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By kilax, March 11, 2010 5:45 am

I am so sick and tired and of saying the same things over and over.

It is mostly reminding people of things they can’t do, should do, or I told them to do, and they didn’t do (and now the shit’s hit the fan, go figure).

Why is this information not sinking in?

Really, on Monday, I had a discussion with someone reminding them about a certain protocol (that we had already discussed in January and December).

They broke protocol on Tuesday.

So I remind them again.

And again.

And again…

I just get so infuriated!

Does this happen to anyone else, or is it just me? Do you ever feel like you are stuck on repeat?

I am wondering if I am not clear enough, or if people just… don’t listen. Or, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt – maybe they are just really forgetful.

Either way, it’s such a waste of time for me to be constantly repeating things.

Sorry to be so vague!

Comments (45)

By kilax, March 10, 2010 7:18 am

I’m so happy it was rain, not snow, pelting me in the face as I walked to work this morning.

I just wish I would have remembered my umbrella!

What signs of spring are you noticing where you live?

I feel like the longer days have snuck up on me. It is light when I walk to work in the morning now (even at 6:30 am) and sometimes light on the train ride home. I guess that means it is time to start breaking out of the habit of immediately getting into sloth-mode when I come home. Darn!

Comments (47)

By kilax, March 9, 2010 5:21 am

I think Data wants a bath…

… okay, maybe not!

What is your pet’s favorite “hiding spot”? What strange places do they get in to?

Back when Steven and I were doing the long-distance thing (me in Iowa, him in Illinois) we used to talk to each other on the phone while we were getting ready each morning.

One day when we were chatting, Steven was about to leave the house when he realized he hadn’t seen Data in awhile. Normally, Data is his little shadow, so it was a bit strange that he wasn’t there, acting as a tripping hazard. Of course, I started to panic, asking Steven if he had opened the garage door and let Data out, if Data accidentally got trapped in the coat closet (a favorite place of Data’s to hide) when Steven grabbed his jacket, or if nazis kidnapped him, etc. Steven looked all over downstairs and couldn’t find him.

So I’m 400 miles away, hyperventilating because I am convinced Data somehow escaped the house and got hit by a car. Steven decides to retrace his steps from the morning, checking the bedroom, closet, and bathroom upstairs.

Steven looks in the bathroom, no visible Data. Checks behind the shower curtain, no visible Data. He thinks about his morning routine, washing his face, brushing his teeth, using mouthwash… “wait a second,” he says (we are still on the phone), “I wonder if Data got into the cabinets when I got my mouth wash out this morning!”

Sure enough, Data was sitting in the cabinet under the sink, like it was no big deal (he must have been there for at least 15 minutes). Steven opened the cabinet door, and Data gave it a second or two (coupled with a few glances of boredom) before he walked out.

Now we always check the cabinets before we leave the bathroom.

Steven, I am sure I told parts of this story wrong, so you can correct me if you want!

Comments (48)

By kilax, March 8, 2010 4:48 am

Duh! What kind of a dumb question is that?!

Well, according to a study done in the Netherlands (whose residents get about 4 weeks of vacation per year) it is not the vacation that makes you feel happy for the longest period of time, but planning for it and anticipating it.

The researchers studied happiness levels among 1,530 Dutch adults, 974 of whom took a vacation during the 32-week study period. Their findings were interesting:

• The largest boost in happiness comes from the simple act of planning a vacation. In the study, the effect of vacation anticipation boosted happiness for eight weeks.
• After the vacation, happiness quickly dropped back to baseline levels for most people. How much stress or relaxation a traveler experienced on the trip appeared to influence post-vacation happiness. There was no post-trip happiness benefit for travelers who said the vacation was “neutral” or stressful.”
• The only vacationers who experienced an increase in happiness after the trip were those who reported feeling “very relaxed” on their vacation. Among those people, the vacation happiness effect lasted for just two weeks after the trip before returning to baseline levels. (One reason vacations don’t boost happiness after the trip may have to do with the stress of returning to work. And for some travelers, the holiday itself was stressful.)
• The study didn’t find any relationship between the length of the vacation and overall happiness. Since most of the happiness boost comes from planning and anticipating a vacation, the study suggests that people may get more out of several small trips a year than one big vacation.

When I first read this article, I kind of thought it was a bunch of baloney, but as I thought about it more, I realized it describes me exactly. I LOVE daydreaming about upcoming “vacations” and races. And sometimes I enjoy the daydreaming more than the actual trip. It allows me to escape the mundane and live a little fantasy in my day-to-day life. It gives me something to look forward to.

And I can definitely relate to the stress of going back to work! I think I could say my mood is worse after coming back from a vacation. As much as I try to be cheery, I just don’t want to be back in the office!

Do you sometimes enjoy planning and anticipating a vacation more than the actual vacation itself? What are your tips for relaxing on vacation (and leaving work and other life issues behind)? Do you have any vacations coming up (share them with me – I am definitely not taking any and will live through yours!)?

I better post some pictures if I am talking about vacations! Here are some from the last two we’ve taken – Aruba and Denver. Can you guess which photos are from which locations? Ha ha.

Wow.

You guys really like cookies – I cannot believe how many people entered to win the Alternative Baking Company cookies. Wait – maybe I can believe it. These are damn good cookies!

I did use the Random Number Generator for this giveaway. There were just too many entries for me to do it the old-fashioned way! Before I put the entries in though, I deleted all the non-entry comments and pingbacks (sorry!) to make it fair.

And the winner is…

#92… Holly from The Balance Broad! Congrats Holly! Please email me your address and I’ll send these delicious cookies your way! (Please send it soon – if they sit on my kitchen counter any longer they may get eaten!).

As always, thank you to everyone who entered. And a big thanks to everyone who provided a recipe! I have so many to try now!

And since I am always asking your opinion on things, please let me know in the poll below (and your responses) if you think I should keep doing giveaways. I really enjoy doing them, and think they are a great way to meet new bloggers, but was wondering what you guys think. Thanks!

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Comments (16)

By kilax, March 7, 2010 10:06 am

Yes, it is ironic for me to post this loooong post after asking you about skimming yesterday! But… these weekend updates are always long, and I honestly expect most people to skim them (I mean, I hope you don’t, but come on, let’s be real)!

Day 134 | March 1, 2010: strength

Do you ever have one of those days where you are not 100% alert? You are physically awake… but feel like you never woke up?

That was my Monday morning. For whatever reason, I felt like I was in a complete fog in the morning – despite getting more sleep than I ever do! I think I just had too much going on when I got to work. I was immediately pulled into a meeting that I was unprepared for, then spent the rest of the morning rushing around until I had another 1.5 hour meeting.

Wah.

The point is – taking a break to do my strength workout (not until 1:00!) made me feel more alert. Thankfully! It was an awful morning!

I did the routine below x2:

Step Ups w/Dumbbells: 20 ea. leg @ 10 lbs (ea. hand)
Smith Squats: 15 @ 40 lbs, explode up
Isolated Lunge with Hammer Curls: 30 sec ea. leg @ 5 lbs, fast paced
Crunch Fly (on exercise ball): 20 @ 5 lbs
Bosu Lunge n’ Jump: 20 ea. leg
Bosu Push Ups: 15
Bosu 1,2s: 30 sec
Rotator Cuffs (lie on back): 20 @ 3 lbs (ea. hand)
Calf Raises w/Triceps: 25 @ 20 lbs
Shin Developer: 20 @ 10 lbs

Day 135 | March 2, 2010: 5 m run + stretch

I did a nice, easy 5-miler to recover from Sunday’s race. Only a few things to note:

1. When I woke up and saw that it was 28°F outside, I thought “It’s so warm! I can wear tights!” Yes, I have gone crazy.
2. I was spitting up blood for the first mile. Yay.
3. I took these bad boys on their inaugural outdoor run:

My new GTS 10s! I have been putting off wearing them outside, because I want them to stay pretty… but the bottoms of my feet have been hurting. I figured it was time.

Amy wrote about how she babies her new shoes as well (avoiding puddles and mud)… do you baby your new shoes?

I did the 10-minute YogaWorks AM Wake-Up Segment when I got back to the house.

Distance: 5.00 | Time: 49:27 | 1: 10:30 | 2: 10:10 | 3: 9:58 | 4: 9:35 | 5: 9:10

Day 136 | March 3, 2010: yoga

Steven and I did the YogaWorks Body Slim workout in the evening. You know, I am not sure whether I should be excited or bothered that I could be so much better at it. I’ll stick with excited for now… it means I can still improve a lot – in my own home!

Um, Data? I am not sure if that counts as a “yoga move” or not.

Day 137 | March 4, 2010: 6 m interval run + stretch

I had plans to get up at 3:45 to run before work, and of course, I woke up at 3:15, wide awake, needing to use the bathroom. I just got up and stayed up.

I did 800s with 400 recoveries. I decided to do as many as I could, which ended up being only 4 sets (with a 1.5 mile warm-up and a 1.5 mile cool-down) in the 14° weather . I did the 800s at an 8:30 pace and the 400 recoveries at a 9:30 pace. It is harder to pace myself when I am not on the treadmill, but I think I did a good job.

I did the 10-minute YogaWorks AM Wake-Up Segment when I got back to the house. When I go from downward dog back to standing, I notice I can move my left foot forward more (if I move that foot first into a high lunge to stand up) than my right foot. I wonder if my right hip is tight or something.

I ended up having an hour debate in my head around 11:30 about whether or not I should work out during lunch. I went down to the gym with the intent of doing a strength workout and ended up on the bike. Oops. I am a little… um… un-enthused about my new strength workout.

Distance: 6.00 | Time: 56:00 | 1: 10:14 | 2: 9:13 | 3: 8:54 | 4: 8:39  | 5: 9:28 | 6: 9:28
Bike Time: 45:00 | Distance: 7.88 (Set on “Ozark Trails”)

Day 138 | March 5, 2010: rest

Day 139 | March 6, 2010: 10 m run (4 + 6) + stretch

What a perfect day for a run! It must have been near 40°F, and the skies were a clear blue without a single cloud! Steven and I ran four miles together, then we stopped at home where I had a quick snack, and went back out for six miles by myself. Both runs felt good – except for an awful feeling in my chest from something I ate. Maybe that is heartburn? I think it was the “robusto” Italian dressing I had.

After I got back, we did the 10-minute YogaWorks AM Wake-Up Segment to stretch out.

There were lot of kids out playing while we were running. We passed one little boy who was riding a trike on the sidewalk in front of his house, while his parents watched. After we passed, we heard him ask “Why are those people running?” His mom answered, “Because it’s good for you!” Aww. I thought that was cute.

Distance: 10.00 | Time: 1:42:45 | 1: 10:56 | 2: 11:15 | 3: 10:56 | 4: 11:03  | 5: 10:16 | 6: 10:08 | 7: 9:44 | 8: 9:36 | 9: 9:32 | 10: 9:15

Day 140 | March 7, 2010: strength

I did Level 2 of The 30 Day Shred with 2 lb. weights and I was covered in sweat when I was done. It felt harder than it should… then I looked at my exercise log and realized I hadn’t done Level 2 since January 25th. Oops!

Week Summary: 21.00 miles

I feel like I had a good “recovery” week from Sunday’s 5K (okay, honestly, I feel like I was LAZY this week and I am using “recovery” as an excuse). I felt a few twinges in my shins and my left heel this week, so I have been icing them and watching them for signs of discomfort. My race schedule is kind of filling up, and I don’t want to be injured! I am thinking about a 10K mid-April, have a half on May 1st, and just signed up to run the Chicago Half on September 12 with Robin!

I updated my post “Can techniques to boost confidence in running help with other life goals?” to include a link to the Runner’s World article on Kara Goucher that inspired it. Check out the full article if you have time! It’s really inspiring.

Comments (45)

By kilax, March 6, 2010 9:31 am

Why is it that I can go a whole year without having any soda at all and not miss it – but I can’t seem to go through a day without craving a sugary treat? Aren’t these two items in the same category, brain? The category of things loaded with sugar that I shouldn’t eat/drink?

I suppose actually eating something is more satisfying that drinking something for me, which is why it has been easy to stay away from soda.

Now, I want it to be as easy to stay away from sugary treats. Despite telling you guys about how white sugar affects your body, I have not been able limit my intake very well, even though I want to. When I get a between-meals craving, it is for something sugary. Then if I do have something sugary, I am so overloaded with sugar, that I get a craving for something salty. Ugh. It is time for all of those sugary treats to just be fruit. I don’t feel like I can handle anything else right now.

Do you get in-between meal (“snacky”) cravings? What kinds of foods to do you crave?

I tried to write some shorter posts this week. I tend to get a bit “blah blah blah” and drag things out longer than I should. And I think that we are all pressed for time, and writing posts like that just lends to skimming, which is actually why I put my little bold question at the end of the post – so you get the gist of it. At the same time though, I would love to know more about your thoughts on blog post length, and what leads you to skimming. It’s something I have been thinking about lately as I have not had much time to read!

Please answer my polls below!

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Comments (44)

By kilax, March 5, 2010 4:37 am

What is one thing you should get rid of, but probably never will?

You know, I have had this question stored as a draft for a long time. I wanted to ask it, but didn’t have my own answer! I love to throw away/give away/donate things, so it took me awhile to come up with something. But I figured it out when I was reading Marcia’s post questioning whether or not she should get rid of her running clothes.

One thing I should get rid of, but probably never will, is my running bibs!

After a race, I tape the bib (and sometimes medal!) up on a wall in my closet. Then I print out a picture to put next to the bib. When I get dressed in the morning, I feel inspired looking at them!

But, what is going to happen when I fill up the wall? Move on to the ceiling?!

Comments (25)

By kilax, March 4, 2010 5:05 am

I am in a position at work in which I am often training a coworker how to do what I do. I explain procedures, processes, how our contracts work, how to do things in AutoCAD, how to handle certain situations… you get the idea.

I don’t mind training someone or explaining things to them. I actually look forward to how it serves as a refresher to me, and may even open my eyes to new ideas.

BUT, I don’t feel like I am a good trainer. I don’t feel like I explain things very well! I’ve really been struggling with being articulate lately. And by lately, I mean for most of my life. Sure, I am gregarious, but when you put me in front of a group, there might be a few extra words thrown in.

I was talking to my ex-neighbor* about how I don’t think I am good at training people, and he recommending asking people how they liked to be trained. Do they prefer hands on? Reading a document? Watching someone else perform the task first?

I thought that was really good advice. So I want to ask you to help me out as well:

What qualities should a good trainer have?

Whether it’s at work, or a coach, a teacher, or even a mentor, what have your favorite trainers been like? What did they do/not do that worked/didn’t work for you?

*Sniff sniff – they moved to New Mexico!

Comments (41)

By kilax, March 3, 2010 4:29 am

I hate that I can never be completely “caught up.” Whether it’s with a work or personal to do list, it seems there’s always something left on it at the end of the day to make me feel uneasy for not getting it done.

And I’ve gotten so much better at prioritizing what I do need to get done (at least at work)! So I cross those things off first. But there’s always something left.

And I feel like I am always behind on personal emails and reading blogs – things I like to do, but don’t have time for everyday.

Now that I think about it, the things that make me feel most uneasy about not getting done are the visible things. You know, responding to emails, reviewing documents for a coworker, and so on… things other people know I am doing. I give those items priority, because I don’t want people to think I am ignoring them, or that they are not important.

Sometimes I think I just need to throw the whole to do list concept out the window and do what I please. But then I would probably feel even more scattered.

Do you use a to do list? Do you feel like you are never “caught up”? Or are you miraculously able to let things slide when you don’t get them done immediately?

Comments (2)

By kilax, March 3, 2010 4:27 am

Ignore the two whiny posts sandwiching this one… and check out my guest post over at Life After Bagels!

Morgan is traveling this week, so I wrote a little post talking about how I try to fit in exercise when I travel. What do you think my little trick is? You will have to click over to find out…

(Yes, I know I am being cheesy. But I am having a crappy week and writing that kind of made me laugh.)