Comments (17)

By kilax, October 15, 2009 5:31 am

I don’t need total privacy when I am using a public restroom – I don’t care if someone is in the stall next to me. However, if I am walking to the restroom, say, at work, and I realize I am going to go into the restroom at the same time as someone else, I will likely let them go in then wait a bit before I do (unless I really have to drop it). I know, it’s weird.

But here’s what weirds me out even more. Let’s say hypothetically (winky face) that you encounter a coworker in the hallway right in front of the bathroom. You are obviously both going in. They start to talk to you about a project. You try to stay in the hallway, but they walk in… so you try to linger a bit in the powder room. But they are going to the stall. They want to have a stall-to-stall conversation.

This just does not fly with me. I don’t know why! I love being crude and telling poop jokes and I am totally down with bodily functions*, but talking about work while on the pot? Not cool!

What do you think (see poll below)? Have you had any encounters like this that made you uncomfortable, or are you fine with it? Am I just being weird about this? I would be especially interested to hear if males ever do this! Ha!

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*I had a friend in college who always left the door open and  it never phased me, and I always barged in on my mom using the bathroom when I was very young… uh, is that normal? (the second thing, not the first)

Comments (20)

By kilax, June 28, 2009 10:30 am

Welcome to week 2 of marathon training! If you click on the activity links after the dates, it will take you to the Garmin connect website for full stats.

Day 8 | Monday, June 22: Cross-train for 30 minutes

Welcome summer, you’re right on time! On Monday, it was 85°F but “felt like 90°F” according to weather.com. Uh, wasn’t it just in the mid 70s last week?! That’s okay, the heat was no big deal on this 2 mile walk. Steven joined me again. I really miss running with Steven. I enjoy chatting with him while I work out.

I’ve been wondering if I should get my bike ready, or do my cross-training at the office gym on Mondays for something different than walking. I think for now I will stick to walking.

Distance: 2.00 miles | Time: 30:04 | 1: 15:12 | 2: 14:49 | 3: 00:02

Day 9 | Tuesday, June 23: Run 3 Miles

I worked out with a coworker at the office gym on Tuesday night. I wasn’t really feeling up to it (I have been feeling down and not too social lately), but figured it would be better to work out indoors, as opposed to the mid 90 degree weather outside. I still had a rough time though. After one mile, I felt like I was going to throw up (Hello falafel pita!). I slowed it down, since it was supposed to be a “comfortable” run, and spent the next two miles bitching about my Memorial Day Weekend (we had some catching up to do!). The bitching made the last two miles zip by.

Lesson learned – stick to my diet throughout the day! My coach took me out to lunch to celebrate a project we completed, and I had an awesome falafel pita and homemade chips (A shout out to Cafe Mediterra is due. If you’re just south of the loop, check them out.)! It didn’t sit well in my stomach though. I need to be even more careful about what I eat before I run!

Distance: 3:00 miles | Time: 29:23 | 1: 9:23 | 2: 10:00 | 3: 10:00

Day 10 | Wednesday, June 24: Run 5 miles

Well, this was an interesting run! I didn’t start until 7:30 pm and it was still 92°F outside! I realized it wasn’t going to be a super speedy, easy run, so I went with the mentality that I would just go out there and have fun. I strapped on my hydration belt (and brought my cell phone in case of an emergency), and put two full water bottles and a bucket of ice on our porch. My plan was to run a loop around our house, stopping for water and ice.

During my warm-up walk, I ran into my neighbor, Fritz,  and his daughter, Maya. We walked together for a bit, and she said, “Daddy, I want to ride in the stroller.” Then the words came out of my mouth, “Do you want me to push her in the running stroller?” So, Maya got strapped in, and off we went. I ran with her from her house, all the way around the park, and back home, making up the first 1.6 miles of the run. It was actually fun to run with the stroller. Those were my fastest splits! She told me cute little stories for most of our run together. When we got back to her house, Fritz and his wife, May, were waiting outside with the camera and video camera. How cute! And they brought out cold water for me. What a fun way to start the run!

Isn’t Maya cute?!

While I was running with the stroller, I passed a group of three young girls, whom I actually ended up passing 5 or so more times during my run. Well, the first time we passed them, instead of warning the younger girl that we were coming, one of the older girls just pulled on her pig-tails to pull her off the sidewalk and let us pass! Poor girl. That must have hurt!

After I dropped Maya off, I noticed there was a group of about 8 kids riding their bikes in their street. It was mostly boys, probably ages 12 or so. They were taking up the entire two-way street with their bikes. Cars would come by, and slow down, and the kids wouldn’t let them pass. When the cars honked their horns, the kids would finally move, but finger the cars as they drove by. This made me feel really disappointed. I wanted to follow these kids home and ask their parents if they knew what they were doing, but hey, if the kids were doing that in the first place, I doubt their parents would really care. That’s just so dangerous, and irresponsible.

I stopped by our house to go to the bathroom about two-thirds into the run, and when I came out of the house, I dropped some ice cubes in the front and back of my bra. Of course, those three young girls happened to be walking by our house then. Ha ha. They probably thought that was a strange thing to do. Hey, it felt good.

And, this question isn’t related to the ice cubes, believe me, but how can I be nipping out for an entire 5-mile run in 90 degree weather?! (see paw prints in photo above)

This was a surprisingly good, fun run, despite the heat! It left me in a good mood.

Sweaty Happy Kim

Distance: 5.01 miles | Time: 47:32 | 1: 9:02 | 2: 9:16 | 3: 9:42 | 4: 9:47 | 5: 9:40 | 6: 00:02

Day 11 | Thursday, June 25: Run 3 miles

Another fun lunch time run with Erin! The forecast called for rain, but it never happened, so we ventured out into the scorching sun (I don’t really feel like I am exaggerating when I say that). I was definitely drenched with sweat by the time I got back to the office, and boy, did that shower feel good!

No rain in the view from my office!

Every other Thursday is a “tele-work” (meaning “work at home”) day for most people in my office, so it’s fairly quiet. With that being said, I was looking forward to running with Erin! I needed to talk to someone! I hope I didn’t talk her ear off.

We did a good job of running slower than we did last week, but we were still running considerably fast (for us). I wish I could run with Erin more often. I can tell we are going faster when we run, but it doesn’t bother me because my mind is on the conversation. I love runs like this. I am looking forward to our next one together!

Distance: 3.18 miles | Time: 29:06 | 1: 9:19 | 2: 9:31 | 3: 8:49 | 4: 1:25

Day 12 | Friday, June 26: Rest

Day 13 | Saturday, June 27: Run 5 miles

I was super excited when I checked the temperature at 6:00 am and saw cooler temps:

59°F and feels like 59°F! Hurray!

That forecast totally makes getting up “early” on a weekend worth it!

I met my neighbor, Fritz, and we ran an easy 5 miles around the neighborhood. It just flew by. That is what happens when you have great company to talk to! I am so lucky to have this happen two runs in a row!

Around mile 3.5, I knew I had to go to the bathroom, so we started to run back towards my house. This is the second time this has happened while running with Fritz. He’s such a cool guy. He said to me, “If you have to go, just go! It’s no big deal!” Ha! I told him that during a race, I would, but that we were so close to home, I could make it. It’s nice to know it wouldn’t bother him if I went on my leg though. Ha ha ha.

Distance: 5.01 miles | Time: 49:25 | 1: 9:54 | 2: 10:09 | 3: 9:58 | 4: 9:39 | 5: 9:40 | 6: 00:02

Day 14 | Sunday, June 28: Run 9 miles

My alarm was set for 6:30 Sunday morning, but I was having a hard time getting out of bed. Enter Alarm Clock Kitty Cat:

Data seriously makes me crazy by rubbing his teeth and whiskers all over my face when I am trying to sleep, but today he actually helped me get out of bed. Thanks, Data.

I got to the park by 7:00 and started running at 7:20 and got back home after 9:00. That is a lot of time for a 9-mile run! What am I going to do when I have to run further… wake up at 5:00?!

I think I ran this a bit faster than I should have for a training run, but that’s okay. I will surely slow down as I add more mileage. I enjoyed this run. It was nice and sunny and breezy.

More photos from the Nippersink Forest Preserve:

My savior – the public restroom!

Distance: 9.00 miles | Time: 1:22:16 | 1: 9:10 | 2: 9:11 | 3: 9:22 | 4: 9:09 | 5: 9:00 | 6: 9:04 | 7: 9:16 | 8: 9:15 | 9: 8:44 | 10: 00:02

Week Summary: 25 Miles

Compared to last week, my runs this week were more fun and easier. I think that’s because I went out prepared for the heat, and because I ran with friends more often.

One thing I noticed though, is that my running clothes are really starting to stink. I wash them twice and they still won’t come clean. The July issue of Runner’s World has an article called “Stink Stoppers,” reviewing eight new shirts that are stink resistant. Unfortunately, I don’t have the cash right now to buy a new wardrobe, so… any advice?

Comments (17)

By kilax, April 24, 2009 8:09 pm

Today, I learned two things about my running:

1. My pacing sucks: Jack*, Steven’s Garmin Forerunner 405, accompanied me on today’s 12-mile run**. WOW. I am a sporadic runner. My first few miles kept going back and forth between 8:00 and 9:15. Then my later miles were between 9:00 and 10:30! Boo! I still finished in 1:48:43, but I hate those positive splits! I am happy Steven will be wearing Jack during the race.
2. I cannot predict my pooing patterns: I have a very real fear of having to go poo while I am running the half marathon. Today “nature called” around mile 5. I ran all the way to the public restroom (I was running in a Forest Preserve) and… it as closed for cleaning! Now, for me to stop running to go to the bathroom is a pretty big deal and I was looking forward to that relief. I think my sprint to the other bathroom made that one of my fastest miles! I wish I could figure out what is causing this (cutting out dairy has only helped a little bit). It seems so random. I will be really upset if I have to stop during the half marathon. I am the type of person who would not be ashamed to go in the woods (yeah, I said it!) but Steven would kill me if I did that. So I am hoping I will have an empty bowel that day!

Kenosha Half Marathon Weather Watch Day 2***:

Lame… see how much it has changed since yesterday? Why do I even look at this?!

*Steven’s GPS Car Garmin is called Jill, so I brilliantly named his Garmin GPS watch Jack. As in… Jack and Jill! Yes, Steven has to put up with my lame-ness on a daily basis. Poor guy!
**Yes, I know I should not be running 12 miles so close to my half marathon. But I HAD to get it in. Every day I had a long run scheduled it rained or snowed. So I watied until we had GORGEOUS WEATHER – today!!!
***I am posting this for my amusement, to see how much the forecast actually changes between now and race day!

Comments (10)

By kilax, February 11, 2009 6:47 pm

Besides the running portion of training for the half marathon, there is also a bit of “diet” training. I need to figure out which foods my body prefers to fuel a run, and eat right before a run.

I already know my body prefers a “first thing in the morning” run, preferably on an empty stomach or after a very light meal. But my schedule doesn’t allow that. I have to run in the evenings on week nights . So, I get home, eat dinner, and run 30-60 minutes later.

At first, I was just getting a stomach cramp every night after my post-run shower. But starting last week, I’ve had a different problem.

(This is the part where you stop reading if you don’t want to know about my bowel movements.)

Three times in the last week, I’ve had to stop during a run and sprint (ha ha) to the bathroom… to poo. You know that uncomfortable feeling, like “I have to go right now“? That is the feeling I had – an awful, sudden cramp that had to be answered immediately.

I attributed the first two times to the fact that I had eaten some of my favorite Valentine’s Day treat the day before. I liked the treat – my body didn’t. I threw them away. One of those runs was a week night one, and one was a weekend, so I didn’t think it was from eating too close to running.

The third time though – last night – didn’t make ANY sense. I’ve been eating healthy for quite a few days before the run, but it still happened.

I did some internet research (you can imagine how fun THAT was), and this is the best article I came up with. It advises to:

• Cut dairy out of your diet
• Reduce your fiber intake
• Don’t eat anything with sweeteners ending in “ol” (sorbitol, mannitol, etc.)
• Avoid cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower
• Empty your system before a run
• Eat big meals at least 3 hours before a run

I suspected the first item. Dairy and I have been enemies for quite some time now. And I’ve been having a cheese stick once a day. Goodbye dairy, except for that occasional Chile Relleno that is no where near a running day.

I should be able to follow all of these items, except the fourth and sixth. I gotta eat my steamed broccoli. I love it. And 3 hours? Ha!

I am going to try these things and see how it goes. Apparently, all that bouncing and giggling of your intestines speeds up your need to use the bathroom no matter what, so I may not have any luck.

I’m not afraid to “go” outside if I have to – I’ll do what I gotta do!

Comments (18)

By kilax, December 8, 2008 10:41 pm

Since he couldn’t help paint… he found something else to do.

The medicine cabinet was a little surprise from Steven. I didn’t know we were going to put one in. Now I have a space for all of my nail polish, and makeup… with room for expansion! It’s nice to have everything in the cabinet, off the counter.

Yes, I did just write a post about my cat and a medicine cabinet. Ugh.

We’re finally done working in the bathroom – painting, caulking, installing new hardware, touching up a ton of mistakes, cleaning… I am DONE DONE DONE with this project. For now. I’ll go shopping for the new shower curtain and towels, but that’s it. I need a break. I want some free time. And I am sure Steven does too, since he is doing a lot more work than I am.

Comments (20)

By kilax, November 30, 2008 10:24 pm

Unfortunately, yes.

Unfortunately, no.

I am really embarrassed that I am bad at painting. And that I hate it so much. I mean, I am an architecture major. Shouldn’t I be good at these “home improvement” sort of things?

I just like to think this means I am better at telling people where and how to paint, than actually doing it myself. Ha!

Okay, I’m not really good at that either. I am not an Interior Designer, after all.

I really love the way the paint is turning out. We painted our bedroom a dark greenish/brownish/gray – Valspar’s Seine. We have an accent wall behind the bed that is even darker – Valspar’s Italian Leather. That is the color we painted the bathroom today – the Italian Leather. I LOVE dark rooms, so I am super excited about this.

Seine and Italian Leather. They look nothing like this in real life.

But why no photos? Because the bathroom isn’t finished, and because we have no bed (just mattress and frame) and the ugliest bedroom furniture you have ever seen. So I estimate you’ll see a photo of the bedroom in about… 6 months, and a photo of the bathroom… maybe later this week.

On Friday we hung out and spent the night with my friend Alejandra and her husband Sony in Des Moines. She is the other bridesmaid of mine that I have not seen in over a year! AHH!

Anyway, we obviously had a great time and I really, really wish we could see them more. We both do. They are a unique couple – she’s from Puerto Rico, and he is Chinese, but from Venezuela… they are fun to be around. We have a lot in common, but they have a different perspective on some things.

Yes, this has a point. They moved into a new-to-them townhome in July and I could tell they put a lot of thought and hard work into decorating it and making it homey. They were talking about the last time they saw our place and that we didn’t even have a dining room table. Ha! Steven and I have done so much work together on our home since the wedding, it really feels homey, like it is “ours” now (instead of just his). It was fun to talk about all the work we have done with them because they could relate and… I could tell they were actually listening (another reason I like them!).

It’s amazing to see your home come together. Because, unless you are rich… you can’t really afford to get everything/do everything you want all at once. But maybe I wouldn’t even prefer it that way. I like that we have made it what it is. Even if I haven’t loved every minute of it!