Kate

My mind was yelling “No, stop this madness” during the first two miles while my body was saying “This feels good.” Even lefty, my knee, was telling me it was going to be a good run. The mind always wins, I had decided during mile one that I was going to finish with 2 miles and call it a day. Then…

Around the middle of the 2nd mile I started thinking about something someone told me over 8 years ago in high school, “You’re fat and lazy. Paying for a gym membership would be a waste of money, you’d never go.”

Well, they were right about the second part. Only because I prefer to run outdoors and not on a treadmill!

This sentiment has resounded with me over the past 8 years. I have not been able to fully let it go. It used to make me angry, upset and feel hopeless before I started exercising 6 years ago. Then it motivated me to change. Now, it simply pops up as a reminder to not to give up.

As I thought about this incident, I kept running. I had decided to run 4 or 5 miles, looping around a circle in my neighborhood. Then as each mile passed, the words just kept on repeating. Soon enough, my mind was saying “Who’s fat and lazy now?” (hint: he is)

My body was saying the same thing! I was in sync, mind and body.

I channeled this anger to use it to motivate me. I was out and sweaty already, why not just complete what I needed to get done, which was a 7 mile long run. Did I want to be a runner, or just tell people I was? I have been putting off my mileage for the past few weeks since I’ve come back from the west coast. It was time to step it up a little. With lefty feeling good, it was the best time to do so.

By the 7th mile, I was reminded why it is that I run in the first place. It’s not anger at this person or this sentiment that motivates me. It’s not to get back at anyone or prove them wrong. I was visited by the ever coveted RUNNERS HIGH!

This last mile, had I not run it, I wouldn’t have felt the joy and reason why I run. I ran the last 1/2 mile with a huge smile on my face, higher than a kite. Passers by looked at me quizzically. All the angry feelings had dissipated to find me basking in the cloudy, rainy day with a smile and sweat dripping down my face.

So, I thank this person for being cruel to me so many years ago. I was able to use that to motivate me in a new way, in order to come to the conclusion of why I run.

I run for the joy and fun of it. I run for nothing other than the chance to yet again feel a Runner’s High!

Running is my private time to meditate on life and change myself one step at a time.

I run for me and no one else.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 11/08/2008
• Time: 09:00:00
• Total Time: 1:25:00.00
• Distance: 7 miles
• Average Pace: 12:08.74/mile

I was on the hunt this week for my next shoe victim…

I went to a running shoe specialty store last year and was fitted (kind of) for two different running shoes that I have enjoyed over this past year. The Adidas Supernova Cushion 6 and the Asics Gel-Nimbus 9.

I am a cushion lover! My knees thanked me for it too. I stopped shopping for bargains at outlet stores and laid out some cold hard cash for these two pair of sneakers last summer. I have also realized that they don’t sell the best made shoes for running in regular stores. Nowhere really had these shoes when I shopped last night, other than maybe the higher end mall shops.

Now, I haven’t run that much in the past year, so I figured my two pair from last summer were good for a year at least and they have done me well. This time around though, I’m acting a bit smarter and keeping tabs on my shoe mileage, fit and feel. I’m not going to go between two pair, but buy two and hide away one pair until I need them.

Last night I went hunting for either pair and to get prices. Both companies have come out with a new line, the next # up. I still like what I have and wanted to get those if possible before being pushed on to the newer model. A few stores in the mall had these shoes, but none in my size. Only one had even the newer version, but I wasn’t ready for that yet.

So, today I trotted out on my Asics GN9’s to compare them again to my Adidas SN6’s. I ran most of the beginning miles of this year in my Asiscs and loved them. I have been running solely in the Adidas ones these past two weeks. Today, I found I had no knee pain at all while running. I felt the Aiscs were worn out a bit, but I felt nothing like I did the other day running on the Adidas shoes.

Chris was on his bike with me this morning, which may have also kept my mind off my knee. In addition to my practicing yoga which helped stretch me out a bit (that felt sooo good the past day!). The more I think about my knee, the more it seems to hurt. So, I try my best not to focus on it as an issue and just continually pray for no pain and a wonderful running life. Today, I got my wish… well until afterward when I iced it and then it started to feel funny again, but that’s besides the point.

I’m thrilled to be a proud owner of two new pair of Aiscs Gel-Nimbus 9 running shoes! I searched online to find the best price. I purchased them from efootwear.com and got a coupon code from retailment.com (which I always use). I hope this proves to be a great place to shop and get my shoes in a timely manner. Then I can avoid stores and just purchase what I want, when I need them.

I’m looking forward to my next jaunt out in these babies. The other great thing… I got a pair in green and one in blue. My two favorite colors! It’s a shame when running sneakers are the only thing to get me excited in the past few weeks…

If you’ve ever used efootwear.com, please tell me about your experience. I pray it was a good one!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 09/12/2008
• Time: 06:15:00
• Total Time: 00:22:00.00
• Distance: 2 miles
• Average Pace: 11:00.55/mile

I’m going to try to take at least one picture each day. I want to sharpen my skills and learn as much as I can about photography. I am also going to do the weekly assignments at Digital Photography School. They will get me out of the box, even if I don’t post them to their forum. Here are some photos from Sunday and Monday.

Rain, Rain go away…

At Chris’ Softball game…

She’s just as bored as I was…

…more photos at Flickr

05-24-08_ResRunFun32

Originally uploaded by klnproductions

I told you there were photos of Keith and myself running. We had some fun with the timer to take this photo. There are more on my flickr page (link below picture). It was a lot of fun to go out for a 4 mile run and then take pictures. We got in some good sprints for all the photos

What a beautiful day!

everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings.

What a interesting way to put friendship, I like it! Today was wonderful. I had a nice lunch with my friend and former co-worker-office-roomie, Judy. I really miss working with her, but our friendship will endure for years to come I’m absolutely sure. She is such a wonderful person. She makes me at ease, helps me to laugh, shows me another version of life and shares her life stories with me. I always love to learn from others and engage in fun and intelligent conversation. We didn’t have nearly enough time in an hour to catch up and chat, but that means we’ll just have to make time another time to get together again!

One thing I wanted to mention to you, reading here today, is that if you are listed on my blogroll or friendship list… I am reading your blogs through Google Reader. I try to keep up with everyone I can, but don’t always get to comment on things. So, have no fear, Kate is reading your work over here!

I’ve been tagged by Liz, this looks cool!

1. Go to www.photobucket.com (don’t sign in)
2. Type in your answer to the question in the “search” box
3. Use only the first page
4. Copy the html and paste for the answer.

Here we go!

What is your first name?

What is your relationship status?

What is your favorite color?

Who is your celebrity crush?

What band are you listening to right now?

What is your favorite movie?

What is your favorite Disney Princess?

Name your favorite alcoholic beverage

Where is your dream vacation?

What is your favorite dessert?

What do you want to do when you grow up?

What do you love most in life?

Thanks Liz! I’m tagging… Chris, Aeon, Renee, Christie… and YOU! 

After reading some blogs lately and thinking about my journey to health in the past 6 years, I came to one interesting conclusion (of many) about a friendship that always bothered me. Weight changes you and it changes those around you even more. As I lost weight in 2002 and beyond, I lost many close friends and had to embark on new friendships. Some friends I had for years, while overweight, no longer were interested in me once I became healthy and happier. I look back now and think… they were skinny & decent, I was just the ‘fat friend’ who made them look better! Or maybe there was another reason for our friendship, like my lack of insanity like their other friends?

One such friend I realized had completely left me by the wayside once I had lost 20lbs and had found love with Chris. We were pretty close I though, but then next time I saw her in the mall, she avoided me. Chris caught it, I just ignored her. It was rather comical! All of this changed in a mere 4-5 months. One month, she’s visiting me at college, the next she ignores me. Amazing!

It was interesting to review those times and realize that it wasn’t anything I did. She was always skinny, ate whatever, never exercised and had a rather large chest (still all the same!). She also was always unhappy with any man she was with, no matter what they did. She would even try to make me unhappy, when I found happiness. I had even told Chris that I needed to back away from the friendship, because even after a few hours together, I’d find myself getting angry with Chris for no reason at all!

Looking back, I find that I hadn’t done anything wrong. Here was a person who only liked me when I wasn’t prettier than her. I had lost weight and I believe I was beautiful when overweight and even more beautiful now. I have a natural beauty, without makeup or anything. I don’t want to sound conceeded, but sometimes you have to accept and love what God has given you. I know I have been given a gift from God, whereas so many others have not. I am truly thankful for it!

I’m not sure why I am posting about this, but I just found it a weird occurence in life. I had a close friend, who loved me when unhappy and overweight, but once happy and healthy, wanted little to do with me. This wasn’t the only person, there were many others. But, this was one person whom I’m now “friends” with on MySpace. I hope for the best for them, but find while I have changed, they have remained the same. I am glad this friendship ended, it helped me grow beyond the past, unlike the other person.

Friendships come and go for good reason. I believe people come into our lives to help us through a certain time and if they are needed throughout life, they’ll hold on to that. I’m only still friends with 2 people from high school. Two of whom I wasn’t really close friends with in high school, but just mere friends. Many of the ‘best friends’ or ‘popular’ people are not my friends and ceased to be once I became someone in college.

One of the people I’m still friends with, and best friends I’d say, is awesome, getting married this year and has been an amazing friend through thick and thin. She has been with me throughout the past 10 years… I can’t believe it’s been that long!

So, as I move on from this position to a new one… I will bring a friend or two along with me in my journey of life, but many others will fade away. They were needed for certain times, but no longer needed in my life. It’s okay. I’ve come to accept through life changes that friendships change, ebb and flow. Some people move on, others stick with you. Either way, I’ll be okay and I look forward to the new friendships to come.

Fresh Squeezed Oranges

Originally uploaded by klnproductions

1. I squeezed the above orange juice tonight, by hand! I had a bunch of oranges left over from a fruit basket I received for my father’s passing. I decided that when God gives you Oranges, you make Orange Juice! This brightened up my evening a bit! (Actual orange juice I made & drank in picture!)

2. Bambi is such a cuddle bug. Today, we took a walk in the sun. Then we came home and took a nap in the sun in our bedroom. She cuddled up to me, snuggled and shared her love. She’s a pushy little gal when she wants tummy tickles! It was nice to just relax with her for a few hours and share the day.

3. I have a mac laptop that my bestest friend gave me, Aeon! She bought a new one for her business and was kind enough to give this one to me. I’ve tricked it out a bit with the new Mac OS X Leopard and have been enjoying it ever since! I doubt I’ll ever buy another PC again… THANKS AEON!! You’re awesome!