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!

Evan Dando vs My Running

I had a tempo run on schedule for Monday.

I hate tempo runs.

My iPod refused to play my Evan Dando playlist (rude), so I settled for whatever random stuff I had on there.

My tempo run was... good. Not just, like, I didn't die good. Like, for real, actual good.

Conclusion: Evan Dando has been the key to my recent crappy runs.

Gabby's birthday is tomorrow, and we picked up the ONE THING she's been asking for for ages....

I have no idea. I've certainly never recommended fishing.

I've been obsessively checking weather reports for our camping trip this weekend. Last week, there was a chance of showers on Saturday. That would suck. Then, it shifted to Tuesday. Awesome.

But then it shifted to Wednesday. And then Thursday.

Plus, there's this.

Brrr. WHY did I think October camping in the mountains was a good plan?? Assuming I survive the bears, I sure hope I don't succumb to hypothermia.

Someday, I will learn that I cannot keep candy at my desk.



I took a total rest day yesterday, in my ProCompression socks (orange might be my favorite....). I intended to come home, do weights, and eat chicken for dinner. Instead, I played Trouble, and made pizza. Way better.

Tonight, I get to do my long run. 16 exciting miles, after work. Whee?

So, it's Monday. I'm working. I have a headache.

BUT, I had a rad long run yesterday, so I suppose all is well with the world.

Let's do this numbered style today, so I can pretend I won't forget things.

1. Have you registered for the Team Gab Virtual Race?!

We have great prizes from Tommie Copper, Team Sparkle, iFitness, Tough Chik, Gu... Tons. TONS. And you're supporting a great cause - who doesn't want to help out pediatric cancer research, right?

2. Right, so Carlsbad is coming up Sunday! Runners, the weather looks GREAT! Chance of showers, nice and cool..... Great for spectators, not so much though. I'm not sure I'm tough enough to stand and watch runners in the rain. Yikes.

3. Sweaty things that happened last week...
Tuesday: 5 miles easy, 1 mile comfortably fast @ 9:43, total 6 mi 1:04:47, 10:47 avg.
Thursday: Tempo. Blah. 1 mile warm up, 2 @ 10:20, 2 @ 10:00, cool down. What ACTUALLY happened... 10:23, 10:19, 9:54, 9:25. Hm.
Saturday: 25.8 miles on the stationary bike while watching the trials.
Sunday: 12 miles easy, 2:17:48, 11:27 pace. If you're keeping track, that's ohhhh.... 13 seconds off my PR pace. And it was EASY. Last 10K avg 10:38 pace, and last mile was sub 10. There was clearly more left. That's nice.

4. Sweaty things happening this week....
Tuesday: 6 miles easy, maybe hills
Thursday: 1600's, bah.
Friday: 3 miles easy.
Sunday: 9 miles; last 2 at half goal pace.

5. There was a chick on the treadmill at the gym Saturday while I was on the bike. And at first, I was in awe - she had the speed jacked up to 10, and looked GOOD. And then I realized why. She kept standing on the edges of the treadmill letting it run. At first, I thought maybe she was doing some weird interval stuff, but... nope. Not any type of consistent timing between intervals.

At first it was just 30 seconds here and there... then it was a minute or two, while texting... then 5 minutes to take a call.... then she straight stepped outside to take a call and left it running.

So bizarre. How do you know how much you actually ran!? Why would you do that?!

People are weird.

6. L, Becka's sister, suggested this to me for my next medal hanger, and it's RAD. Thanks, L, I LOVE IT!

And, thanks Allied Medal Hangers - it's perfect!!! Oh, and, if you enter the Team Gab Virtual Race... you could win one. IJS.

I think my next purchase is going to be a Disney-specific hanger....

7. I broke down and got a Garmin. The 205. Used, from eBay. Well, "used". It seems to be brand new, and had 2 runs on it, both starting at like an 8 min pace, and quickly turning into a 25 min pace. Guess it didn't work out for them so well. Sorry 'bout your luck.

I wonder if the hair was extra?

8. I AM FAMISHED.

Weekend Recap

aka, hey! Look how much NON-EXERCISING I did this weekend!

First, if you're a new follower, Hi! And, even if you're not new, there are a couple tabs up top, that I've added - About Me (because I speak in code, Chris K?), Suck Less Challenge, and about Gabby.

Friday, I bailed on work early. Stopped at the market on my way home, and saw... this.

I mean. We don't really live close enough to the beach for that to really be okay..

There was a chemo trip for Gabby, that left her kind of...

all weekend. Bummer :(. It also has her hair starting to fall out again. And, I mean, you can know it's coming, and you could have seen it before, but it's never a pleasant discovery.

I also found this in the mail Friday...

Psyched. My PT follow up is Tuesday. The Ankle feels a billion times better already. I *think* I'll get to run, soon.

So that when I race here....



...on June 4th, I can beat my friend's husband. At least, that's the plan.

Speaking of My Friend, she's super duper pregnant, and ready to have a baby, like, any second. It was a shock to them - a SHOCK! - that at 3 months that baby is still pretty....

...floppy.

Anyway. We had this text exchange when discussing dinner Saturday...

Parenting lessons, take 1.

Saturday, we sat around all morning, and watched some random Netflix documentaries...

First up, Mount St. Helens: Back from the Dead (zombie volcano?!)
Followed by...

Oceans, by Disney Nature. The kids all sat down and watched this one, so winner!

Then, we hit up the farmers market, where the goat cheese lady recognized me AND called me over. Signs you eat to much goat cheese? When they specifically tell you they've got yours there.
The goat cheese was bought, and later, for dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Snork, stuffed into these...

and it was glorious.

We also had roasted beet salad with feta, and Russian pot-stickers, which I failed to get a picture of, but imagine a mix between wontons and real pot-stickers. Good stuff.

Oh. And, there was this...

And this, which I didn't eat and therfore failed to get a picture of...

Snork didn't believe that there's a finite number of times you can fold a piece of paper in half, and was irritated when the paper thwarted her...

Sunday, I got up intending to cycle for 90 minutes (!!!!). I got 20 minutes in, and bailed. I wasn't feeling it. Fail.

The H and I went and saw this...

And it was lovely.

The movie was pretty good, too. But don't take my word for it. I'm easily amused and rarely have expectations for movies.

We took the girls to Barnes and Nobel so #2 could throw a tantrum when we didn't let her buy random stuff. #3 showed me this...

Because that's what I need. It must be true, if the 4 year old says so.

I was going to take them for FroYo, but #2 wrecked it for me, so I pouted.

I finished reading this...

It was pretty good. I'm a little fascinated by Everest. However, unlike every.other.thing I get a little obsessed with, no part of climbing Everest sounds appealing, at all.

But that didn't stop me from then watching this...
Happy Monday!

I'm bored.

First, you have until Friday to enter my GU and Road ID giveaway - see here! We are OVER $1800 in donations for Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.. THANK YOU!

2. I took an unplanned rest day yesterday to do some shopping and dinner with Snork last night. Despite the rest day, I still woke up today feeling like I'm getting #1's funk. Bleh.

3. I've concluded that I'm a wuss. Everyone who ran the LA Marathon said it was the best experience, despite the rain and wind and cold and hypothermia.

4. I'm freaking out a little bit (just a little) about emergency preparedness. I live in earthquake country, and realized last week that... I'm not prepared. And I started thinking, with VERY LARGE PLANS - as in, thinking about stockpiling 3 years of supplies for when I have to shelter in place. In my apartment. In Irvine. Then I realized that probably wasn't the best idea, and adjusted that to HIDING a cache of supplies somewhere within walking distance. THEN, I realized, I live in Orange County, which is not exactly rural countryside. Where would I hide stuff? I finally settled for a couple gallons of water under my sink (done) and a storage box of non-perishables (still to do).

5. I went (maybe) a little overboard with the disaster planning, and (might have) registered for some CRAZY survivalist websites. I should not do these things, they feed the paranoid crazy person in me.

6. I've become addicted to Groupon. I don't really buy things (I did buy 3 for 1 RedBox rentals, and a $30 massage, but so far that's it), but I can't stop looking. My morning routine is something like, check texts, check FB, check Twitter, check Groupon, brush my hair. But today, $10 for unlimited rides at Santa Monica Pier?! Hello!! But then I realize I don't even *like* the rides at Santa Monica Pier (there may have been a meltdown on the ferris wheel, and not by my kids).

7. I totally buy those Groupon's through SwagBucks. Which I stalk and collect like mad, and have never redeemed. Seriously, I use their tool bar to search Google, to go to google and search for things. But I collect 75-ish points a day by doing that. Points that, again, I don't even use. Madness.

8. The H has succumbed to the pressure and wants to register for a half. We're eyeing the Long Beach Half in October... His goal? 1:55. Punk.

9. Holy crap, William Shatner is EIGHTY?!

Finally....

10. Run Disney has a big, super secret announcement to make, and I'm waiting (im)patiently!!! HURRY UP!