Wow. Seems like I should celebrate with something. Now, at 20 weeks, running three times a week is my lifestyle. Lately, I've been skipping Mondays when the weekend has me worn out. I've been skipping Saturdays, because I've had events. I tend to run Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday. I will add fourth days when my schedule permits. Still, I feel really good. I can say I'm a runner, even if I'm not fast and my distances aren't super long. I do run three times a week, which is awesome.
This week, the humidity killed my third run. I was going for two laps around the cemetery for a total of 3 miles. I made it one lap and was just BURNT! I know that humidity and heat greatly affect body fatigue, core temperature, and dehydration level. I know that it takes 7-14 days to acclimate. So, I'm not worried. I have my 5K in Chicago this upcoming Saturday. I will probably run two days at two miles and just set my pace on REALLY SLOW so that I can run the entire 3 miles on Saturday. I'm really excited about it and will definitely let you know how it goes! After that, I plan on adding to my current longest distance of 3 miles. I think I'll be running 4 miles in June, 5 in August, and 6 in September. I hope to find a 10K in September. I think these are really reasonable goals and a really reasonable pace, and I've been feel pretty fucking awesome with my running progress.
To Do (to be completed May 27)
01. Mail snail, Renae's package, and Van's magazines
02. Take film to Dodd
03. Begin (and finish) library engagement
04. Submit wedding and engagement to a blog (KEEP TRACK !)
05. Build small book shelves
06. Go to one game for Ethen and one game for Van
07. Sew something
08. Run outside, work on pacing at the gym
09. Organize stuff in your room (get rid of something), photos, and e-mail
10. List a few items on Etsy, promote Larry and Boo on Etsy, Pinterest, and Facebook
I've been failing hardcore at my to do lists. I thought I could bump my lists to ten items, since I'm working only on my art right now. Clearly, it's not working. I feel overwhelmed, and I don't even check them. Since I'm already late on this entry this week, and I'll be in Chicago next weekend, I'm going to keep the list short.
To Do (to be completed June 3)
01. Mail all that stuff by your desk
02. Photograph bags, list beads and bags on Etsy, promote Larry and Boo on Facebook and Pinterest
03. Run twice at 2 miles each
04. Clean your room, pack well for Chicago
05. Begin Conneaut wedding
Meh. I've been at this a month and have not followed through with my plans. Why? I mean, I guess partly laziness and whatever. I blame this week on a vegan potluck I hosted wherein I made pasta salad that wasn't eaten and then finished it over the next three days...also our current lack of food has led me to eat whatever. So maybe I blame brokeness? Poor decision making, I guess. Next week, I'll probs be updating from Chicago where I plan to do whatever I want.
I mean, maybe there is no point to this. I'm also drinking more soda again, which I don't like. I want to make changes, and I'm just not succeeding. I'm going to stop thinking about it right now.
So, I decided to perform a social experiment on myself this tv season and watch all of American Idol. Prior to this year, I had watched only one episode of American Idol, ever. It was Season 2. I had missed Season 1 in its entirety...possibly because I was working somewhere or maybe because I didn't own a tv. I don't remember why. But I do remember it being the only show anyone talked about, and I did really like Kelly Clarkson's album. So, I had some roommates who were obsessed with the show and decided to sit down to watch it with them one night. It was when Simon Fuller was on the show, and I watched an audition day. I remember a pretty girl in military garb coming up and singing a very nice version of "Dancing in the Streets". Simon laid into her like she was the worst singer ever. I left the room and never watched another show.
Well, now, they have new judges. Simone is gone, Paula is gone, and instead we have Stephen Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. I believe it's probably impossible for Jennifer Lopez to be mean in any way, and I didn't see Stephen Tyler or Randy Jackson behaving in the same manor as Simon, so I figured it would be safe to watch. I think a lot of people still really love the show and it still does well. I know I've owned the music of several of their winners. I figured I may as well see what the hell America loves so much.
I decided to watch every, single show. I started with the auditions which were ok. This is my least favorite type of reality programming. It's a lot of talk and cutting people off and trying to find sob stories to feature. It was not interesting to me, and I can't remember any of the finalists popping out while watching the auditions part. Next up : Vegas? Guh. This was THE WORST! There was one entire episode, two fucking hours, about everyone being sick. There was no singing and again, they didn't feature any of the finalists. Then they moved to Hollywood? I found this to be a little more interesting. There was more singing and we could see some of the people who were going to be finalists. In one of these weeks, I know Jessica was in a group performance and she stood out. I definitely had my eye on her. I can't at all remember Phillip.
Finally, we were through all of the auditioning and we had our top group...and weren't they a fairly awful bunch? At the same time as the auditions were ending, The Voice started. Now, I've been watching The Voice since the beginning, and I really love it. It's a lot less bullshit and a lot more interesting. The voices represent a much wider range of talents. American Idol thinks that including Skylar and Colton, they've got diversity. Excluding Phillip, American Idol's final contestants were boring. The first few shows definitely got rid of people that I didn't care anything about, but then Elise stayed. She stayed for at least five more episodes than her voice warranted, Josh too. As the competitions wore on, I was just tired. The kids were given challenges and chose songs they didn't know by artists they didn't know. Beyond whatever is the current Top 40, and with a few exceptions, none of the kids seemed to have any musical education or background. Watching them struggle through songs they didn't know, because they were incapable of connecting with the song, was just annoying. Plus, on American Idol, everything is a scream fest with the last note being the most important. There are no subtle performances on American Idol. It became really tedious, watching wooden performances all racing to the last note.
However, I've loved Phillip from the start. He really seemed to carry his personality through, and I did enjoy watching him. But that joy was overshadowed by all the crap. The awful performances, awful song choices, bland commentary from the judges...and on top of all that crap, random Ford advertising, a recurring Jason Derulo, and the usual clips of hometowns and stories about why the kids are there. All of this adds up to everything I hate about reality tv. There isn't actual substance. I don't need Jimmy Levine to recap performances on the elimination day. I don't need 2-hour performance shows that are filled with fluff and advertising. I would be more interested in the kids choosing their preferred genre and working to produce the best music they can that they enjoy. That isn't allowed on this show. Although, Phillip definitely held his own and put his personality on everything.
In the end, I was pretty happy with the finalists. I mean, I think Skylar should've been in Jessica's place, but this is a popularity contest. When the judges saved Jessica, they pretty much guaranteed her spot in the finale. It was a good finale. Jessica and Phillip are interesting singers, for the most part. I'm pretty well over America's obsession with girls who belt out every note, but Jessica does have a softer side. I was really happy to see Phillip crowned the winner, because I think he was the most original. Though, I couldn't really find myself rooting for anyone...I'll probably check out the albums that come out and probably buy a few. I'm still a Kelly Clarkson fan, and if American Idol is what it took to bring her music to me, then great.
Overall, I found this show vapid and annoying. I think the talent is small at best, the songs are not interesting, and the format of the show is mind-numbingly dull. Truthfully, if I were to meet any fans of the show, I would probably judge them and consider them kind of dumb. This was an interesting social experiment where I learned just how much I don't have in common with the population of America.
So, I was in Express a month or more ago and I saw these AWESOME hot pants. BUT...the rack didn't have anything close to my size. I was lamenting their smallness and getting "you're too fat" looks from the sales guy when I found out Express goes to 14 online. So, I ordered them fully convinced they would NEVER fit. When they arrived, much to my delight, they fit perfectly! They were a bit expensive, but I knew I had to keep them.
I was concerned that I would never wear them. I mean, they're hot pants...not exactly my usual style. Also, just where would I wear them? So, the day they arrived, I put them on with the get up you see below : GAP tights, Express hot pants, mostly homemade sweatshirt. I just wore them down the block to do some inventory at a store in the neighborhood that carries our stuffed animals. I figured, if I could wear them in my artsy neighborhood and not feel self-conscience, then I could wear them in real life.
Turns out, they are super comfy and I feel awesome in them. I won't lie, I do wonder if I'm too fat for them. But honestly, it's not as if my size is a secret. Dressed in a mu'umu'u or a cat suit, you can still see that I'm chubby. So what the fuck? Why not show off my big ass with some serious sequins? That is exactly what I've been doing. These are my new go to for a swing dance, and I can't wait to go clubbin' some time and wear them.
This week was not particularly magical, but that's fine. I ran 2 miles twice and tried to do a speedy mile that was more like a speedy .7 of a mile. It was fun to try something new, though. I might try for three miles this week, because my week is not super busy. Mostly, I'm just relaxing, enjoying this point in the training where my distance goals are attainable. I have the 5K on June 2, so I don't need to build on any mileage.
To Do (to be completed May 20)
01. Mail everything on your desk.
02. Finish King reception, burn disc, mail
03. Begin J&J engagement
04. Edit and mail all head shots
05. Build small book shelves
06. Go to one game for Ethen and one game for Van
07. Sew at least five raccoons and a few slings
08. Run outside, work on pacing at the gym
09. Take film to Dodd
10. Order backdrop stand
This week just felt really difficult, especially for accomplishing anything. I kept having things come up, which is why I was unable to attend the games of Ethen and Van. I had expected money fall through, which was frustrating and made developing film or ordering my backdrop stand difficult. I'm surprised I accomplished anything, actually. But I did, and I had a really fun engagement shoot in Cincy...and I got my food diary onto Friday, so I'm glad of that. Because I forgot Caturday yesterday, that'll be the photo for today's entry!
This is Burrito. We rescued him from inside a car engine. His first trial home didn't work out, but his second one did! He now lives in a home with two kids and an older brother, Perfecto. We're really good friends with his owner, so we'll get to see him as he grows. It's so nice to be able to help this little guy out.
To Do (to be completed May 27)
01. Mail snail, Renae's package, and Van's magazines
02. Take film to Dodd
03. Begin (and finish) library engagement
04. Submit wedding and engagement to a blog (KEEP TRACK !)
05. Build small book shelves
06. Go to one game for Ethen and one game for Van
07. Sew something
08. Run outside, work on pacing at the gym
09. Organize stuff in your room (get rid of something), photos, and e-mail
10. List a few items on Etsy, promote Larry and Boo on Etsy, Pinterest, and Facebook
So, I was going to come over here and post an outfit post. I'm trying to post at least one per week. (So I'd have Marathon Training, Food Diary, Caturday, and Outfit Post.) But then I remember it's Friday, and I really want to get my Food Diary posts on Friday. So, I'm doubling it up, yay! Also, I can't remember if I've posted this outfit before. Whatevs.
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Food Diary
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BUST! I was just sitting here, thinking of how I was going to write about my failure for this week as well as write a little bit more about why I'm doing this, and I had a mini-epiphany. When I started running, it was hard. I was discouraged, and within the first month, I know I took a TON of days off before getting into a rhythm. Now, I feel really good about what I'm doing and when my schedule seems too busy to fit a run in and my preferred time of day, I just throw it in somewhere...like how I ran downtown to my fave cafe for lunch and then walked back home...or how I ran to the zoo to meet with a friend for a zoo day. I'm even figuring out how to carry the things I need, if I'm going to change or if I'm going to have a meeting (I ran down to a coffee shop to meet with an officiant and talk wedding shop). So, I'm trying to remember that about the food.
The thing is, there are changes I want to make in my diet...not because I LOVE food and hold an arbitrary belief that it is bad for me. No, what I want to eradicate from my diet is largely unnecessary. (Excluding potatoes...but I'm taking the luxury that vegans have and choosing to rid myself of a necessary, life-sustaining food, because I live in a world where I can buy vegetables year round.) Look, high fructose corn syrup is the fucking devil. And whether or not I agree with it, I live in a world that judges me DAILY for my size. All of our sugary, processed crap puts extra pounds on me that wouldn't put extra pounds on others. Americans have convinced themselves that calories in versus calories out is a perfect equation, which it isn't. It's not how much you eat or how much exercise you do in response to how much you eat, it's entirely WHAT you eat. The main reason we have an "obesity epidemic", aside from incorrect data, is because our processed foods affect people differently, making some people disproportionately heavy. Truthfully, that stuff is unnecessary, and I don't even like it.
That's the other part of this : I don't like most of the foods I eat. I find them to be yucky, and I am much happier when eating different foods. But I return to the crap of which I want to rid my diet, because it is CONVENIENT. American's have really, really awful food all cheap and ready to eat. And I'm kind of tired of that.
But this week was not so good, and I don't really want to talk about it. I know I'll improve over time.
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On to my outfit!
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Some outfits start with the socks and move up from there, with only comfort in mind. You're going to see my grey jeans a lot, because I have two pair. One is a pair of skinny jeans from GAP and the other is a pair of boyfriend jeans from GAP. The boyfriend jeans never quite fit right, but I wanted them for work. They have become a pair of cut offs that I love. The skinny jeans were put back but then I had an emergency clothing tear at work and picked them up so I didn't have to walk around in torn jeans. I've really fallen in love with the skinny jeans and did not cut them off for the summer. The rest of the outfit is comfort and more comfort. A cool t-shirt that has a map of downtown Cleveland on it, bought at a craft show with my fave hoodie from GAP over top.
So much for keeping this shit together on a Friday, right? Seriously, that's my goal. I'll get on it.
This week was basically a bust. Early in the week, I went out to my hometown with a friend. I had decided to order a sub and assumed I would eat the bread, so I also ordered a milk shake and fries. After I ordered them, I was kind of annoyed. I could've just had the meatballs, not the bread, and had a lemonade or water. I didn't need the fries or the milk shake, and I didn't feel good about eating them. So, I decided it would be my "treat" day.
Yeah right. I definitely ate fries twice more that week, another milk shake, and ice cream, as well as several cupcakes.
I think that illustrates just exactly why I'm engaging in this experiment. When I stop thinking about what I eat, I don't make the best decisions. Aside from wanting to eradicate certain items from my regular diet, I tend to stop thinking about everything and eat what is convenient and easy. I won't be having a treat day this week. It's an unnecessary event...plus, I'll balance out last week, maybe. I just want to be hardcore for a while. I just want to see what that is like.
