Marathon Shorts

I Has a Present!

2008-10-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

For me, really. I moved my blog! It's new and improved and (will be, as time goes on) better!

And it's called SimpliFit.

It'll be the blog I have as the counterpart to http://www.youtrition.com , if I can ever buy the domain name.

I also made a logo for Youtrition! I'm so excited.

But until then, I have SimpliFit, because I wanted something a little more...tenured? Tenured is something I'd use for awesome people like Roni and MizFit who have like 10,000,000 people read their blogs every day (sadly, this is not me as of the moment...maybe one day?). I've been doing this a couple months, though, and I feel like I can stop being an idiot but still be transparent and fun.

And an idiot. But maybe only in the funny ways. And the silly ways, 'cause I'm *never* giving those up.

Anyway, please go to

http://simplifitting.blogspot.com

and switch it on your blogrolls, if I'm lucky enough to be on them. I love you guys!

Race Photos

2008-10-29T17:37:00.001-07:00

I can't post the actual photos due to copyright (I didn't buy them), but I can post the link:

http://www.myepevents.com/

It's the Wine Country Half-Marathon, Bib 638.

Yay!
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Monday: elliptical, 60 mins
Tuesday: 8 mi, 1:16
Wednesday: elliptical, 60 mins

Race Time -- Mystery!

2008-10-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

Now, if you've ever looked over at my sidebar and seen "PR List of a Novice," you know my PR for 13.1 mi is 2:18. That's not really true, because after the first time I ever ran 13.1 mi straight, I never timed *just* 13.1 mi. So I'm sure I beat 2:18 at some point, but never recorded it.

That said, I obviously expected to best 2:18 this weekend at the race. Despite going to the porta potty. Despite talking to all the little five year olds handing me water. Despite the hills.

So when I saw this

2:23:43.0

I almost fell out of my chair. What the hell, man? 2:23?! I didn't talk to the little kiddies for that long! I mean, they weren't that adorable! (lies!)

Long story short, I e-mailed the lovely people at Synergy Race Timing, who then promptly replied, (paraphrased)

"Your time was based on an 8:30 starting time."

Well, heck! I didn't start at 8:30! I started between 8:45 and 8:50! So my time is really about 2:08, not counting talking to the kiddies, going to the porta potty, or drinking water at all four rest stops.

So I'm booking it at 2:08.

YES!

(That's a 9:462 mi for 13.1 mi straight. That's pretty good for little slow me!)

Also, one more quick thing. I asked my grandparents if, for Christmas, my whole Christmas could just be a portion of my $360 fee for the AFPA certification. She said she could pay for the whole thing! Isn't that sweet? I'm so happy, and expressed to her how much it meant to me. I mean, it's probably one of the most meaningful Christmas presents I've ever received simply because of what it represents for me and how far I've come to reach this point in my life.

Also, I love your hilarious comments! The dog is, indeed, the brown furry thing in the photo. And, yes, it is a puppy, not a hamster. We're naming her Maui.

Much love,
'pants
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In Other News...

2008-10-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

There are many a fun thing upcoming!

- a new blog (same content, different domain name/host and layout)

- a new website (different from the blog, in the process of purchasing the domain name from someone right now)

- website will host my AFPA-certified business when I complete my certification

- product reviews for Splenda Mist and FitNutz Peanut Butter (powder similar to PB2, 50 calories per 2 Tbsp!)

- race photo and time

I'm excited!

Actually, I'm super super super excited. These are things I could work on all day; it's so nice to have found something I'm passionate about.

EDITED TO SAY:

We are getting this next weekend (by we, I mean my family, who is not here, but through whom I will live vicariously):

That is all.

Wine Country Race Report

2008-10-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Because it was easier than writing today. Forgive me? *sheepish look*

Click here, please!

PS: My e-mail address, for the purposes of this blog, is (oy)

youtrition at gmail dot com

Thankee!

Fabulous Guest Post! Jamie from Trihardist!

2008-10-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

YAY! It's Jamie's guest post. Who is she?

Jamie's a (super-awesome) personal trainer from Kansas. She has kick-butt videos and fabulous writing skills, 'cause she's smart, damnit! (She went to USC.) Read this post, then check out her blog . You'll learn all about triathlons, nutrition, and how not to look like an idiot at the gym. Without further ado...
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Once upon a time, people lived in communities, spent time in groups, met in parks. They got to know their nearby strangers--let's call them "neighbors"--in casual and unplanned settings, simply by mingling in public spaces. People spent time on front porches, took their kids to play at playgrounds, and spent time enjoying and becoming familiar with their communities.

Sadly, this doesn't really happen anymore, chiefly because there is very little public space remaining in our world (ever seen the private beaches at Malibu?). Where there is public space, we approach it in a very private way (i.e. family picnics) because we -- as a society -- have forgotten how to deal with public spaces. It's a skill now lost at some point between middle school and adulthood.

So instead of parks, community centers, and neighborhood meeting places, we now have private spaces. Stores. Restaurants. And what else? Health clubs.

I propose that health clubs have taken the place of community centers, parks, and other public spaces in what I will call majority American culture, by which I mean the perceived majority (mostly conservative or moderate, Christian, middle class, white collar), which may or may not represent the true American majority. I also argue that there are many problems inherent in the role of neighborhood and community center being fulfilled by health clubs and gyms, some of which I'll explore below.

First, health clubs are expensive. And while more and more employers are offering options for employees in the form of discounts to local gyms or on-site workout facilities [Manda notes -- more and more should, too!], the majority of health club patrons are going to be very similar socioeconomically. Not that this problem is specific to health clubs; neighborhoods have often been divided along similar lines. However, health clubs add a new dimension to this problem because you actually have to pay to use the space, so it further quantifies the class separation.

Furthermore, in order to have access to this community center, health and fitness (or the status that comes with engaging in it as a fad) has to be something about which you care enough to invest in monetarily. People who are sedentary are much less likely to pay $30-$70 a month to have a place to workout. Or if they do pay the fee, they very probably will not be going, so they're not engaging in the community anyway. [This is to say nothing of the prohibitive nature of health club fees. Were other public spaces open and welcoming, as they have been in the past, these fees would not be cause for as much worry as they are now. However, we live in a society that is becoming less and less likely to regard streets, neighborhoods, and any type of otherwise "public" space as safe. This, of course, makes the prohibitive nature of gym fees even more damaging to American health.]

The next problem I see, although this is fortunately not a significant issue at Genesis (which, FYI, is the health club where I work), is an issue of racial ghettoization. Most health clubs are going to be predominantly white, just like most country clubs are predominantly white. This isn't deliberate, of course, because the health clubs are willing to take anyone's money. I would read this problem as an extension of the socioeconomic segregation of health clubs combined with the cultural makeup of the area in which the club is located. Whatever the cause, the symptom is the same: lack of diversity.

My next point is one that is more difficult for me to quantify, because I intuit that it's wrong--that is, it's based on untenable assumptions and societal mores--but I'm not positive as to why. Because a health club is a commercial community place, which means it follows the same cultural belief that shopping (i.e. at a mall) is an acceptable way for families and friends to spend quality time, to bond. And that bothers me. People shouldn't have to pay for the priviledge of engaging in a communal space; they shouldn't have to subscribe to a certain set of beliefs (i.e. this is the way to get healthy); and they certainly shouldn't see their public places devoured by the spread of commercial communal venues (for example, the selling off of public lands for the development of shopping areas). But, like I said before, I don't know why I feel this is a problem; it's probably because I see that it can't go on like this forever--we can't keep expanding (economically, societally, not to mention spatially) indefinitely. At some point, there is going to be no more room for growth. And when that happens, the whole system is going to fall apart.

All of which has nothing, really, to do with health clubs (at least not immediately).

So all that being said, a flawed, socioeconomically stratified community center is still better than no neighborhood at all, especially given the general view of health clubs as "safe" for individuals and the view of traditional neighborhoods as increasingly dangerous. Furthermore, in an age where we have less and less value for public dialogue, for difference of opinion, for community (not to mention communal living, but that's a whole different issue, and would be out of place in this blog), I would rather see people participating in flawed communities than no community at all.

This brings me to my final point, and my final issue with the concept of health club as community hub: we don't treat it as one. The gym represents one of the few avenues by which we can conceivably come together and form relationships in a public sphere. Yet most of us go through our workout routines with a cord coming out of each ear. The problem is that most people do not recognize the need for community, and so they don't recognize the opportunity that the health club dynamic presents. There are exceptions to this phenomenon, of course; water aerobics, group fitness classes, training clubs for marathons and triathlons all tend to build very solid communities, which often end up meeting and interacting outside of the health club venue. However, average Joe Freeweights (who may or may not be Joe Plumber) and Jane Treadmill come to the gym right after work, do their workouts in iPod-driven isolation, then shower and leave as quickly as possible. Furthermore, the people who are most guilty of this tend also to be the younger crowd, the career-minded twenty-somethings in beginning adulthood.

Which, I must confess, makes me rather fearful. Is my generation going to be able to form meaningful communities? If our public spaces are gone and we refuse to engage with each other in private communal venues, will we be able to pass on to the next generation the skills necessary in building a community? And if we cannot establish and teach our progeny to establish small, local communities, how can we ever hope for any kind of larger--let alone global--cooperation?

By way of closing, I issue this challenge: the next time you're at the gym: set aside 10-20 minutes during which you won't listen to your headphones, you won't watch TV, you won't stare thoughtlessly into space. For those 10-20 minutes, engage with the space around you. Say hi to someone. Notice the weirdos who inevitably populate gyms. Talk with the trainers (most of us are really pretty nice and not at all dumb). Or--even better--take some kind of group class. Try water aerobics. Get to know the little old ladies who are in there working their butts off. Meet the instructors. Talk to the employees at the front desk. Start thinking of your gym as your community. [Manda notes that our society has come to think of exercise as punishment, and that if more people viewed their gyms as communities, perhaps 2/3 of American adults wouldn't be overweight. Just a thought, America.]

Because--awkard and uncomfortable as it may intially be--becoming an active part of a community will make you a better person. And if that isn't the point of all of this working out and eating healthy and going to the gym, what is?

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Yay! Remember to check out her website, folks!

Want an Apple?!

2008-10-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

Video! May not be poisonous, but it sure is long!

And I make funny faces. Just sayin'.

Also, I tried using Viddler (YouTube wouldn't let me upload b/c the video's too long), but the "Embed" link wasn't working.

So go here, please!

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Run:
9 mi

Snow Whizzle

2008-10-20T17:58:00.001-07:00

You essited.

You know it.

Comin' to ya tomorrow...

...the Snow White post.
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Workouts:
Wednesday: elliptical
Friday: 10.94 mi
Sunday: 6.46 mi (w/hills)
Monday: elliptical

B is for Bizarre

2008-10-20T00:42:00.000-07:00

I've had quite possibly the weirdest week of my life this week.

No, seriously.

No details. Just this.

Watch it. Know you've come that far, too. Perhaps without so much boozing. ;)

Also, you can skip to 0:53.

Busy Busy Bee

2008-10-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

Hate to say it, but I think one of the reasons I've been so chipper lately is because I work 15 hours at the gym each week.

During that time, I get to read/write blog posts. Read health articles over at the NY Times (like this one and this one). Think about how to turn what I love (motions to "this here" nutrition & fitness stuff in general) to what I do for a living.

It's rather zen for me. All those little ideas in my head get time to percolate. I get to take on health-related projects. On that front, thanks to Nick from YoNaturals for pointing me to the company's awesome (ID-friendly!) products. Me's a very happy camper.

I'd be even happier if I had a license to give people dietary advice. Over at Eat, Live, Run, I saw that Jenna is certified by the American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA) as a Nutritional and Wellness Consultant (read: legally, a nutritionist). She can legally give advice as a nutritionist. I WANT THAT.

It's $360. It takes 4 months. I can do it in my spare time. And I'm a pretty smart (mostly sugar-free?) cookie, so it shouldn't be too bad fitting it into my spare time. At the gym, even! While I'm working!

What do you guys think? I'd open my own website after getting certified (which would be in/by springtime) and run my own business on the side.

Should I do it? Should I just wait until I can finally sit down for grad school? I'll do the latter regardless -- this would just be something to tide me over (and put on my resume).

I need your blessed opinions, folks!

Much love,
The Pants (insert dumb joke about "this relationship" and who wears 'em)
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Workouts:
Sunday: 6.4 mi
Monday: elliptical ~ 60 mins
Tuesday: 11.9 mi

If This Doesn't Get You to Work Out...

2008-10-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

Your white blood cells -- remember them?

They kick it in your lymph. Lymph is that stuff you forget about, but you have four times as much of it as you do blood.

And those little whities? They clean up the nasty gunk that floats around in your body by, well, kickin' it in MOVING LYMPH.

Oh, what's that? How does lymph move? Not the same way blood does, 'cause it doesn't have a heart-type organ to get it moving. In fact, if you don't move, your lymph doesn't move. Think bird bath. After months of inactivity.

Ewwwwwwwwww.

What's the only way to get your nasty bird bath to turn into a Hawaiian beach of wonder and glory?

WORK OUT.

Yup. I thought you'd go do it. GO!

Hallo-hot, and Hallo-wean.

2008-10-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

Guess what I bought.

I know, I can't do the suspense thing.

It's this.

No. I couldn't help myself (despite the fact that it took up a large chunk of my clothes budget).

In other news, I'm still working on procuring healthy vending machines for the gym at my school. Apparently they want machines that read student ID cards (b/c of the lovely phenomenon of "student dollars"). Does anybody know of such a machine? I can't find one online.

In other news, WTF? That's actually a poor response. A better one?

"STILL?!"

Weren't we supposed to be developing and implementing policies that lowered those numbers?

Although, I have to say, I'm not shocked (look at the picture) people choose the doughnut. Why? Because sometimes vegetables don't taste like they should. I was eating salad today and ate some cauliflower. And it tasted AMAZING. Almost like sour cream (no, there was no actual sour cream on it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have eaten it lol). It was tangy and almost sweet. AND DELICIOUS.

Like veggies are supposed to be, you know? And it's a pity that our veggies are so mass-produced and commercialized that we have to eat bland veggies. Because, honestly, they're supposed to taste like heirlooms do. So am I disappointed and sad that people choose the doughnut? Yes. But am I shocked that their bodies tell them it's somehow "better"? No. This is America's problem, and it's obviously one that needs to be fixed.

Other things it wouldn't hurt to subsidize (instead of gastric bypass, perhaps? genius!):

- gym memberships (more about this in Jamie's upcoming guest post!)
- running shoes (just bought new ones -- $100)
- organic fruit

and it wouldn't hurt to tax

- sugar (like the good ol' days!)

...That's all that's on my list right now. Lol.

I was going to do another video, but I think I'll wait for later on that one.

Enjoy your weekend, peeps!

Also, before I forget, a coworker at the gym today said, "You have just been losing weight like CRAZY." Go me for a) losing the weight and b) not planning to continue losing weight forever. Being able to admit some people in the world are "too skinny."

In other words, BALANCE.

Abooyah. ;)

Random Updates and Fun Stuff!

2008-10-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

If you can't tell, we're on hiatus from consistent posts. Hope you don't mind. But we're categori-fied, so that's a start.

Workouts
My first-ever race is October 26! I'm super excited. Might even reward myself by buying this. Probability 15% I'd muster the guts to wear it out.

I've been doing longer long runs now that it's getting colder (read: dying is less likely), which makes me super happy.

Becoming an RD
Thanks for all your support on this front. I'm pretty set on it at this point because -- if nothing else -- it's an appropriate choice.* And I believe it will make me happy, which will in turn lead to...that green stuff. (*not* the other way around, apparently) Although I'm going to go off and get a normal econ job for a couple years to put bread in the bank for my RD/MS degrees. It costs money, you know.

Videos
Glad you guys liked 'em, especially despite the horrible audio mis-sync. I'll be doing one once a week, probably.

Get Essited!
Jamie from Tri Harder is awesome and was nice enough to do a guest post for me! Yay! It's about fitness centers becoming (for better? for worse?) the new centers of social interaction. I've read it and can't wait to share it with you!

*Because in Public Finance today, I was fighting a case of the about-to-nod-offs (not bored, just really tired) until my teacher mentioned "marginal propensity to consume" in relationship to, yes, food. And how in America being below the poverty line meant you were actually probably heavier. These? These are things I know a lot about. Sign me up for whatever job will give me credit for me knowledges!

Note that I went back to being about to nod off right after he got back to *housing*. Important? Yes. Nutrition-related? Sadly not.
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Workouts:
Friday: 11.5 mi
Saturday: 5.2 mi
Sunday: 6.4 mi
Monday: elliptical (60 mins)
Tuesday: 11.1 mi

Better Video

2008-10-05T23:21:00.001-07:00

I swear. Plus it's shorter.

Topics covered:

- food blogs/food porn
- different ways of "eating healthy"

Lemme know what'cha think! I won't be doing these all the time, I promise. I'll do them on Fridays, perhaps.

Video! That is all.

2008-10-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

Topics covered:

- chewing and spitting (links to Dr. Trisha Gura's post on it)

- Roni's post on how Americans eat (and her cookies)

- Kroger's products (Low Carb Yogurt!)

- Miss Meringue's Sugar Free Meringues (plus a caveat)

Lemme know what'cha think!

You Don't Know -- Until You Know.

2008-10-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

"Teach me."
"Teach you what?"
"How to eat healthy."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you know, healthier."
"Well, that depends on how healthy you want to eat."

Sounds like Alice Gets Fit in Wonderland, but is really me and my supervisor at work. He asked me to make a meal plan for him (and in other news is letting me spearhead acquiring healthy vending machines for the gym) but in doing so really taught me a lot about how much you and I and all of us *hand motion* know in comparison to the Average Joe.

My natural instinct is to say how could you *not* know how to eat healthy? Whether or not you're noshing on flax seeds and Greek yogurt, each member of the friendly masses knows they're healthy. But, let's face it. We're not so normal. Especially not if we're living in America (post for another day).

But we're not perfect, either, and we don't know everything.

My friend Med Student was telling me today about acidity and alkalinity in the blood and how it affects our efficiency and well-being.

What I learned? When you eat quick-digesting foods (read: sugar, flour, anything else we shun), your blood becomes more acidic, causing the blood cells to stick together. When they do? They can't penetrate the walls of your capillaries, meaning they can't reach your organs, your brain, etc.

In short, you feel sluggish, are sluggish, are less healthy than you were before you noshed on The Nasties, and it's not just in your head.

But, see? All of that I learned from Med Student today. I didn't know before. I learned something about nutrition and was so excited!

I hope to learn much, much more in my efforts to become an RD or something like it.

Oh, and one more thing? I found a volunteer program at my school in which we're allowed to teach elementary school kids about health and nutrition! SIGN ME UP.

One more thing! (I swear!) I really, really, REALLY want to do little videos. I mean, don't you kindasortawonder what I actually look like? (besides my abs? *lol*) But I hear all sorts of bad voices in my head about it from my mom (the "don't talk to strangers!" voices). One day, though, I'll finally muster the guts to do it. Certainly, if I become an RD, I will be all ABOUT the fancy website and the videos and the e-marketing. I mean, duh. It's just something you do when you have a career in which you're selling yourself. And my figure is definitely a selling point as an RD. If you can't be in good shape knowing EVERYTHING about nutrition...when can you?
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Run:
Friday: 11.5 mi

Friday Challenge, Updates, Etc.

2008-10-03T02:51:00.000-07:00

This? This is my happy(-ish) weight. It ain't nothin' to bitch about, that's for sure. Documentation for posterity's sake. So I can reminisce after I have kiddies and stretch marks. (I'm short. Read: I WILL get them.) (Unless I can get a surrogate mommy to carry my bebehs for me lol).

Anyway, I'm in a horribly sentimental mood today, and that's horrible for blogging ( == SAPPY) so I'll get right to the Friday Challenge.

Find one thing you really want/need in life. Take it.

That's all. Be comfortable about doing it, too. (I'm not talking about stealing a pear from your local market -- because I know you'd NEVER go for the processed foods, right? lol) Own up to your wants/needs. Be a Hillary.

(Political joke? Oh no she di-in't!)

Mine's really lame. I realized I need people to be up-front with me about dating and what's going on. I'm all for people consentually (and safely) doing whatever they want together, or having serious relationships, but the event in which I'd want to spontaneously do the former? Highly unlikely, for the most part. The latter? That's what a "date" is for. Say you're going on one. Otherwise, I'll get confused and think you want option #1, which probably makes me less likely to take you seriously. And then where are we? At an impasse, my friend. At an impasse.

(Impasse = SAT word I didn't know when I took the damn SAT. That was a sad moment. I think I picked the right answer, but I definitely had to guess. I LOVE multiple choice.)

I'm going to make my challenge two-fold on the fly here. The second part is this: take a chill pill about one thing you think you're high-maintenance about. Mine being the whole dating thing, obviously. I'm so afraid all the time that I'm going to do something wrong relationship-wise (friend-wise, boyfriend-wise, ANYONE-wise) that I enjoy my relationships less, I think, than I should. So that's mine. What's YOURS?

Please tell.

'pants love.

Because There's Only So Much Consistency to Go Around...

2008-10-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

I've been *so* very bad about the prescribed daily updates, I know. And there's no excuse, because all of us are busy.

So what have I been up to? Short version? Work (the paid kind), running, and spending far too much time with boys. Really. I finally feel confident with my body, so it's nice to relish attention (not that I've been, you know, loaning it out or anything, just so we're all clear).

But after you subtract out time for the basics (eat, sleep, class, run) then work and a couple dates with the one boy nice enough to make dates official (instead of just attempting to paw at me -- which I really don't allow, also for the record), there's not a whole lot of time for pondering.

OH -- I forgot! I'm job-searching. Meeting with people in the fitness realm who might be able to guide me towards the best profession I can get. The most fulfilling. Which will definitely have something to do with health or nutrition.

I haven't decided yet whether or not to go the RD route. I know I would love it, but it would also require mor school, which doesn't sound that pleasant right now. The money's starting to matter less and less as I realize my happiness on the job really matters more. And, yes, I actually do believe the money will follow.

I'm still looking for guidance and advice on the career front, though, just to be clear. Please inform!

Actually, a friend asked me to make a meal plan for him. How cool is that? And I've had a couple people tell me that I'm rubbing off on them habit-wise. Even cooler! My ability to do these things, I think, at least bodes well or my future as an RD/nutritionist. :)

Pants love.

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Runs:
Sunday: 6.6 mi
Monday: elliptical, 1 hr, and learned to rock climb
Tuesday: 9.3 mi, 3.5 mi walk with dog
Wednesday: elliptical w/buddy, 1 hr

Spank-tastic Weekend

2008-09-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

But not like that.

I had the bestest weekend ever. It really was fantastic. How was *yours*?

On Friday? Guy friend took me out to dinner on the beach! Stormy, high altitude SF, beautiful SF beach. In a red BMW convertible. Such a happy time!

Then I worked. And then I hung out with another guy friend, Jewish Boy. He put the moves on me.

I only note this because I like to document the way other people respond to my body, because we all know I mostly suck at judging my own body.

And yet I feel that right now I'm in a great place physically. Do I still want to lose <=8 pounds? Yes. But if I stayed this way forever, would it be OK?

...*is afraid to say*...

Yes.

HOLY CRAP. Can you say milestone?

Anyway, back to my weekend story. I'm kind of a...less physical person? Boys make me skittish sometimes with how physical they can get. I mean, they're usually the more physical ones. I like to actually watch the movie -- let's just say that.

So after like five minutes I told him I had to go home. He offers me food from his open kitchen, walks me back to my dorm, and says, "Have a nice date tomorrow!"

Bastard. ;)

Saturday? Shopped with a guy friend at Andronico's (to get back at my school for my late-Friday-night food debachle), bought new workout shorts ($30 -- oy), and...

...went on my hiking date with Gym Boy.

Great date. Just awesome. We were all OVER that mountain, damnit! No shortness of breath, stopping to rest, or slowing down. We just hiked up to the top like it was nobody's business. Because we're in our 20's, and that's how we do. Right? Right.

And the best thing? You really want to know? The whole time fat jokes were made. About me. Because now I'm obviously *not* fat. Does that make sense? And I even made some of them. So I guess it's just as much about me being comfortable saying that I'm thin and healthy as other people saying it.

He and I joked about the hiking vs. party charade, and I felt perfectly comfortable telling him I had really just wanted to wear the dress I bought. Because I know I look great in that dress. And look good doing the Cameron-Diaz-butt-wiggle in the mirror. Apparently we all secretly do this. (You know you wanna 'fess up -- what movie is that from, anyway? Charlie's Angels?)

Also? I also really feel like I earned my body-pride. I've really worked hard for it.

Seriously. And you guys know it. And the last pair of size 2 jeans that still don't fit? I give them 2-3 weeks. For shizzle.

So I'd like to proudly say that I'm back in the Happy Weight Range.

And realizing that, I think, was probably the best thing about this weekend. Taking pictures with people and thinking, "I look purty!" instead of "Ewwwww." Wanting to take *more* instead of *fewer*. Being comfortable saying that health and fitness were things I considered spiritual.

[insert ya'll making fun of me -- go ahead, you has my permission]

*big sigh of relief*

So what do I have in front of me? No one knows. But it's something like 8 pounds of discretionary (read: unnecessary but not unhealthy) weight loss and getting rid of my night-time eating habits.

(Yeah, the nom-at-night thing? If it's in my room at night, I WILL eat it. I was diagnosed with Nocturnal Eating Synrome when I was straight up anorexic. I've mostly gotten rid of it, but sometimes I still get really hungry at night = bad for weight loss if it results in eating = why I don't keep healthy, or any, food in my room. Sad, I know. You have to work with what you have, though, and *that* is why I have a single at school.) (Now you know all my dirty secrets! Lol.)

Oh, hey -- thanks to e'eryone for the hair tips, b/c I seriously might get a temporary wash. I really feel like going darker.

Thanks for reading (if you still are lol)! Sorry this post was so self-involved! But these are the moments we work for, right? The bright shiny light with puppies and calorie-free s'mores at the end of the tunnel? Yeah. Happy times!

Open Letter to My School

2008-09-27T03:07:00.000-07:00

Dear School,

Sometimes I don't know what you're thinking.

Sometimes I wonder how you can have programs called BeWell and EatWell and still manage to fuck up so much.

Enter me about two hours ago, about to partake in my only real foodly leisure (while losing the last 8 pounds -- yeah, I said it, 8 not 10): eating breakfast at 2 AM on weekends.

[Because better at 2 AM and way more fun than waiting until 10:30 AM for brunch. That's why.]

Where do I go? To one of two campus eateries open at 2 AM.

My healthiest options were dry cereal and nasty fruit. At the other eatery? My best option would have been a humongous cookie. I made the right choice, trust me.

Anyway, it was a mess of your students, School, attempting to get drunk food. They wanted burgers and cheese and fat, and that's okay. That's their choice.

But I would have liked to have had some better options. I wasn't drunk. I was totally sober, and I was there to eat something good for me. Just like this morning, when I went to the dining hall in search of eggs.

Which is, comically enough, the same moment you chose to forget to buy them.

So I've had basically no protein today, because I don't trust the meat you serve in your dining halls, School. You cover them with butter when you grill and bake and fry them, and I don't want butter. I want good protein. Also? You cover 99% of your dishes with fattening sauce.

How can I EatWell when you don't care about clean eating?

When you don't care to give us bread that doesn't have HFCS in it?

Seriously. There's only one kind they carry without it, and they don't always have that one kind.

Is it SO HARD for you people to understand that eating well doesn't JUST mean recycling? Doesn't JUST mean giving us free BPA-free water bottles?

Where's the unconspicuous consumption? I swear, School, sometimes I think you do things JUST so other schools *cough* Harvard *cough* can see how freakin' cool you are.

And you are. I won't deny it. I LOVE YOU. But I also LOVE EATING BREAKFAST at an hour NOT dictated by a bunch of hung-over cookie-eaters.

Am I jealous of them? No. Mad at myself for even bothering to eat the dry cereal? Yes.

Mad at myself for giving into the one slice of HFCS-containing bread each day? Yes.

Mad at myself for not punching the stupid classless group of students who cut me in line?

Most certainly. But I did BITCH at them a fair amount. I hope they get alcohol poisoning.

Just kidding. But I'm really cranky about the whole thing right now.

Love,
Amanda

P.S.: This is why we don't give Amanda dry carbs. To make up for it? My Sunday 2 AM breakfast is coming from TRADER JOE'S, mother****ers. Yes. This is indeed why I hate Cap'n Crunch. I feel like shit right now. I'm going to bed.

P.P.S.: Today, I took pictures and LOVED them. Yes, of myself (with boy, no less). They were great pictures. AAAAAAAAAND I fit into a lot of my size 2 clothing now. Soooo worth all the work. So worth it.

Thursday Thinker/Friday Challenge

2008-09-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

M'apologies for a belated Thursday Thinker! Being busy? Not an excuse!

On to the goods.

My Thursday Thinker for you, as well as your Friday (TGI-, of course) Challenge? They start with a story.

Please make fun of me if you feel so inclined.

Gym Boy (went on one date w/before) asked if I wanted to do something on Saturday, so I said yes, thinking "YAYtimetowearPRETTYDRESSES!" (the prettydresses I bought and showed you). Turns out his buddy's b-day par-tay is on the same night, so he gives me options.

1) Take of work Friday night (yes, I have work on Fridays now) and we go out then.
2) Go to buddy's b-day party (read: games, bars, dancing, etc.) with him (him being Gym Boy -- sorry for the confused pronoun).
3) Do something Sunday.

I told him we could do something early Saturday if he felt uncomfortable with the birthday party thing (that's a loooong second date -- what if we get SUPER sick of each other?).

What does he tell me?

WE'RE GOING HIKING.

[insert You-Asked-For-It! laughs of crowd here]

Is it just me (PLEASE Tricia in all that is Holy and girly about being jock-ish back me up? lol) or is it more fun on the first dates to wear the pretty dresses and not random hiking gear? Hikes are for...couples. People I know better. Iron Boy (Lord, I miss staring at him in bike gear) *melt*.

But not so much for the first dates. I wanna oomph-a my hair and spritz-a the perfume and cuuurl my lashes. And make pouty lips in the mirror. Make like Jessica Rabbit, not Lance Armstrong.

As cool and sexy as Lance Armstrong is. 'cause he is.

SO my Thursday Thinker for you is this: what do you think you want but don't actually want? Mine was a small case, and mostly I'm bitching because it's a funny story and you can pick on me now. But for you, it might be something bigger. Have you been stressing? Giving yourself a hard time? What do you need to just let go?

Big example: I don't actually want to run 18 miles every Friday. I've discovered this in the past months, but that was hard for me. Today, even though it's Friday now, I want you to to Thursday-Think about what changes you can make to your vision of what you want -- see your desires/goals/wishes more clearly.

And your Friday Challenge? Hand in hand with your Thursday YouHasAPonderYes(?):

Now that you've nixed one yucky and unhealthy desire/goal/wish from your life, find something still on your list that you've been putting off.

Do it.

Yes, I know you're busy. Super busy, in fact. But you owe it to yourself. (Don't trust me? The friendly masses and I will come back with a big whoop-hoorah and you will be MADE to believe it. So there!).

'pants love. I'm off to dinner with a buddy.
_______________________________________________
Runs:
Thursday: hour of elliptical (shocker!) (soon to post on new-fangled awesome equipment!)
Friday: 9.3 mi (it's really hot here -- hampers the distance, but makes me tan! There's your positive-view-on-yucky-happenin', Miz ;) )

Nooooooooooooooooooooo!

2008-09-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/world/europe/24diet.html?_r=2&ref=health&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Also, no HFCS for three days and counting! Still had a Clif Kids Zbar and organic kettle corn though. Ugh.

Wednesday Workout Tips

2008-09-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

Bloghonesty? I was a little bit silly to set up WWTs because I only really do one sport on a regular basis (gee, I wonder which one). So my plan is -- until I set up something else for Wednesdays -- to refer you to MizFit and Jamie for your workout needs.

That, and to use this week to tell you e'erything I know about the one sport I do really know quite a bit aboot:

Running.

Why? Because I know we all make the effort to be active, but not all of us are familiar with running form/technique/etiquette or even tips that make the sport easier to those of us not gifted with Nitmos' speed and flare.

Before I start, though, I will remind you that I know a good amount but I'm no expert, not certified, etc. etc. etc. You love me anyway, right? Oh, also: if you would like to disagree and/or add anything in the comments, feel free. We're all learning!

Getting Started:

What's the first thing you need for running? Yeah, shoes. Good ones. Don't skimp here, because they really make a lot of difference. Don't be surprised if they run you (no pun, swear) about $100. Go to a reputable running store and have them analyze your stride. They'll be able to direct you to the proper shoes based on your arch (or lack thereof).

Secondly, if you're a girl, you need a good sports bra to keep the girls in place. If the girls are on the larger side, you should spend extra time in the dressing room running around a bit to make sure nothing moves. They may not bug you now, but I'm sure they will 20 mins in if you got the wrong gear.

One more thing? I feel stupid saying this, but you should probably consult with your doctor. Because I'm supposed to say that, and because for anyone who's not in great health, testing your body in new ways -- especially if you gunk up your attempt at good form -- can lead to injury. And then you'll get really out of shape, and we all hate that.

Your First Runs

Your first attempt at running should not be the time at which you make goals for yourself. Because, honestly? Some people just don't like running. They just don't. They like other stuff, and that's awesome, too. But first give it a chance, k? Depending on your age/health/ability, the length and speed of your first run will vary. But go easy on yourself.

What I'd suggest doing is getting up oot of your chair, getting moving to warm up a little bit, and then stretching. This doesn't have to take very long. After you've done this, leave your house, get out of the way of cars, and go. Don't take/look at your watch. Don't try to go a certain speed or distance -- just do what feels most natural to you.

If you can do this a few times (maybe not on consecutive days at first) in a row, you've gotten the worst part of running out of the way. In my experience (and in many others', as well), the first runs are hard and pretty crappy. Your body has no idea what the **** it's doing and might very well hate you.

But after the third or fourth run, you will probably start to feel differently. Your body stops fighting to find good form and just finds it (look here for a description). Good form is a combination of your body's best attempts at efficiency and injury prevention, so unless you're genetically predisposed to one of the nasties that can screw up said attempt, you'll probably fall into good form naturally. Just in case, though? Check the link after five or six runs to make sure your form's developing well. Finding out that you overpronate is best done, erm, before you hurt yourself.

What Then?

How many times have you gone running now? I'd say that if you have run at least ten times for at least twenty minutes each (at a comfortable pace, preferably one at which you can carry on a conversation without gasping), you probably have a good idea of whether or not you actually like to run. Don't like it? Get your butt on over to a different sport. Seriously. No reason to waste time on something you don't like, and there are a million sports out there from which you can choose. Make yourself happy. :)

On the other hand, you may have discovered by now that you really do love to run. Or even just like it. Either way, not hating running means it's worth it to keep on trying. Like the wind in your hair? Start taking a watch with you and aim for speed. Get a little faster each run over the same distance. Enjoy exploring? Go a little further and screw the watch. Use Google Maps when you get home (very gratifying!) to see how far you've gone. It's fun for me, personally, to do some combination of the two said activities.

After a while, if you get bored, start to vary your runs. Do hills, or sprints, or whatever other type of running you've been itching to try.

Distance Running

This is the type of running in which I have the most experience (sprints? not so much). Besides good shoes and good common sense, there are a few things you need if you want to increase distance:

1. Hydrate. Don't forget water, people. Especially if you're a heavy sweater (a cable knit, anyone?). I feel the effects of dehydration at mile 11 if it's cool, much earlier if it's hot. So listen to your body. Thirst is an obvious sign, but I'll be the first to admit that thirst is a sign I often ignore. If your chest starts to get hot (this happens to me), it's usually a sign you should have hydrated a couple miles ago. So start hydrating early and often -- hide your water bottle somewhere if you need to. I'd suggest that in temperate climates you should probably start off with enough water to whet your palate after six miles or sixty minutes, whichever comes first. I've never heard of anyone having issues before that.
2. Fuel. Also necessary, usually on runs longer than 12 miles. I use 100 calories of Gu or another supplement after 9 miles and 100 every 45-60 minutes after that on long runs. Your needs will vary based on your weight and other factors, so you'll have to experiment to find what works best for you. But for the love of Dean Karnazes (resident hero), don't experiment on or around race day. That's just bad news bears.
3. Baby steps. I dont care how many miles you did the first time you went out runnig. It's really not wise to overtrain, and it'll cost you (read: you'll fall behind your goal in the long run -- again, no pun). The rule of thumb for increasing distance is to increase your mileage by no more than 10% per week (or run, for that matter).

Alright, kids. That's it for today (along with yesterday's warning to always be safe -- avoid cars, don't use an iPod, and at night wear reflectors). Again, feel free to add in the comments!
______________________________________________________________
Run:
6.6 mi

Tuesday Rave & Rant

2008-09-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Ah, the Rave and Rant. My personal favorite (who would have guessed, right? *crickets chirp*).

Rave

Eggs. Oh my tizzle (what does that even mean?), I love eggs. Eggs on bread. Eggs and banana on bread. Whole hard- or soft-boiled eggs mushed with banana on bread. It's like eyes-roll-back-in-head good. NOM.

Upon asking a nutrition expert about cholesterol and being assured that mine wouldn't shoot up, I upped my egg-age to 4 instead of 2. I've managed to totally cut out cereal and anything not whole grain. I still eat the kettle corn they sell at Jamba Juice, and that needs to stop, but I'm doing pretty well on the clean eats front.

Anyway, Mark has a bunch of posts about the awesomeness of eggs. Here, here, and here are the ones I found most helpful in nixing my worries about my ticker.

Also? Anyone seen the new iPod Nano commercial? Anyway, I looked up the nifty-pants song on the commercial, followed the band around on YouTube and FOUND THIS.

I won't lie. It's kind of obscenely awesome and awkward and geeky. But don't you love it just the same? Or, perhaps, MORE?

And onto the...

RANT

People, you must be careful when you are doing the outdoors exercises. Ones where you're by cars, in particular. I was on a (really hot/not so great) run today when a bunch of ambulances went by. Turns out a boy (probably a student here) ran into the street where a woman ran him over. Real bad. REAL, real bad. It took them ten minutes to get onto the stretcher. So be careful, okay? Try not to listen to your iPod when you're out where people and/or cars can get you.

That one's really important, so I'm going to leave it at that today. Take care of yourselves!
__________________________________________________
Run:
9.5 mi (meant to be 10, but by the time I waited for the accident to clear up and everything, my legs were too tired, and I didn't even map it until I got home anyway. uggghhh)

Monday News Short: Fall into the _____

2008-09-22T12:57:00.001-07:00

Despite our beloved Gap jingle, I would hope that we're all springing instead. Springing into our fall routines, our schedules and healthy habits, whether or not we actually have seasons in our homesteads of choice.

Just out of curiosity ('cause I loves to hear about e'erybody) what changes in your life does this particular season bring?

Me? I'm back at school with three classes [including stochastic processes (sounds fun, don' it?)] and almost 20 hours of work @ the gym per week. Also? Choosing not to go to France after all. Need more time at Stanford, especially since the ED thing kept me from enjoying the experience so much during the last two years. I've earned some good happy time here. :)

(Plus, I'll just save for a big trip to France after college...on which I will not do homework...)

Anyway, speaking of classes, ever felt a twinge of hunger just from lifting flashcards? Yes, folks -- this is why I sometimes watch TheFringeAmerica'sNextTopModelDexterWeedsTheXFilesandeverythingelse INSTEAD of doing my homework.

Andrew (Fit Andrew, who is always Getting Fitter and Rocking Out w/Glorious Rubber Duckies o'er here) posted about rubber duckies (omg amazing post because Isolovetherubberduckiessosomuch'cause

I'M SUCH A HAPPY ITTLE RUBBER DUCKY! *bounce of joy* yaaay!)

*aghem* What I mean to say is that, although it may be off-topic, I still found this interesting. Rubber ducky? You are the one!

[...you make Global Warming looots of fun! Rubber ducky I am so in love with youuuuuuu...Boop oop ee doop!]

In other news (albeit link-less), is anyone else becoming increasingly averse to medicine? I'm all for Tylenol or Advil when you know something hurts and are fixing the problem but just want the pain to go away for a bit (a headache, for example), but yesterday I had some stomach issues and all I could think was that instead of taking something for it I should fix my diet. Hm. Views? That wasn't a horribly provocative set-up for a question, but I'm curious to see what other people's views on medicine are.

Anyway, now that I've ADD'd my way through another post (lol), your Daily Challenge: think about your goals for the fall. Just think on it. What do you want the season to bring?

I have a fat little list here in my little catch-all black Mole Skin I carry around. Among them:

- get a job near family (I have one quarter to pull this off acceptably and it starts now)
- save $$ for college --> real world transition (for a sofa, stuff like that)
- pay off my credit card bill (it's not that big, I swear)
- look into getting my RD license on the side
- save money for a down payment on a house (w/in two years of graduating is the plan...a small house, obviously...I can totally pull that off) (especially if the real estate market stays this way LOL)
-and, obviously, fit into my size 2 jeans by Halloween (that's realistic...I'll let you know if I pull it off)

OKAY time for class. Keep me updated on your lives, people!
__________________________________________________
Runs:
Sat: 6.6 mi
Sun: 5.5 mi
Mon: 6.6 mi

Saturday Linkster -- I Has a Schedule!

2008-09-20T00:28:00.000-07:00

Not only am I back on track post-wise after my AZ trip, but I am also on my way back to The Farm and my fabulous structured structure-fest.

Ooooooh I love me some structure. *happy wiggle* Feels good, dun'it? I have a million thoughts about going back, but my most important is this:

This is my last year.

One last year to do all the crazy shit I ever wanted to do in college so I don't have to say "I wish I woulda..." when I'm old and crankypants. Although I should really drink more. Because this year will be all about me in the hoochie dresses (please see last post) at the bars with...a Diet Coke.

Yyeeaah.

On to the linkage!

E'eryone knows I'm not afraid of the glorious egg. Therefore, we flock (tee hee) to Mark's for nummy recipes.

Me? Also a fan of Medicare/Medicaid. Who's starting to not suck. Now can they finally make interviews a prerequisite for popping out babies?

Also a prerequisite? Stop touching my food. Get yer grimy GMOpaws off it.

[Joke in my head that I shouldn't have begun typing?

What do you get when you clone a cow? A mumu.]

[Yes, my parents shouldn't have procreated, that's what you're thinking right now.]

[You're not very nice.]

What will I stick in my yapper? These. Yes, indeed, 390 of my caloric allowance today were heartily dedicated to tossing the whole batch into my tummy. Then I ran my 10.8 miles. I'm mildly screwed up in the sense that these were actual thoughts I had during the first 4 miles:

"Hehe, sugar! **** you! You're sooooo leaving my bloodstream right now. You want to stay and **** me up, but you can't. Because I'm running. Yeah, that's right, I'm using you, you bastard. Tasty bastard. Tasty, amazing, CHOCOLATEY goodness. Over that hill? There you go, little molecule! TOODLES."

...

*crickets chirping*

The men in white will never find me. Don't bother.

This is the most kickass thing ever, though. Can I have one? Other thought: JUST FIVE? I'm pretty sure people usually work for 8 hours, not one.

The most kickass mantra, though? Definitely this. I am ALL about the duckies. ALL about them.

Quack.

Oh. What's that? Your Daily Challenge?

My Daily Challenge to you is to join me in my month-long challenge to meself. Get ready. Ready?

One month. Entirely CLEAN eating.*

That means I only eat fruit, veggies, meat/eggs, straight dairy (no HFCS), and whole grains. Nothing out of a bag. No sugar. Just clean.

Anyone with me?

*Diet Coke addended. Because we're starting with the food challenge. Maybe a Diet Coke challenge one day. Probably not. Tee hee.
______________________________________
Run:
Fri: 10.8 mi
Sat: 6.6 mi

Friday Challenge!

2008-09-19T00:14:00.001-07:00

Yay! It's Friday. It's (Big) Challenge Day. More like a challenge week, really (I already gave you three, right? Jeez. Such a slavedriver, I am!).

But before I do, update time. I'm back from the superhot (superfreakinFANTASTIC) Arizona, about to go back to school, newly armed with (drumroll) THESE!

Ooooh it felt so good to go shopping again. I haven't been ('cause of, you know, the ED thing) for over a year (buying the clothes I just tossed out 'cause they were too big SO doesn't count, 'cause that shopping was miserable, not fun...shopping is supposed to be fun!). Anyway, Charlotte Russe was my place of choice. Good stuff. Very affordable.

Gratifying moment of the day? Knowing my mom wouldn't let me out of the house in half of those. Another gratifying moment? Everything but the black dress was a small. (At moments like these, I do the Cameron Diaz butt-wiggle in the mirror. What's that? Not everyone does that during happy moments? *awkward silence*)

My Friday Challenge for ya'll is this:

Today I want you to think more about the tools you have in front of you and use them. Think about what you're eating -- listen to your body. What does it crave? Not cheesecake-style cravings, but my muscles need protein or my bones need calcium cravings. I feel like we can usually tell, and feeding your body what it needs will make it its best.

Listen to your friends. Don't listen and multitask. Listen and just listen. Listen like you're them. What are they going through? How were their days really? Connect with them the best you can; make your friendships strong ones.

Think about the things you come across today. Things you see every day, maybe. Think about how they fit into your life and how grateful you are for them. Are there things that rub you the wrong way? Consider whether or not they really fit into your life. Think about the toxic things and really consider cleaning them out. Think about the best things and let the people responsible for them know how grateful you are.

Just...think. PONDER.

And, in the end, do what is best. For you, your family, your friends, your planet. Don't chicken out, don't be a wimp or be lazy. Do.

I read a quote in high school about the Taoism of a flower.

"What choice does it have but to bloom?"

That really stuck with me. Don't hold yourself back from your own greatness. That's my challenge for you today, for this weekend. (In general, but, you know, baby steps, people.)

___________________________________________

Runs:

Wednesday: 3 mi w/cousin

Thursday: rest

Friday: 10.8 mi

Arizona -- Put on your HealthyFitAwesome Shades.

2008-09-16T23:34:00.001-07:00

Because I'm in Arizona. Visiting my beloved cousin. And feeling punchy (read: your kids? They're not reading this post. Because you said so.)

And because my superadorableI'mgonnabejustlikeherwhenI'm30 cousin is fun, which takes me away from the computer. Which it should.

But I still suck a little for not posting at all. So I'm making it up with a...catch-all post of sorts. Some of it is linkage, but mostly it's stream-of-net-consciousness.

Because-vegetables-are-actually-bad-for-you-and-your-parents-made-you-eat-them-because-they-really-just-hated-the-babysitter-and-wanted-her-to-deal-with-you-tossing-your-non-cookies-into-the-toilet-when-you-got-sick-after-eating-them.

HOW STUPID ARE YOU, AMERICA? It's healthy food. Your body is genetically predisposed to like it better, and it would if you would STOP TOSSING CRAP INTO YOUR PIEHOLE.

And, omg, why are we still calling it a piehole?! (Other types of holes: rabbit, pot, man, ****, and water, only one of which is non-graphic. Poor bunnies.)

On the note of animals (bunnies, not men) (I happen to like them testosterone-y types) (most of the time, anyway) (usually the exceptions go as follows:

*my 120-lb (read: petite, in no way fat --> this was not a fat joke) cousin is 9th person on elevator at a Diamondbacks game*

Drunk Hick: Oooh I think we're over the weight capacity.
Other Dude: What's it going to do? Break down?
Me: *laughs* We're going down [in the elevator lol] anyway.
Drunk Hick: Going down on what?
Me: Classy. That's a real classy joke.

Ass.)

Oh...I was on the subject of animals. Here you go:

You have to be shitting me.

"Honey, I ran out of my Bottle of Virtue! You have to forgive me!" Seriously? Wooow. Humans hit a new low.

Oh well. We all have our vices. I know what (one of) mine is:

Tee-hee.

And your Daily Challenge? Is three-fold (Dudes, I was away for 3 days. You get 3 challenges. Slackers.).

1) Think about something everyone has always told you (literally or, you know, societally) that you should do but THAT YOU DON'T WANNA.

Decide not to do it. 'cause it's your life, yo. (Mine? I don't need or want to be CEO of a financial corporation. Especially not now.)

2) Are you a straight-from-the-carton person (like me? *beguiling smile, cat-w/-canary style)?

Take more than 5 minutes to make your food. Just do it, dude. It's five minutes. I spend that much time readjusting my laces before I run. (no, not really, but I enjoy pseudo-hyperbole)

3) Today, find 5 ordinary but AWESOME things in your life and point them out to yourself. I'm thinking little things, people. Little and simple.

Mine for today? How about one for each sense?

Gustatory: Had first protein shake ever and all the solids gathered into a kick*** chocolatey mess at the bottom, which tasted gooeydelicious and which I proceeded to gobble up. [See? Simple, disgusting, and yet somehow awesome.]
Auditory: Uncle told me like 3 times that I looked "awesome" and "really fit". Same uncle that told me straight up that I needed to eat when I was anorexic. "Hi, good to see you. Eat a burger." Good man.
Olfactory: Honey hand soap in the bathroom at my cousin's house. Honey from Savannah, Georgia. Smells pretty freaking amazing.
Tactile: There was ONE non-prickly cactus at the gardens today, so I rubbed my finger on it and went on for five minutes about how "fuzzy WUZZY!" it was.

Motherf***er got MINI PRICKLIES in my fingers. They don't come out. Ever.

Ow.

Visual: Ittle Izzard who was a third the length of my pinky finger. Little albino lizzardy friend. Who did repeated isometric exercises with his wittle tail. Wiggle wiggle!

!!!

So cute.

And finally, a bonus: my cousin has HAAAAAAAMSTERS.

[Hamsters? My biggest weakness, second only to diet pop. Yeah, that's right. I said pop, and I'm from California. Why? 'cause I FELT like it!]

Peace.

______________________________________

In other news, I'm about to enter my final year of school, and I'm looking for a job I can get with an econ degree that is in the nutrition/fitness industry. Ideas?

______________________________________
Workouts:
Saturday: 10.8 mi
Sunday: nothing (sat on plane?)
Monday: climbed Camelback (3 mi total), 30 mins elliptical
Tuesday: 4 mi, walked a lot (Botanical Gardens! YAY!)

I'm kinda slacking, but I've gotten a workout in consistently, and I'll be back at school later this week, so...I love my family. Stop looking at me that way!

Saturday Linkster: Confessions

2008-09-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

I was bad and kind of did the linky thing yesterday.

But I'm gonna go ahead and give forth more today! I figured we'd go with a *dingdingding* THEME each week for the links so I don't drive meself nutters.*

SO...Without further ado, I'd like to confess...

- Has anyone seen this guy? Please tell me I'm not the only one with a teenyHealthClassschoolgirlCRUSH on him. So cute!

- Despite the fact that this was recently discovered, I still want to wait to have my Lil 'Pants (whom I shall obviously name Hot, Corduroy, and Michael).**

- OMG I love this from Trihardist. Let's say it together now:

" Know something? Our bodies were not made to handle high fructose corn syrup...So stop putting that shit in, already."

Word! Couldn't say it better myself.

[And, PS, I expect you to please greet this commercial -- which is superstupid -- with a resounding BOO. I mean, it's a little like Stepford Children of Corn. And that's a big nightmare I'd rather not have.]

- I really don't feel like reading Twilight (do/did you? details? I kind of think it's redoing Buffy, which I loved), but I still thought this was cute in its green-ness.

-On a more personal note, I'm considering NOT doing finance right after college and instead becoming a nutritionist, maybe still as a window into food policy. Has anyone been/is anyone here a registered nutritionist and would like to share tasty tidbits of nutritious knowledge with me please? :)

And, finally, since I'm already being somewhat infantile in my bizness today, this makes me happy:

And -- lest I forget -- your Daily Challenge? No processed corn of ANY KIND goes in your mouth for ONE WHOLE DAY. Can you do it? 'cause I know even we clean eaters nosh on the unnatural sometimes. I will join you, peoples. No HFCS/other corn (yet somehow not corn?) products. 24 hours. GO!

*No, I'm not British. Kinda wish I were though. Don't you? I mean, honestly, any society that has a food called bangers? Yeah. You got balls, people. You really do.
**Did you seriously think I was going to deliberately screw up all of my children? Honestly!
__________________________________
Run:
Friday: 1 hour (I'm a slacker with my planning/actually doing, I know)
Saturday: 7.5 miles (this one I'll actually do...swears!)

Friday Challenge (-izzle)

2008-09-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

I know tomorrow is link-time, but I've noticed a huge theme lately in the posts of mah blog buddies and wanted to point it oot.

First, Roni asked us all to -- please, for the love of this guy and all that is Holy -- "LET IT GO."

Then, MizFit noted the Sisyphean nature of our health and fitness efforts, and Tricia at Girly Jock pointed out the phenomenon of self-maintenance snowballing.

And, finally, I was running up a hill yesterday, exhausted and overheated, and thought (I'msuchageniusIknow),

"Why am I looking forward to this hill being over? What, precisely, makes it suck so bad?"

Moreover, "Why do I *think* it sucks?"

Once I consciously recognized the fact that I was, indeed, running up a hill and that my legs did ache, I thought, "This doesn't suck at all." I had all this anxiety built up in my system as I was dashing up the hill, but for no reason other than the fact that I thought I should be anxious. Unhappy. Dissatisfied.

But -- hold up. That was half the point of my run. To run up the hills.

So why do we all hate our journeys to greatness so much? Why do we hate on ourselves for not being there yet?* Especially if we are confident that we will achieve our goals, we should not be so upset to not have achieved them yet. We should be *proud* of ourselves for the journey and relish in the glory of being driven, focused, and generally super.

I-wanna-hurry-up-DON'T-stop-me-NOOOOOOOW (thanksFreddie)? Here's why you should chillax.

Because a college graduate at oh, say five years old? F***ed UP.

Because I rather enjoyed not having a chest when I was, oh, seven.

Because paying bills? Can I get a woot-woot for anyone else who does not jumpforyippetyJOY when they come in the mail? Yeeeah. 's what I thought! And I don't remember having them when I was nine.

So chill. I chill, you chill, we all chill like pengiuns (preferably the female ones -- a) they get pretty pebbles, and b) they don't have to suffer taking on 10 pounds for their spouses on an annual basis). Chill because you only get to be you-rightnow-soglorious ONCE.

Don't waste it.

*Uh, those who can't do? We teach.
_____________________________________________
Run:
Thursday: took rest day instead (hung out with family)
Friday: 2 hours, methinks

Thursday Thinker!

2008-09-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

It's time for...

Thursday Thinker!

That's right. Sit on it, think on it, answer it (if you pleeze). Today's question is...

What has been your best health influence? Or, who, perhaps?

I post-preface (Iknowisnotawordshhh) this with: I am not talking about the flu you got that made you lose 7 pounds in two days. I mean the thing that got you into the sport you love. The parent who made you feel good about yourself. Stuff like that. Not the exotic sickness that left you looking like a toothpick for a week.

...

What's that? Mine? Oh. Paris Hilton, obviously.

...

Just kidding (you totally saw that coming; I need to work on my suspensefulness!). The thing that makes me the happiest right now, as many of you know, is running. I got into it, I think, because of several things. Little things. (Cue to you helping people out on their road to fitness! Directions:)

- The challenge of something doable yet undone -- four miles around campus, for example.
- The (now ex-) boyfriend suggesting that I try running because it was healther than starving myself (but that I should really just stop worrying because I wasn't fat) (I know, right? Why'd I break up with him, you're wondering?)
- A buddy (Iron Boy, for seasoned MS readers)* who let me go at my own pace on a few runs with him.

So, as far as exogenous things go, loving/accepting challenge has made me healthier. Better. Happier.**

What has made you healthier-better-happier? Please share! Yay!

P.S.: Today I ran to the dry cleaners'. It's 3.2 miles away. And then I ran back (my dad was at the gym nearby and let me put my suit in his car). Although, for about .2 miles, I was running (proudly in me sports bra) with said power suit in hand. Said power suit being for an interview I have tomorrow (for a food industry insurance job post-college) (OMG I'M SO OLD). Needless to say, said run made me ohsoHAPPYpants.

And finally, your daily challenge? Stretch. For ten minutes. Preferably outside at sunrise or sunset. Enjoy nature. Enjoy life. BE HAPPY.
________________________________________
Run:
Wednesday: 6.4 mi
Thursday: 1 hour

Wednesday Workout Tips

2008-09-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Holler!

Today is less a set of tips and more an editorial. A personal view of working out in general. It's a wee tidbit on the long side. It's like...an apple long.

For me, working out and eating right are the times at which I feel most human. That's important to me, because no matter what else I am/am not, I am human. Excepting modern medicine (which rocks), I believe the best things we can do for our bodies are the things cavemen did for theirs.

That's not really as complicated as it sounds (or as hardcore). Eat stuff you could make yourself from stuff you could *find* out in nature.

Fruit. Veggies. Meat. Eggs. Things you'd expect.

Then, if you have time to make them (or buy them in small quantities), dairy products like milk and cheese (can be totally natural -- just takes a long time to procure and process). Whole-grain-y stuff; think pounding wheat in an urn -- do you really have time to do that all day? No, not very often. Going easy on these things, in my humble opinion, is probably best.

Lots of water. Let's not talk about my Diet Coke addiction.

Shhh! I said I don't want to talk about it!

*aghem* ANYWAY. Then there's working out. And this is where a lot of people get into arguments. "Don't do a lot of cardio." "Do a lot of cardio." Blah blah blah.

Let's take my favorite celebrity body as an example and discuss.

Now, look at Jessica Alba here. You might disagree, but I think she looks great, and that's because she has MUSCLE but not a whole lot of FAT. You don't get that way from starving yourself (doy). Otherwise, you wouldn't have muscle. Muscle needs calories to live. That's just the way it is.

So what do you do with the extra calories?

Cardio. It burns them off, silly. You eat protein, fat, and carbs, right? The protein mostly goes to muscle, but where does the rest go? To fueling you. And if you don't do anything, it goes to your ass.*

Yeah, I said it. So do some effing cardio. It's good for your cardiovascular health. Your heart. Your lungs. All those itty bitty capillaries everywhere in your body. Those little effers are totally excited when you do cardio. So suck it up and do SOMETHING.

I don't give a crap what you do. Run. Swim. Bike. Move your body ('cause that's what it's for).

And don't forget about testing your muscles. Lift some weights. Climb a tree. Do stuff cavemen would have done (like lifting a bison -- tee hee!).*** Once you've gotten rid of all the fat, you can work on muscle definition. But think about the fat/muscle ratio like tree roots and dirt (this is great, I know -- you can thank me later). If the tree roots are low enough, you're never going to know they're there. Unless they're ENORMOUS. But enormous muscles take forever to build and you probably DON'T want to look like Steroid Boy in the gym anyway. So move some of the dirt. Dig a little bit. Once the fat is gone, you can see the tree roots that were already there more clearly and, if you're still not satisfied, make them a little bigger. But you're never going to know how big the tree roots are unless you can see them, and until you dig a little, you're only going to see dirt.

Okay, now that I've had my extraordinarily long and opinionated diatribe, I'm going to shuttup.

Oh, PS? You can TOTALLY disagree with me in the comments. I won't be hurt. I like discussion. [That's what comments should be for, methinks. That and pointing out the hilarious look Jessica Alba has on her face in the picture. Lol.]

Also, thank goodness for this. And I almost forgot -- time for the DAILY CHALLENGE! (You ready?) (You sure?)

Climb a tree. No, I'm not joking. For those of you as addicted to skirts as I am, GO CHANGE. Then climb a tree. Report back? (I'm seriously going to do this, too, so don't worry. I, too, will look like a fool. Hopefully, my neighbors will not be doing anything *aghem* interesting when I gain view of their yard via said tree.)

*Or your arms, or your belly, or anywhere else you don't want it.**
**Sometimes it goes to the girls, but that gets annoying, too. In my humble opinion. Unless they get you free stuff. Then it's cool. [Cue Wonderbra theme song] (do they have a theme song?) (duh-duh-DAH!) (that's all that came to mind) (except for a little voice telling me to go to parenthesis therapy) (I need it.)
***OMG do NOT eat that whole bison!
__________________________________________________
Run:
Tuesday: 2 hours
Wednesday: 1 hour (should be very hilly)

Tuesday Rave & Rant!

2008-09-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps.

Today's our first ever TR&R, so let's get to it!*

RAVE

I am nothing if not a multi-tasker, so I'm hailing a few small (/medium/large) wonders today.

First? The Small.

Go here. No, seriously. The Slow Food event in SF is over, but you can still promote the spirit behind the movement:

Get your kids. Get a couple free hours. Go to the local Farmer's Market, buy some fresh fruits and veggies, and cook dinner with your children (do NOT cook your children -- cook the food...*with* your children...ugh). Sit your butt down, sit down your children, and eat the food. Together. TALK. Repeat next week.

Now, the Medium:

Britney Spears. Love her? Hate her? She came back to us (I'm 21 and love her, so deal) at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards looking healthy. As in, not huge. Not Paris Hilton-esque. Healthy (read: Medium).

And, finally, the Large:

Congratulations to Roni, who received a nomination for the DivineCaroline "Love This Site!" Award. We here at MS *adore* Roni. Go vote for her!

RANT

Oh, 24 hour fitness, why do you *suck*?

Actually, that's a lie. You don't suck that much. Just a little. Just for charging $20 for a guest pass. I'm on break from school, and I needed to gym-ify. And I'm a college student (read: broke) (read: not eating ramen every day because then I'd be "read: fat") (I'm funny, right?)(lol).

So I ran instead. Which was great, 'cause the outside has the sunshine.

And you, 24 Hour Fitness, do not! So thbbbt!

___________________________________________________

Well, there you have it. My first, erm, "consistent" blog post. Kinda short. [OmgoshMandawasn'tverbosenoWAY!]

One more daily fixture, though? A wee Daily Challenge. Today's? Do ONE of your errands on foot. Walk to the supermarket, choose stores that are close to one another and DON'T move your car in between errands, and so on. Pick one (or more!) such tasks -- and DO IT.

You know you want to!

*When I see TR&R, I think "tr-ait-or," not "tr-and-or". Anyone with me? Guess it's fitting, since 24 was a huge love of mine until, well, today.
___________________________________
Run: 90 degrees to sunset, whatever that ends up being
(come on, 10+ miles!) (big money, big money!)

Chilling the Fuck Out.

2008-09-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

Because we're all old enough to swear, and I'm pretty sure we all enjoy it (in half-moderation).

First of all, thank you for being supportive and wonderful through my little self-tiff this week. Self-tiffs are like gall stones: sucks to have 'em, but feels good to get 'em out.

No, I've never had a gall stone. I'm the picture of health. What 'chu talkin' 'bout?

Anyway, from now on, where we go? To consistency. To happy. To only pulling out ED talk when it's reallytruly necessary. So to shutting the ef up I go, especially because I squeezed into *A* pair of size 2's today and should shuttup.

So. We're getting BLOGGERIFIC. With a schedule.

SAY WHAT?

Monday: News Short
A little bit of talk about big issues in the world of fitness & food.
Tuesday: Rave & Rant
I review stuff.
Wednesday: Workout Fun
Workout tips. If I don't have 'em, I'll have Guests inform you.
Thursday: Thinker
A ponderous ponder for you to think on over the weekend (and share your answers pleze).
Friday: Challenge
Sometimes fun and sometimes thoughtful stuff for you to try!
Saturday: Links to the SuperFab

Everyone else does this, so I'm doing it, too. Especially because I read a LOT of blogs, and there's a ****-ton of awesomeness to which Manda can link. So she wiiiiiiiilll!

Nada on Sunday. Manda needs Mandatime.

So get essited! Starts TOMORROW.

Yeah!

*They're from Old Navy, and ON runs large, and they're not *THE* pair (which I can't even zip), but whatevs. How weird is that, jean world? You need some consistency, methinks!

__________________________________________
Run:
6.6 mi (treadmill @ gym with Dad) (I like to mooch off his gym membership)

One day, Manda will make friends with body. [w/Cussing]

2008-09-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

It would make me super happy to wake up every day, look at my bod in the mirror, and say,

"Hi, buddy!"

as in, "Hi, friend!" or "Hi, person that doesn't make me grumpy!" or "You would never put me in a funk."

I'm smart enough to know it's my own brain I have to friend-ify, since I'm sure I look exactly the same on good and bad body image days lately. Those 200 extra calories either way? Nooot gonna show up in the mirror. Having been on a consistent diet and exercise plan for months? *That's* what matters. The fitting into all the size 4 clothes my mom just gave to me because they're too big for her (the superskinnysometimes thing runs in the family) thing? *That's* what matters.

Still, and I guess this is good, I'm starting to remember what my body image was like freshman year of college.

Being 120 was, like, the biggest disaster EVER back then. Oh, and me on a day being 120 with a pimple? Heeell no. And then I lost 15 pounds, and then I was 105, and then I was content.* So now I'm sitting on this 120 thing, going -- do I have to lose 15 pounds? FIFTEEN? Is that what it's going to take to fit into those stupid size 2 jeans? Ugh. That'll take foreeeeeeeever. Like 2 months minimum. Uggggggggh.

Stupid fucking jeans. Stupid guide to my happiness.

It's just frustrating, you know? Like, how much effort do I have to put into this stupid thing? This losing weight-ness? I was SUPER self-indulgent with the self pity today. My mom and I went to a bread store, and I didn't/couldn't/didn't let myself (success!) have a (super-thick, cheesy jalapeno-y) sample because I'm sure it had like 150 calories in it minimum and I was almost at my limit for the day, and it sucked.

Why can't I be normal? Why can't I eat and not think about it? Why do I have to write everything down? Why can't I be thinner?

When I finally lose that last pound of fat and feel content with my body, I'm getting the shortest fucking shorts ever and running around in them for like five hours shouting praise to all that is happy and right in the world. Because dieting is a motherfucker and it's getting on my nerves.

And like...rationally? I know I really have nothing to complain about it. I know I could be like 800 pounds, which would be worse. So I'm grateful for what I have. Sometimes, though, my own lack of self-control (or too much thereof) in the past that got me to *not* 105-110? Really annoying lol. I blame it on me.

*Content in ED terms. Which is not content, per se. More like consistently messed up in the head.
____________________________________________________
Run:
1 hour with Dad, probably ~6 miles

5 Pound Challenge

2008-09-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

In the last two quarters of school, I've gone from a size 8-10 to a 4, which is great, and I'm happy, but I really still want to wear all my size 2 pants/skirts. I'm not sure how much weight I need to lose to make that happen (and I dunno what I weigh, don't wanna know, probably 115-120, like I was last time I was this size -- I stopped weighing myself a year ago because of the ED and the obsessive weighing, etc.).

So, my goal is to lose 5-ish pounds, to start. See if my fave jeans fit then. At school, it's really easy to stay on my eating schedule, but I'm all off kilter being at home and having such a weird workout schedule.*

So, for accountability, I'm at least posting the goal here. Because I should have lost about 4 pounds since coming home, but I only came up with 2 pounds' worth of calorie deficit. You know, calculation-wise. Thinner, but not thinner enough (lol).

PS: Anybody (no pun) want to weigh in on whether or not 1800 calories is a decent estimate for what a 115-120 pound body needs to sustain itself (before exercise)?

*I was staying with my grandparents, and my grandma FLIPPED out every time I went running. At night. In the morning. Whenever it wasn't 100+ degrees outside. I didn't have much success planning my food efficiently around my changing workout schedule.
_________________________________
Run:

10.8 mi (1:51)

But It's Sooo Good!

2008-09-03T16:11:00.001-07:00

We here? We clean eat. Eat clean. Whatever.

But we are for (the-ever-elusive) balance, if nothing else, so we allow the occasional (oh-so-supertasty) man-made snack.

Like this one.

What is it? Muscle friendly (60 g protein), low-calorie, taaasty.

How do you experience this treat? Mash, then nosh. That simple. I'm going to call it the NoshMash.*

Ingredients:

1 container non-fat cottage cheese
1 small package sugar-free pudding
1/2 cup soymilk
1/4-1/2 cup water

Mix (a lot). Enjoy! Tastes good on bread, and if you made it with Vanilla pudding mix, you can fool people into thinking it's scrambled eggs you're putting on your (ALWAYS whole-grain, high-fiber) bread, not the sinfully artificial goodness in which you're actually indulging.

Also, this is a great after a longer run. Good muscle refueling, if you can get past the guilt of the artificial pudding mix. There's a lot of good in the cottage cheese/soymillk.

*You can't just not name a food, right? P.S.: The whole recipe is around 460 calories, depending on which brands you use. I've only ever used Jell-O brand Sugar-Free pudding for it, though. Works like a charm.

Do you have any sinfully artificial recipes to share? (Spread the sin, right? Ugh, I'm horrible.) Share 'em! Tee hee.
_____________________________________
Run:
5.7 mi (57 mins) and ~2 mi run/walk with cousin

Love for Fortune Cookies

2008-09-01T21:41:00.001-07:00

My fortune:

"Depend on your feet, you can climb the highest mountain."

Love it.

Also, READ THIS. Just do it. Your body will thank you.

In case you're wondering what the link is, it's Roni's "Can you LET IT GO?" If you don't have kids, you might understand the post better from an athlete's perspective. Sometimes we look in the mirror and see a body and forget that bodies are for more than just seeing. They are for doing.

Thank you, arms, for getting me up the cables at Half-Dome.*

Thank you, legs, for carrying me whatever mileage I've asked of you.

Thank you, butt, for propelling me through my runs. I'm sorry I hate on you so much. I'll work on it. [Also, thanks for letting me sit on you? Must hurt!]

And, finally, thank you, tummy! You do way more than most people know, and you're also very pretty. [I rub you sometimes when I run (and no one's looking LOL) to see if I can feel the muscles move, even though there's still a wee bit of fat there. But you know what? I don' care! You're still bootiful to me! Plus, even Buddha liked to get his tummy rubbed, and all those statues make me think he had a wittle more Buddhapudge than I got. I run in my sports bra. Buddha? Not so much. Please note that despite my Christianity I'm still somehow going to BuddhaHell for blasphemy.]

What does your body do for you? What has it done that you're proud of? Whether it be making a little version of you or climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, I'm sure each of our bodies has done something we can be proud of. So spill!

*And refraining from punching the 9 year-old jackass that made that STUPID "It's not that bad!" comment when you finished. He really deserved it.**
**This is why I don't baby-sit.***
***Just kidding. I'm not that cruel. I love kids.****
****And puppies. Still trying to fenagle the teacup chihuahua situation. Sneaking him into the dorms is $100 per day if I get caught. :( *****
*****I also love asterisks. Obviously.
____________________________
Run:
9.9 mi (1:41)

Comments: I wanted to go longer, but I was with my grandparents, and my gramma flips when I'm out past twilight. (Being a girl sucks. Except for boobs. They get you free stuff.*)

*Just kidding. *crickets chirp*

LOL.

New Plan

2008-08-31T23:54:00.001-07:00

Okay. Here's the deal, kids.

I really love to run. However, I also really like to, oh,

- be around people
- have non-conflicting goals
- fit into my (beautiful, flap-pocketed) size 2 jeans
- be able to fit something else into my Fridays besides running

So you can see how I might not want to dedicate three hours every Friday to running. Which means, of course, you can understand why...

...I'm no longer running the marathon. And you know what? That's fiiine with me. I feel confident that I could run a half-marathon any day of the week, and that's really saying something. Maintaining that level of fitness? Totally awesome; completely doable. Running 18+ miles every Friday for the next four weeks? Like drilling teeth.

So...no. I'll do longer runs of 10-12 hilly miles three times a week because it makes me feel good and that's about how often I can enjoy it without hating it. Other days? I will run, swim, (maybe bike) and ellipticize LEISURELY. As in, I was in Napa yesterday and my friend and I ran four miles (at a leisurely pace), after which I swam laps for 45 minutes. It was great! I got buddy time AND workout time in the same place. You know what it felt like?

Balance.

Shocking, I know. As far as my other goals go? The size 2 will happen. It will. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon. And all of me will be healthy and unfatty and muscular instead of weak and unable to climb stairs. I'm doing fitness right this time. :) Here's to all of us being Happypants.

Oh, and the marathon I signed up for? I'm totally running the half. And it'll be pretty freakin' sweet. No pressure, 'cause I've already run a half. Muahaha. ;)
________________________
Workouts lately:
Fri: 11 miles
Sat: 4 miles, 45 min swim
Sun: 3.75 miles (the gym closed on me), pending stationary bike ride

I feel like crap now.

2008-08-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

Yeah, like 5 posts a day is how we roll here.

Ugh. I skipped my 18-miler. And to be honest, I think a lot of it had to do with me not knowing how to properly fuel my body. Yeah, I get how to fuel his body or her body but I had/have no idea how to regulate my own appetite when it comes to running. I've just been too hungry this week. And I don't want to eat more. I want to eat the same. And it's kind of hard to stick to 1600 calories a day (for me, anyway) when you run 18 miles once a week.

I even had 1800 the past two days. And it's just not cutting it. I'm just ravenous, and I don't know why. And I wake up feeling like crap sometimes. And I don't sleep well. Just these past few days. And it's making me really cranky.

If no one's reading by now, that's fine, I just need to vent. I'm really grumpy about this. I don't want to run a marathon if it's going to make me this upset. All I really want is to have the ability to go out and run x miles when I feel like it. But you know what? Going on a shit-long run is not what I feel like today. I feel like sleeping. I feel like staring at my stupid size 2 pants that I am starting to feel will never, ever fit and hating life.

And I'll pick myself out of it after a while when I drink some more water and whatever nastiness is in my veins manages to flush out, but seriously? Why the **** did I sign up for a marathon? It was a stupid thing for me to do. I'll be in a better mood tomorrow, maybe. Maybe next week, I'll like running.

But right now, I just wish I were naturally twig-like and could spend my time thinking about other things besides how fat I think my ass is.

It's getting annoying. [to me, as well as to readers, I'm sure.] [no need to support me on that one with comments, although I guess I can't be choosy :-P]

Kindasorta just gonna do 11 miles.

2008-08-29T04:05:00.000-07:00

Because I know better than to force myself to do a LOT of miles (18) at a time I hate (morning). I was counting last week's 15.8 miles (paired with a few other semi-long runs) as an easy week.

What was better? My original plan, or what I'm going to do?

I have a passport appointment at noon-ish, so I actually really might just wait until later and run at night. Because it's not worth the mentral strife to me to knock out 18 miles today. It was making me crazy.

I was starving, nervous, jittery, unhappy, and almost nauseated thinking of what an un-fit it was for me to be running so much in the morning.

Ugh. I sound like a lazy fat butt. But honestly? I'm looking for something I can maintain. A happy. A balance. A size 2. And I really do want to run the marathon.

Just not today. I really feel like I'm letting down a good many people. And I'm sorry. It's just not that day for me.

In Hal Higdon's programs, at least, there are weeks where you're able to step down (from, say, 17 miles to 11), so that's what I'm going to do. Screw the fact that I accidentally miscalculated last week and ran 15.8 instead of 17, because I TOTALLY could have done 17. Next week I'll do 18 and get right back on track.

But today...not 18. 11, I think. 11 sounds great.

Then a trip to Napa this weekend.

Ugh. I hate me a little bit. But I also don't. I did some seriously, SERIOUSLY hilly runs this week, when I thought I couldn't. I was like the Little Engine that Could. So it's okay. I've come such a long way (hear me trying to convince myself I don't suck right now), it's okay to take a break.

*grumble*

Starting to regret this whole "marathon" thing.

2008-08-28T17:49:00.001-07:00

It's almost 2 AM, which is pretty close to my bedtime lately, but this time I'll be running in 4 hours.

18 miles.

Wish me luck.

In other news, I get that I'm running quite a bit these days, but even when I was running "quite a bit" at school, I was never as hungry as I've been lately. I've been getting more protein and everything -- what am I supposed to do to make this go away? It's very annoying, especially with the get-that-fat-off-my-a$$ goal. I could really eat a horse right now. Ugh.

Oh, well. Off to sleep for a while then run (I would, of course, rather sleep for 10 hours and then eat everything we have in the kitchen and never get fat. Remind me to do that when I get old and don't care about cute clothes anymore.)

I Enjoy Elbow Tans.

2008-08-28T01:12:00.000-07:00

I realize most of you live in areas that are hotter than Northern California. I really do.

But it's hooot. It's really hot. I'm not much for sun 'cause Mandapants is a) naturally pretty fair, b) not much for wrinkles *hugs premature Kiehl's eye cream*, but right now I am tan.

Except for here *points*: right in the nook of my elbow. Huh.

In other news, Jamie wins the Mandapants Challenge Challenge with the suggestion of taking on a triathlon (TBA). I'm of course going to wear a full bodysuit and a helmet (actually not kidding about the latter) all through training to avoid more of this *points to leg, complete with scratches from weeeeks ago*.*

In other other news, I wish cute boys spent more time at REI. I lurv REI. But I always (read: twice) go hoping to run into tons of lookers. Never happens. Why is this? They're at the gym. Or outside. [Hence my shameless honking at Cute Arboretum Running Boy.** Dude's built.] So shouldn't they be at REI? Makes no sense. Also makes me sad.

Aaanyway. Today's question for the friendly masses is this: if you could only achieve ONE goal (preferably re: fitness/athleticism, but otherwise is OK, too), what would it be?

Mine? Western States. That would be ten kinds of cool.*** And I'll do it, I think, someday. I think/hope/kindasortawannamaybe. ;)

*Kidding. I'm actually going to wear a bear suit.
**Also, CARB. Tee hee.
***Eleven if I ran into Dean Karnazes (pun intended). Twelve if Dean Karnazes had a son my age. *sigh*
__________________
Run:
9.8 miles (1:45)

You Has a Challenge for Meee?

2008-08-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

Today, I was reading this post about gettin' our butts out there and risking (in the emotional/psychological sense, not the "I think I might fall 9 stories" sense), when it occurred to me that -- though I do take the small odd Manda-risk every now and then -- I am not leading a very risk-laden life.

I need to step outside my Manda-box.

So...Any ideas? Any challenges? If you tell me to run with a wizard hat on, I might say no. I might also say yes. I don't know. Try me.

Some things I've done that, erm, made life better and more interesting?

- Tried on clothes I didn't think would fit. Shockingly, many did. Happiness ensued.
- Chatted up people I haven't talked to since middle school/high school/etc. All those reunions? Awesome.
- Picked up/held/cuddled LOUIE at the Farmer's Market. Louie is a Teacup Chihuahua with an immune disorder that makes him lose his hair when he's stressed (and his previous owners didn't feed him, so now he's bald*). IF YOU WANT A DOG, PLEASE ADOPT LOUIE. I want him really badly, but I'm a student, and we're not allowed to have pets. You do not understand how badly I want him, but I do really want him to go to a good home, so I'm telling the friendly masses. Right now you can see his ribs, and I'm sure he's always very cold because he has no meat on him and no hair. The story about his ****ty previous owners actually made me cry (in public, at the Farmer's Market). If you are interested, please leave a comment, and I'll set you up with the people who can give you Louie.**

My dogs? They lick salt off me after I run. Just...eww.

But, anyway -- I'm serious. I need cool activites. Suggest! (please.)

*Fact? You don't have to have an immune disorder for no food to imply hair loss. Take it from me. You don't eat, you lose your hair. Up to a whole 30 strands per straightening. That was a sad, sad day for Mandapants, and was perhaps the impetus I needed to get help. If you're struggling with an eating disorder, I know people who have found this site to be very helpful.
**Need comic relief? They also had a curly-haired dog. Here's the exchange between the SPCA rep, an onlooker and I:
O: What breed is that dog?
SR: That's a Shits-a-poo -- [quickly] a Shih Tzu/Poodle mix.
Me: [giggles]
SR [to me]: It's better than the alternative -- a Poos-a-shit.

LOL.
___________________________
Run:
9.8 mi (1:40)

The Lighter Side

2008-08-23T23:05:00.000-07:00

This is the quintessential life/fitness blog entry. One of us is feeling good (or at a minimum finds something poignant) and encourages the rest of us to think positively in our daily lives.

I've been feeling off schedule being home and as many of you know (especially those with OCD tendencies) schedules are like catnip and being without them like going through withdrawal.

Which can make a girl cranky.

After further reflection, though, I've been having a pretty good week!

Here are things that made me happy today:

- A friend came to visit from 1.5 hours away (yay, Andy!)
- We got to go to the Farmer's Market! (yay, local farmers/organic fruit!)
- We went on a walk in the wild by a stream (yay, Nature!)
- We ran 6.6 miles (yay, running!)
- I got over 90 g protein! (yay, muscles!)
- we went out to dinner, where I got a lot of veggies and DREW THE LITTLE MERMAID on the paper tablecloth (yay, Disney!)

I'm five. Deal with it. ;)

If you're readin'? I'd love to hear what made you happy today. Even if your day was kind of crappy. Silver lining? Maybe the whole sky was bright? Either way. ;)
________________________
Run:
6.6 miles (didn't time it)

Flatland: Redefined

2008-08-22T23:41:00.000-07:00

Today I ran in about the flattest land there is: farm country.

Happens to be adjacent to/I also ran across-or-past:

- super-rich country (read: "My house has both permanent statues and a John McCain sign"; also, Village of the Tiny Crossbreeds and Other Things I Often Mistake for My Golf Ball)*
- things that make me proud and/or self-righteous-maybe-kinda-sorta: McDonalds, gas stations, car dealerships, etc.

[EWWW. Totally off-topic: I just looked down at myself and I can actually SEE the salt-lets of crystallized sweat. COOL.]

So I was a-runnin' and passing 1) old people, 2) 12 year-olds flirting with each other (LOL -- please, please. Flirt away. Enjoy the meaningful depth that is being 12 and amorous.)***, and 3) chunky Chihuahuas when I realized I was going pretty fast. Or it felt like it, anyway. Sometimes you just can't tell.

When I got back to my grandparents' house, I came inside to find it a full HALF HOUR before my ETA. "This is a wee bit of peculiar," I thought. "I must have miscalculated," I thought.

EDIT: I knew it was too good to be true. Being as obsessive as I am, I triple-checked it. It turns out that I, in fact, miscalculated again. Instead of running 18, I apparently ran 15.8. This is 1) disheartening but 2) not that bad. It still means I broke the 10 min/mi mark to a 9.9, which is an improvement, and I wasn't barely winded afterwards. But still...ugh.

*I have nothing against small woofers (instead of traveling, my family spends its disposable income on puppies. Why travel to Chihuahua when you can have a pet-able one? LOL) or against either of the presidential nominees.**
**This message has been approved by The Mandapants, who doesn't actually really like either of the nominees but guesses she will vote anyway because HELL that's why she's happy to be > 18. The wrinkles she'll get someday? Somewhat less compelling.
***I dated a boy when I was 12. I can judge.
_____________________
Run:
Grrr...15.8 miles (2:37)

That's not longer than last week's long run. Oh, well. Still proud. I'm still cool. Slightly less cool. And now sad. :( But still cool.

Product Review: Powerade Zero

2008-08-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

I have mixed feelings when it comes to Powerade Zero. When G2 came out (Gatorade, with half the calories of the original), I was really excited. Fewer calories plus similar taste equals happy times. That was before I started endurance running.

Now that I run for long enough to warrant Gu, and now that I really understand why people need Gu, I scoff a wee bit at the Powerade Zero.

The point of so-called "sports drinks" is calories, electrolytes, and water. That is why they exist. So on this day, my rest day, I bought two Powerade Zeros (Grape and Strawberry) for no other purpose than to drink 'em and enjoy (or not). Because clearly they're not going to do jack squat for me as a runner, except to perhaps regulate my electrolytes.

Today, Rachel Ray was promoting the drink as something to use at the gym for "hydration without un-doing your workout," and I guess that's valid. But for anyone who needs Gu, calories are a moot point when it comes to fueling. If it doesn't have calories, it's not fuel. [And, let's face it; if you're at the gym, all you really need is water. If you like flavor, get flavored water. Not extra salt.]

In other news, today I went to REI and stocked up on new Gu (tee-hee!). If you've tried 'em (or have others to suggest), please weigh in!

- Honey Stinger (in Ginsting)
- Luna Sport Moons (in Pomegranate)
- Gu (in Chocolate Outrage)

I also got some Clif Shot Bloks so I could top off my Gu tomorrow towards the end, since I'll be running (I hope) 17 miles, which will take about three hours. I take my Gu at mile 9; any tips for what I should do after that? I'm relying on the friendly masses to help me out, 'cause if I screw up I'll hit a wall (sad!).

Thankee!

Thanks to MizFit and Sally!

2008-08-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

OMG.

I love this sports bra SO much. Sally from Oiselle was kind enough to give a sports bra to commenters who helped her out with sports gear feedback on MizFit's site. And I got mine today! Go buy your gear from Oiselle, 'cause this sports bra is off the hook.

[prepare for shameless Oiselle/Manda abs plug in 3...2...]:

The sports bra is NOT made out of cotton! Who knew?! It's polyester/lycra, and it's amazing.

And my abs don't look half bad, either. :)

Okay. Off to do 10 miles of slightly hilly hill-town. It'll be mostly a new route, I think, since I realized I enjoy my runs much more when I haven't done the same loop 4,000 times (campus, anyone?).

PS: HERE is (one of the many) honest/real/sad motivation behind my walking challenge:

[Mandapants on date with Rugby Boy just days after turning 21; after dinner]:

RB: So what do you want to do now? My friends are at a bar, but it's a stupid place with nutshells on the ground.
Me: NO OMG THAT'S SO COOL I JUST TURNED 21 I'VE NEVER BEEN TO A BAR TAKE ME THERE NOW PLEASE! [wags nonexistent tail; totally geeks out]

[both enter bar]

Me (up at bar): LOOK LOOK I'M 21 SEE? IT'S ON MY ID! CAN I HAVE A DIET COKE PLEASE? [not a huge fan of the alcohol am I]
Bar matron: Oh, that's cute, sweetie, but it's expired.

UUUUUUUUUUUUUGH.

So today I WALKED to the dentist. And to the store. Good-ness.

But, also, I legitimately want to walk instead of drive more, and I want other people to try it, too. Although I know they already do (a lot, perhaps more than I do lol).

:)

___________________________
Run:
10 mi (1:45) -- particularly hilly

Review & a Challenge

2008-08-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm home [in a hilly, hilly town], I took two days off and went to do 11 yesterday somewhat expecting to be crawling my way home. My run, I anticipated, would be like champagne to Tom Cruise, as it's at the top of the hill.

What actually happened? I spent two hours on a meandering run, rediscovering my hometown, noticing and being amazed by many a thing:

- Our air here sucks, especially compared to the Bay Area.*
- Del Taco, Jack in the Box, and the air a mile radius around them is toxic and vile (and strongly reminiscent of chalupas; how did I ever eat that sh*t?!).
- I can be very self-righteous, especially when running past the gas station ("$4.04? I can go for two hours for free!")**
-For the low (uh, not lol) price of 10 miles, you can run around any town I've ever lived in. I circled most of my current town in 10.4.

Also, now that I can mooch food off my parents, I've been actually succeeding at upping my protein. Here's a day:

- 5 servings fruit
- salad (no dressing)
- turkey meat (24g protein's worth)
- light yogurt, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, and 1/2 cup pumpkin (mushed and yummy)
- crackers (all-bran -- good, or saltine -- bad)
- one cup egg substitute, shirataki noodles, and ketchup
- small amount of bad-ness (strawberry licorice, although it's not nearly as good as it looked in the package)

That's like...70g protein. Which is still kind of low. I'm aiming for 1/4 of all my calories, which would be 400 calories ('cause the Mandapants wants to shed one last pant size), which is 100g protein. Booooo!

Anyway, so that's my review. Now for the challenge. I dare anyone (who lives close enough to work) to NOT use his/her car for a day. A week. Anything helps/is impressive. Bike to the store to get groceries and take the kid(s) in one of those little kiddy-trailer thingies (I saw a bunch of dads doing it on my run yesterday). Bike to work. Run to REI. Whatever floats your boat. :) Let me know how it goes!

*Sad = that air, anywhere in CA besides LA, is crappy.
**Actually, that's a lie. To be honest, I calculated it out, and for $132 (for shoes, etc.) I'd get 500 miles and the drivers (at 20 mi/gal) would get 653 miles...But that's not including the price of the car, or the fact that the shirt will last longer than 500 miles. Ugh. This is more of an investment problem that I don't feel like doing. So I'll just feel self-righteous anyway. ;)
***Ton = singular (so even though bike trails is plural, I'm right, right? -- English majors, please inform!)
___________________________
Run (Monday):
10.4 miles (1:49)

Gimme a Break, Gimme a Break...

2008-08-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

I have managed to do the inconceivable: take a break from working out.

Now, if this is really bad, please tell me, because I'm actually not freaking out about it but will if I should.

So this past week I ran my glorious 16 miles (Vanilla Bean Gu in hand)**, took my God-forsaken finals, and came home with my parents and grandparents until Autumn quarter. It'll be the first time since my long run was 6 miles that I've run somewhere besides campus, so we'll see how it goes.

Anyway, my point is that moving back and dinner with the family took all day yesterday, and when I go to the gym the day after long runs my attempts are always half-assed anyway, AND I don't have a gym membership here AND my driver's license expired (oops) so I'd have to get my parents to drive me, AND it was already dark (parents wouldn't let me run even if I wanted to), so...I stayed home and unpacked. Am I a total sinner?

I only felt a twinge of guilt, but then today we went out to dinner again and by the time we got back it was dark (no run) and my parents were going to bed (no gym).

But tomorrow's a good 11.5 miles, so hopefully I'll be able to make up for lost time, especially since I'm well-rested.

Overall, given my previous compulsiveness and dedication, I'd say it's more of a step in the right direction than in the wrong that I'm not flipping my lid after two days missed.

*"Inconceivable!" "I'm not quite sure you know what that word means."
**Trihardist, I'm with you. Vanilla Bean tastes like magic.
__________________________________
Run (Friday):
16 miles (2:49)

Food Review: Eat Smart Veggie Crisps

2008-08-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

Anyone ever see those Veggie Chips in the store and think, "Yum!" or "It must be made from a variety of veggies -- otherwise they would just be potato chips!" only to pick up a bag and realize...it's just potatoes?*

I have. And then I became sad inside, because I really wanted veggies that were made into something preservable that's not pickles. I haven't found something quite that wholesome yet, but (and this goes a wee bit against the clean eats policy, so be forewarned)...

...I love Eat Smart (by Snyder's) Veggie Crisps. They're super tasty. And they were in the vending machine after my run. :)

I'll admit, they didn't pop out of the ground or a chicken, but the ingredients are pretty unadulterated for chips:

Whole Potato Flour, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Safflower, Canola), Tomato Puree, Spinach and Beet Powders, Spices.

That's it. 160 cals/8g fat/2g fiber/1g protein [insert protein-needing groan here]. Not bad.

Will be proud to know I have taken to switching out one fruit for an equal amount of egg whites each morning. Which adds 25 g protein, which I really, really, REALLY need.

No post tomorrow, 'cause I have a date (juuust wanted to make sure people knew I do stuff besides, um, run...and school...and watching Doogie Howser reruns). Maybe we go to REI after dinner? ;)**

*This especially peeves me at Trader Joe's. TJ, you is supposed to be NATURAL. Bad, TJ! Bad!
**Kidding. I swear. [One day WAY down the road when I find that special someone, we know he will propose by sticking the ring in a packet of Gu] [Please now imagine Mandapants choking on ring as she runs down the road][Okay, it's not funny, but I laughed. I make my own fun. ;) ]
__________________________________________
Run:
10 mi (1:50)
Super slow, but we know The Mandapants is working on her omgoshwhycan'tIgofasterwithoutkeelingover immunity. And what happens when she doesn't work on it. Bad things, peoples. Bad things.

Make-Up Run

2008-08-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm going to touch on things a bunch of my favorite bloggers have said in regards to (if not always intentionally) my little, um, "learning experience" on Sunday. First off, MizFit's post this week about "musterbation." It was incredibly apropos for me because it came just minutes after, mid-run, I just stopped. I was drained not only of physical stamina but also of mental wanting; as compelling as it would have been to have had the energy to go on, my body was at a point where it dreaded the prospect of exercise at all. So I dreaded that run, and thus only got 4 miles in before stopping. I realized I was telling myself I must run. My conclusion, for that one day, was that I most certainly musn't.

Secondly, Trihardist left me a really great, helpful comment and noted that I might be getting a bit compulsive about running, and she was definitely right. I think we'd all agree that, in a lot of ways, our compulsion really helps us as athletes (I dare call myself one now? :) ) to continue to strive to be faster and stronger. And that's great. But when that compulsion begins to affect us adversely, like it did me on Sunday, it's best we give it a break. So I did. And I'm definitely better for it, and thank you for making me feel better about it! Sometimes it's difficult not to beat ourselves up.

So it's my pleasure (and I'm so grateful) to say that yesterday I went out easy. I decided that I really did want to run. I *wanted* to do 11 miles. So I went out slow and did my best to throw my pace to the wind (kinda difficult, no?) and appreciate every little pit-pat of my feet on the ground. And it came back to me -- that wind-in-your-ponytail-aaah-this-feels-SUPER!-I-could-go-on-for-eveeeer feeling that runners have in mind when they look at this picture (the first one that appears lol). And you know what? I made good time (1:58) and, more importantly, I enjoyed myself in a way I haven't while running in a while.

So it's something for me to keep in mind -- when I go out to run, I should always want to, and maybe for a while I won't focus on speed so much.

Oh, P.S.: The Mandapants is now officially 21. Also, if you can, pick up Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and Dean Karnazes' new book (haven't seen it in stores yet, though).

Long Run Funk: Revisited

2008-08-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

I've done positively everything I can think of to rid myself of the long run funk. Basically, I'll be super happy for ~15 hours after the long run, but then I get into a grumpy and achy rut. What am I missing? I...

-hydrate
-Clif-ify mid-run
-eat protein and carbs post-run
-sleep enough
-put my legs up

...and I still feel this weird chemical imbalance, like PMS almost. That's a good analogy, actually.

It doesn't happen on any other day except my long run day each week, and my two other runs are both pretty decently long to prep for the long run. [I know it's not a typical training schedule, but I rest the days in between with light cross-training and weights, then take a rest day on Thursdays. Plus, I really do feel that the extra length on the two other runs is truly helpful, both physically and psychologically, in training for each week's long.]

This funk is actually starting to get to me; I never want to go out on Saturdays anymore because I feel like crap, and emotionally it's enough of a drain that I'm starting to worry it's not a normal recovery process. Any tips?

Also, I'm sure you're going to look below and see my 11 miles today and declare that I'm running too much, but I almost always feel *better* because of the other two runs than worse. That, plus I'd be scared ****less of my long run if I didn't up my other two runs just a little bit to match each week.

Oh, PS: Trihardist, you mentioned waking heart rate as an indicator of overtraining. What should I look for, again? Thanks!
___________________________
Run:
easy 4 miles

The 4-mile business is a post all in itself, but basically I went out (intending to do 11) and got 4 into it and decided it was best for my physical and mental health to stop and save my 11 for another day. So that's what I did. And then I felt HORRIBLE about it until I talked to Iron Boy (who advised me that it was really OK), and now I feel better. I guess it's okay to take 2 easy days if you do 15 miles, right? I hope so. :)

Holy Cliff Shots, Batman!

2008-08-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. Cran-Razz.

That was amazing. That was by far the best run I've ever had. Not only did the Cliff Bloks at mile 9 taste like ambrosia, but they also did for my running what the little blue pill does for men.

That's right. It was just that good. I actually sped up towards the end as opposed to slowing down. [Try not to carry the above metaphor into this. It'll scar your mind's eye; I promise.]

Anyway, here are some other notes.

1) Thanks again to Nitmos, this time for posting his farcical goal of composing a Shakespearean sonnet about Carrot Top. Kept me occupied through miles 1-2.

"Beneath your cap of sunset flames
That curl and end just as your tales
A baudy yarn you do proclaim --
A story met with only wales.

I do not find you funny, no.
Your doubles on the Simpsons and
on Fam'ly Guy are funny, though.
My sense of humor you offend.

It's too bad, really, that you're not
ev'n near as talented as the
more seasoned Robin Williams. Fought
the fates only to earn a C?

Oh, how I wish thy jokes would stop.
Thou art not funny, Carrot Top."

2) Thanks also to Netflix for sending me all my childhood favorites this week ('cause you can only really go 15 years without seeing Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang without losing some joy in your life). Do you have any idea how good "Just a Spoonful of Sugar" and the title song from CCBB are as lyrical pacers?! Amazing. Thanks, Disney.

3) Today's long run peeve:
- My RA. I asked her for a Ziploc ('cause I only needed to take 1/2 the Cliff Bloks with me and wanted to leave the rest here). She asked what it was for, so I tried to explain. She looked at me like I was going to store clubbed baby seals in the Ziploc. Whatever. She can go stick her nose in my pile of dirty gym clothes.

and finally...

4) Things you never knew you never knew (but know now, even if you'd rather not):
- where all the dead squirrels are on campus (and how long they've been there)
- who necks in their parked cars at night
- how far away just about everything is from a) where you live and b) everything else

Oh, one more thing (I know; I lied):

Apparently Runner's World publishes a UK edition. Found it at Borders today. *squeals with delight*

*Yeah, I changed my mind. C-. Also, if you thought I could actually remember verbatim what I composed mid-run, a) I'm flattered, b) you're wrong. The above was mildly to seriously different from the brilliance I composed earlier. ;)
________________________
Run:
15 miles (2:38)

All You Need is Run.

2008-08-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

Well, that's not entirely true. The topic of today's (short-'cause-I-cross-trained-today-and-also-have-two-problem-sets) post, as you may have guessed, is suitors. Or suitees.

Today, I really just want to ask the friendly masses this: Does being athletic/fitness-oriented/nutrition-conscious/outdoorsy affect the people you attract and are attracted to?

'cause seriously, I love me a good North Face boy. Perfect date? A run, followed by a trip to REI.* That's just how it is. One day I will find me a like-spirited soul who will surprise me with camping trips where we bring with us nothing but a Swiss army knife**. I'm hardcore like that. Really, being outdoorsy is non-negotiable. I'm serious.

I ask you, the friendly masses, about this partly because of Dean Karnazes. His wife "doesn't run unless chased." And yet running is such a huge part of his life. What do they talk about?

So what about you? How do your sporty/clean-foody interests and passions play out in your lives, folks? I'm curious. (And prying, methinks. But still curious!)

*It's my fantasy, so we'd be magically clean and non-sweaty by the time we arrived at REI. Nobody wants to try on clothes when they're a-drippin'.

**And maybe some water. Might help.
______________________________________
Workout:
Elliptical + strength, RW speed workout

She Ain't Speedy -- She's My Runner!

2008-08-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

Today's run was in a gorgeous and refreshing mid-summer's drizzle with a (pacer) buddy of mine who did the SF Marathon on Sunday. Don't laugh, but he was still faster than I was. I'm not ashamed.

But I am totally encouraged by Nitmos and Trihardist (thank you!) to really give my all in training for a Boston-qualifying time. Today I thought (especially b/c of pacer buddy) that I was pushing myself to be quicker, but I still averaged 10.6 min/mi.

What I'm going to have to do is, firstly, follow Nitmos' advice and train faster. In addition to speed-increasing fartleks, I think on the occasional cross-day I'll pound out a few fast-paced miles on the treadmill where I can be certain I'm not shuffling along at my normal speed (I have bad intuition on these things, apparently). I've also started to do the stride-increasing exercises featured in September's RW. In a month or two, I'll add hills.

Academically speaking, I need to drop 135 seconds from each mile. If I wanted to qualify for Boston this October, that would mean dropping ~12 seconds from each mile per week.

So...my more reasonable goal is to qualify for Boston before the school year is out. I have until early June 2009. That's totally doable, I think, so maybe for more of a challenge I'll find a marathon that takes place right when I get back from France in March. Or maybe there's one in France? [Insert bad joke about qualifying being "Nice" here. Don't laugh -- it's horrible.]

In other news, MizFit encouraged us this week to find (and make) consistency in our lives, so I commented that I would -- in my quest for some serious clean eatin' -- post here my processed sins. Just for today, though, I thought it'd be cool to post exactly what it is I stick in my mouth in the course of 24 hours.

THE GOOD
5 servings fruit
2 whole eggs
salad (no dressing) with variety of veggies
light whole wheat bread
whole wheat english muffin
Rolaids for calcium (cherry!)
lots-o-water

THE QUESTIONABLE
lowfat fruit-bottomed yogurt (had HFCS)*
ketchup (non-organic)
pickle
one package tofu shirataki noodles (processed, but healthy)

THE NARSTY
little packet oyster crackers (refined flour)
"All Natural" (*snort*) Sensible Portions Multi-Grain Crisps (has an ingredient list the size of the US trade deficit)
Jolly Ranchers
Diet Coke (a lot of it)

Analysis:
1) I suck at getting enough protein on non-long-run days. However, I always get >35 grams fiber, which is pretty sweet.
2) Calorie-wise, the good *way* outweighs the questionable/bad. Could still improve, though.
3) Diet Coke? Yeah. It's bad. But so tasty.

*Dude, whose idea was that? It's adulteration of a pure and wonderful thing. Not unlike someone performing an unholy act on Strawberry Shortcake.

"Hi, you're pretty. Would you like some HFCS?"
"What's that?"
"Oh, it's real sweet. Just like you. I'm sure you'll like it."
"My mom told me not to take candy from strangers...But you look nice, so I guess it's okay."
...
[montage: 5 years later, Calico is nearly hairless but still in the arms of Strawberry Shortcake, whose clothes are torn and ragged as she works the corner in running mascara and takes a drag on a cigarette. "Just say no to acid, kids," we hear. Ugh.]
_________________________
Run:
10 miles (1:46)

Boston: Is More than a Feeling!

2008-08-05T02:47:00.000-07:00

Pretty sure we all know how much the Mandapants loves Dean Karnazes. For many reasons. Not the least of which is his super duper prettyface and gloriousbody (what a hunk!).

But also? 'cause I identify with him.

Not in the I-too-can-run-262-miles-non-stop sense, or even the 2:30-marathon-easy?-heck-yes! sense. But definitely in the "Moderation bores me" (straight from his book, I swear!) sense.

Which methinks you might have already guessed. But this is beside the point.

So far, I've gone all out with the running. And how it continues to fit into my life will take constant tweaking. But one thing I know for sure (as of, erm, ten minutes ago), is this:

The Mandapants must soon qualify for the Boston Marathon.

I is not joking. I know qualifying time is fast (8.397 min/mi), and I know I am slow. For now. This by no means implies that I can't work my way down to a 8.397 minute mile. It by no means implies that I can't work my way up to 26.2 8.397 minute miles.

PS: The Mandapants? Totally willing to put in the work.

Now...I'm not stupid. I'm pretty sure it's freaking impossible for me to qualify for Boston at my first marathon in October. But you can bet yourself a pretty penny (because it -- and the dollar -- buy SO much these days) that every time my sneakers hit that pavement I will be thinking of Boston.

So I am now gladly, stupendously (makes no sense), GREEDILY accepting tips on how I can become a Boston qualifier. A roadrunner.

*beepbeep!*

What is this Feeling?* [The Snarky Post]

2008-08-03T01:22:00.000-07:00

I seem to be experiencing a general malaise, and I can't get it out of my system.

This weekend, I basically ate, slept, exercised, and went to see Mamma Mia! Oh, and blogged a lot (go figure haha). This sounds like a great, relaxing weekend, and I was actually pretty happy with it, but I just feel...crappy. I can't figure out whether it's a chemical imbalance from not taking proper steps to recover from my long run or from still being in a self-isolating post break-up funk or what. I'm trying to find a balance between maintaining my healthy social life and learning how to (politely) be selfish with my time.

So after a weekend in which I was particularly time-greedy, the little things have really started to get to me -- the football team getting an entire wing of the dining hall roped off for their personal use**, the overarching quiet on campus, the annoying conference attendees (see my long run post, please lol). And so now I'm being a whiny brat and that bothers me. Oh, well. Admitting I have a problem is the first step.

I hope there's someone else out there who got some catharsis from this post, but other than that, it was cleansing for me, so thanks, friendly masses. :)

*Anyone seen Wicked?

**I went to sit down at one of the un-reserved tables (which was apparently reserved but unmarked), and a football director said to me (a petite, *generally very nice* 5'3" girl), "Are you with the football team?"

My response? In my bad mood? "Do I look like I'm a football player?"

"Oh, no, but I thought maybe you were an assistant."

What exactly would I be doing for these football players? Hm? Yeah, that's what I thought. Go rope off some other dining hall, you butt.
____________________________________________
Run:
10 miles (1:48)

What I Said Before? I Take it Back.

2008-08-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

"I have plenty of energy. I don't need Clif Shots or Gu or any of that nasty business on my runs. I'm too cool," I said. "Maybe on the marathon," I said.

Liar.

Enter today's long run. The wind was against me, it was hot, and I forgot to keep my arms in for most of the way (read: tired biceps by mile seven).

Also? I just RAN OUT OF ENERGY at mile 9.

What the ****?!

I honestly don't know what happened. I finished all 14 miles in a time that wasn't too shabby (for me), but it just wasn't as pleasant as my 13.1 mi last week. Oh, masses, give me your knowledge! What can I do to prevent this from happening again?

I'm definitely going to procure me some Clif Bloks for next week's 15-miler, just to test them. Any flavor recommendations? I've never tried any of those quick-energy products, so I need your input.

Also, there's an awesome article in September's Runner's World about recovering from long runs. Check it out.

As a parting gift (think the Grinch, really), and in the spirit of my discombobulated post-run rambling, some things that piss me off:

1. Campus tourists who parade around with umbrellas (parasols...whatever) in the sun. It's not that hot, and if Britney Spears can bake herself in a tanning booth every night without turning into a leather bag, you can survive on JUST SUNSCREEN like the rest of us! (PS: You look ridiculous.)
2. Woman on mile 9 who was cold? Your dancing around and psuedo-running-in-place? You also looked ridiculous. Even Dean Karnazes with 4.8% body fat would have been warm. It was SEVENTY DEGREES OUT. Also, that Lexus you were standing by? A clear indication you can afford a sweater. Buy one next time you're by the parasol shop. (Did I mention I was scorching hot at this point? And somewhat bitter, apparently.)
3. Every person in that big pack of business people who looked at me funny on miles 12-14. I know you were judging me because I was in just my sports bra (dudes, it was HOT outside, and I finally just took the damn t-shirt off) and that's not conservative enough for you. But you know what? My abs are actually pretty nice and damn hard-earned, so I deserve to run in my sports bra! Also? I JUST RAN 14 MILES. Please give a kid a break, eh?

Also, the small child* I ate after my run is starting to make me sleepy.

Peace out, friends.

*Was actually turkey. One day, I'm going to get some goat cheese, and then make a joke about eating a small kid. Get it? Kid, goat? Har, har. Yeah, I need sleep.
________________________
14 miles (2:30)

Roni's Silly Survey

2008-07-31T17:18:00.001-07:00

'cause I love Roni (who doesn't?), and work is slow.

What time did you get up this morning? 7 AM -- had a class at 9.
Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds.
What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Batman: The Dark Knight (Why so SERIOUS?!)
What is your favorite TV show? What isn't? Grey's Anatomy, Dead Like Me, Dexter, Weeds, American Dad!, etc.
What do you usually have for breakfast? Eggs w/ketchup, whole wheat bread, and fruit.
What is your middle name? Sterling
What food do you dislike? Anything that makes me feel dumpy after I eat it.
What is your favorite CD at the moment? I'm more of an individual song girl. American Boy by Estelle & Kayne West.
What kind of car do you drive? None -- don't have one.
Favorite sandwich? in a perfect world? Tuna melt with LOTS of cheese and mayo (I had one of these four years ago; I suck at enjoying normal food).
What characteristic do you despise? Rudeness, stupidity, a lack of common sense, and SMELLINESS!
Favorite item of clothing? The dress I wore today that I bought when I was 14. Huge accomplishment.
If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? France (this winter!); anywhere, if I got to go with Dean Karnazes.
Where would you retire to? Davis, CA. I'm from there, and we're all a bunch of sustainability/fitness freaks. :) And the boys are cute.
What was your most recent memorable birthday? Can I say 21? It's in under 2 weeks! Happy times!
Furthest place you are sending this? The aliens in outer space?
Person you expect to send it back first? Dunno!
When is your birthday? What happened to "Don't put too much personal info on the net?" Haha.
Morning person or a night person? I go to sleep at 3 in the morning and get up at 7, then take a nap in the afternoon. I'm enjoying it while it lasts. :)
What is your shoe size? 8 1/2 - 9
Pets? 2 poms at home...little butts! I love them so.
Any exciting news you’d like to share with us? Going on the Napa Wine Train this month with a friend. Yay!
What did you want to be when you were little? A vet, then a doctor, then an investment banker, now a food commodities trader/food politician.
How are you today? Good. I want to get out on the town but lack a vehicle; that, and it's Thursday.
What is your favorite flower? Tulips and Lilies of the Valley.
What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to seeing? Oh, there's so many! Tomorrow, after I finish my long run. My birthday, my Napa wine train trip, school starting, and MY MARATHON! :)
What are you listening to right now? Music from a hip hop class (the Mandapants works at the gym).
What was the last thing you ate? A salad for dinner and some Rolaids for calcium.
Do you wish on stars? Not really, but I love the night sky.
If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Fuschia or pink or something extremely girly.
How is the weather right now? Sunny and hot.
Last person you spoke to on the phone? My grandma; before that, Iron Boy (most frustrating person ever...no one in that good of shape needs to prance around in a Speedo! Torture. Absolute torture.)
Favorite soft drink? Diet Coke. I love it.
Favorite restaurant? Sushi, anywhere.
Favorite color? Blue!
What was your favorite toy as a child? Perdita, my stuffed dalmation. I wonder if I still have her...
Summer or winter? Indifferent, but the sun is nice.
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate is yummy!
Coffee or tea? Coffee.
Do you want your friends to email you back? Of course!
When was the last time you cried? The other day. My boyfriend of a year and I broke up last week. It's been weird.
What is under your bed? All my stuff. My dorm room is tiny!
What did you do last night? Ran 9 miles, did a math problem set, hung out with a guy friend who's running the SF Marathon August 3rd.
What are you afraid of? Getting stuck with a job I hate for the rest of my life.
Salty or sweet? Salty.
How many keys on your key ring? 4
How many years at your current job? Student? Since I was 5.
Favorite day of the week? Friday, after my long runs. :)
Do you make friends easily? Yup.
How many people will you send this to? Everyone who reads my humble blog.
How many will respond? Dunno!

This was fun! Thanks, Roni!

Stick [healthy food] in Mouth. Chew.

2008-07-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of only sticking things in my mouth that a) came out of the ground or b) came out of an animal (chicken, fish, you name it).*

So eating for me is entirely uncomplicated. I'm a student and I eat at a dining hall, so I go in and get fruits, veggies, maybe some whole wheat bread, and...

Eggs.

Do you, oh masses, know how many eggs and/or egg whites I'd have to chew to get my RDA of protein? More eggs than, say, the number of times Hollywood starlettes (ALL OF THEM, TOGETHER) have been in jail. More eggs than the number of first borns you'd have to sell to fuel a Hummer.

Lots of eggs.

My point being that for a clean eater** it's a struggle to get in that amino-acidy-goodness. I could eat dining hall meat, but I don't know how they make it/where it came from, and I'm a wee bit fanatical (trust me on this). So I look elsewhere for my 8 essentials, and tonight I found...

[prepare for modest product plug]

CLOVER ORGANIC YOGURT. IN VANILLA BEAN.

Tastes like happy. Seven whole grams of protein per 6 oz serving! And it's *organic* (With an ingredient list cleaner than Mr. Clean's bald head. Seriously.) And some of us are worried about our girly (or manly!) figures. It has 90 calories; methinks you'll live.

Now here's the real meat (no pun, I swear) of today's post: despite what the Rolling Stones think, sometimes you can't get what you need. I mean, clearly. Even organic yogurt doesn't come directly from the ground and/or an animal

Pondering on clean eating and such, it occurred to me that many of us have things we add to our diets -- for our health -- that aren't, erm, natural.**

So my question to the masses is this: what healthy *non*-foodness do you chew/drink/swallow to make yourself a better human machine?

If you're curious, the following are sittin' on my shelf:

-One a Day Women's Multivitamin
-High Potency B-50 B-Complex
-Tums (berry!)
-Arbonne Skin Support (for hair and skin and general purty-ness, and basically the same as the B-complex...I switch off)

Alright, that's it for today. Mandapants' life currently includes (gasp) summer classes so she can fit in her math minor AND a trip to France next year (Race in Paris? Anyone? Bueller?), and she needs to go work now.

*And the occassional mini Bit-O-Honey I get from my RA's candy bowl. Hey, nobody's perfect.

**I actually adopted MizFit's Tums dosage to get my extra calcium. [Click here to see her awesome post on clean eating.] Also, the Mandapants is buying the suggested Coromega at her next health food store stop. I needs me some Omega 3s.
_______________________________________
Yesterday: 9 miles
Today: rest day
Tomorrow: 14 miles

Crosstraining: The Brussels Sprouts of Fitness

2008-07-30T01:53:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, when the Mandapants was not a runner, she was in a serious, committed relationship with the Elliptical.

Oh, Elliptical.

She would spend 60-70 minutes per day on said machine. The habit was religious and entirely non-negotiable.

But then she discovered running, and realized that not all exercise has to be done in front of a massive noisy fan next to smelly people who (for some God-only-knows reason) don't wear deodorant [insert mental image of the MP running from offender to offender, covering each one in glorious white anti-nastiness].

But Mandapants was dutifully academic about taking up running and realized she could not run every day if she wanted to be her best. So she stuck with her faithful elliptical on off-days.

Now? The Elliptical is a chore. It really is. I do not like it, Sam I Run. I do not like it; it's no fun.

Pros of Elliptical Off-Days:
1) Saves strength for running (yay!)
2) Builds strength for running (double yay!)
3) I can read (really, finish) DK's book while I do it (*fans self*)
4) It helps my knees not hurt after long runs

Cons:
1) Smelly non-deodorant folks abound (hygiene? not complicated!)
2) Boring scenery (sorry, boys lifting weights -- you don't count*)
3) Just doesn't do the same thing for my body, no matter how many calories the machine says I burn
4) Bulks up muscles I want to be leaner

SO my question to the masses is...does anybody have crosstraining suggestions? Tips for taking up swimming instead, perhaps? I tried it out recently, but the day afterward I did my nine miles, came home, and passed out, Confessions of an All-Night Runner held gently against my chest, unfinished. The lack of energy might have been a fueling issue, but part of me thinks I exhausted my leg muscles swimming. Just a thought.

*Med student boy who looks like Noah Wyle? You count 'cause you're especially pretty. I might even let you interrupt my DK reading. Maybe.

Starts with a "Tri-," Ends with a Bruise.

2008-07-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

The Mandapants is adventurous. She loves her a good Half-Dome hike, climbing wall, or new sport. But The MP has to draw the line somewhere.*

And this line she places riiight before triathlons.* Why?

Because at the moment her right limbs and both hips are bruised and cut.**

Apparently, cyclists hook their shoes into the bike pedals when they ride. I get the physics of it all, I really do. But, in my oh-so-humble opinion, the extra speed just isn't worth not being able to (quickly) put my foot down when I need to. Like, oh, say, WHEN I'M FALLING.

*aghem* That is all. Mandapants runs and swims and even bikes recreationally. She does not, however, cycle.

In other news, I bought Dean Karnazes' book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner. It's an easy read and really just increases my infinite love of DK.*** Mostly, he tells how he's made running a part of his life and of his outlook on existence. I feel that second part is something a lot of us think about but feel is too cheesy or campy to say aloud. DK, however, says it beautifully.

Buy the book. Lol. It's great.

*Dean Karnazes carries his line atop his sponsored Camelbak. Said line is rather large; some people think it's the Great Wall of China, but the evidence is still inconclusive.

** Please note that The Mandapants is not a total wimp, as she can clearly endure some dull aches for the sake of marathon training and such. But she does not, however, enjoy thinking of the potential fallout from a spill while going 40+ mph down a hill on a bicycle. Yucky times.

**If there be math nerds in my audience, to them I venture to say my love for Dean Karnazes is something like the order of aleph 1. Nay, aleph 2. Aleph null is too small to hold my love!

----------------------------------------
Run: Nine miles.

That's Corny?

2008-07-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

After graduation, the Mandapants wants to go into food policy. Why? Because eating right should not be hard. I like Michael Pollan's take, which is to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Of course, for many people, this is not so easy. To eat healthy food you have to

1) know what healthy food is
2) want to eat it
3) have access to it, and
4) have the means to procure it.

Main problems for each?

1) educational shortcomings (thank you, schools)
2) advertising (thank you, Ronald McDonald)
3) urban environments (thank you, local liquor stores)
4) poverty (thank you, misguided government programs)

But I digress.

Eating healthy should be simple, like this: "Stick an apple in your mouth. Chew." But what we really give people, as a society, is, "Happy Meals $1 off with coupon." Which wouldn't be so bad, right? Not if Happy Meals were made of APPLES. But they're really made of *corn.* Lots and lots of *corn.* I've seen many a food policy documentary, including The Future of Food and King Corn. Frankly, I preferred the second one. Two dudes show you how to make high fructose corn syrup.

Directions for making HFCS:
1) Get some (cheap, low-quality) corn.
2) Stick it in a pot; boil.
3) Add acid.
4) Mix.
5) Add to [insert otherwise healthy food here].
6) Enjoy!

I know these documentaries are all spun so we align our views with the filmmakers, but there's no debating the fact that there is acid in your french fries.

And that's just nasty.

"Would you like ketchup with that, Sir?"
"Nah, I've got me some ACID."

Yum.

To Be Brief: Running Skirts

2008-07-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

A question to the quicklymobile female masses:

Is the skirt-ness not a distraction?

The Mandapants is sometimes prissy and likes (as does The Dissenter in RW) to run away, for a couple hours, from said high-maintenance.

Yes, I like to look purty just as much as the next girl. But the constant swish-swish, "Look, my pret-ty, pret-ty tush!" sounds like it would distract me from my ultimate goal (read: achieving MiniDean status by the time I'm a centurian).

And, yet, pluses of the skirt phenomenon?

Boys in skirts. Please see Bay to Breakers for additional fun times.

The Marathon: Sub Dean Karnazes Coolness

2008-07-24T17:12:00.001-07:00

That's right. Dean Karnazes exists and undermines the coolness of the marathon.

Almost.

My first 26.2 miles to running greatness? The Wine Country Marathon this October. Tragic but true: the Mandapants started running two months ago, signed up for a half-marathon, and decided it wasn't hardcore enough for her.

So she signs up for this. Is this after the half? Nothing so apt. Nay, the whole shebang goes down two weeks before. Certifiably crazy? Yes. Managing to pump out a 13-mile long run this week? Proud of it.

So it is with that little intro that I introduce my humble blog and set off to comment anonymously no longer!