsive decision to bake us some cookies.

APPROVE

Wait, you thought I dated him for his looks, humor, and charm?

Nah.

…kidding

…am I?

 

Hope everyone in Seattle is safe and warm, and everyone who’s not here…enjoy your ice-free sky. Bad weather really makes you not take things for granted, such has a windshield that doesn’t take HALF AN HOUR to chip/scrap/defrost.

Question: What’s your favorite snow day activity?

 

Olympic Trials and Eugene Registration

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Hello! Welcome to Tuesday, friends. Hopefully most of you had the day off yesterday and spent your time sleeping in and doing fun-day-off types of activities. For those of you in Seattle (or anywhere in the PNW for that matter), I hope you are staying safe and warm—snow has engulfed us!

It’s funny to see the snow juxtaposed with the ocean. Although I’ve lived in the area for over 5 years now, I still associate the coast with yearlong greenery and a general sense of Summer. The snow is reserved for winters in Colorado and the ski slopes.

Needless to say, when the two clash, I get somewhat thrown off.

West Seattle on Sunday at noon. Doesn't exactly look like a seaside neighborhood, eh?

(source)

Moving on. This weekend was full of running-related fun things. Saturday morning, BF and I tag-teamed a 10k race (each of us ran a 5k and our times were added together). The race was unbelievably cold, rainy, and windy—however we were both glad we did it and we’re planning on doing more in the future. For a full race recap, click here.

After the race, we visited Super Jock ‘n’ Jill, a running store near Greenlake in Seattle, where I officially registed for the Eugene Marathon!

I’m super excited, as this has been the race I’ve been hankering to do for my Spring Marathon. The course is supposed to be fantastic, the weather will be ideal, my grandparents will be able to come, Prefontaine’s legacy will be in the air…it will all around be an awesome experience.

After registering, BF bought a stellar new running top on sale, and we made our way back home where we watched the Olympic marathon trials. I watched both the men and the women from mile 16 or so to the end, and I was engrossed the whole time. I don’t know what’s so enthralling about watching people run, but I loved it.

Not a great picture, but this is BF in his hot new running top.

{Spoiler Alert}

I was really excited for all three of the females who qualified for the Olympics. I love Kara Goucher, and I was really happy for her to make the team after being injured and that whole having a baby thing. Also, Desi Davila is such a hard worker and after reading all about her in Runner’s World Mag this month, I was gunning for her to get a spot. The first place finisher, Shalane Flanagan, ran a 2:25:38 and—get this—it was her SECOND marathon. SECOND. As in, she qualified for the Olympic Trials in her first marathon, and then WON the Olympic trials in her second. Seriously ridiculous. Chick’s got some guts.

I have this Olympic athlete envy problem, big time. Honestly, if I could choose I would probably be a 7 ft. tall pro bball player, however I have always had a big admiration and affection for Olympic athletes. My dad worked for the Olympic Training Center for several years, and so I’m sure this is where it comes from. My biggest/loftiest/far featched dream is to be an Olympic runner, gymnast, or beach volleyball player. Or all three?

Seeing as I am neither a 5 foot, 19-year-old or a 6-foot-tall gazelle of a woman, I would say I have the best shot of the running dream. Okay, maybe I’ll just focus on going for a run later today instead. But I can dream people, ok?

Late in the day on Saturday, after finishing the trials and restlessly lazing around on the couch, I decided to go for a leisurely run. The sun had come out, the wind had marginally died down, and after watching some bad ass chicks knock out 5 minute miles like it was cake—a little neighborhood run seemed quite doable.

I covered 8.5 miles, rounding out my day for a total of 11.6. I loved the run—I felt energized, relaxed, and generally grateful to have a capable and working body. The sun set over Puget Sound as I passed by, and it was nothing short of glorious.

This was my first time doing two-a-day runs, and I was pretty pleased with how I felt overall. Because my first run (the 5k race) was done much quicker than my normal pace, I felt no pressure to do the second run especially fast or aggressive. I understand why more elite athletes and runners use the two-a-day runs as a way to cover a lot of mileage in one week. While I do enjoy showering and being done working out before 9am, I’m not opposed to using this strategy during this training season.

Which brings me to my most forefront thought of the day: marathon training.

I HAVE TO START NOW.

I am wavering between being excited for completing 18, 20, and 22 milers every weekend and being completely freaked out and overwhelmed at all the dedication I am going to have to put forth. I am blessed to be wired, psychologically, to handle the strict nature of marathon training, however that’s more on a day-to-day basis. When I look at the schedule I’m slowly creating in its entirety, I get panicked about all the time and sacrifices necessary to get through it all.

One day at a time though. And it starts, oh, say tomorrow. I actually haven’t determined an official start date because I have a week or so of wiggle room until I officially need to acknowledge that “I’m training for a marathon.”

These are the things I do know, going into training season…

My mileage is higher now than when I started training before.

I need to do speedwork.

I will probably train above 26 miles.

I will do everything I possibly can to not get hurt.

Based on those 4 truths, I will have a bonafied, set-in-stone training schedule hopefully by tomorrow or Thursday. It will probably be a conglomeration of the last program I followed, the programs of fellow marathoner bloggers, and my own crazy ambitions. Stay tuned peeps.

Question: Are you thinking about a Spring race? How are you deciding which type of training schedule to follow?

Magnuson Series MLK 10k Relay

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So, Saturday’s race was really, really effing cold.

The combination of snow/rain/wind/frigid temps made running perhaps the least desirable thing for any rational person to go and partake in. BF and I, however, are not rational and decided that despite it all—we would uphold our race day commitment.

The Magnuson Series is a set of races held every month in Magnuson Park, Seattle. The park is 3.1 miles around, therefore each month on race day you can choose to run a 5, 10, or 15k depending on your preference. It’s a great idea, a good course, and an easy way to keep up your racing mojo every month.

As part of a stocking-stuffer Christmas gift, BF signed us up for a 10k relay team, meaning that each of us would run a 5k, and then they would total our times together.

We arrived dressed in somewhat wintery running gear (which means instead of shorts and a t-shirt I was wearing a long-sleeved tech jersey), and we soon discovered that starting a race next to a lake when the wind is whipping in a big snow storm is somewhat equivalent to the definition of misery. We sat in the car until the last possible second, got out for a quick warm up jog, and positioned ourselves at the start line.

ready to run!

The race couldn’t have started soon enough. My toes, fingers, and ears were all freezing cold, and I had to have my hat strapped on super tight just to prevent it from coming off in the wind. I really had no clue how fast I was going during the first mile, as I was so distracted by the cold conditions, but when we got to the Mile 1 marker and I saw 6:59 on my watch, I was pumped. Doing the race at 7 minute miles was my goal, although I wasn’t saying it out loud. As I reached the second mile marker, I was still hovering around 14:00, though the pace had slowed down a tad. At the end, I ended up finishing unofficially around 21:57, which in 5k terms means I was running 7:05 minute miles.

New PR!

Not long after I grabbed a water cup and tried to regain control of my winded/frozen lungs, I saw BF finish strongly with a 24:49, giving the “Grizzly Birds” (our obviously awesome team name) a 10k finish time of 46:46!

We both agreed the course was good, the weather sucked, and we’d definitely be doing these races again soon.

Doing 5ks are a great way to practice speed, and I highly encourage everyone, of all racing levels, to sign up for one whenever they can. I know I’ll be bulking up my marathon training with plenty of shorter races, as they’re great practice for racing strategy and general racing atmosphere.

Question: What are the worst conditions you’ve ever run or raced in?

Friday (the 13th!) Faves

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I’m not really superstitious, so the fact that it’s Friday the 13th isn’t too significant for me. However, if something totally nut-so, crazy were to happen…I probably wouldn’t think it’s a coincidence. That’s why I’m glad that race day for this week happens to be tomorrow and not today.

BF and I will be tag-teaming a 10k tomorrow morning as a part of the monthly Magnuson Series races at Magnuson Park in Seattle. We’ll both run at the same time (each do a 5k) and then our times will be added together. I’m pretty excited, as I haven’t run a 5k since August, and I think it will be fun to do it in a relay-like style.

Race recap to follow!

GOOD NEWS. Nordstroms is super awesome, and they exchanged my claustrophobic shoes without question (despite the fact that they’ve been worn through rain, snow, dirt, etc. for about a month). I love good return policies.

I had to pay the additional amount for the upgraded version of my shoes, but it was a small price to pay for having happy feet. I’m really hoping these new shoes help relieve my plantar faciitis/tendonitis/annoying pangs in my feet.

Which brings me to…

Friday Faves:

1) Purple Asics 2170s

too much???

Okay, so these shoes have some serious amounts of pink and purple on them. There really was no choice of the matter; I knew these were the shoes I needed, and didn’t want to experiment with others.

With that said, I haven’t decided yet if I super duper love the fact that they scream “I AM A FEMALE,” or if I think it’s too much for me. I like the color pink, don’t get me wrong, but not in that “everything I buy must be pink, purple, or have hearts on it” kind of way.

For now though, I am liking the flashiness, and I especially like the fact that these little gems are treating my feet oh-so-good.

2) Puffy Coat

I am WARM in my freezing cold house! Hallelujah!

I swear to you, I don’t think I have ever actually been warm until I first put on this fluffy ball of heaven. My Mom and Kate have worn these uber puffy North Face coats for years, and they bestowed me with one of my very own for Christmas this year.

Thanks ladies!

Anyway, I am addicted to wearing this coat. I leave it on for all hours of the day, and I only take it off to go to bed. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. I have even brushed my teeth and washed my face before bed while still wearing this coat. It’s divine.

Do I have circulation issues, you ask? Probably.

3) Thai food

noodles and tofu and broccoli and mmmmm

This is definitely not anything new, but I needed to pay homage to my everlasting love of thai food. It is really hard to find bad thai food, and luckily living in Seattle ensures that there will be thai restaurants—both hole in the wall and gourmet—on just about every other block.

BF and I have ventured to many a thai location, and we’ve found that the places that have no sign out front, completely inaccurate spelling on the menus, and cats roaming around on the inside are actually some of the best thai food you can find. Except that one time BF found a piece of raw chicken in his takeout.

That wasn’t too cool.

4) “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson

This song seriously ROCKS. Seriously you guys, if you need an instant confidence boost or a quick boost of motivation, I recommend blasting this song. Dance too if you need to. My spin instructor Jeoff just added this to his playlist, and it is super motivating. I highly recommend adding it your workout/running/dance/happiness playlist ASAP.

A special shot out to Leanne in regards to this song. She knows why.

 

That’s all for today! Hope your Friday was great and your holiday weekend is splendid.

Question: What are your favorite things this week?

 

Running with Friends and My First Personal Ad

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I know I’ve said it before, but I’m really really really over the whole dark-til-8am thing.

It has been taking every single bit of my willpower to hoist myself out of bed at 6am, and that’s after getting plenty of sleep. It might be a version of that seasonal mood disorder, but instead of getting down about the weather I’m just down about the darkness.

This is somewhat strange to me, though, as the dark to me is very solitary in a comforting way. I love running in the dark (although starting off isn’t always fun), and once I get going I love the feeling that I am alone in the quietness of the early morning. It’s different in the Summer when the sun is shining overhead on my early runs, although it may be the same time that in the Winter I feel completely alone.

I know feeling alone might ordinally evoke a feeling of sadness, but for me it’s kind of the opposite. No, I’m not emo, depressed, or completely socially inept—only slightly—,but I’ve always been the kind of person that likes to be by themselves. When I was younger, I preferred to entertain myself as opposed to playing with friends or having sleepovers or whatever was normal for younger girls. I was a bit of a loner, and it was completely fine with me. Today, I still enjoy being alone, although I have managed to accumulate some people that I love spending lots of time with.

{If you are thinking I’m a huge weirdo at this point, it’s okay—you probably should.}

I think the fact that I like being alone is one of the reasons I love running so much. I’m accountable to no one, and I have the unique opportunity to count on no one but myself for strength and guidance. Additionally, running alone activates a certain automated calm within my brain; it’s as if my consciousness has adapted to recognize the act of running as one in which it must let go of lingering thoughts and concentrate on the present moment.

With that said, I am both puzzled and curious about the runners who run together. I can count on two hands the number of runs in my running career I have done with someone else, and although those people are great friends and runners, I honestly can’t remember actually enjoying those runs. I’m sure it’s due in part to the fact that I wasn’t used to it, however I think it’s also just the nature of who I am and the running habits I’ve developed.

My question, then, is why do some runners prefer to be alone, and why do some prefer to be with friends?

Is it simply in our personalities? As in, I’m somewhat anti-social, therefore I prefer antisocial running?

Or is it more in the way we learned to run; if you started your running career with another person, are you drawn to the group-running setup?

I ask these questions because I am, truly, very interested in pursuing some more social interaction in my running. I have heard and read several stories about the power of having a running buddy, and I can only imagine the kinship that comes from sharing miles together. There are running groups in my neighborhood, however whenever I think, “Okay, this week you’ll go,” I shy away from it for the sake of my solitary runs. I think it’s one of those things I need to admit is on my “I’m scared to do this” list and just suck it up and go for it. I did make a New Year’s declaration to banish the things that scare me, didn’t I?

I have this dream of finding a few people that I can do my long runs with, sign up for marathons with, and make cookies and drink wine with while gushing about how much we love running and each other. Sure it’s romanticized, but I can’t help but think that friends who run together have an exceptional bond that’s rare and lasts a lifetime. So this is my personal ad:

If you’re in the Seattle area and think the best way to spend your Sunday morning is to run for 10+ miles and you’re therefore somewhat insane, pretty please contact me for a run date? I promise to provide gorgeous scenery, a stellar recovery breakfast, and an odorless presence. Just kidding! I’ll smell a lot. But so will you, so we can still be friends.

 

In relation to this topic, I AM excited to say that I have a running/friendship combo coming in the form of a relay race this weekend. BF signed us up to relay a 10k race, and while it won’t exactly be running together—it is closer to group running, right? Our team name is Grizzly Bird, and I’m still hoping to convince him to make shirts with me…

Hope everyone’s week is going well so far!

Question: Do you prefer to run alone or with a friend?

Sweating the Sweet Stuff

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On Saturday morning during spin class, as I was sweating like an obese man dressed in sweats walking through Death Valley, I was thinking about the difference between vacation time and our normal routines—namely, the difference in our fitness/food habits. Obviously when we’re on vacation (specifically around the holidays), it’s natural for us to want to relax and ease into a more indulgent routine. And rightfully so, as vacation is a time for relaxing and partaking in things we wouldn’t do on a regular basis (i.e. sleeping in, having a drink or 4, and actively seeking out 3 different desserts in one night).

Yes, this was me at Christmas.

And it’s fine…because we’re on vacation, and no vacation lasts forever.

However, personally I get a bit stressed out thinking about the lack of discipline that comes with vacations. I know it seems a bit counter-intuitive to the whole idea of a vacation, but because I’m normally very active and eat healthfully, the thought of derailing from that routine worries me. Once I’m on vacation and can loosen up a bit, I’m normally thankful for the break, but I always wish that the thought of taking time off from my regimented schedule wouldn’t be so frightening.

To help describe my point a bit more clearly, this was my brain during spin yesterday:

“This is seriously hard…I’m glad I can still keep up after being gone for so long.”

“Wait, didn’t you have a heart attack that taking time off would ruin every ounce of fitness you have?”

“And weren’t you stressed that all the wonderful holiday goodies you would consume would all of a sudden balloon you up to the point that none of your clothes would fit?”

“Yea, yea…irrational.”

“Of course it was irrational! You spend 98% of the time trying your hardest to stay in shape, why the hell should a week of fun undo any of that?”

“Ew gross, I think your earlobes are dripping”

Okay, that was a bit unstructured, but here’s my point: If you try your best to stay marginally in shape and healthy, then there’s no reason to worry over the occasional extra  drinks and desserts. I am constantly back-and-forth in my own brain with this battle, and I think a lot of people (mainly girls) are susceptible to this exact same mind game. We get down on ourselves before we even indulge for fear that we’ve lost all sense of discipline and are somehow weaker because we’ve “given in.”

Here’s the reality: Life is too short to beat ourselves up over these insignificant things. Our society—namely women’s magazines, commercials, realty shows, etc.—perpetually bombards us with the messages of: “Lose that Last 5!” “Think Skinny!” and “How to Resist Temptation,” all of which might as well say, “You Better Say No to Everything Containing Carbs, Sugar, and Fat if You Ever Want to Feel Pretty!”

To be blunt, I think this is bullshit, and I’m so afraid that this is the understanding of health and beauty that women today are being fed.

Hey Women's Health, Self, Fitness Mag, etc...screw you and your vodka-and-soda water only preaching.

I completely understand that this country is facing a severe obesity epidemic, and I completely agree that the U.S.’s understanding of healthy portions and food is seriously distorted. In no way am I undermining the efforts to make our country healthier, but I believe there is a huge difference between promoting balance and promoting deprivation.

Balance is the single most important thing in regards to being happy and healthy, in my opinion. We are human, therefore symmetry is key; too much laziness and not enough exercise will eventually deplete our bodies and spirits—and the exact opposite is also true.

The same thing goes for food—when we concentrate solely on being so healthy that every single thing we put in our mouths is predetermined and allows no room for spontaneity, we lose the joy of treating ourselves and we become a hollow, uptight, and (sorry) boring person who only cares about carrots and calories.

I say these things from a very experienced-based standpoint, as I have been all of these people: I have been so concentrated on exercising that my body gave up on me. I have been so focused on only consuming wholesome things that I couldn’t enjoy ice cream or drinks or Chipotle outings with friends. I have been such a dessert addict that I’d go to bed with a marginal stomach ache every night because I could never just resist the temptation.

These are all versions of myself that at one time or another have overtaken my sense of balance. Each of them tends to creep up every so often, however I have come to a place where I know myself well enough to know that investing all my energy into being the perfect athlete or the perfect eater only sucks away all other passions in my life.

I consider this a couple's shot. Sorry BF, Chipotle and I have a special bond.

That brings me to the title of this post: Sweating the Sweet Stuff. And I am going highlight why it is important that we don’t sweat the sweet stuff while we do sweat the sweet stuff.

“Say, wha?” You say…

Well, the term “sweat” here is a homonym.

Don’t Sweat the Sweet Stuff…

Guess what? You live in an age where cookies, beer, chips & guac, etc. are going to pop up—and that’s because these things go hand-in-hand with celebrations and a festive atmosphere. With that said, it is okay to eat these things. Instead of spending the before, during, and after of a party hating yourself for considering, indulging, and then regretting the choices to eat these things—how about trying to push aside the berating qualms of society for just one night, and enjoy yourself. I am willing to bet that not only will you have a much more enjoyable time, but you will also find you are more likely to quit while you’re ahead. Deprivation activates an animalistic/binge mentality: If you chronically deprive yourself from certain foods, they then become so coveted and idealistic that they hold a certain power over you.

I am, again, speaking from experience…when I get too absorbed in staying 100% healthy, the thought of every possible bad-for-me food starts to take over my brain: Note: dreaming about donuts.

And this is ridiculous. Food should never, ever be a primary focus for your life.

Fact of the matter: Humans need to eat, point blank. It’s not something you can shy away from if you want to survive, and because it’s necessary—why should you let all your energy be consumed by it? Would you spend all your time focusing on when you need to blink or breath? No…and that’s because it’s something you can’t get around.

You can, however, focus your energy on how to achieve balance. You cannot survive without fruits and vegetables, and your body will revolt without them, but you will also go crazy if you are the person at every party who says “No” to everything offered, sips lemon water, and watches everyone else eat chocolate and drink wine without you. Also, you might notice your invitations to such events starts to decline…

Please note: I am in no way advocating a free pass for consistently binging without rhyme or reason. Remember, this is about balance. Wholesome foods are essential to our well-being, and above all else I believe that everyone should be educated on what we need to eat to stay healthy.

I am simply trying to speak against the notion that we should feel guilty about every time we “slip” from our healthy regimes. If you spend 80% of the time focusing on eating well, then I personally give you permission to indulge the other 20% of the time. The healthiest, happiest people I have ever known are the people that say yes to both apples and apple pie, running and rest days, spinach and Sirah, I think you get…

Do Sweat the Sweet Stuff

One of the best parts about staying active is the allowance of treats it provides. No, an extra mile every day doesn’t equal an extra cookie, but….kinda. Excess exercise equates additional calorie burn, therefore necessitating excess calorie consumption. Ideally, this will come in the form of additional nutrient dense foods. However, as athletes, we have the advantage of needed extra food. This is two-fold; while training, we need more food, and because we are inevitably going to sweat everything out, there is less pressure on us when we do have chocolate for dinner.

"I am running, but I am thinking about bagels."

With this said, finding a balance in terms of health is much more attainable when you incorporate exercise. You will have more energy, and your body will help you know exactly what it needs to stay happy. One of the reasons that I love training is because I become very in tune with what my body needs in terms of nutrients. Frequent activity not only boosts physical health in every way possible, but it will also help in tweaking your guilty mindset about “bad foods.”

That said, I would like state that I absolutely despise when people use the words “bad” and “good” when it comes to health and food. For the most part, we all know which foods are better for us than others, and we’ve been taught which foods are supposed to evoke a feeling of guilt within us. When we declare that we have been “bad” or “good,” we are immediately allowing our propaganda-filled brains to decide our self-worth for us.

Instead, congratulate yourself for making a healthy choice, remember how good your body felt, and establish a way to maintain a regular routine of it. Similarly, if you happen to have had one-too-many licks of cookie dough, forgive yourself, know that they were delicious, and recognize that they will not make you immediately gain 5 pounds. And if you really feel that bad about it, go for a half-hour run. I can almost guarantee that your guilt will evaporate—not because you know you burned it all off, but because running evaporates all negative thoughts and makes you feel awesome.

Another couple's shot. Cookie dough and I are a match made in heaven.

Admittedly, I am far from mastering the mentality of being in a completely happy balance. It is a daily battle for me, and there are times when I feel completely consumed by the negative thoughts that I have admonished in this post. And that’s because I’m human—and I simply can’t help it sometimes.

But I’m trying. And because I have been through so many different phases of figuring out the whole “healthy” thing, I believe I have established a basic methodology of how to be my happiest. I do not always obey my own beliefs, and I have to be very conscientious about not slipping into the grips of societal gimmicks, but these are the truths that I believe to wholly encompass the secrets of happiness.

So don’t sweat the sweet stuff, and I think you’ll realize that once you rid yourself of the guilt of eating the occasional treat, you will regain control over your confidence and ultimately strike a happy balance.

 

 

Fat Feet and Friday Favorites

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First off, holy alliteration. Please don’t hate me yet…I’m really not that nerdy.

Wait, yes I am.

So, the bad news is that my feet have started a revolution against me.

The good news is that I officially figured out why. For the past month or so, I’ve been getting some tendonitisy feelings after my longer runs in both my feet. It’s a new feeling, and I’ve been trying to figure out which abnormal factors have been contributing to these aches. Well this morning I realized why, and frankly I feel a bit foolish.

When I replaced my old pair of Asics with the “exact same pair” at the Nordstrom anniversary sale, I failed to checked the width of the shoes. Turns out, they are actually the opposite of what I need—narrow as opposed to wide. You see, I have Fred Flintstone feet, and therefore I always need the widest running shoes possible. It takes me a while to find shoes that work, and so when I do manage to nail down a certain pair—I stick with them as long as they’re on the market.

So, despite the fact that I’ve been wearing these skinny shoes for oh about a month, I’m still going to try an exchange them. Stay tuned for results.

Don’t worry feet, you’ll soon be relieved of your narrow-footed prisons.

Moving on…

This week’s Friday Favorites!

1) Push Ups

Cute picture of the day.

So I realize this is a very simplistic exercise, however I have rediscovered my love for the basic push-up. I’ve been trying to do at least 20 a day, which I know isn’t a ton, but I really feel that there are tangible benefits to doing frequent push ups. Push ups work your chest, arms, back, and even core—making them an incredibly effective exercise. My personal favorite thing about push ups is that you can do them no matter where you are, so even if I’m away from weights or lifting machines, I can still get a decent strength workout by doing some of these babies.

If you are new to push ups, I highly recommend starting up a regular routine of doing them. Start slow, and focus on good form—meaning keep your butt down and bend your arms to a 90 degree angle. If you need to start on your knees, that’s totally allowed, and I think you’ll find that after just a little practice you’ll be a push-up pro.

2) NBA Basketball

Back in action, baby!

So I will be the first person to slap the hands (or faces) of all the NBA owners and players whose greed for way more money than any of them deserve delayed the start of the NBA season.

However, despite all the ridiculousness of the debates that took place, I am PSYCHED that the season has officially started. Basketball is definitely my favorite sport to both watch and play, and I can be entertained by pretty much NBA game on—whether it’s a team I love (Lakers, Nugs, etc.) or a team I loath (CELTICS). Thanks for getting over yourselves guys—this fan sure appreciates seeing your tall sweaty selves ballin’ again.

{This is a good place to let you know that if I were to be reborn, I would prefer to be a 6’9 black man with the arms of Dwight Howard, the shot precision of Dirk, and the athleticism of Lebron.}

It could happen people.

3) Athleta Spin Shorts

SO, I just got these for Christmas…and I’m in love. Despite the fact that I’m somewhat of a frequent spinner, I have never actually worn padded bike shorts during class. Because I don’t own any. I know it seems silly, and yes my butt almost always starts to hurt, but somehow I never got around to investing in a pair for myself.

In comes Christmas (Thanks Dad and Megan!), and I now have a cushioned tush during my spin classes. I also look more legit than when I wear running shorts and running shoes, which obviously isn’t actually important, but…it kinda is.

4) Lindt Truffles

The blue are the best, there is no discussion on the matter.

OM NOM.

5) Long Socks

awkward photo inside the locker room

I’ve realized that during the winter months, and pretty much every time the weather dips below 50 degrees, socks are hands down my favorite article of clothing. Sometimes I wear two pairs, and there may have been that one time when I wore wool socks with high heels.

Warm feet=happy Robyn

My sister introduced me to the advantages of long socks, namely the fact that while wearing boots you have an extra layer of warmth insulating your legs.

I’m a fan, and I think you should be too.

There you have it. Five more favorite things for Friday, and I feel peppier than I did when I started this post. That’s because favorite things make me happy, and also I know there are many episodes of Dexter and a beer in the near future. Fridays are awesome, and I hope yours is going great. Have a wonderful weekend!

Question: Please tell me what some of YOUR favorite things are, either for this week or for all time 🙂