Rest: Pinetop, cars and basset hounds

I love going to Mr. Wonderful's cabin because it gets us away from the internet. Seriously, our combined addiction is that bad that we have to be secluded in the forest, in a log cabin, without any cable or internet, in order to detox from social media. It's a flat out weekend of rehab.

But anyways, it was fabulous. We read. We wrote. I ran. We watched movies. We cooked. We rode bikes. We walked Calypso and she ran up and down the stairs like a demon child and didn't really quit all weekend. We went to the local car show/fair. We went to Springerville in search of a hike and we drove the BEAUTIFUL 191!!!

That picture does it no justice. Seriously. Not even close to the epic, breathtaking, wondrous rolling hills and flowing rivers and lakes. I didn't even know that kind of scenery existed in Arizona. AMAZING!

We also, obviously, went to the ORIGINAL Los Dos Molinos. Why?! Because we just love Los Dos Molinos. Best New Mexican food you'll ever have. If you come to Arizona for any reason, PLEASE eat at Los Dos Molinos. We met the original owner's daughter who informed us that the only rule when opening a Los Dos location is that you can't tell anyone how they cook their food, and a family member must unlock the door each day. How cool is that!?

Then I drove back to Tucson. And slept.

And when I woke up, I drove home. For some odd reason, my 50 pound basset hound decided it was a good day to become a lap dog. I kid you not, for the first time ever, Calypso tried to sit on my lap while I was driving. WHAT?! My aloof, lazy, selfish and yet still oh-so-adorable and cuddly dog wanted to sit on my lap while I was driving a moving vehicle? Bizarre. This is a reenactment:

True, not a very good reenactment. I don't have a digital camera. It's sad. I use my Apple Photobooth instead. Here's another bad photo of Calypso:

Wow that's bad. Somebody buy me a camera.

Anyways, Calypso thinks she is a lap dog.

It was a good weekend. I had a swell time.

And then Monday happened and I learned why working for a start-up can be, well, depressing. I'm on the job hunt again, let me know if you'll have any tips or need a copywriter/social media specialist. I'll tell ya'll more later. Toodles!

Rate: Banned Books Week

Yesterday I finished a book by one of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakami. I finished reading one of his less popular novels, South of the Border West of the Sun. I loved it, but I love everything he touches. Mr. Wonderful is reading Friday Night Lights and we start to discuss whether or not it's effective for writers to focus on such overly-argued topics such as racism in Texas. Not that that's not a huge problem, but it's been written about a lot, and we read a lot. But I argued that if writer's stopped writing about the more obvious cultural issues, then people would eventually forget and turn a blind eye and become ignorant. And he laughs, and jokes "I'm not sure if the high-brow, novel-loving readers are the ones that need to hear it." This really got me thinking. I love books, poetry, journalism, shoot, even social media. But maybe I'm just idealistically naive, is writing really a worthwhile trade anymore?

I still think it is (even if that makes me an idealist).

Today marks the beginning of Banned Books Week! Happy holiday weekend! Surprisingly, a lot of people don't realize how big of an issue freedom of speech still is. Although it's become less of a problem in America (however since 2000 both Harry Potter and Twilight were almost banned, and interestingly enough Friday Night Lights is also on that list), it's still a huge problem in many other countries, especially in China. Novelists, poets and journalists all over the world are censored every day. Maybe it's not as obvious in America, but it's still a lingering threat. So I'm going to celebrate Banned Book Week by writing a provocative short story, reading a once-banned book (I'm thinking The Satanic Verses) and donating a little money to P.E.N. What's your cause?

Run: My weekly attempt to run again

I was feeling rather rambunctious on Saturday and I thought I'd see if my knees could handle a little two-three mile run. I mean, two-three miles is nothing right?! I should be fine. My physical therapist said that I should only do about 20 minutes of cardio that engages my knees so I don't get too inflamed. So I'm thinking sweet, I can AT LEAST get in two miles. (Oh how my goals have changed..)

I head out the door and I'm a little stiff, but feeling good. My ankles need a a couple minutes to warm up, and then I fall into my pace. I feel a smile creeping onto my face, Oh running, how I miss thee.
 
And then I hit the sidewalks. The ground is really uneven and it puts some pressure on my right knee. No problem though, I'm allowed to keep running if the pain stays below a "3."
 
Man, I'm not even breaking a sweat! I'm still in great shape. Yippee! Maybe I'll do five miles instead. I mean if I feel okay, why not?
 
And after about about ten minutes, my left knee starts to tinge a little. Both knees are creeping up to that "3" threshold. It's definitely the ITB, not the tracking problem. So that's good... I guess. I'm good though. I'm good. Must. keep. going.

11 minutes in: Ouch! The shot up pain runs up the outside of my right knee all the way up to my hip. I stop and walk it out. Maybe it will go away?
 
So I walk for a few minutes and then try to get in the groove again. But, sadly, no can do. The pain is entering the "4" and "5" zone so I have to stop-- unless I'd like a severe lecturing from my PT.

20 minutes into my run/walk, I am clearly nowhere near five, or even three miles.

Boo knees. Boo.

The good news? My lungs felt great. True, it was only a couple miles but I think all this cross-training and gym time will pay off because I didn't feel out of shape at all. I felt a little stiff, but I think if my knees would have been able to handle it I could have easily busted out an eight mile run. Or so I tell myself.

Wulp, I get an A for effort. I think I'll try this again next week. Now it's back to the gym.

Rest: The weekend good and bad

7 Good Things That Happened This Weekend:
1. Bought a new body scrub that I love.love.love.love. Shiny, flawless skin here I come!
2. Got some face time at a birthday party with my bosses.
3. Decorated house with old farming prints that once hung in an elementary school classroom in the 60's
4. Went to the dog park with my momma and our pups.
5. Got to spend some quality time with Mr. Wonderful
6. Drank poolside with good friends... in SEPTEMBER! Fun times. 
7. I bought a new dining table and my dad drove all the way to my neck of the woods to help me get it home!

5 Bad Things That Happened This Weekend
1. Dad told me not to swear on my blog. Boo Dad.
2. My AC broke on Friday night.
3. I got a tummy ache after aforementioned birthday party
4. There were about 20 hornets in the pool.
5. Mr. Wonderful and I's schedules were hectic this weekend, and we only got one day with each other :(

Rate: Joint vitamins and then some

I've always been really intimidated by vitamin, or health, stores. Let's not get confused with healthy grocery stores. I love those. But stores filled with vitamins, supplements and energy drinks-- those scare me. They look like a store out of the future ya know? All those bottles lined up.. like someday we won't need real food at all. We'll just need to take the little red pill and you'll be full for the rest of the day. Or god, even worse, Brave New World came true and now there's millions of little brain pills to choose from-- not just Soma. Or it's a room full of robot food, or poison or... Kelsey focus.

So my personal trainer made a few suggestions for a multi-vitamin, a protein shake and a supplement to help with muscle building and weight loss. "Great," says self, "I have to go into one of those oddly clean, organized and creepy pill shops. GREAT." Well I did it folks, I faced my fears. And there was a very friendly and obnoxiously healthy sales associate there who wanted to hear all about my need for supplements. Somehow I get on the topic of my knees (great, now she knows your weakness. Don't let her get too close), and she tells me about a vitamin that she gives to the horses she trains to keep their joints healthy. I guess these are really competitive, super-jumping horses that need lots of joint love.
 
And so, she recommends this: The Vitamin Shoppe's Joint Solutions: Glucosamine & Chondroitin with MSM. She says this stuff performs miracles on joints. The holy water for joint pain. Apparently if I take two pills, twice a day, I'll be pain-free in no time. "If this works I'll be thrilled," I say. She replies, "Get ready to be thrilled."

And so I guess this post isn't really a "Rate" post because I have only been taking these miracle vitamins for one day. Or I guess I am moreso rating the Vitamin Shoppe for having the ability to sell me a drawer full of supplements and vitamins. Shit.. I've gone to the dark side.

Run: Personal Training and Cross Training

So after days of moping, eating and coping with the loss of my training plan. I'm ready to move on. Best case scenario: I cross-train my butt off for the next month, fly through physical therapy and as a result will be able to do a 14-week marathon training schedule, which, being a newby to running, is pretty short. Worst case scenario: I have to do a marathon in February or March instead. No big thang. Either way all is well.
 
So my new training schedule looks like this:

M,W,F: Spin class at the gym and/or cycling at night with cycling buddies 
T, TH: Running 1-2 miles until there's pain; strength Training and such with Personal Trainer 
Other stuff: yoga, swimming and physical therapy and a strict diet 
Goal: Lose 5-10 pounds, tone up and get in fabulous shape to start training 
Mid October: Start Marathon Training Plan!! Woot! Woot! 

And here's some stuff in my head concerning running:

* There's something so peaceful and wonderful about spending two hours with just me and my thoughts, pounding my feet against the pavement and canal dirt, fighting through the pain and letting my thoughts wonder. I miss it already.

* It's about time for a new shoe. I'm thinking I'm going to go minimalist. I think it will be good for me. Any thoughts?

* I passed out again. I was with my personal trainer and I passed out. Someone explain to me why I pass out on random occasions. I don't think it's often enough to be considered a condition. But it is scary. And it's horrible. Fainting SUCKS. I get nauseous and clammy beforehand, and when I wake up I have no idea where I am and my body feels like it weighs 500 pounds. And it happens at such random situations. I mean always when I'm working out, but never when I'm overly fatigued. It's usually when I combine resistance with cardio, but it also happens at other times. So who knows. Blah. I hate it. Boo.
 
* I'm sorry that my running blog doesn't only concern running. But to me, a blog should be a personality encompassing platform. That's why we like blogs, right? Because they've got personality. So if I only blogged about running, that would be a completely inacurate portrayal of myself. I would be lying to you. Because, believe it or not, I don't think about running all that much in comparison to the rest of my life. I mean gosh, I hope that's not a mood killer for ya'll but it's only one part of me and... I think I'm rambling. You get the idea. I just think we like blogs because of the people who write them. And I don't like to write only about running.

* I'm really jealous of people that have been running their entire lives. I'm jealous of them for a long list of reasons, but one of the biggest ones is that they're fast. I'm never going to be fast, I just don't have that many miles under my belt. That's fine. It is. But I do love the thrill of competition. It must be such an amazing feeling to win a race. So for those of you that win races, cherish it. For those of you who might be able to win a race some day, cherish it. For people like me, it's all about accomplishment and PR's. Which again, is fine. But it's not the same.
 
That's all for now. I love running. I love life. I love this blog.

Toodles!

Rest: My 12 Favorite TV Shows... As of Now

TV and resting go hand in hand right? So, great weekend news. I got cable. This weekend, I didn't do much. But I did get cable. So Woot. Woot. It's been a while. I feel like a cable television virgin.
 

So although most of you probably have had cable for years, maybe you'd like to hear some television reviews from someone who has been deprived for so long. And maybe some of you don't like cable, and I'm on your team too. I'm not a fan of wasting time, so why waste time filling your mind with useless information from the Boob Tube (as my mother calls it).

But the thing is, sometimes, I don't want to think about anything. And sometimes I want to watch a brilliantly cathartic and cheesy drama so I can get in a good cry :) And sometimes, I want to know what kids these days are watching. And I often enjoy the news and commentary shows as well. So, I got cable. Yipee. So here's a few of my favs, in NO specific order, in NO specific season and please ignore the "duh" factor.

1. Jersey Shore: I know, I'm late on this boat. And honestly, I hated it the first like, ten times I watched it. Gah, all that screaming?! But it's grown on me. And I've somehow been convinced that they're actually decent people.

2. Football Sunday: I never thought I'd put this on a list. And sometimes, I really hate football. But Mr. Wonderful and I agree, there's something brilliantly nostalgic and peaceful about the Sunday football tradition. Besides, I always love a reason to day-drink.

3. Grey's Anatomy: God I love this show. I'm obsessed. I know it's over-dramatic. Mr. Wonderful thinks it's a soap. But personally, I think it's well-written (at least last season was) , likable and %100 cathartic. I laugh, I cry (I mean REALLY cry, I'm talking sobbing here) I drool over McDreamy. It's wonderful. Better than therapy.

4. The Biggest Loser: I love Jillian Michaels, and I find most of the contestants to be so inspiring. I can't lose 5 or 10 pounds, I can't imagine 100.

5. Mad Men: Sixties decor, decadent Don Draper, fabulous outfits, copywriting and a killer ad agency. Ummmm? Need I say more? Do you even know me?

6. ANTM: Ya, I'm a sucker. The girls are often complete idiots, and the show goes down hill every season, but I am fascinated how Tyra's team can make otherwise plain or even weird looking girls appear absolutely stunning in photographs. It's one of life's major mysteries.

7. Discovery ID: This is not a show, but rather an entire channel. Why? Because it's all AWESOME. I could watch shows about serial killers and criminals all day. Does that make me screwed up? Maybe... I hate horror films if that's any consolation.

8. Sunny in Philly: Horrible people doing horrible things with Danny DeVito. AH-mazing.

9. Chelsea Handler: I usually hate people named Chelsea. If your name is Chelsea, I'm sorry. It's nothing personal. The name just sounds like Kelsey's evil alter-ego, which clearly offends me. It's an otherwise pretty name, so I'm sorry. But anyways, she's hilarious, witty, makes fun of celebrities, hot and yet not stick thin, and loves the booze. Exactly what I like in a woman :)

10. Modern Family: This show could have been horrible. It could have been trite, over done and sappy. But the director and writers succeeded in making this a hilarious look into how dysfunction has become the new family function.

11. 30 Rock: I want to me Liz Lemon. LEEEEEEEMMMMOOON. That's what I say whenever it comes on. I love absolutely everything about her. I also have awkwardly fallen in love with Eric Baldwin. Erik + Tina = Comedic perfection.
 

12. Law and Order, SVU: Apparently, I'm secretly a 68-year old single woman, because I'm not sure who else watches this show. But I love it. Guilty pleasure. God forbid I ever get caught in an all-day Law and Order marathon, OBSESSED.

*One last side note, I spend hours this morning catching up on blogging land, and I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks to all of your for blogging all the honest details about your running, and life adventures. Although I feel extremely pouty about the doctor's non-running prescription, after reading your blogs this morning, I feel even more motivated than ever to start racing as soon as I'm back on the pavement. I can't wait!

Rest: Magazine Cache Makeover

 

Hi friends,

Here's a fun little story about me, and nothing to do with running.
 

I read through my Runner's World, My Running Times, and my Vogue. I am no longer interested in the Rolling Stone. And I reached for another magazine, and...damn. I realized, that I no longer have the epic magazine collection that I used to. I used to have piles of niche publications that were at least $20 bucks a pop, but I didn't care because every page made my heart beat faster. I would close my door, put on some soft music, curl up in my PJ's and spend hours perusing the glossy, matte and stock pages. For some reason, magazines have always inspired me. More than books, running, movies and all the other things I love... besides possibly writing. Magazines give me goosebumps and focus my mind unlike any other medium.

So you can imagine, how disappointed I am in myself for now only subscribing to Vogue, Runner's World and Running Times. PATHETIC. I mean it. PA-THE-TIC!

So friends, I'd love some recommendations on some killer niche magazines? I like fashion (unique stuff), art, photography, entertainment, lifestyle, culture, fitness and general interest magazines. That's a pretty wide spectrum.

Help a girl out? Magazine suggestions PLEASE!

Run, Rest, Rate: Knee Problems

Run: 11 New things that mean serious

When I was a kid, my friend's dad would always turn my simple requests (like can I have some juice?) into a sarcastic joke. He would push my buttons and say, "Kelsey stop kidding around." And I, without fail, would yell out a loud and pouty, "I'm serious!" The next response? "Oh Hi Serious! It's nice to meet you!" This would go on for several minutes, and although I usually started this exchange with a giggle, I'd be almost in tears with frustration by the end. At 7, communicating with adults was hard enough without someone switching my words around. I know he was just trying to tease me, but still!

I've avoided saying the phrase "I'm serious" ever since. But today, I'm giving you a quick running/life update so that you know... I'm serious! I'm serious about running. I'm serious about work. I'm serious about my future. I'm serious about my family and friends. I'm serious about living my life happily, passionately and with drive and discipline.
 
So here it is, my serious list. Take it as you see fit.

11 New things that prove I'm serious:

1. I put my 5-month, detailed training plan onto a blank calendar, and then taped it onto my door. I also put up a motivational blog post that I read by one of our fellow bloggers. I have posted them on my bedroom door so I am constantly reminded of my goal.

2. I made an appointment with a knee doctor. Enough is enough and I don't want to have to quit training in the middle of all this. Please send your good thoughts, prayers, good vibes, luck, crossed fingers and positive visualizations my way so that the doc doesn't give me any bad news that would interfere with my training schedule. My appointment is Tuesday. 

3. I've started dieting and eating way healthier. Last night, I even passed on the ice cream. What?! I don't even know me any more.

4. On my mirror, I have posted personal affirmations and life goals that I read and believe every day. Cheesy? Yes. Effective? YES.

5. I have decided that maybe "experts" really are experts. And I hear Dave Ramsey has some pretty great budgeting ideas so I'm giving him a shot. Per his recommendation, I put a detailed budget together, on paper, listing every detail of my cash flow down to shampoo and dog food. I'm also going to a seminar next week. I even made little money envelopes and put some cash in there.

6. I signed up for three webinars on marketing/social media/email blasts, and I will continue signing up for them so I can continue to excel at my job.

7. I joined a gym. The heat is no longer an excuse. No siree.

8. I went to a spin class!!! Ive always wanted to go, but I've always been too nervous. I assumed I'd be too out of shape and look like a total idiot. For some reason gym classes always scare me. Well the new, very serious about life, Kelsey gave herself a little pep talk and waltzed right in there. IT WAS AWESOME! I highly recommend it to anyone. I am going to attend every Monday.

9. I talked to my sister and brother-in-law and they are hooking me up with a friend who is going to help me get an IRA account. Is that what it's called? Oh god, I don't even know.. But yay for saving!

10. I got a personal trainer! I am meeting with him once a week and he is going to put me in tip top shape. I met with him yesterday and my legs feel like jelly today. Sore and stiff jelly. Awesome! Yay for Simply Fit AZ!

11. Monday night is official girl's night! Which means i have a consistent day set up to see my buddies and be a good friend. AND it will be oh so much fun. Thursday is Grey's Anatomy night (I know--Nerdy!) which is another name for Sissy and Me night (Why hasn't ABC posted a season premier preview yet????) AND I think we're setting up a Havens family day a couple times or once a month which will be awesome!!! And the weekends, obviously, will be dedicated to the boyfriend. I just love good relationships :)

See????? I'm serious.