Since this new theme is going to show my “categories” tags whether I like it or not (read: still can’t figure out the html), I might as well start some posting categories. Welcome to Thoughts on a Thursday! I know, how original. But it might just get me to post more often…. here’s to wishing!
[Edit: I DID IT!!! There is now (... there better be ...) a "LEAVE A COMMENT" link at the bottom of each post. Take that HTML!!!]
Won’t take you too many guesses to figure out where I’m headed today! Which means I better get my ass out on that bike as soon as I hit Publish. I’m not usually one for “justifying” calories, but if you’re going to eat a days worth in mini donuts and camel on a stick, I want to know I at least broke a little sweat today. If you’re not from this wonderful state and are not able to take in the wonder that is the Minnesota State Fair, fret not, sorrow be gone. I will share with you! Not my Tiny Tim’s mini donuts (back off bucko - get your own bag!), but photos.
(These are not mine, although the photoshopping is. 
Click for credit, and look for my photos this weekend.)
Assuming he didn’t win any Sunscape giveaways
Minnesota’s Largest Boar…
Minnesota’s Largest …… …
My wife is going to love you!! ….. (Hahha!! Sorry. Inappropriate.)
Crack. Really hot, straight-out-of-the-fryer crack. Fair warning.
I don’t care how much it costs, I don’t care if you’re 5 or 55. Do the slide.
Alright amigos – I’ve got a hot date with Rilo (supervised by Joyce Meyer on my ipod… because yes I do plan on Enjoying Everyday Life), and it’s time to get moving. Over n’ Out!
-E
Ohhh my ‘Lanta. How’s that for a two week absence?!? No need to give excuses – it just is what it is.So let’s get started…
First of all, IT issues. And that would be IT as in I – T, not it. If you’re reading via Google reader, you may not have noticed that my layout and heading have CHANGED. This was not exactly intentional, but in updating my previous theme, it wiped out my custom header and personalized settings. FAIL! However, it did force me to spruce things up a little around here. So if you’re reading ing Google Reader, please (!!) click on over and tell me what you think of the new header, the layout, what am I missing (?), and any other comments. Minnesota Nice comments though – that constructive criticism. Here is what I have noticed, and would love your help if you are blogging/internet/html savvy and know how to fix it!
Um… that’s actually all I can think of that’s different. My pages tabs have moved to the right side bar, my “fueled by” sponsors/links have moved over to the right side, and so has my search bar… what am I forgetting about?
Just to note in the mean time, you CAN still comment! (haha, no pressure though.) You just have to on an individual post page (click on the title of the post) and scroll to the bottom. Frustrating, I know, but hopefully I’ll have it figured out soon!
OK, now we begin.
In all of seven days, I’m going to be renewing my student status and heading back to campus at my dearly beloved University of Minnesota. And trust me, this girl will not be dragging her feet. Summer 2010 will not exactly be looked upon “fondly” in my books. Alright, no B.S. – it was truthfully the worst summer I have ever had. I’m looking forward for this summer to be done, and I’m ready to just leave it at that – close the chapter, and turn a new page.
ANYWAYS.
What am I looking forward to other than summer ending? A lot. Copious amounts. Heaps, loads, MUCHO!! But for the sake of time (and your sanity) I betcha I can break it down to three:
Yes. I am looking forward to school. Class. Homework. Cadavers, textbooks, exams – bring it. I know my major is the right fit for me because I get out of bed and I’m excited about it. Every. Damn. Day. And AMEN for that, because I went through that year and a half of unsureness when I started out doing architecture. (THROWWW BACK POST! I look so young! [Edit: that was only two years ago you doof!] I miss my dad!!!) And that’s OK – if I have any young guns out there going off to college (or still in high school!!), let me tell you two things. A) Say HI!! One of my new favorite people in the world left her first comment recently, and I love that girl! I want to hear from you!! Oh yea… B) You do not need to know what you want do do/be “when you grow up” when you go to college. That’s what college is for! Take classes outside your comfort zone. Use your general eds to explore different fields and see what really lights your fire. [That sounded dirty when I reread for editing. How old am I??]
On track… on track.
I’m excited and looking forward to school. Here is my schedule for the fall semester – classes only. I may or may not be adding on one more 1 credit class (another PE – Kines needs 5 to graduate, and I’m at 3) but I need to wait and see how some other things (that I’m also looking forward to!) pan out. 
It probably doesn’t blow your mind that I’m looking forward to training, but when you hear that I’m still not running… it might. Its true – I was SUPER down about not being able to run – pretty much this whole summer. And I’m definitely still bummed about that. But I am in the hands of some of the best sports medicine doctors the Twin Cities has to offer, and for that, I am so grateful. I feel so solid in the decisions I’ve made about racing and training this year, so solid in my coach, my goals, and the plans she has given me to help me reach them, and more solid than flipping Fort Snelling in having given this one over to God.
And also pretty solid in rocking my new prescription sleeve. It makes me feel like I’m almost still a runner. Did I mention I love my sports med team?
Note: nope – I’m not on the UMN XC team. Just a groupie. :/
I will tell myself over and over again, until it’s permanently engraved in my mind. I can do anything through Him who strengthens me. I’m entering the new school year with a good attitude, a solid head on my shoulders (jeeez, you’d think I like the word solid or something… [note the official sarcasm color]) and a strong hand of faith on my shoulder. There are plenty of opportunities out there just waiting to be seized, and oh man, do I plan on seizing. In fact, I plan on going pro at it, so watch out! This summer blowed, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the year has to.
Life is only what you make of it my friends. If you’re questioning whether or not your makin’ of it… I ask you this: If not today… then when? (That is a direct shout out to YOU mama bear! I love you!!)
Alright kiddos… [I do realize the majority of my readers are older than me... I should change that out. This editing-post-writing is a good thing. Highly recommended.] Scratch that. Alright compadres, it’s time to wrap. The Twins just beat the Tigers. The world is right. (Or is it solid..?) And it’s bedtime.
READER Qs: Are you tech savvy//very empathetic, and can help me fix my html to make the comment link reappear? What are you taking this semester if you are still in school? What was your favorite course in college if you are all done?
Sleep tight!
-E
Please bear with me for the weekend…. Dr.TriRunner is undergoing several changes, due to the fact that “updating” my theme completely wiped all my previous custom settings! I am too busy to go back and fix it (read: can’t figure out where the custom header part was in the html… don’t remember how to work with the FTP… ugh!), plus the sight could use a little updating… don’t ya think?!
Be back soon. Promise!
-E
Alright guys… I am SO excited to share this post with yall! (Woooah dog.. I’m not from Texas. Where did that come from?!) Not only because it answers my most frequent reader question and now I can just refer them to this post… but also because I got to collaborate with some of my favorite athletes! [Haha I just realized my own answers are in this list. I wasn't trying to say that I'm my own favorite athlete!]
The questions is usually phrased something like: “I’m just getting into [running, triathlons, etc.] and I signed up for my first race!! But I don’t know what to EAT before or during the race!! Any advice?” The answer to that question is SUPER individualized, and just because something works for me, or these other lovely athletes down below, does not necessarily mean it will work for you. But you never know until you try, and I think our “go-to”s will give you some good starting ground!
For more PRE-RAE PREP, aside from delicious // butt-kicker breakfasts, check out my post Train on Top Volume 4.1 – PRE RACES!!
@ No blog. She should though because she has some awesome artwork featuring Minneapolis photography for sale. If you’re interested, let me know!
1 // What races do you participate in?
I am no longer racing, but raced a lot in the ‘80s and ‘90s: many Grandma’s and Twin Cities marathons; the Boston Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Houston Marathon, three marathons in Utah, Easy Street to Lake Street Half-Marathon, New Prague Half-Marathon, Hennepin Lake Classics, Edmund Fitzgerald relays, Melpomene 5K, Victory Memorial 10K, among many other races.
2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel
My pre-race fuel was a peanut butter bagel and banana along with several energy gel packs during marathons.
1 // What races do you participate in?
I’ve been through it all… from the mile and two mile on the track, to XC, to triathlons, all the way up to the marathon.
2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel
My “stand-by” has changed quite a bit over the years. There are definitely phases and kicks I’ve gone through…. though I wouldn’t follow my example of that season of high school XC where I thought candy corn was responsible for my kick (until I crashed and burned).
However, I will give the following recommendations:
1 // Coffee is not a question of if but of Mexican dark roast or Twin Cities Blend? 2 // [IMO] Slightly upping the carbs the week before a big race is a better idea than shoving your face with spaghetti the night before. Have a nice, balanced dinner, but nix the pasta party. 3 // Kona Kola Nuun is not only deliciously amazing (amazingly delicious??), but also a life saver. 4 // Twizzlers & Raisin Bran on the beach while waiting forever and a half for your wave to start is actually a pretty good idea… 5 // Agua, H2O, dihydrogen monoxide, oxygen (di-)hydride, mizu, WATER!! All week leading up to the race.
1 // What races do you participate in?
I participate primarily in triathlons, mostly half ironmans.
2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel
My favorite pre-race breakfast is nothing special. I try to keep it pretty similar to what I normally eat in the morning. My pre race breakfast is usually a bowl of Frosted Flakes, a banana and some sports drink. My fav is First Endurance EFS. I will sip on a bottle when I get up and then another while setting up the transition area and waiting for the race to start. My stomach doesn’t like too much in it as soon as I get up, especially with pre-race butterflies flapping around, so I focus primarily on staying hydrated instead of chewing up solids.
1 // What races do you participate in?
I’ve raced just about everything, from 5ks to 50 mile ultras. In years past I’ve been primarily a runner, but recently got into triathlon and just qualified for the Ironman world champs in Kona this year.
2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel
I always have the same pre-race breakfast, no matter what the distance. A few hours before the race I have a bowl of oatmeal with raisins, soy protein powder, and cinnamon. I also have about 3 cups of coffee. About 45 mins before the race start I’ll have a banana. I think the most important thing is to race using the same conditions you’ve trained with. I am not a fan of having a huge breakfast before a meal, as I don’t race well with a lot of food in my stomach. I don’t even have a big dinner the night before. Instead, if I have a major event (marathon, ultramarathon, half ironman, etc) I have a slightly larger than normal lunch, and then an early dinner. During longer distance events I rely on keeping myself adequately fueled by taking in a steady supply of GU.
@ CotterCrunch & The Cotter Chronicles
James’ Race eats:
1 // What races do you participate in?
I compete in triahthlons professionally. Main races are half ironmans and a couple full ironmans per season
2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel
Pre race fuel are usually oats or gluten free corn flakes. The wife makes me a small bowl of rolled oats and sticks them in the fridge overnight. In the morning she’ll had banana, cinnamon, honey, and maybe just a tad scoop of vanilla whey protein to mix in.
1 bottle of EFS by first endurance (an electrolyte drink) to take with breakfast and another bottle 45 minutes before race (sip on it in transition area while setting up). Then 15 minutes before race start I’ll take First Endurance Pre-Race powder (caffience stimulation powder) mixed with 4 oz of water.
Lindsays Eats:
1 // What races do you participate in?
No triathlons for me right now. Sold my bike and will get a new one later in the year. That being said, lots of Half marathons this summer/fall! WHOO HOO!
2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel
I have a gluten intolerance and can’t handle much before a race so here’s what works for me before a half mary.
2 brown rice cakes (gluten free brand) with sun nut butter or almond butter, 1/2 banana, and honey on top. I sometimes add some sea salt crystals just to get some extra sodium in if its going to be a HOT HUMID race. Oh and COFFEE COFFEE is a must. I usually drink an electrolyte drink on the way to race sight (like EFS by first endurance). Then I during the race I make sure to have honey stingers with me. They are easy to chew and stick in my pocket. I alternate between gatorade and water for the majority of the race.
Post race (usually about 30 minutes after), I love CHOCOLATE MUSCLE MILK! The light kind is easy on my stomach because its lactose free and gluten free. I usually grab some fruit with it. Its the perfect recovery fuel you can tag along with you to races.
READER Qs: What is YOUR “go-to” pre-race breakfast? Have you had any big breakfast blow-ups?
Almost! If you haven’t noticed… I haven’t been posting much about my own training and pre-racing and racing hoo-ha lately. [I mean hoo-ha in the sense of "all that nonsense" or "all that business". Urban Dictionary might lead you astray....] And, that would be because I haven’t been racing. BUT, going by my last post, and my facebook photo, hopefully you all can see I’m still WORKING. There is a method to this madness, but a method where I’ve had to put my faith in God to follow. Not fe ciega mind you – although I’ll admit, I do have a bit of that – but guided faith. This is another one of my I’m so much smarter of an athlete now than I was then moments, and it feels RIGHT. Haha I didn’t say good, but it’s definitely right.
And speaking of good and right, there’s a company I want to make sure you guys know about. I say “make sure” because I had never heard of them until my girl Mrs. Frayed Laces enlightened me. And I’m SO glad she did! You can expect to hear more about them in the near future, but in the mean time, click on over to America’s Nutrition. Fair warning that you WILL want to fill you shopping cart, because they have something for EVERYONE. My “heavy lifters” … my marathon junkies … everyone. So fill your cart as you wish, but don’t hit check out just yet!!
[Muah ha ha!! What a tease.]
PEACE.
-E
They say “All good things must come to an end.” Well, no… let’s not play that he said/she said game. Somewhere around 1374, Geoffrey Chaucer actually stated something closer to, “There is an end to everything, to good things as well.”
As August is speeding past faster than the Tokyo bullet train (shinkansen!!) I suddenly found myself with this wrinkled forehead, this sense of tension. The second I finally felt as though I was getting into the swing of things – a “new normal” and something good – I realized it’s all going to change. To come to an end. Within minutes, my (type A+) mind built a mile-long TO DO: list of all things still needing to be done before the start of the fall semester.
Go pick up books. [Attempt to] sell past years’ text books. Pay for UPass. Rent rec center locker. Figure out student loan situation. Figure out CAR loan situation. Find [a used] new car. See grandparents. See cousins before they go back to school. Book ticket to see Dad, and please dear Lord before Christmas! Finish redoing bedroom/paint/new bedroom furniture sets. Clean out old clothes. Yard sale. Haul 75% of things not sold at said yard sale to Good Will. Figure out school year employment. Figure out how to combine school year employment/training/full-time-STUDENT (aka, primary reason I’m paying to get an education….) What am I going to do post-kinesiology. Pre-med vs. Physical Therapy. And what the heck, I didn’t even say make time for God?!
And I wasn’t even going to write that list but it all just came out, like my lemonade was spiked with a literary emetic.
But then I stopped, and remembered the action of exhalation. And in the same two-seconds it took to grow that list, I came to three important understandings.
1. I found a new normal. I struggled with being “thrown off” without running. I wallowed in my pity-party-of-one for a good minute a week long enough. I thought about what I can do. I got my attitude in check. I made changes. And look at me… I made progress.
2. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippeans 4:13) And by all things I do not mean that I get to create this monstrous* to-do list, and then say, Aright homes – show me your love. I mean that whatever struggles I may face in the material world, I have Christ’s strength backing me, guiding me, and helping me through. I have faith that I will accomplish whatever needs to be done, and what doesn’t will fall to the wayside. I tend to create more anxiety over smaller issues, which in turn stops me from taking in the whole picture. It’s that mountains out of molehills thing… I’ve never even seen a mole for goodness sakes. No matter how wrink-frickin-finkled my forehead gets, I will get through it.
(* I am attempting to eliminate the word “epic”, or at least the misuse of it, from my vocabulary. Call me out if I slip up.)
3. Did I really just say I wasn’t making time for God? No. There are weeks where I stress myself out about not making time to go to mass. Not making time to read and study the bible. But then I stop, and remember the walk I took around the lake… chatting with the Man the whole way. I remember the long drives we take and the jokes and heart-to-hearts that pass the time. (You know when you see someone pulled up next to you, think they’re talking to themselves, and then realize they have one of those cell-phone ear piece things? No… I don’t. You just can’t see my home boy in the passenger seat. No biggie.) I remember that my relationship with Christ is not something I “make time” for. It’s something that is present all the time. I don’t, can’t, and don’t want to separate the IT from me. And I don’t know why I felt the need to put this out there on my running/triathlon/medicine/college life blog, but here I am. Roll.
To explain my current state of being, you could combine Jay Z’s 99 Problems and Matthew West’s More. Hmm… on second thought, lets leave them separate.
So what did I just accomplish in this way-too-long amount of time it took me to write this? Well for one, that wrinkle in my forehead is gone. 99 Problems on repeat tends to have that effect. For two (alright, I’m going back to school. Secondly…) I really did drink a Nalgene full of lemonade… but I promise there was no emetic involved. The word-vomit just happens sometimes. And thirdly, I think Chaucer was maybe just having a bad day. Yeah, you could say “all [good] things come to an end” … but you could also say all good things have gotta’ start somewhere. I’m excited to go back to school. I’m excited about these musculos. I’m excited about my new goals and even the minimal bit of running I get to do right now. I’m excited about the “new normal” of human physiology and sports psychology this fall. I’m excited about life, because I know you only get out what you put in…
So I ask you not what is coming to an end, but what are you starting?
-E
Link sponsored by CSN Stores, which has over 200+ sites and a selection of items for just about everything. I am excited that they are an awesome company, and helping me with the start of something good. Stick around and you’ll have a chance to too!
… The question is, does that statement end with a ?? or a !!
Sorry guys, I know it’s been quite a while. And while sh¡ts and giggles about eating “tree stars” for breakfast is nice and all, that’s not what Dr.TriRunner is about. Thankfully though, Betsy was nice enough to call me out on it. I have definitely shaken the funk that brought me down in early July when I first found out about my sfx. That’s great – obviously no one enjoys being down. But I still don’t feel like I’ve fallen into any sort of “normal” routine or training schedule yet.
Athletically speaking, a “normal” summer for me (“normal” I guess only in reference to the last 4ish years. I’m not that old…) would look like ~50-80 mpw of running, gearing up for or gearing down from a marathon, plenty of core and XT, but damnit anyways!! I still HATED biking. I’d do it to and from work – it was free transportation, but I got zero enjoyment from the “sport.” A permanent Gomer tan around my arm, with sports bra/shorts lines to match. Racing ~2x per month. And expecting to be fast.
Please let me introduce Sperly Summer 2010:
(And no, I don’t still “hate biking.”) 
I know no one would watch it on TV… not even me. But pool running might just be my only chance at becoming an olympic athlete!!
So here I am. I have run. I have ridden. And I have REALLY [needed to make this alliteration work] loved swimming in Lake Harriet. All my mini-apple triathletes… come join me! The water is crazy clear, and the buoys are set on “long course.” I really am serious though… I’m not waking up at the butt-crack of dawn to do it, but I WILL be continuing my OWSs in my back yard lake. And I’d love the company. Eh? Mr. Speedo? Fit Girl? M.Dot? DRog? BigGreen? All the cool kids are doing it. Two words: Peer. Pressure.
(By “all the cool kids” I think I mean me. And Mr. Wrinkles who was there today, but let me tell you that man was way cool, side strokes like a beast, and super willing to share the lake.)
But just because I feel like I AM still a triathlete - shoot, I don’t even care about the tri part right now – that doesn’t entirely establish a “new normal“… leaving me still without a plan. If you aren’t fortunate enough to know anyone who is “very Type A” or as I like to say, type A+ … I will inform you right now that [I] they don’t function well without a plan. In fact, they might very well implode. And because imploding is generally frowned upon, I turn to coach. Coach Jodi.
If you read Dr.TriRunner via Google Reader, or something of the likes, I encourage you to click through. See that left side bar? See that Model Per4mance logo? That is how I have come to know/love/fear/admire Mrs. Jodi Jones. She knows her stuff. She will be honest and straight forward with you. She will call you out if it is merited. She will push you to push yourself, and she will help you to reach your goals. And then, she’ll help you celebrate them! This is starting to sound like a girl crush diary entry, so I’ll just end in saying that I’m getting new PLANS from coach Jodi this week. My goal is to improve my swim time. And with these plans, I feel confident I’ll settle into some sort of “new normal.” Alleluia.
Reader Questions: What does your normal summer look like? Does your training change seasonally, or does it stay the same year round? What is your current goal?
With THAT my friends, it is time for me to run to Target. With my brand-spankin-new clutch. And my Grandma’s Marathon Finisher tee.
-E
Last weekend I somehow stumbled upon a post on CNN about tricks parents told their kids to get them to eat certain foods. Ok… they used the word “lies” … but “tricks” to me sounds at least semi-honest. The actual post had some funny stuff (“Brussle sprouts will make you grow hair on your chest” ?!?) , it was the comment section that really made it. There was a lengthy debate about the physiological response to hot drinks on a hot day, and lots of laughable confessions from parents just trying to get their little tayder-tots to pick a healthy snack. You can find the original post HERE but here are some of my favorite highlights:
Susan
“What about “eat your vegetables, starving children in (insert country here) would die for those vegetables”
REPLY
Jason
“I always told my parents I would pay the postage.”
Andrew
“My mom would say eat three bites and if you still don’t want it you don’t have to eat it. ……”
[That was definitely a rule in my house!! And I'm pretty sure I was the only 5 year old who'd pick seconds on asparagus and not dessert!]
Tracy
“When I was very little my mom told me you couldn’t chew gum until you were 21. It worked for a few years. I stopped asking for gum!”
Grondahl
“I’m starting my toddler early. Anything that’s out of bounds is “Hot!” Candy bars, stove tops, dishwashers, cookies, edible or not, they’re all “Hot!” We’ll see how long he goes without developing a complex.
REPLY
LSbloo
“Careful with that one or once he realizes that cookies aren’t hot he may figure the stove isn’t either.”
Elyssa
When I was a toddler, I wouldn’t eat fish. So my parents told me it was ocean meat and I ate it.
My dad told me all sorts of food would put hair on my chest. Luckily I knew he wasn’t serious because I certainly didn’t want hair on my chest.
I told my son that the ice cream truck was the music truck. His jaw dropped open when he was two and saw kids at the park getting ice cream from the music truck. I had to tell him the truth then.
Kat220
“A neighbor used to tell her sons that when the ice cream man played music that he was out of ice cream. My mom always says she wishes she had thought of that.”
girlwonder
“My parents used a lot of these on us, so it’s been very entertaining reading through all of these. My kids were small when the ‘Land Before Time’ baby dinosaur movies were popular. I always served them raw baby spinach leaves for dinner, and told them they were ‘tree stars’, the favorite food of the baby dinosaurs. The kids were so happy to have a pile of these leaves they ate them right up. They are 14 & 20 now, so they don’t believe me anymore, but they still eat their spinach raw & say they will tell their kids the same thing.”
[I LOVED this one because I was hooked on Land Before Time. Any time I had to stay home from school sick, my dad would let me pick up a movie (and a 12 pack of diet ginger ale). I rotated between My Neighbor Totoro and the Land Before Time series… ahhhh memories.
Tree stars!!!
OK…. sorry – this is obviously nothing Dr.TriRunner related, but it was fun.
READER QUESTION: What “tricks” did your parents tell you as a kid to get you to eat certain foods? Mom – if you’re reading this one… what am I missing? I know I went through a picky stage, but both my sister and I were pretty good about eating our peas!!
Catch you guys soon. Despite my lengthy absence, I do have several posts ready to go! Wishing you all the best,
-E
The internet gods are working against me. WordPress would NOT let me log in for the life of me last night, and this morning, every page loaded is a serious struggle! Anyway, due to said malfunctions, yesterday’s intended-light-hearted post has been postponed. Instead, I feel like it’s finally time to share some good news with all of you….
[Why is there a huge space underneath this photo? I am not qualified to answer that question...] Thats right… after months over a year of debating, I finally bit the bullet (ohh I crack myself up!) and purchased a VitaMix. I looked everywhere trying to find better and better deals – new, refurbished, various online retailers, craigslist, ebay, you name it. Then about a week ago, there was a message from God.
[C'mon.. he looks just like an angel singing....]
Already in an elevated mood by simply being in the store (at 11:30 am, with no traffic…), I was headed over to the meat and seafood department. And then I saw it… shining in the corner my eye like a pretty lost diamond. Only little it was not. A pyramid of bright white VitaMix boxes end capped the kitchen appliances isle. I’ve seen the Blendtec at Costco before, but never the VitaMix. This, I thought, was fate.
Until I remembered that like most things in life, señor cash-money is a prerequisite. And I thought about my bank account. And upcoming expenses. And pretty quickly, my little bubble of hope began to deflate.
UNTIL several days later, when in my mailbox I found $5,000 cash. I wish. But I did get my security deposit back from my previous apartment, in the form of a $900 check. Now let me give you a warning my little chickadees: if you ever find yourself in this predicament, you will have the sensation that you are being gifted this money. And when you are given a “gift” of said cash-money, you will want to spend it. In reality, this is money YOU PAID some time ago. It was deducted from YOUR checking account.
Here’s my caveat: It’s not like I haven’t been working this whole time. In addition to my hourly wage at my two jobs, I make some decent tips at the restaurant. For all the years I’ve had a job with tips, that “extra” money has been mine to decide what to do with. I know I could use a new bike. I know I will shortly need a new car. I know there are trips I would like to take, and events I’d like to attend. But I’ve thought about this long and hard, and I was getting a VitaMix damn¡t!
[p.s. Is that even the right context to use the word "caveat"...?]
So. Yesterday afternoon when I was at Costco with my madre, and there were still a FEW VitaMixes left, I knew what I had to do. Like any good mother, my mom questioned me if I was sure this was something I wanted to spend so much money on. She asked, “What’s so special about a VitaMix versus a regular blender?”
If you have one… you will know.
And on July 20th, 2010, I brought baby Vito home. Yes, I am that girl who named her bike (Rilo), her GPS (Gomer), and now, her blender. If you’re going to name your car, or your wanger, I get to name my blender!! He’s already fitting in perfectly with the rest of the crew. (No… I don’t name all of my kitchen appliances. But Vito is special. )
My first creation? A Vanilla frosty inspired by miss Janetha B. who is off right now celebrating her HONEYMOON! Congrats lady! I’m wishing you the best, from far far away!
And if you look closely, um… no. Those are not tapioca pearls (although that would be BOMB)… they are still little bits of ice. I may or may not have been slightly impatient in letting Vito finish his job. And afterwards I topped it with cinnamon, and it was STILL amazing.
To answer my mom’s questions – What makes a VitaMix so special? What can a VitaMix do? Well ever-so-kindly, they answered that one for me!
The company has a claim to “52 food feats” that the VitaMix can accomplish. You can check them all out HERE, but here are a few I’m really looking forward to!
AHHHHH! That is my excitement. But one thing I’m figuring out is that there was only one itty bitty recipe book included in my box. And I know a LOT of you who own a VitaMix have come up with some amazing recipes. So here’s my….
SHARE with me!! Help me out!! What are some of your favorite recipes you’ve made with your VitaMix? I don’t want to miss out on any of the goodness!! PLEASE!?
And one more READER QUESTION in regards to my last post.… which I’ll definitely come back to soon. Those who left accusations “comments” … do you want me to address them publicly or privately? Or did you not really want me to address them at all, because you didn’t leave a legit email address? If you actually want an answer, leave me another comment or send me a message at drtrirunner (at) gmail (dot) com and I’d be more than happy to have a chat with you and answer your questions.
MANNNNN… do I really have to go to work? Don’t I get some sort of maternity leave or something?! I guess Vito will have to wait till’ I get home. Thanks in advance for any brilliant ideas you pass my way!!
-E
p.s. YES I know I went a tad overboard with the LINK LOVE today… but that was intentional because I WANT someone from VitaMix to see it and I want them to know I am SOOOO HAPPY! The end.
Goodness. Gracious!! How many attempts at posting does it take to say “I have a stress fracture.” ??
Well I can count two written and non-posted novels… but more importantly, it’s been almost TWO WEEKS since the Kayak Theory! Ugggh. Not giving an excuse. Just, ugggh.
In the last 13 days, I have:
)So…. yeah. If you could read the other two posts I wrote (though you might not want to – literally multiple pages worth in Word…) you might understand a little bit of the turmoil that has been my thoughts lately. One minute I’m way up, sun is shining, and the next I don’t really want to do anything or be with anyone. I’d rather sit out on the porch in solitude with a book. Don’t get me wrong… there’s a time and place for personal reflection and whatnot, but I typically enjoy being with other people, going out, doing something dangit!
HOWEVER….
I know from past periods of non-running that this is what happened. I wont call it depression, because I have no idea if what I feel is anything in comparison to those who are truly suffering from that. But It’s a “funk” for sure, and one I’m not enjoying. I guess my point in post this is so others understand that this is real life – not everything is peachy keen and great training rides and swimming like kayaks. Sometimes life hands you a basket of lemons. And if you don’t like lemonade, you better paint that sh¡t gold.
If one word could describe my thoughts, my attitude, and probably a lot of my actions… it would be FRUSTRAT/ED/ING. Oh wait… what did I call that? Vexation. I’ve been trying to remind myself to use the help of my old Roman buddies to keep me grounded. No… not those Romans….
THESE Romans:
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
They do a good job. But alright already, ’nuff of this.
I’ll be back tomorrow with something much more light hearted, from a funny article I somehow ended up reading from CNN. Just needed to get this out there, and for sure didn’t want anyone thinking I drown during an OWS or something!!
Catch ya,
-E
This has been on the “to post” list for quite some time now. However, as I was swimming the other day in one of my injuries-suck-shopping-make-me-feel-better new swimsuits, I realized it never actually was posted!!
The Kayak Theory….
Go ahead on the right hand side and type “kayak” in my search Where Do I Find? Bar. (Or don’t… cause I’m just gonna’ tell you what happens.) You will be directed to my New Bri Tri race report. Upon hitting ⌘F (find!) and typing this auspicious word, you will be taken to the swim where I tell you “I have this kayak theory…” and then that’s about all you get.
Helpful… right?
OK, ok, I’m just waisting time here. I think because it’s hard to explain what the “Kayak Theory” is. But I will try.
Noun. A mental state and self-imagery technique employed in which you visualize yourself as a kayak, moving swiftly and effortlessly through water. You are streamlined, and completely aerodynamic (aquadynamic I know is not a word… is there a word for that?) with no drag and zero inefficient-ness. Your arms are like paddles, alternating left, right, left, right, taking the same amount of time on each side to complete a stroke. Your hands are the blades, slicing just perfectly into the water, fingers staying tightly together and pushing you forward through the water. And to top it all off, you’re all headed for this:
The first time I ever felt like this kayak while swimming was last summer at one Thursday group workout. Thursdays are typically reserved for longer endurance swims, while Tuesdays are shorter speed intervals. We had a 1000 steady on the plan, and I remember a few hundred yards something clicked, and I thought about how efficient I had suddenly felt.
Thus, the Kayak Theory was concocted.
Thinking of this “kayak theory” has helped me on numerous occasions. There was one time when I was definitely mid-panic in the lake, and I talked myself out of it by reminding myself to just “get like the kayak!” And then there was New Bri Tri… where I felt AWESOME in the ¼ mile swim back to shore. I was the kayak.
You too my friend can be the Kayak.
If goodness-gracious all that is just too much for you to handle… (or you missed the memo on the color “sarcasm”) my girl Dori will give it to you straight.
“Just keep swimming… Just keep swimming!”
-E
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