Friday Uckfery

Being funemployed has afforded me a fair amount of freeeeee time over the last few months, some (but not enough) of which I've spent in the gym.

Because I love nothing more than watching people and giving them judgey eyes, I've been collecting in my brain the most bizarre and irritating things I've seen so far...


1. The Kid People. You guys, your kids don't belong IN the gym. If your little sunshine is running around unsupervised while you "use" the treadmill to walk a 2.0mph pace so you can say you worked out while watching tv, that that isht outside. Go to a damn park.

Don't let the hellion play with a giant exercise ball and bounce it around until it LODGES UNDER MY TREADMILL belt and stops it while I'm running.

2. The Fakers. Did you know, if you're standing on the sides of the treadmill while the belt runs, you're not actually doing any work, so those miles DON'T EVEN COUNT? I know, it's true. Samesies for the ones who jack up the incline on the treadmill, push the pace up to 2.3, and lean waaaaay back and hold on for dear life. 

This counts. 

3. My New BFF. If I'm in the gym, chances are good that I'm there with a plan in mind. That plan probably didn't involve becoming your new BFF. Let me work out in peace.

4. The Confused Ones. The treadmill is not that confusing. The buttons are all labeled. Up goes faster, down goes slower, the big red one stops everything. 

5. I CHANGED MY MIND, UNDO UNDO UNDO! The first time, I thought it was just someone that forgot something. But since it's happened a few times, I'm assuming this is a thing people just do, coming into the gym for 5-10 minutes, jumping from machine to machine without realllllly doing anything, and just leaving. Did they just suddenly realize this was not what they intended to do, at all?

I feel you.

6. The Drama Llama. We get it. You are working hard. So is almost everyone else. Is the exaggerated sweat wipe and heaving breaths necessary? 

7. You Faaaaancy. This is more because I'm jealous than anything, but if you come in and bust out some super fast 5k on the neighboring treadmill, and jump off looking refreshed and shiny, I hate you a little.

I think that's it. People are weird. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend! #1 is running her last race to qualify for states tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed for her - they have a solid chance, so we could be headed up to Fresno over Thanksgiving!

Three Things Thursday

I ran 5 miles, slow and steady, Tuesday night. Nothing exciting to report. Not the best run. Not the worst. 5 miles more than 0, though, so there's that...

UNO

Let's discuss gym etiquette. All of my gym time is done in the tiny fitness center in my apartment complex. There are three treadmills, a stationary bike, 2 ellipticals. All in a row - treadmills nearest to the door. Tuesday, while I was running, I was on the first treadmill - right next to the door. I left the door open, because, hello, that room gets to be a JILLION degrees if it's closed, and the AC's aren't running, and since it was cold out, it makes sense to leave it open. Right?

Apparently not, if you're the dude who wants to play on the elliptical (not exercise, PLAY), while talking LOUDLY on your phone. Because consistently, that dude comes in and shuts the door.

Sadly for him, I was feeling extra pissy Tuesday night, during a semi-crappy run, and opened the door back up. I mean, who DOES that? Rude.

He was NOT a fan of me. But the other woman on the next treadmill over, she sure was.

Solidarity.

DOS

Thanks for all the well wishes for Gab. That's the thing with leukemia, and chemo, is it's kind of a roller coaster. Some days really, really suck, and some days, it's like there's nothing wrong. We seem to have figured out the right cocktail of meds/food/sleep to put a stop to the puking, so far, fingers crossed, knock on wood.

And she's feeling a bit better. Her hair is a little challenged, though :D

TRES

Christine at Oatmeal in my Bowl posted yesterday about words to inspire her in the New Year. I'm not really a big fan of resolutions - the way I see it, life is so fluid. Things change. I love the freedom of being flexible and not tied to something if circumstances change.

But I love her idea of 3 words to inspire her in 2012.

If I had to pick 3...

• Health
• Gratitude
• Generosity

“When things get tough, don't move. People and pressures shift but the sail remains the same no matter where you go.”

I think I've mentioned my distaste for exercise before, right? Nothing has changed. I still don't care for it. However, I care even LESS for being fat.

I also dislike dieting, so... I choose my battles with my body. Eating what I want (mostly) vs. elliptical...

Ellipti-win.

I've been pretty sucky with the gym, despite my declarations for "sucking less". Snork ditched me to ride bikes or something in Moab, so I thought for sure I'd have a super-suck gym week.. But, despite her absence, I made it there 3 times last week. Short trips, 'cause of kidlet care issues, but... trips none the less.

Day 1...

Day 2....
Day 3...

Three times... Woot! I don't really remember the last week that 3 times happened.

I've yet to bring my gym stuff to work with me, where I could run up to the 24 Hour 5 minutes away on my lunch break, but really, I don't even take a lunch. That seems like a plan destined for failure right from the start.

My friend Squirrel, that chick is a gym nut. I cannot even fathom how she does what she does, but.. when I grow up, I'd like to be like her.

Anyway. So, what has this week taught me? That the gym buddy system, when it fails, is Snork's fault. Because, obviously I'm plenty motivated without her.

(I kid, really, I do. The gym buddy system is awesome, if difficult to coordinate sometimes. If you can gym-buddy it, I highly suggest it. It helps to be accountable to someone else. Of course, it REALLY helps more when said someone else is motivated to gym, even when you're not.)

Anyway. I'm also making a more concerted effort to pay attention to what I'm ingesting. I was getting annoyed last week that I gained a pound. And then I thought about what I'd been scarfing down all afternoon, sitting at my desk, and realized... it's really a miracle, and I ought be grateful that it's JUST a single pound. I'm gonna try to food diary this up, for the next week or so. After this week, I have A Plan, that I'll share in another blog post.

Today's consumption so far, has been...

• One slice whole wheat toast, 1 tbs peanut butter, 1 tsp strawberry preserves
• GINORMOUS salad with various lettuces, cucumber, peppers, goat cheese, and roasted beets. It was pretty, even!
  

• A carrot muffin. It was big. Oops.
• A mini Hershey's bar.
• A "everything" multi-grain cracker. Just one!
• A tangerine.
• I haven't yet, but I might as well throw this in, 'cause I'm gonna in a second... blueberry fat free yogurt (also, gluten free, but I don't think that matters).

I haven't determined what is coming for dinner yet. It was supposed to some sort of leftovers, but the kidlets have been IM'ing me with requests on how to re-heat said leftovers, so I'm not sure there will be anything left for dinner. Hm.

I'm not sure if this is good, or bad, or what, but... it's at least documented, so next week, when I pop in here all complainey like about gaining a pound, I can say, hey, maybe I should have left that muffin on the table where it belongs.

ETA:

Dinner? Mac and cheese. From a box. Electric orange cheese and all. Plus, desert was a half of a personal serving of dulce de leche Haagen-Dazs. Wow.

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

Pretty intense, right?

I've fallen a bit off the frugal, no-box wagon as of late, and need to hop back on.

I'm not really sure where my failure was... I am certainly not sucking less at this rate. I didn't gym last week, except Monday. I ate out Friday night, and Saturday lunch. I ordered pizza last night. Sigh.

I have gymmed twice this week, so far. And intend to do something tonight, even if it's not in the gym. But honestly? That first night "back" was crappy. It felt like I'd never done anything ever but sit on my ass. Yoga was a whole new experience. If THAT ain't motivation to keep on keepin' on, I don't know what is.

Anyway. Onward and upward, right? Bringing the awesome this week...

Friday night, we went to this place that claims to have the "World's best burgers". Sadly, they lied. I mean, it was okay, but. The WORLD'S best!? Doubtful. I've experienced In N' Out, my friend, and this was no In N' Out. But, they did have Dos Equis Amber, so... I'll give them bonus points there. Nice work, place whose name I can't recall.

Saturday, I took the kidlets to Corner Bakery for lunch. I can't even tell you why, but I adore the hell out of Corner Bakery. We trolled through Snork's favorite Goodwill in Huntington Beach, and saw this lovely dress... along with these boots.... Then hit up our fave Japanese market, and picked up some Pocky's, and sukiyaki ingredients, which was a huge win.
Sunday. I did nothing. At all. I quite literally planted my ass in my couch and watched hulu and netflix all day. It was epic.

Monday, I had the idea that I would take the kidlets to the beach. Apparently, ALL of OC had the same idea, so we diverted to Pacific Whey Cafe to eat cupcakes on the patio overlooking the ocean.
Last night we picked up some chairs for our dining room... so for the first time in 6 months, we can EAT at our table, sitting in chairs! Thanks, Ikea!

I got to sleep in today (on a work day!) 'cause #3's daycare is closed. So rad that I get to pay full price for 3 days this week, daycare!! RAD!

So. Despite falling off (a teeny bit), I think I'm back on. I have a list to shop this weekend, and I won't stray. I've got visions of awesome meals dancing about in my head, and getting back on my training plan for the marathon in June. I have a spa gift certificate I can use up... massage and facial?! I think I will. The weather is going to be conducive to relaxing at home, and since my home is "mostly" clean, there's not much else for me to do.. Netflix should be delivering Alias: Season 3 to me tomorrow... I think my favorite cousin is coming for dinner. So, really. What IS there to complain about? It's all pretty awesome :)

“I'm not into working out. My philosophy: No pain, no pain.”

I am not really a fan of exercising. I mean, I always feel better when I do, but.... I'd really prefer to feel better by sitting on the couch drinking beer and watching Alias for the 47,901,023th time. Sadly, that does not really work out well for me.

My friend Snork had been harassing me to join her gym. I resisted, 'cause... I figured, there's a "gym" at my apartment complex. And a hot tub. Why would I pay to use someone else's stuff if I don't even use MY stuff?

I FINALLY gave in at the end of December. I mean... yoga class, then hot tub? That sounded pretty great, AND, it's only $26 or something a month.

Also, I had this grand idea that I would pop into the location by my office and run during my lunch break. Haaahahhahahaaaa.

Ahem.

Anyway. So I did sign up. And, I'm super, beyond words psyched, to say that I think I like it. I mean, I don't really like sweating, or working hard, but.... I feel so accomplished at the end of the night! Like... the other day, I hopped off the treadmill and proceeded to spend an additional 2 hours doing OTHER STUFF at the gym, and it was pretty great!

I've been trying to head in 3 times a week, at least, and usually it works out okay, 'cause Snork and I try to motivate each other... some nights I'm not feeling it, some nights she's napping... but I don't think we've flaked on it yet. The hot tub incentives help. Plus, I really kid of dig the yoga classes.... I'm pretty bendy already, but the yoga helps. Snork's boyfriend is pretty fun to watch... he's a big fan of corpse, and childs pose. My balance is still crappy... I cannot do this... Like Snork can....

I think I still hate the circuit business... I think Snork and I are opposites, because I think my legs are stronger than hers, but her arms are stronger than mine.

Anyway. The whole business is pretty successful, so far, and I think I had a breakthrough the other day hitting week 2 of the Couch 2 5K program.... I have this idea that I'm going to run a 5K in June... primarily, because of the super-awesome Restaurant Row spread at the finish line. Priorities, people.