Memorial Day Service Over Self 5k: Intro to "Pain Face"

Exhibit A: Trying to force a smile

In what was surely one of the most well-organized local 5k races I've enjoyed, I was finally the victim of what other runners consider "Pain Face" photography. See Exhibit A.

Exhibit B nails it. I'm not really in terribly too much pain, but I wasn't trying to smile anymore. My only thought was just to get to the finish line.

Let's be honest, here. The best part of these photos is the sweet Oiselle hat I'm wearing. Yay!

After some somber, thoughtful, moving moments at the Memorial Day 5k, I ran a decent pace through a wildly hilly course. I finished in 32:23. Not great, but not awful.

The major hill in this town (home to my alma mater) is one-way in almost all directions for cars. In college, it was this hill that made poor drivers the fool du jour when their stick shift skills couldn't keep them from stalling out.

Exhibit B: No smiles

I was not going to power up that hill. That's okay. Hills aren't my forte. I know I need to work on them (a lot). They're a big part of my training plan for this second half marathon (in October), so I intend to improve. I just didn't feel like killing myself over this insane incline. It was making me feel a little icky in the asthma department anyway. Oy.

So hills and strength training are on the menu as we say g'bye to May and hello to June, welcoming the longer days.

Anyone have any favorite hill workouts to share? What about other training that has helped you conquer hills? I am ALL EARS!

Summer Run Streak!

Memorial Day is marked as the unofficial start of summer. For runners, I have a better mark: a running streak!

Runner's World magazine is hosting the summer streak! The goal is to run at least ONE mile each day from Memorial Day through Independence Day. Pick up the sweet #RWrunstreak badges here at PavementRunner.com.

Me? Yes, I'll be streaking. I plan to begin my Arbonne detox at the beginning of June, so this is the kind of motivation I need to keep on trucking with my workout plan.

Follow me on Twitter (@grammarissa) to check out how I'm doing with my #RWrunstreak!

The Soul-Crushing Job Application Experience

I've been unemployed for three months now. I've come to terms with it. While it's neither fun nor easy, I'm making it through each day... one day at a time. If too many days come at me all at once, I tell them to get in line. That usually does the trick. Usually.

Applying for jobs and waiting for responses is really tough work. When you apply, you have to make your application the best you can and you have to write the cover letter as though this job is your one true love. But you have to do that for ALL the jobs you apply for...

The first job you apply for in a day is okay, but with each subsequent application it's like you're cheating on that first job, then the other, then all the others... until at the end of the day you have told every single job that you love it and every potential employer that you only want that job. None of it is true. It can't be.

"I'll bet you say that to all the nice looking jobs out there," the hot-shot job advertisement said to me.

My smile quickly faded into a trembling frown. My face went red. I knew all along that I had lied to myself, but his flirtation showed me the startling possibility that I had lied to everyone else. I pushed the keyboard away from me and sought solace in my Twitter feed. No more job applications today.

Enough. This soul-crushing work of job applications is really for the birds. I'm taking a different approach with the adage of "It's not what you know but who you know" to a different level. I've assessed my personal network, my talents and the "what" I know, and set out with a guide to help connect me with the "who."

I began seeing a career counselor (my guide, as referenced above) to help me make the lemonade from the lemons ruthlessly hurled at me. So far so good. Personality tests and identity development aside, the discussions we've had about my skills and the things I enjoy doing actually have me excited about what kind of work I might be able to do. The guy I'm seeing takes a different approach to placement, which I like very much. I'm still applying for jobs (feeling like a sellout, as described above), but I'm putting more effort into the exercises he gives me so I can develop more of that side of myself. I want to make genuine connections with people, to help people, to feel like I'm making a difference in the work I'm doing. I have hope that I will find more fulfilling work. I do. It's tough to keep that hope in my mind's eye sometimes, but I just try to remember that I'm getting to know myself better than most people and I'm solving problems most people don't even know they have. That feels good because I want to know that this work, this hiccup off the so-called "beaten path" is worthwhile.

I still have a list of concerns. I still get tingles of panic about bills and car repairs and things I need and so forth, but I absorb that, acknowledge it, and plan my response. I feel much better about life when I do that because I'm not stuck in React Mode where all I'm doing is reacting, reacting, reacting to things around me. (It's one way to do things, but it's exhausting and leaves little room for much else.) Taking time to plan my reactions and consider repercussions feels more validating. It also makes me feel way more competent as a human being even when tough stuff is bringing me down. I'm getting better at processing the uncertainty thrown in my path months ago.

So I'm dreaming a little, trying to find a job that I'll be good at *and* enjoy. A novel idea, eh? I thought so too until I realized that some people do have it both ways.

Trixie's Adoption Anniversary: Six Years

It was six years ago today that I adopted my pup Trixie.  It's been FAR from an easy journey with her for a number of reasons, but today she is the best dog I could ever want. She is so smart and loyal. I love her with all my heart.

Photos of Trixie from the day I adopted her to present. :)

5 months (5/17/07)

8 months

6 months

2 years

4 years

5 years

How to Organize Your Running Gear

Ah, yes, organization... one of the few aspects of life that still makes my heart skip a beat despite all the daily doldrums and temporary crud I'm dealing with.

Back before I lost my job, Wendy at One Tough Mother Runner wrote a post about organizing her running gear. At that point in time, I had "gizmos and gadgets a plenty" and "whozits and whatzits galore." (Wendy loved my Little Mermaid reference, natch.) :)

Since I'm an organizer at heart, I thought I'd share my process here on my blog on the off chance that it might be helpful to one of you!

I used Wendy's post as a starting point with my own gear. Since I had started running, I had a small snack table next to the kitchen door that served as my running things station--it's where I kept my shoes, my inhalers, my earbuds, and my gym bag. But my clothing was stored separately in a single drawer in my dresser. As my collection grew, I had to shift things to other drawers and it became annoying and time consuming to find what I needed. Things needed to change!

Here's what I did.

This makes me happy. Neat & organized!

1. Pick a location. I chose a closet in my spare bedroom as the new location for my running gear. I had been leaning towards making this spare room a "workout room" anyway since I have a 60 lb. punching bag hung in the corner. I decided that I wanted all of my gear, clothing, shoes, and fuel to be kept in the same spot. That way I could grab what I needed (or just get dressed right there in the spare room) and be on my way. I already had things in that closet: rubbermaid containers of seasonal clothing, sporting equipment (bike helmet, gorilla lock, tennis racket, rain boots, softball glove, ski helmet... I have a thing for helmets... I like my brain), and an organizer for my winter items like gloves, scarves, and hats. But these things don't have to relocate just for my running stuff. My running items actually make a welcome addition because it's technically sporting equipment and I have some seasonal items I'll want to swap out at some point.
2. Decide on a structure. My closet doesn't have doors, and I already had one of those long hanging organizers for my gloves, hats, and scarves (it attaches to the pole in the closet with velcro). I liked the way it looked and worked. Because I wanted to be able to *see* all of my things at once--and not have to root through drawers or boxes to find what I want--I found this solution to be best for me. I went to a local discount store (Ollie's, but I'm not sure if that's a national chain or not) and found precisely what I wanted. It was billed as a "sweater" organizer, but this kind had extra mesh pockets on the sides. Perfect! For people who want a more closed, "put away" look, this kind of organizer is not for you. You might like a tower of drawers or one of those cube structures with the little boxes you can use for storage. Then again, if you have closet doors, the sweater organizer might still be an option for you!

   

   Mesh pockets rock.

3. Organize! Put things where they make the most sense. I took a top-down approach. I put my shirts on the top, my shorts and pants in the middle, my socks and shoes on the bottom. The smaller slots near the bottom also fit random items like hats, water bottles, my SPI belt, and shoe pouch. The side pockets are excellent for holding my gloves, hats, facemask, reflectors, Road ID, heartrate monitor, and bag tags. I use the other side for fuel options--chews, gels, Nuun, and Picky Bars. (Note: I keep wellness items like wrap bandages and pain creams in the bathroom cupboard because, for me, that's where they're most likely to be used. I keep my asthma inhalers in my gym bag and in my purse so I always have them with me. Also, I keep my iPod near my computer because that's where I sync it and charge it.)
4. Keep it organized. Organization is a commitment. It means putting things back where they belong every single time. When I do laundry, I fold things so they fit into the organizer I bought. I always return my shoes to their slots and refill my fuel pouches so I can grab and go. If you take a few small steps to restock your gear and keep the area neat, you should feel less anxious and more ready to conquer whatever run you're doing.

   

   Again: je t'aime, mesh pockets.

Pre-run: I grab the clothes I want to wear, my socks and shoes, and any accessories I'll need. If the run is the next morning, I set these things out on my small table so I can dress and be on my way.

Pre-race: The night before, I lay out what I'll wear, what fuel I'll use, and what water bottle I'll take. I put my clothes on the small table and my food and water bottle choices on the kitchen table next to my keys and phone so I have everything I need in the morning. My focus then will be eating breakfast and leaving for a wonderful racing experience!

If you have any questions about organizing your gear, or want any help, let me know! I love to organize and I'm happy to advise if I can. 

I'd also love to hear about your solutions for your gear! Tell me about what you're doing or what you've done to deal with the swell of stuff. :)