Running Redemption

Since I didn't feel very successful post race yesterday, I committed to running 5 miles this morning. This served two purposes - one was to regroup mentally since I felt a bit beat down not having performed my best the day before - two was to prepare for my first 10K which is in 13 days.

Ironically, I forgot to bring my gum. My gum is one of my very few staples. I know chewing it helps to regulate my breathing, but I've also come to realize that it has led me to falsely believe I am hydrated when I am clearly not. I have actually been running my 5 mile Saturdays sans water until I have completed the run. Apparently this is bad. Today, I put a bottle of water on a park bench near the first mile marker and every time I passed it, I drank from it. It still was probably not quite the right amount of water necessary for the amount of water my body loses (I'm a sweater like no other), but it's progress.

I listened to my hip doctor and I ran two laps around the park in one direction, then switched directions for the last two to have a more even run on my body.

I reverted back to my 3 min run / 1 min walk method and put my body back in its comfort zone which is where I shall keep it for a while.

I was able to get into "the zone" courtesy of my iPod.

Now, thanks to a fantasmic deep tissue massage I got today via Sarah, an ice pack I have on my hip, and an epsom salt bath that will come later tonight, I will be ready for an awesome workout week which will all help lead me to Saturday's run. I'm hoping to add another 1.27 miles!!!

Cheers to a happy week, y'all!!! =)

Kim versus the 5K: Rodeo Run

I walk away slightly disappointed with my performance on this race. I did not beat my previous time, though it can be argued that I also gave up on even trying to do so. What happened? Hmmm...where to begin???

I looked up the weather the night before and all indications were that it was going to be 48ish during the race. This is pretty cold, though not the coldest I've run in, so I decided to modify my outfit slightly. Last race I wore a long sleeved running shirt, a sweatshirt hoodie, gloves, and my running pants. This time I decided to wear a short sleeved running shirt, a light weight running jacket, and my running pants. I pinned my bib on the outside of my jacket, so I was therefore committed to wearing it. Despite that, I found myself ridiculously overheated shortly after mile one and I had no choice but to take it off (or die) and tie it around my waist for the remainder of the race - which meant no bib showing. Lesson learned - it is better to be underdressed in running than overdressed.

I was running with my "fanny pack". I ran the last race with one as well, but it only had an extra stick of gum, my car key, chapstick, and of course a bottle of water. This time, I added a camera, some Kleenex, and my cell phone. This added significant weight. To make matters worse, I started off running with the bottle and pouch in the small of my back and the water bottle fell off near the beginning of the race, which sorta broke my concentration. I was able to get it back, thankfully. Lesson learned - less is best. Find a way to lighten the load. I may also need to find a better "fanny pack" - one that has a secured bottle.

I decided to skip the iPod this time. All races strongly discourage the runners from having their own tunes - they consider it to be a safety hazard. Whatever. Regardless, I always run with music...it helps me get into a zone. I decided to be experimental and to try to take in the sights and the sounds. Bad idea for the girl with A.D.D. I found myself easily distracted and I never quite got my momentum maintained. Lesson learned - go with what you know and don't experiment on the races.

Since my last race (February 27th's Rocket's Run), I had incorporated a methodology to my madness - my 3 min run / 1 min walk routine. I was able to do 5 miles. Last week, I upped the ante with doing 4 min running / 1 min walking. This was when I was only able to do 4 miles. I decided to do the 4/1 for today's race in lieu of doing what was my body's true comfort zone, the 3/1. I don't think that helped me any. Lesson learned - don't push your body to do what it is not ready to do and you won't be disappointed with the results.

I think that I would have performed better had my body been a bit more limber, as well. I did not exercise this week at all since I'm nursing tendonitis in my right hip (orthopaedic doctor diagnosed and being medically treated with Voltaren) and I was trying to give it as much of a rest as possible.

Okay, so I'm not a girl who believes in regrets because I feel strongly you should learn the lesson and move on. I've listed my lessons learned up above and I will be applying them to all future runs. I'm also a big believer in finding the positive somewhere, someway. There are a few from this race. I ran a 12 minute first mile!
This is a best for me!!! I was able to experience this race with some of my favorite people - Meliska & Greggy-D (who were awesome enough to keep me company to and from the race) and Rodney & Lauren Giles (who were awesome enough to keep me company after the race PLUS Lauren kept me company during the second half of the race).

I've got 2 weeks before the HEB Bayou City 10K and I just know it's gonna be a great experience!

Are you ready for something different?

I've been growing out my hair for 3 years. At first I was doing it for Cathy's (older sister) wedding - so that my hair could have hope of looking half way decent. Then...on the horizon...a year and a half later there was Eddie's (brother) wedding, so I decided to continue Operation: Grow d' locks. Then...11 months later there was Linda's (younger sister) wedding, so why mess with the plan?!

Sure, I remembered the days of going to my long term stylist, Leena, and telling her to do "whatever" as I used to back in the day. I loved giving her free reign to do whatever suited her fancy. I mean she has been cutting my hair for over 12 years, so I totally trust her. BUT alas...something happened in the past 3 years...I became attached to the idea of becoming a Rapunzel (in my own right) and almost fearful of cutting my hair other than the required trim for maintenance purposes. It was almost like I was letting the length of my hair define me.

Saturday was different. On the way to Leena's salon, I made the decision to hand over the chi of creative license, once again. As I sat in the chair and she asked me if I was ready for something different (as she always does), I found myself tearing up as I told her yes. I actually got emotional at the thought of cutting my hair, y'all. I am so NOT that girl, so what gives?!

Well...I've marinated on it and then disected it and I figured out that it wasn't really the actual IDEA of getting more than a trim, but rather more what it represented...yet another step in the transformation. At this point, I've dropped almost 80 lbs, I've pushed myself to physical limits I never thought myself capable of with the whole running thing, and I'm fitting into a clothing size I haven't fit into since I was 14 or 15. The idea of a flattering haircut that would properly frame a face which is finally showing signs of having a bone structure...well, I suppose it's acceptable to make a girl a little emotional.

I kinda still want to cry, but only because I know I will NEVER be able to replicate the style Leena did on Saturday. Sometimes I wish I could bring her home with me and make her do my hair every morning.

Here are some pics!

A couple of weeks before my haircut:

After the haircut:

Go, Kim. Go!

Since I'm quite the unconventional girl, I am not using any structured or guided training program for my running (oh and cuz I'm stubborn). This means I'm relatively clueless when it comes to the whole building distance vs. building endurance vs. building speed issues that I'm facing in my journey towards MY MARATHON TRAINING. Did you catch that last bit? I've changed it from half marathon training to full marathon training. I feel I have the drive, the strength, and the heart to do the full, so I'm going to go for it (in January 2011). In the meanwhile, I have the Rodeo Run 5K on tap for Feb. 27th, the Bayou City Classic 10K on tap for March 13th, and then supposedly Tomball is going to have a 5K/10K race on April 10th that I would like to do. After that, I'm probably going to be raceless until the Houston Half Marathon on Oct. 24th.

So, back to the building distance vs. endurance vs. speed issue I'm facing...I spoke to Meliska and Greggy-D about it the other night and they both agreed that since I'm already doing 5 miles and I have time on my side, it would be best to work on building endurance for the time being. This meant experimenting with changing my 3 minute run / 1 minute walk routine to a 4 minute run / 1 minute walk routine during my Saturday run. I did really well for the first 2 1/2 miles. The next 1 1/2 miles, I noticed a slow fade. By the time I finished the 4th mile, I was toast...worse than that, burnt toast. I really didn't feel like I had much left to give. I walked most of the remaining mile, leaving myself quite disappointed. I know I'm probably not being very fair to myself, it was my first time with that timing structure and I also did not properly hydrate myself, having not carried any water with me and not having stopped to get a drink either.

The good news is that I made it 4 miles and that Saturday's race is 3.1, so I can utilize this time structure for the race. I'm really excited about this because when I did the Rocket's Run on January 31st, my first 5K EVER, I didn't have any kind of structure to my run, so now that I have experience and structure, setting a PR should be a natural progression!

Back in the Saddle Again

Lately I've had that urge to throw myself back out "there" again. Where is "there"? Well...it is that scary "place" (note the quotes exist because it isn't an actual physical location, but rather a mental state) where you throw yourself out into the dating market. Yes, I've been on eHarmony for months upon months upon months, BUT it's mostly fodder for my jokes. I don't see any real action on there - I never initiate contact with anyone and when anyone initiates contact with me, well let's just say the match gets closed out sooner rather than later.

A few years ago during the off again phase of my on again / off again romance with an unacceptable suitor, I joined an organization called Eight Friends Out. It's a dining club for singles in various age groups. First and foremost, it gives you an opportunity to meet and mingle with single adults and secondly, it give you an opportunity to dine in some nice restaurants around Houston. When I had joined this group previously, it would be fair to acknowledge that I was not in the right frame of mind to fully appreciate the experience and/or to reap the benefits. I decided I have come leaps and bounds since then and today I took the first step and re-joined. My only concern was that the menus for the dinners are pre-selected and I am on an obvious diet plan. Before signing up, I asked if I would be allowed to make modifications to the meals and I was told "of course!" This was so wonderful to hear and so I paid the dues and signed up for my first dinner which is on Thursday, 2/24. I'm turbo excited!

Bad Kim

Bad Kim, Bad Kim, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they're comin' for you?

Lately, I feel like the cops are out to get me. Don't dismiss me as paranoid just yet...

A few weeks ago, I was driving home from an appointment on the other side of town. Now I will say that I have developed a "bad" habit of how I hold the steering wheel. I always have my left elbow propped up on the door with my left hand firmly holding onto the steering wheel somewhere around a 9 o'clock. This is the hand that guides the wheel. My right hand...well...it's either up at my ear if I'm chatting on my cell (haven't quite made the transition to hands free as Texas hasn't made that a law yet) or I have my right elbow resting on the steering wheel with my right hand tapping on my chin as if I were deep in thought. Unconventional? Definitely. Unsafe? I should say not! I always have control over my vehicle! I'm a very safe driver. In fact, I get everyone everywhere safely - that has been my motto since I was in college! Okay, okay...but I digress...anyway...so I'm driving home from this appointment and a cop car pulls up along side me on the passenger side of my car. He flashes his lights only I'm certain he is flashing his lights at someone else because...uh...I'm following all traffic laws, so I ignore him. A few seconds go by and I see his lights flash again. This time, I decide to pay attention, so I turn to him and he VERY angrily shouts at me (through our respective windows) "PUT YOUR HAND DOWN!" I, in shock, look at him with what I'm sure was my best Aggie blank expression and so he repeated in an even meaner (and more aggressive) shout, "PUT YOUR HAND DOWN NOW!" I removed the hand that was resting on my chin and put it to my side to appease Officer Krupke. Um...I remember it being recommended to have your hands at 10 and 2 on the wheel during driver's ed, but I don't recall it being a requirement...a law, if you will? I mean let's face it...I could have had one hand down at say...6 o'clock and he wouldn't even have seen it. Sheesh.

Flash forward to two weeks later, I was on my way home from The Woodlands after watching LoSt one evening. I saw this cop car in front of me, but it really didn't phase me because once again...I was following all traffic laws. As I entered into my subdivision (the back way), he pulled over to the side of the road to then follow me. Okay, so this was weird...like he was trying to get me, but no worries cuz I was so not gonna let him. I came to a stop sign and I did this complete exaggerated, waiting for two grandmas and two chickens to cross the road kinda stop. As soon as I pulled past the stop sign...low and behold, there are those infamous flashing lights. You've got to be kidding me! He gets out of his cruiser and walks over to my door asking for my drivers license and insurance. As I started reaching for my purse, I asked if if there was a problem. He asked me if I was aware that my passenger tail light was out. Well no, I actually was not. I mean honestly...how would I know that unless a cop was stalking me? I handed him my license, he asked me if I had any warrants. I laughed and said no. He asked when was the last time I was pulled over. I legitimately forgot about the warning I got in December '08 when the sheriff took pity on my sick soul and let me get away with both speeding and an expired inspection and told this dude it was in May of '99 in College Station for speeding. He laughed, handed me back my license (never actually made me get out my insurance card), and told me to have my husband fix the tail light in the morning. So observant was he that he could tell from being in front of me that I needed a tail light and yet he didn't notice I didn't have a ring on my ring finger. Whatever, dude.

All of this has made me turbo jumpy around white cruisers, to say the least. On my way to work on Friday morning, I saw this police car in front of me and for no reason at all it turned into a motel parking lot. I was sure he was doing a u-turn and then was coming back to get me, so I quickly dodged down a side street. On my way back from lunch that same day, I was waiting for a car to pass so that I could turn into the parking lot at work when all of the sudden a squad car came speeding down the street with the sirens wailing. I just wanted to cry "UNCLE!" Now mind you, I have nothing to hide...but it's one of those things where I just end up looking guilty for SOMETHING because they are driving me cRaZy. Maybe that's all part of their plan...

Bad Kim, Bad Kim, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they're comin' for you?

My Nemesises

I have a holiday nemesis and its name is Valentine's Day. Cards, candy, and flowers have been strategically placed in every store I frequent for weeks now. Almost all TV shows and commercials have had some kind of stupid cupid theme, as well. Let's not forget to mention how every Facebook game I play (Cafe World, Mafia Wars, and Sorority Life) all have their own special lovey dovey crap that makes me want to gag, too. There is no escape from my enemy and I can almost hear its evil laugh at my failed attempts to do so.

I know what you are thinking...if I had a gentleman caller, then V-day and I could embrace one another and frolic and play the Eskimo way. Not so much. Well maybe.

I have a celebrity nemesis and its name is David Hasselhoff. So what if the powers that be decided to humor him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Pictures of him like this with puppies make me want to gouge my eyes out. I don't care that he was once cool back in the days of Knight Rider. Too much has happened (think drunken burger eating) since then to turn his reputation around.

I know what you are thinking...wouldn't it be funny if David Hasselhoff was my gentleman caller? NO, IT WOULD NOT BE FUNNY, YOU SICKOS! ugh...