...but Celine Dion has made my running playlist.

No joke. I went to see her in concert this week with my housemate (for free, even!) and she impressed me so much, that I came right home and bought her 2007 album Taking Chances on iTunes.

Today I took it out for my 4 miler, and it was awesome! Not all the songs are good for running, but there were a handful that were surprisingly great for it ~ Taking Chances, Eyes on Me, Can't Fight the Feeling, Fade Away. All of these have made the cut onto what will be my running playlist once I actually sit down to make it sometime later this week.

Now, onto the run. I was slower than last week. Alas. It was a good run anyway, and I walked a lot less than I had to last week.

I am also still fighting this sinus infection that I've had for nearly a month now. Earlier this week, I went to the dentist because my tooth pain was so awful that it was waking me up at night. They poked and prodded, took x-rays, even SHOT ELECTRICITY though my teeth, and yet they couldn't find anything that they could fix. Apparently my sinuses run really close to my teeth, which is what is causing most of the pain. The dentist put me on Augmentin, which is much stronger than the Amoxicillin that I had been taking before. After talking to a few different people, I also went to a couple stores and stocked up on probiotics in the form of yogurt and a couple bottles of Kefir smoothie. (Which, by the way, is DELICIOUS, especially after a run!!!)

So that is me right now. I'm planning on getting out for a few midweek runs this week, and at least one swim somewhere in there.

I love the way my legs ache after running. I can't wait until I'm up to 7 or 8 miles, when I'll REALLY be able to feel it!!!

I went swimming today. I managed to do about 35 minutes before I thought I might die. Even then, it was only 10 or 11 laps, which isn't a lot. Since I'm still on antibiotics for the sinus infection, I hereby decree that I'm allowed to blame my lack of stamina on being sick. One more week of meds though, and I won't have any excuses left.

Are any of you swimmers? Do you have tips for beginning swimmers? I have woeful form in the pool, and struggle a lot. I am only planning on going once or twice a week, but I would like to get the most out of my time there. If you have any good tips, videos, blogs, websites, whatever, hand 'em over.

Today I officially started training, and did 3.17 miles, a little 5K just for me! =) I didn't really try to make it 3.1 it just ended up that way!

This was the first time I have been running in a loooong time. Hol and I did a 5K in December, which I did ZERO training for, and nearly killed myself doing it. Today felt much better. For the first 1.5 miles I alternated walking a block and jogging a block. The second 1.5 miles, my body seemed to remember what it was supposed to do, and I jogged nearly all of the 1.5 miles home! At 51 minutes, that puts me at about 16 minute miles. Not too bad for the first time out! I certainly want to get my mile time down before the half, but I think with regular running, that won't be a problem.

I feel awesome, and very accomplished. I was really hoping that this whole training thing wasn't going to suck. I had forgotten what a good run feels like. It was literally like discovering running all over again. I love the way my legs feel, the motion of jogging, the way my hips move. It makes me feel alive.

And now I am excited to run again, and even more excited for the half in May.

What a relief!

(x-posted to sparkpeople)

(p.s. if you have a sparkpeople, and want to friend me on there... my sn is kmae1028!)

I am running the Colfax Half Marathon in May, with like, half of my housemates. And my best friend, who is flying in from Michigan. I am excited for it, especially with the number of people I know who are going to be doing it with me.

But for some reason, I have not started training for it. I can't seem to get myself even INTO running clothes, much less out the door. I am in the beginning stages of getting over a sinus infection, which I think is part of the problem, but really, I can't keep making excuses.

I love running. I need to do it.

And yet still I struggle. I'm planning on going out tomorrow morning and running a couple miles.

I was talking to Holly today, one of my friends who is doing the 1/2. And I said, I am very excited, but I think the reason I am not more worried is because I have done a half before. Which is NO reason not to train. 13 miles is 13 miles, and the last time I ran 13 miles was 2 years ago. It's just so frustrating to be excited about this race, but to have no desire to train.

Well, despite lack of desire, I'm going to go out for 3 miles tomorrow, and I will finish them, even if I have to walk. Perhaps I can force some motivation into my body.....

So, I haven't posted in here in ages! Like, beginning of June! Crazy.

I'm living in Denver now and working for AmeriCorps. It's pretty sweet, if I do say so myself.

Haven't found any good races for the fall, but a pub called Irish Snug hosts free 5Ks every Thursday and then has free appetizers afterwards for participants. Can't beat that deal, I'll probably check it out soon.

I ran about two miles today, which felt fantastic. City Park is really fun to run in and has lots of things to look at.

The Colfax Marathon is in May. I'm going to try for it. If I can't get my times down enough, I will do just the half marathon. Either way, I've got something to train for now.

=)

i decided a few weeks ago that i'd sign up for a 10K. it was really on a whim (because my bro said he was doing the half marathon... but then he didn't...)

i figured that if i signed up for it, it would inspire me to train.

ha ha. ha ha ha. i did not train. i did go to water aerobics once a week, which is better than nothing. but it's still not training.

BUT i did not back out. i did the 10K this morning. surprisingly, i don't think i did too bad. i was in no way, shape, or form last across the line. i came in right about the time that i predicted i would, which is good i suppose. i walked a lot of it. i would say that i walked about 3-4 miles and only ran 2-3.

but my legs huurrrrrtttt!!!!!!!! it's a good hurt, though. =) well, i'm off to put on my race shirt and go out to lunch with my mom and grandma. (aka my cheering section!)

if you are wondering, the race was the dexter to ann arbor half marathon/10K/5K.

I know it's been a million years since I've posted an entry. But I've had a very rough year, and haven't really truly been running since the fall during my Running 101 class. And before that, it had been since my half marathon. Yep, it's about 10 months since I've run any significant distance.

But that's going to change.

Because I'm running a marathon.

On October 19th.

It remains to be seen whether this marathon is the Detroit Free Press Marathon, or the Denver Marathon. That bit will depend on where I'm living in the fall. Luckily, I can train for both of them at the same time, hehe!

I plan on using April and maybe the first week of May to get my milage up at a decent level per week. Then, I get to train all summer and fall. I'm a little nervous, I'm not gonna lie. But I know that either place I end up, I'll have people to help me. If I'm here in Detroit, I'll have my awesome family and maybe a few friends. If I'm in Denver, I have one of my biggest supporters to cheer me on.

Life is good.

So, my brother's dwarf hamster (Sammie) had 6 babies a week or two before Christmas. I was promised first choice, and also recently found out that I can accomodate two, but the two have to be of the same sex, so as not to have *more* hammie babies. I have narrowed my choices down to 4 of the 6 hammies, as my dad is taking Arrow, and I don't really care about Junior, the 6th.

Girl Hammies:
Scruffie: A multicolored white/grey/brown hammie, very cute, and very friendly. Also, the runt of the litter.
Starlit: Looks just like her mama: white, with a grey head and a faint grey stripe down her back. She has grey ears with pink tips.

Boy Hammies:
Bear: A ferocious hammie, indeed! He doesn't bite, but he is the biggest and bossiest of the hammies. He is also the most beautiful, as he is pure white with black eyes. We call him Bear because he looks like a polar bear.
Spot: A very sweet hammie, the one who always climbs right into my hand when I put my hand in the cage. Mostly white with some grey on his head and a grey spot on his back, hence the name.

So my question for all of you is: Which hammie(s) should I adopt as my own? Vote, please!!!



Which Hammie(s)??
Scruffie and Starlit (girl hammies)
Bear and Spot (boy hammies)
Just Bear
Just Scruffie

This is me, committing.

My New Year's Resolution is to run a marathon this year. I'm ready for it.

Exciting stuff. =)

Christmas was much fun, but made me want to run more, considering that a good portion of my presents were:

-Clif Bars
-Body Glide
-A 13.1 frame for my license plate
-A reflective vest so I can run at night
and
-A 2008 running log.

If that doesn't make a person desperately want to go running, I don't really know what would.

I'm still mostly laying around the house being a bum. It's so freaking hard for me to try to be not active. I never realized how much I'm used to doing until I'm not allowed to do it. ARGH. So frusterating.

But I'm going out on Friday, to an after-Christmas-party, with a guy I'm kinda seeing. =) Yep, should be fun. =)

Back to my book about dragons...

So this is like the first update in forever. I've gotten so bad at updating, and it's probably because I've gotten even worse at running.

Although, I did do the running class at Running Fit! I ended up running by myself on all the group runs which was a little dissapointing, but I knew it would happen, because I'm slow. =) I really enjoyed the sessions after the running though! It was cool to hear the presentations, my favorites were the nutritionist and the personal trainer. I really learned a lot! The running I did for the class was really the only running I've done since Cleveland last May. Which is really dissapointing.

Which brings me to a bigger issue. Part of the reason that running is so hard for me is because, let's face it, I have a pretty big chest. I would come in for a run and my back and neck would just ache for days. So, because it was not only a problem in running, but a problem in day to day living, I had breast reduction surgery last week. I cannot even begin to explain how much better I feel. Physically, I feel amazing because I don't have nearly as much weight on my chest as I did before. While I still need to work on losing weight, I feel that my self esteem has shot up as well. I like the way I look so much more now. I firmly believe that it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. However, it's only been a week and a day since the surgery, and I already want to go running. But I can't, since I'm obviously still healing and all. It will probably be another month or two before I am able to actually run. I'm so looking forward to it, though.

As far as school goes, I finished my first semester at U of M. Many parts of it made me feel like I was so far in over my head that it wasn't funny. Other parts were great. We'll see how this next semester goes.

So that's life right now! I apologize for not updating more, but I do read your entries faithfully. I'll try to get back into it. =)

-Kaitlin

I'm think I'm starting to feel better. I'm certainly not anywhere near totally better, but today was a really good day. I got paid today (FINALLY!) and promptly spent $100 on gas and groceries....that I desperatly needed. I have to preface this with the fact that lately, the only energy I've had to fix food goes as far as a can of soup or a Lean Cuisine or a frozen pizza....none of which are particularly good meals, or even all that good for me.

But today when I went to the grocery store I was actually inspired to get some *real* groceries for actual meals. I got fruits and vegetables, I got chicken and ground turkey, I got whole wheat pastas and rice. I got some soup in a bag stuff.

So, my meals for the next couple weeks (I'm only cooking for myself here, so each of these meals should give me at LEAST one, and probably two or three meals to eat as leftovers...)

-Ground Turkey Chili and Cornbread (and salad!)
-Teriaki Chicken with pineapple and rice
-Teriaki Chicken with stir fry veggies and rice
-Tuna noodle casserole
-Spaghetti and marinara sauce
-Potato soup

I think that's all I have planned right now.

But I'm so impressed with myself! To feel actually compelled to make my own food is a good step forward. Now let's hope I can actually make all these things....

Oh and on a different note, running class was really fun! There are 11 of us, and the teacher, Jaime, is really helpful and nice. She came back to run with me because I was the last person to come in, and she gave me some really helpful tips as well! I really like the other people in the class too...we have all ages and backgrounds, from people who have never run before, to people like me, who have done a few races. Everyone is really nice, interested in the class, and supportive. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the class. (4 more sessions.)

Well, I did it. I signed up for a running class that meets on Thursday nights here in Ann Arbor. I talked to the guy at Running Fit, and he says the first day the class runs one block, then walks a block, then runs a block, etc. As I can already run a 5K (which is what the class is geared towards....and heck, I can run 13 miles...), this bit of information presented me with two thoughts:

1. If I find I'm not getting as hard of a workout as I would like, I will just run to and from class every week! I can still take advantage of working with the group, and the lectures, and just add a little extra in there for me. =)

2. I could use this strategy of run/walking to perhaps build my speed base. I think I could CERTAINLY keep up with faster runners, if it's just a block at at time. Oh yes.

So all in all, I think this is a good class for me! It's 5 weeks long, which means that it will be ending the week before my surgery, which works out perfectly. I'm really excited to meet other people to run with, and to get the coaching and stuff as well. I have pretty terrible form, so hopefully someone will be able to help me with that. Plus, this forces me off the couch. Nothing like having a group depend on your showing up to run with them. =)

I was fully intending on going running this morning. But I have a cold. And I know that shouldn't be an excuse, but I really feel miserable. I think instead, I'll go this afternoon.

I could be going to work at church and making money for a spring break trip...but I don't think they want my cold either. And I would feel really bad serving food to people when I have a cold. That's just not cool.

So, running it is.

In other news:

-I survived the week from hell (aka too much work + getting this cold). I survived mostly by skipping class. Not the best idea ever, but mental health is important too. So there.

-My birthday is on Sunday. 23.....I am officially getting old. (Sorry to pretty much everyone on my f-list, I know I'm still a baby to most of you!)

-Ummm. That's actually all the news I had. Have a great weekend!

I'm procrastinating. I've become remarkably good at it. =) I do have 4 essays to write for class tomorrow, but thus far, I've only organized the information I will need. Which I suppose will make it easier when I write them, but for now, I'd rather write about running.

I felt really good on Sunday when I was running, despite not having trained for the race. My time was 43:43 (nice, eh? lol) and divided among 3.1 miles, that is 14 minute miles. Which is pretty good for me! I'm quite pleased.

Also, I was thinking that if I HAD trained for this race, would I have gotten a 5K time in the 30's? Because that would have beat my PR by a good two or three minutes if I had. I wonder, for the Turkey Trot, if I should plan on doing the 5K and actually train for it, instead of doing the 10K. I wonder if I actually train for it I could get a sweet new PR. Although, if I run the 10K, I am guaranteed a PR since I've never run one before!

I guess I just need to actually register for some races. Because then that will *force* me to train. =) Alas, my school is slow as heck and I still don't have my loan money yet. As soon as it comes though, you had better believe that I'll be on the Flying Pig website filling out my information. I also think that as soon as Detroit has a new website up, I'll sign up for the marathon. I think I could have done the marathon this year, if I could have made myself register for it. I just wasn't ready to commit, which I guess means that I wasn't ready to run it. Next year I want that to be different though. I'm tired of being apathetic about life in general, and I did have a good time on Sunday at the race. I really do want that to be me next year.

This is getting pretty rambly for me I think.

Well I suppose I should go make an outline for my essays so that I can write them later tonight.

Argh.

Slept on a loveseat type couch last night. I expected to maybe not feel fantastic this morning, but that the kinks would work themselves out after I was up for an hour or so.

Did not expect the raging headache. Can't really tell if it's a migraine or not. I've had some coffee, and don't feel better. (Don't feel worse though...) I don't have any meds. And it hurts too much to go drive and get some. I don't even want to go upstairs.

I just want to lay here in the nice, dark, cool basement. All day.

Too bad I have to do homework at the same time...

AHhhhhhh the soreness is attacking! But, I still wouldn't trade my run today for anything. Although, I did learn that it's a bad idea to drink two glasses of water right after getting back to your house. I almost threw up. But the sensation only lasted about 15 seconds and I didn't throw up, so I just figured it was too much too fast. Still not fun though.

Tomorrow is a loooong day for me. (aka no running....) I work at the library from 8:30-11, then at my job in Detroit from 12-4, and then I'm back in AA for an interview with my Contextual Design group at our client's worksite. YIKES!!! No time to relax until probably 6 pm. And then I have to work on homework, revisions of last week's homework, a presentation for Wednesday, and a paper due Thursday morning. It's the crazy week, I guess! =) I think I'll have time to go running on Wednesday afternoon though, yesssssss.

Speaking of running, someone at my school sent out a message that they lost a runner for their Detroit Relay team and needed a replacement. Even though I'm already registered for the 5K I volunteered myself, but only after making sure they knew that I was slow, hahaha. I got a nice reply saying they already had someone reply before me, that no one cared how slow I was- they were all in it just for fun, and that if the first person decided not to do it, they would let me know. So, I may be doing the first leg of the Relay instead of the 5K. But that's probably a pretty slim chance. Because I also told them to give it to someone unregistered for any event before letting me on the team. Then more people get to take part in the love. =)

Anyway....big week coming up. Even better weekend- another home game, so I don't have to work! Kate is coming up to visit from Ohio, and we are going to kidnap Karlie and make a day of it on Saturday. So that's my life right now.

List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.

1. Ok, this one is for those of you who know absolutely NOTHING about me. If there is any one piece of information that it is vital for you to know, it is that I love penguins. Yes. I. Love. Penguins. There could not be another animal on the face of the earth that I could possibly love more than penguins. Very important. PENGUINS! More than that, my friends adopted me a penguin for my 21st birthday. So not only do I love them, I have one.....somewhere in Galapogos.....

2. I eavesdrop on a class on (I think) Information Law, every Tuesday afternoon from 2:30-4. Which, by the way, happens to be right now. I sit on the floor outside of the classroom, and listen. But I don't take notes, because hey, who does that unless they are taking the class? I keep coming though, because I think it's interesting and I enjoy hearing what the teacher has to say. He talks about wildly different things every week. Who knows if I'll have to take this class while I'm here, but if I do, I'm sure to be very well prepared. =)

3. Partially because I am very much the librarian, and also probably because I love books in general, but it drives me NUTS when books are out of order on a shelf. I can't stand it. Even on my own bookshelf, it may look like they aren't in a particular order, but they are. If I go to a library and see books in the wrong place, I put them in the right place. The thing that annoys me the most though, is watching patrons in a library shelve their own books. Strangely, it is only with things like books and movies that this bothers me. I have no problem throwing my clothes, makeup, or random stuff in any old drawer or bin.

4. I really enjoy cooking and baking, but I rarely do it because I hate cleaning up. That is the number one reason why I don't cook more. You think it would be worth it...but I still can't make myself cook more often.

5. I love drawing, and I think it helps me concentrate in class. I've just recently discovered this fact. Recently, as in yesterday. I don't really draw anything in particular, just strange and random geometric shapes, lines, grids, etc. Doodling really, I suppose. But I've done some that I find very pleasing and nice to look at! I think I might get some charcoal pencils and a notepad in the next few days... As far as doing it in class goes, I still pay attention to whoever is talking....but it's sometimes easier if my hands have something to do at the same time.

6. I hate being creeped out. Among things that I find creepy are Halloweekends staff at Cedar Point who jump out at you, spiders, and mushrooms. Slightly irrational about the mushrooms, I know, but there you have it. Don't get any of these things near me, or I may freak out.

7. I traded phone backs with the nurse at camp, so that her phone is now silver with a pink back, and mine is pink with a silver back. Just a random fact I thought was a nice way to end this quiz.

Thanks supermanz for the survey!

One of the things we talked about in tutor training last night was to be careful not to go into tutoring with the mindset of "I'm going to fix this kid." It is a bad idea to expect that you will be so awesome at tutoring that you'll teach the kid everything he needs to know in the first month. It would never work. Learning something like reading is a skill that takes a lot of time. Kids can't grasp large amounts of information at a time. It's all about the process....you work on something little by little, just working on tiny little pieces at a time, reinforcing along the way until (and it may be weeks or monthes later) the kid finally understands the concept.

I think I've been approaching my running the wrong way.

All I want to do is be able to run a marathon. And it's such an awesome goal, right? But so hard when you approach it the wrong way. If you try to run a marathon and you aren't ready, chances are pretty good that you aren't going to finish. I just keep telling myself to pick a marathon, and then I can start a training program. I think I'm trying to push myself way too hard. What I need to focus on right now, I think, is to push myself to go running every other day. To get my milage up to 15 miles a week, and then continue to add a little bit every week. And then, maybe, when my long run is up to 12-15 miles, I could think about picking a marathon. Because let's face it, I'm just not a great runner yet...and until I can gain hold of the little things, I need to leave the big ones alone. Not that they aren't great goals, and things that I know I need to strive for.

But you can't read a book until you have a firm grasp on the letters, and then words, and sentences, and so on.

And if you are like me, there is no way to run a marathon until you can get your daily and weekly milage to be routine. Which it isn't. But I think I understand what I need to do....mostly, I need to not let myself obsess about when I am going to run a marathon, and just try to get through running on a weekly basis. I'm just not ready yet.

I am however, ready to learn.

Quick update before an afternoon of homework...*sigh*

-I ended up signing up for the Detroit 5K instead of the Half. I just didn't have the time to train back up for a full half, and after Saturday's run, I'm so glad I decided on the 5K. Despite the fact that I walk EVERYwhere on campus (except home from work at the library twice a week....) running was sooooooo hard!!! I couldn't even do a mile (granted, a lot of it was uphill, and fairly steep). Kate and I went in the Arb, which was beautiful. But anyway, I have a few more weeks before the 5K, and plenty of time to work my way back up to 3.1 miles. =)

-I made an appointment to meet with a surgeon on Friday. I'm super excited and just a little nervous. It blows my mind that I may have a date for surgery before the week is even over!!!

-I love my jobs. America Reads is fantastic, I met two of the ladies who work at my site yesterday and they are pros at working with the program, as well as very nice. I also met all of the tutors for my site yesterday! Awww, yay tutors. They made me happy--and there were even a few other graduate students! My other job is working in closed stacks. Stacks the size of two huge, 4-floor warehouses. Pulling books, shelving books, and sometimes data entry. Slightly boring, but I'm always busy, which is a good good thing for me.

And I guess that is it for now....off to the land of neverending homework, reading, and meetings....

k