Monday, July 25, 2011

A Few of My Favorite Things...

I like to think of myself as a person who has little attachments to 'things', after all, I spent a bit of time at an Ashram, meditated, and briefly studied Buddhism and Hinduism.  I did this in an effort to 'find myself' after suffering from some pretty bad depression, anxiety attacks, eat-disorders, and mental chaos.


Much of my learning revolved around detachment, or the idea that our desires lead to unhappiness.  If you are always in pursuit of something better rather what you have, you will always be unhappy.

Anyway, I'm not trying to convert anyone here especially since I, of course, still desire things (a new iFitness Hydration Belt is one such thing).   I understand the concept but people still have to own "things" to get through life.  I try to keep my possessions to a minimum {that's easy when you're always broke} and routinely declutter but I often get questions regarding my exercise/running gear. So here are a few of my favorites...

My favorite running items:

Ready to run! BTW, I do wear shorts as well but they didn't make the cut for the photo shoot.
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11
Socks: Adidas Microfiber Aloe Low Cut socks
Sports Bra: To keep the girls from giving me a black eye (I'm a D-cup) Moving Comfort Fiona (I also                  like the Champion Powersleek® Sports Bra)

For after the run:
The Stick (a rolling pin will do the job too, after all, for most of us it just sits in the drawer anyway).
Foam Roller...the most important and beloved recovery item.


My Running Fuel:

Honey Stinger Waffles...good for dessert too.
Check out @MinistryofNuun on Twitter...zero calorie (yet delicious) electrolyte-enhanced sports drink tabs.  Check them out on Facebook too.

My favorite exercises (besides running):


Available from my Beachbody Store.
I am completely addicted to Kettle Bells.  They offer a great workout and fast results.

My favorite books:

Not pictured: My Kindle book collection  =)
Some other favorites:


I'm an avid reader and belong to a book club that meets monthly but I also try to read books pertaining to my interests (running, fitness, healthy eating, etc.).  I was in a rut for quite a while reading only non-fiction, mostly self-help books so it has been wonderful to get back into the fiction world with my book club friends.

I'd love to hear about some of your favorite belongings as well.  I'm always looking for new books to add to my queue so leave me some suggestions in the comments section (fiction or non-fiction)!!


Thursday, July 14, 2011

Peeling Beer Labels = Sexual Frustration (or so I've heard)

Remember back in the day when peeling the label of one's beer meant they were sexually frustrated or {hopefully} going to get 'lucky'?? (There's even a Facebook Group dedicated to it see here!)  I don't know if the luck came from the perfect peel-off or the fact that guys could slap that label on some girl as if he were claiming her ('the chick with the Dos Equis label is mine fellas') but nowadays we all seem to be searching for some kind of word to help identify who we are or to which group we belong.

All of us use certain words to describe who we are...some of mine are daughter, runner, horse lover, Californian, Air Force brat, kettle bell fanatic, reader and, for some reason I've felt inclined to include wanna-be-vegan.  I was recently watching Eat, Pray, Love {again} and there was a scene in which the characters are looking for that one word that would describe themselves as well as certain cities (ie. Rome = Food).  It's just what we do when we want to try to explain the type of person we are when getting to know one another.


The problem I am having is when those descriptive words become labels and those labels somehow become negative even though I embarked on these 'earning' them on a quest to become a better person.  Or, when somehow, one feels obligated to include one of these labels because it is still perceived as 'against the main stream', such as being a vegetarian.  After all, most 'regular' folks who eat 'regular' foods don't include a "what type of food do you eat" label, "Hi I'm Bob...a lawyer who likes to hike, reads Playboy for the articles and eats fish, chicken, pork, and beef along with some vegetables and starchy foods but NOT potatoes (ewww) or peanuts (allergic), or green bell peppers (that's just gross).  Nice to meet you.".

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I am NOT 100% vegan or vegetarian but I strive to make these types of food choices MOST of the time.  I find when meeting people (and only when the food issue comes up...like do you want to grab a burger with me??) the easiest thing for me to say is that I am a vegetarian (even though I've been known to eat a piece of fish or a few shrimp).  My other option would be to go into a lengthy diatribe of all the things I will or won't eat, which would take so long that surely one of us would starve to death.  So, for simplicity's sake I claim to be a vegetarian who strives to eat vegan.

Here's the problem...as soon as you 'claim' this title, you open yourself up to complete criticism and not only from the 'meat-eaters' but also from the true-vegans.  Weird, I know.  I mean, I am completely used to getting 'picked on' by friends and family who still think it's funny that I won't eat meat (ok, except the fish) or drink milk (truly gross) and will sometimes even try to engage me into a debate about it all.  I really try not to push my own beliefs onto people but if they ask, I'll get into it.  I don't claim to be an expert at all thing vegetarian/vegan or animal rights.  I just do what I do...and it works for me.



Except when...I get lambasted by a true (yet very judgmental) type of vegan who can only point out the things I'm doing wrong instead of the things I'm doing right.  Yes, I sometimes have energy gels when I'm running that contain honey (but NEVER gelatin) and I still own a pair of leather shoes that I've had for years and years.  But I also helped gather signatures to end the crating of veal calves, volunteered to rehabilitate injured wild animals, participated in numerous petitions for animal rights and better nutrition in schools, I've written my congressmen, senators, and others in key positions on the issues that mean a lot to me, rescued a horse from the charro rodeo, etc.


I'm not trying to pat myself on the back and I'm sure there are people who have done way more than I have in helping society.  I am simply thinking that it's high time we stop worrying about the labels and dissecting people because of them.

Some other comments I've seen or heard in the blog/twitter/real world recently that apply to what I'm trying to get to here:

1- You call yourself a weight-loss blogger yet you're not losing weight?  Why are you wasting your time with this then?

2- You say you're a runner but you do walk intervals??  So, you're not really a runner then...

3- You walked part of that marathon???  In other words you haven't run a marathon.

4- You hardly have (or have no) followers on your blog so how can you call yourself a blogger?

5- You can't claim to be a vegan and consume anything with non-vegan sugar (apparently sugar companies use bone to make the sugar fine).  {So, it's not enough even if I don't eat meat, eggs, dairy, honey...don't wear leather, fur or suede, my lotion doesn't have lanolin and my vitamins don't contain gelatin but shit...I just had a teaspoon of sugar in my coffee...I might as well just give it all up and slaughter a baby cow...veal for everyone!!}




As I write this I realize I am so guilty of this...always striving but never quite accomplishing.  Because then what??  While training for the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon I was in the zone, now, having completed it, I am suffering the goal-setter's let down.  What I've come to realize is that there really is no finish line to self-discovery.  This is all one big journey and there will never be enough words to describe any of us fully.

Funny, but true.
Source
While I understand we still need to use words to help define ourselves to others, I feel that it may be helpful to lighten up a little when it comes to expecting people to fit neatly into the boxes we create.  And maybe we need to ease up on using some labels we use to explain who we are since we are obviously so much more than any words could say and can often open ourselves up to negative self-talk (especially when bombarded with remarks like the ones above).



Note:  I do not mean to be critical of any person or group of people.  I have many vegan/vegetarian friends and acquaintances who are very supportive and helpful.  I am just venting on an experience I've had with a small handful of people who happened to be Vegan and were very passionate about their beliefs.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Taper Week Still Sucks A$$...

It is Taper Week once again (I have the Davis Moo-nlight 1/2 Marathon this Saturday night) and it is driving me crazy.  Partly due to the fact that I had already taken 8 days off after pulling something in my lower back while doing housework but also because I started reading Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald and am now all amped up to get this body fat 'issue' resolved.


It sometimes seems as if I get the best spurts of 'motivation' when I can't (shouldn't) exercise...I feel like a kid whose been told "No" only to have that spark my desire to 'it' even more.  If only I could bottle this feeling and sell it!  But, instead, I am trying to channel this restlessness into other things, like actually posting in my blog {okay, and maybe a little housework}.

I noticed recently that I started falling into my modus operandi...staying really busy but not getting much done.  Oh, I've been having fun with #runchat and #fitblog, meeting new people and checking out new blogs {Hi new friends!!!}.  But I've also READ more about training than I've actually trained!

What have I actually accomplished??  Well, I DO have my complete marathon training plan ready and loaded into my Google calendar (with reminders).  I also have the FULL 90 days of P90X in the calendar (although I'm about 3 weeks behind due to the above mentioned injury) but will need to update this now that I'm back in action.  {Needless to say it gets really, really annoying when my phone reminder goes off and I am in no way, shape or form gonna make my workout...like this past Saturday when I was in Sonoma at a star-studded wedding with free wine}.

The best wedding idea ever...funny photo booth...we made scrapbook pages for the Bride & Groom right there from duplicates!!
And while I've been really good about getting my required miles in, I have failed to actually go outside and hit some hills and trails as I had originally planned in preparation for the Tough Mudder in September.

My Tough Mudder shirt...watch out whiners!!
I am really hoping that this half-marathon be a springboard for the remainder of my summer training.  I am eager to get on-board with some hill and trail running as well as more kettle bells and P90X.  Reading the Racing Weight book has also helped to focus my attention on over-all fitness goals rather then a "weight" goal, after all, I've seen a lot of 'skinny' people who have a lot of body fat and are no healthier (or even less healthy) than a person who weighs more.
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