The cover story of this month's Runner's World magazine is about the fashion tidal wave that is the running skirt.
I started wearing running skirts before there were running skirts. I'd buy longer, non-white, tennis skirts and train in those. If you catch me wearing one of my older running skirts, I can show the hidden pockets that you're supposed to use to tuck a tennis ball for second serve. Whenever I'd wear a skirt to a race, a few women always asked where to get one. Other people were like, "WTF is she wearing".
Honestly, I don't know if I'd have kept training if I couldn't have found the skirts. I hate my thighs and the skirts make me feel a little bit better about myself. The skirt allowed me to feel girly enough that I wasn't horribly self-conscious.
Whatever gets you out to train is all right with me. All hail the skirt!
Skirt Chaser
Stoking the Metobolic Fire
The running has really cranked up my metabolism. Consistent, intense cardio work makes your body burn through calories at an amazing rate. Come warm your hands around my metabolic fire.
You know when your metabolism heats up, because you are constantly hungry for healthy things - apples, yogurt, veggies and proteins. Unfortunately, if nothing healthy is available you're hungry enough to tear through whatever crap food is available. That's how people gain weight during marathon training - they're starved.
For the last week or so, I could feel my metobolism kicking it up a notch. This weekend, after the long run, it's really on fire. I'm hungry all the time. My metabolic furnace is so hot that I'm surprised I don't poot smoke.
Suddenly, it was 1988
We went to see The Police Reunion tour last night. Wow, just wow. We hung out on the lawn for a song or two, then migrated to a box for most of the show. Reunion tours can be a dicey proposition, but The Police did it just right. Just the three of them - no additional musicians or back up singers. It was a lean, pure production - very simple stage, simple lighting - with the music just pouring.
I didn't realize it until we got to the venue but Elvis Costello opened the show. I love me some Elvis (Costello and Presley). Elvis did a great set, especially Sting coming out to duet with him on Allison.
As it often happens, one thing is a microcosm for another. Watching the show I couldn't help but note the impact of fitness on the artists.
Elvis Costello is 53. He looks like this - kind of, well, lumpy. |  | ||
| Sting is 56 and a long-time proponent of fitness, yoga and healthy diet. He looks like this. |  |
Both Sting and Elvis are looking a bit scruffy with the beard, but check that bicep on Sting. I would not describe him as lumpy unless by lumpy I meant delicious. Read More......
Why I Broke Up With Lenny & Larry
I'm doing what I can to stem the tide of obesity that is sweeping this country. Since I'm only one prone-to-chubbiness woman I can't do it alone but I do two things: I keep my own weight in line and I refuse to reward companies that give misleading portion information.
My favorite pre-workout snack is was a Lenny & Larry Muscle Brownie - either in peanut butter or triple chocolate flavor. The brownies are very tasty and a caloric bargain at 170 cals per brownie. Or so I thought. Today, I really looked at the label - serves 2. Are you kidding me? Since when does an individually wrapped snack serve 2? Does a Snickers bar serve 4? Of course it doesn't. It's infuriating when companies fudge on their nutrition labels. It's hard enough to get people to pay attention to healthy eating. We don't need companies making it more difficult.
Would I have bought the brownies if I'd have known that they were 340 calories? No. But I would have happily bought a smaller portion at 200 calories - I'd have even paid the same exorbitant price for the product.
I'm betting other people won't buy them at 340 calories either. These are a popular item at the juice bar at my gym. Before I left, I wrote "340 Calories" on the display box in Sharpie marker.
Lenny & Larry, I'm so over you.
Home Ownership
Hey, home ownership is not all the fun of mortgages and property taxes.
I can tell you this about my first attempt at regrouting my bathroom. It's requiring a second attempt at regrouting my bathroom.
Ah well.
Heaven Looks Like This
After a hectic early morning of travel, I arrived in Humboldt, California for tomorrow's half marathon. We're staying at the cutest B&B, the Gingerbread Mansion. It's lovely here and smack in middle of the beautiful California redwoods. The redwoods are every bit as awesome as you might have heard.
The area has a very small town feel which I love. Well, except for the fact that medical (and recreational) marijuana is Humboldt's big industry due to the extremely high THC content in the local crop. In other words, Humboldt weed is the good stuff.
Still it's a conservative small town. I knew what I was getting as soon as I landed at the local airport and bait shop. Okay, it's not the bait shop, but it's a pretty darn small airport. In the ladies room there is the following sign:
Please notice the wording - not just California law but Common decency demands that you wash your hands. When is the last time you saw a sign that appealed to your common decency. In a small town, that's where you get signs like that.
Anyway, it's lovely here. A small, Victorian town snuggled in the majestic forest of redwoods.
Cleaning off the Camera Phone
Making room on my camera phone memory card I found these snaps of Steve and I at the top of Mount SomethingOrAnother just outside of San Diego.
This was the climb where Steve noted my amusing lack of balance. It's true; I climb like a weeble - always wobbling back and forth but never actually falling.
The view of the desert -note that San Diego is recovering impressively from last year's wildfires.
Steve at the top of the climb.
Race In Peace
This morning there was a shark attack off the coast of Solana Beach. Fatal attacks in Southern California are very, very rare. The last confirmed one in San Diego county was in the 1950's. Any attack is such an incredibly, incredibly sad thing.
The man was training for a triathlon. Solana Beach is a strip of the shoreline where I train frequently. As soon as I heard, I did what most endurance athletes in Southern California did - I checked to see if I knew him. In a way, we all did know him. We knew his love for training and for competing. We knew his drive to find his personal best.
Race on brother.
Bend to My Will!
Why won't the weather cooperate with me. I need to have Sunday be a cold, cold day. Everyone is faster when the weather is chilly.
The forecast?
Average High Temperature: 69° F
Record High Temperature: 86° F
Oh - and I just think this is so cool - there are always two cyclists who lead the pack of runners. The cyclists show the path of the course so that the lead runners don't get lost. Trust me, the pack would simply follow the leaders. It would be Moses in the dessert out there. Any way, Steve is going to be one of the two cyclists this year. We may be the first couple in La Jolla Half Marathon history to have both the first and last finisher.
Didn't You Used to Have a Blog?
Uh, yeah. It's been a hectic two weeks with lots of time on the road. When I say "on the road" I don't mean lots of time running/walking. I mean a lot of business travel. The high point was a very quick trip back to Dallas. There are few things more comforting than seeing old friends. Oh, and having fabulous Texas BBQ beef ribs, good Mexican food and Shiner Bock beer.
For the last week, I've been back in San Diego and trying to get my house in order. There are a ton of things that I've been meaning to get accomplished, but just haven't had the opportunity and inclination. All of these are jobs with what I call a high "And Then I'll" factor. The "And Then I'll" factor is how many steps it'll take to reach the end of the job. For me jobs with an "And Then I'll" of less than three will be accomplished in a week or two. An "And Then I'll" of four to six will be accomplished within a few months at most. An "And Then I'll" of more than six is the kiss of death. Unless I'm under extreme pressure, I won't even begin of job that many steps.
Steve went out of town last weekend which gave me a perfect opportunity to get on some home spiffying. I dropped him at the airport at 6 a.m. and headed straight to Home Depot. Since last Friday I've:
Painted the KitchenThose are just the bigger jobs. I'm not telling you about all the prep work - taping off rooms to paint, cleaning up brushes and trips to Lowe's, Ace Hardware and Home Depot. There is still a ton to do - fix my mail box, paint the bedrooms, call the contractor about some work I can't do myself. So much progress, and yet not enough to be complete.
"And Then I'll" factor: 15Refinished the dining room table
- Scraped the remaining paint off the kitchen walls and ceiling.
- Scrubbed all surfaces to be painted with TSP.
- Spackled and sanded the walls. (2)
- Completed the finish carpentry on the microwave installation.
- Primed and painted the laundry room/kitchen ceiling. (2)
- Primed and painted the laundry room/kitchen. Oh, for this I used tinted primer since I was shooting for a soft buttercup yellow and yellow is an impossible color to get to cover nicely. I will never use white primer again. Tinted primer is where it's at! (2)
- Primed and painted remaining cabinet in the kitchen. (2)
- Bonus "And Then I'll" - Decided that I could not stand the blue bathroom cabinet a moment longer. Since I had out the primer and paint anyway decided to make it white. Sanded, TSP'ed, primed and painted that cabinet white. This will get one more coat of enamel tomorrow. Technically this is not finished. (4)
"And Then I'll" factor: 8Spruced up the light switch and outlet covers
- Stripped off the old finish with a chemical stripper.
- Sanded and sanded and sanded.
- Stained.
- Polyurethaned. Buff sanded. (2)
- Polyurethaned. Buff sanded. Again. (2)
- Decided that I hated the satin finish.
- Polyurethaned again, but used semi-gloss this time.
"And Then I'll" factor: 5Finished jobs started ages ago
- Hunted in the garage for the covers I bought a year ago. Found the light switch covers, but never located the outlet covers. Ran to Home Depot for new covers.
- Removed old covers. Which should have taken 2 seconds but the last electrician had put some sort of caulk around them. There was some work to get them off without damaging the walls. (2)
- Used wood putty to repair the the beadboard paneling around the dining room outlets.
- Replaced the cheapie plastic light switch and outlet covers with much nicer ones.
"And Then I'll" factor: 2Kicked off new jobs
- FINALLY touched up the mess I'd made of the dining room ceiling. When I painted the dining room, the job ran long and I had to finish the work in the shadowy afternoon light. It looked like I'd painted it in candlelight. It was a mess. Taped off and painted. (2)
"And Then I'll" factor: Unknown
- Ordered new light fixtures for the kitchen and hallway. Ordered ceiling fans for the bedrooms.
- Met with the landscape architect about what to do with my yard/valley of death.
I took a break from all this home repair to do a quick 8 miles - including the worse of the Torrey Pines hills. The La Jolla Half Marathon is this weekend. I'm not sure I'm fast enough to get a medal, but I'm ready to give it a try. Read More......
That Was Fun, See You in a Month
Today was one of the rare Sunday's where we could do nothing all morning. It was a very nice sleep in/watch a movie/go to breakfast morning. Then I realized that the next possible opportunity to have a do nothing day will be May 11th. Between travel, training, and 2 half marathons we are committed every weekend morning for the next 4 weeks.
Read More......On My Way
Oh, what a craptastic morning this has been. The entire trip the airport has been a comedy of errors.
I just found my seat on my first plane. In a matter of hours I will be drinking a Sonic Diet Cherry Limeade Made With Real Limes and Diet Cherry Syrup with Extra Cherries. Oh, and I'll have dinner with some of my most favorite people in the world.
All is right with my world.
A Saturday At Loose Ends
Today was my first Saturday in over a year that I didn't have either training or a race. I'm getting ready for the La Jolla Half Marathon right now, but we shifted our long training to Sunday this week. Thus, I found myself with a Saturday with no plans. Of course, Steve was happy to suggest that I cook a real dinner while he went to train for the century ride. By "suggest", I mean look at me with big pleading eyes. (Just kidding.) (Not really.)
I decided on an easy dinner - herb rubbed pork loin, oven potatoes and roasted asparagus. First, I set myself to finding all the pots and cooking stuff I'd need. I bought my house over a year ago and there are still times I think - hey, I think the movers lost my XYZ. Today it was my meat thermometer and my small roasting pan that went AWOL. Dern movers. These are the same movers who packed my thermal coffee pot with coffee still in it. Trust me, it was a revolting little surprise when I unpacked that coffee pot after it had been in storage for 2 months.
Anyway, I went off to Costco to purchase the food and materials for dinner. Like most Californians I love Costco, but I'd never been there on a Saturday before today. Normally, I go during the week when it's not crowded. Costco is always giving away samples of food and stuff and people get excited. Dear Heavens, you don't know the type of animalistic behavior I witnessed whenever the free samples became available today. There was pushing; there was grabbing. It was like like Lord of the Costco Flies.
Finally, I got started cooking. While I cooked dinner, Steve told me about his ride. For a moment I was jealous and sad. Then I was just really happy that he'd had a good, safe training ride. I've already begun preparing myself for how happy (for him) and bummed (for me) I'll feel when he completes the event.
My major accomplishment of the day was following the pork loin recipe exactly. Normally, I look at a recipe and then use that to inspire a dish. Today, I actually followed the recipe even when I thought - Gee, that's too much sage. It was a little too much sage, but we paired the meal with a bottle of Barolo. Normally, the Barolo would have overpowered a pork dish, but the flavors were pretty evenly matched. Oh, and as I went to put dinner on the table I noticed my gravy boat is also MIA. Somewhere in the Graebel Moving storage facility, there's a bunch of my kitchen equipment. Dern movers.
Midway Through 2 Weeks of Overload
There was a point last week when I had message lights blinking on all three voice mail systems and over 200 unread messages in my professional email. I haven't even opened most of my personal emails.
I feel as though I'm behind on everything. That makes me more curt with people which only adds to my stress level. Stress makes me less efficient. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. I have two business trips this week and maybe one next week. After that, life will be calmed again.
Happy Easter
Scott, physican, blogger and comic book fan, continues his annual Easter series of Peep Superheros. Personally, I never thought he'd beat the Avengers Peeps of 2006.
I was wrong. Go see this year's X-Men Peeps. Brilliant!
Found
This weekend I stumbled on this photo of Tina and I that our friend Connie snapped.
Film Festival Brush with Fame
Tonight Steve and I went to see two films at the San Diego Latino Film Festival. Both films were good, butI really loved El Viaje de la Nonna. The film was mostly in Spanish which I can almost understand. It's tough for me to understand colloquial Spanish, but movie Spanish is usually decipherable for me. Every once in awhile, I'd think "Man, I'm doing great understanding this!" Then I'd realize that the movie had shifted from Spanish to Italian. It was the Italian parts I understood without subtitles.
Between films I mentioned to Steve that I thought the actors in El Viaje de la Nonna were really captivating, especially Julio Bracho. Guess who sat in front of us at the second film, Saneamento Basico Filme? Julio Bracho.
I attempted to tell him that I really enjoyed his film. After one faltering sentence in Spanish, I repeated it in English. He said thanks in both languages too. I really happy that I repeated myself in English - in Spanish I probably told him I enjoyed the dog or something equally idiotic.
After 12 years living in Spanish speaking cities, I still struggle to communicate.
I want!
Bella got one of the National Geographic Genographic kits for her Dad. It tells the story of your ancestors via your DNA.
It's so incredibly cool that I want one. I believe it will confirm my citizen of the world status. Or it may just show that I have a genetic predisposition to prefer Indian food over Thai food.
