Of all of the attributes and traits that one can posses or develop, I don't think there are many that would argue that love/charity reigns supreme. When you get more, all other positive attributes increase concurrently, and we know that even though all things will pass away, charity will not, nor will it ever fail. So, for many years now, I have been trying to have more charity. I imagine that this is a goal that is ambiguity enough and common enough that many people have and do share this goal, along with the feeling that it is difficult to make much progress with it. I could be wrong.
How do you love people more? It is hard to find an answer that fits for many people. And no, I am not talking about people you already love, or people you serve regularly, etc. I mean people in general. All of them, everywhere. Those are the ones I don't know how to love. And it was not until a few months ago that I made progress in understanding how to accomplish my goal of love and charity for everyone. And it may surprise you that the answer was not just praying to be filled with it. I have done that for years, and I still don't feel any more loving. The thought occurred to me that I could not love someone I didn't know, or more precisely, people whom I didn't know anything about.
Whether or not this was the case, it opened up my mind to a new solution. I remember sitting in the steam room (or was it the sauna?) when the other guy in the room with me started making friendly conversation. I like conversation, so I chimed in and after a couple minutes we parted ways. But something changed in just hose two minutes. He was not just "some guy" he was a student, close to graduation and not sure what he is going to do afterwards. He has certain interests, worries, a name, and a personality. After even the shallowest of conversations, I felt like I knew enough about this person to see him as an individual that I could sympathize with, and relate to on certain levels. In a way, I could now have charity for him, whereas before he was just a body in a room with me.
This started a trend that day, I began striking up conversation with random strangers. I was turning bodies into people all over the place. When I learned about another guys family, and some of his worries and anxieties about his kids, and his relationship with his wife, I felt like I could appreciate him more as a person. With the millions of people all around all the time, I think in order to save ourselves the mental energy we just categorize them into two files: "people we know" (which is subsequently divided up into family, friends, acquaintances, etc.) and "other." Some people may be able to have charity for the people in the "other" file. I know I can't, and I wonder if maybe the Savior can love everyone so fully, at least in part, because He knows everyone so fully.
So what does this all mean? And who the heck is "Marianne?" I'll tell you. I believe that getting to know as much as you can about the people around you (even if it is a thirty second conversation) will make that person get moved from "other" to "known" from the "known" file they can then be loved. It is exhausting to do all the time, because of the sheer number of people around us, but the day I discovered this principle I was on a high, talking to people all over the place like crazy. The final victim of the evening was a cashier at WinCo named Marianne. We had lots of groceries so we talked to her for a while. We built rapport up quick and were friends before the groceries were all bagged. Katie probably thought I was tormenting this poor woman talking her ear off, but it was fun. Every time we have gone to WinCo after 9 since that night, we look for Marianne. Sometimes we'll see her and I will shout hello to her from across the store. She just laughs and waves back. She probably did think I was crazy the first couple of times, but now it is so fun to see her. We will wait in the longer line if it is hers, and the other night we went and she noticed us standing in line and she opened up her register just to check us out then closed it again. I know, its weird, friends with a middle-aged night shift cashier, but it is fun, and brightens both of our days, especially when we don't have to wait to check out. Charity has its perks.
Finally, for those of you seeking a second witness just skip forward to 7:15 on this clip, and you will see that getting to know people can soften even the most hardened dictator.
Showing posts with label Just For Fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Just For Fun. Show all posts
Monday, March 19, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
I Can Only Imagine...
After a really hard day, or during a really unpleasant time during the day, what do you do to keep your sanity? Or with what thoughts do you fill your mind during discouraging times? I ask these questions rhetorically, because obviously I am just leading into the part where I give my own answers. And as you may have guessed from the title of this post, I have been using my imagination to get me through tough times more and more lately.
I share this with the internet world at the risk of sounding like I am turning into a certain red-haired Canadian orphan, but so be it. Besides, I think Anne may have been on to something after all. However, I do differ with Miss Shirley in that I tend to visualize the future, rather than using my imagination to alter my perception of the present. And I have found it incredibly effective at distracting me from present anxieties. I have also found that it can be effective with couples as well as individuals. If Katie and I both had hard days, we may be driving together, sitting on the couch, or lying in bed and we will begin to imagine our future together. This can be anything from planning an elaborate and exciting trip to an exotic destination, to discussing the design of our future multimillion dollar dream house. A great deal of frustration has been assuaged as of late, just by mentally designing our dream bathroom.
Now I am not sure if we will ever have a home full of secret passages, a cave shower that rains from the ceiling, an indoor rock wall/foam pit room, and a giant library with rolling ladders and bay windows just like in Beauty and the Beast, or whether we will ever spend weeks living in a small town in Italy, or navigating the misty mountains of China... Whether we do or not, the practice of imagining it all makes us smile and escape from a less-pleasant reality for a while, and when we return to that reality, it somehow does not seem quite so dismal. I have also thought of quite a few other advantages of this coping mechanism over some popular others.
1. This is a 100% diet friendly practice. Rather than eating a pint of ice cream (or frozen cookie dough) to distract me, I get to do something that will not contribute to me having to go out in search of bigger pants.
2. Imagining the future is both fun and enjoyable while you are doing it, and afterwards. I can think of many things that bring pleasure during or after, but for me there are few things that help me feel better during and after the activity. For example, I feel good after I run, but not while I am running, or I am distracted while I am on Facebook, but feel lousy after.
3. It provides an excellent opportunity to slow down a little bit and not be so rushed. I feel like we need to do this more often. It helps to lower our blood pressure and imagining also opens up our mind to the practice of thinking, and pondering in an enjoyable way, and things can come together that we are not even thinking actively about, if only we will turn off the electronics and give our minds a little workout.
4. It prevents Alzheimer's Disease. Okay, I am actually not so sure about this one, but I would not be surprised one bit. People get Alzheimer's because the don't use their brain enough, so they do crosswords or Sudoku to keep sharp, but I think my way is better.
5. It fosters creativity. I could spend hours online looking at neat, original, creative, and clever things that other people have come up with. But in a way I feel like doing this does not help my own creative juices to flow at all, it just makes me wish I could be as talented as the other people who post such neat ideas and original room designs, or whatever. Instead of being an admirer, I feel like using your imagination will make you into a contributor. And it is more fun to think of something yourself.
So there you have it, a somewhat comprehensive argument in favor of using your imagination. Go ahead, give it a try right now. Turn off your monitor and take a few moments to design the kitchen or bathroom you would create if you had Bill Gates' budget. Don't worry too much about what is possible, just unleash your inner "carrots" and enjoy the ride...
I share this with the internet world at the risk of sounding like I am turning into a certain red-haired Canadian orphan, but so be it. Besides, I think Anne may have been on to something after all. However, I do differ with Miss Shirley in that I tend to visualize the future, rather than using my imagination to alter my perception of the present. And I have found it incredibly effective at distracting me from present anxieties. I have also found that it can be effective with couples as well as individuals. If Katie and I both had hard days, we may be driving together, sitting on the couch, or lying in bed and we will begin to imagine our future together. This can be anything from planning an elaborate and exciting trip to an exotic destination, to discussing the design of our future multimillion dollar dream house. A great deal of frustration has been assuaged as of late, just by mentally designing our dream bathroom.
Now I am not sure if we will ever have a home full of secret passages, a cave shower that rains from the ceiling, an indoor rock wall/foam pit room, and a giant library with rolling ladders and bay windows just like in Beauty and the Beast, or whether we will ever spend weeks living in a small town in Italy, or navigating the misty mountains of China... Whether we do or not, the practice of imagining it all makes us smile and escape from a less-pleasant reality for a while, and when we return to that reality, it somehow does not seem quite so dismal. I have also thought of quite a few other advantages of this coping mechanism over some popular others.
1. This is a 100% diet friendly practice. Rather than eating a pint of ice cream (or frozen cookie dough) to distract me, I get to do something that will not contribute to me having to go out in search of bigger pants.
2. Imagining the future is both fun and enjoyable while you are doing it, and afterwards. I can think of many things that bring pleasure during or after, but for me there are few things that help me feel better during and after the activity. For example, I feel good after I run, but not while I am running, or I am distracted while I am on Facebook, but feel lousy after.
3. It provides an excellent opportunity to slow down a little bit and not be so rushed. I feel like we need to do this more often. It helps to lower our blood pressure and imagining also opens up our mind to the practice of thinking, and pondering in an enjoyable way, and things can come together that we are not even thinking actively about, if only we will turn off the electronics and give our minds a little workout.
4. It prevents Alzheimer's Disease. Okay, I am actually not so sure about this one, but I would not be surprised one bit. People get Alzheimer's because the don't use their brain enough, so they do crosswords or Sudoku to keep sharp, but I think my way is better.
5. It fosters creativity. I could spend hours online looking at neat, original, creative, and clever things that other people have come up with. But in a way I feel like doing this does not help my own creative juices to flow at all, it just makes me wish I could be as talented as the other people who post such neat ideas and original room designs, or whatever. Instead of being an admirer, I feel like using your imagination will make you into a contributor. And it is more fun to think of something yourself.
So there you have it, a somewhat comprehensive argument in favor of using your imagination. Go ahead, give it a try right now. Turn off your monitor and take a few moments to design the kitchen or bathroom you would create if you had Bill Gates' budget. Don't worry too much about what is possible, just unleash your inner "carrots" and enjoy the ride...
Monday, November 8, 2010
Karaoke
I know it has been at least 20 years since I have blogged, but I admit that once school started, I am always too preoccupied with school assignments and so forth to put much thought and/or effort into blogging. But I did have an experience a while ago that I told some friends I would relate via blog, so I take this brief time I have at work to fill everyone in.
First off, doesn't the word "karaoke" look funny? It doesn't look like it sounds to me and I always have to look it up after wards to make sure I spelled it right. Anyway, where was I... Oh yeah, CostCo. As a matter of fact, I am at CostCo quite often these days, the reasons for which I may have to elaborate upon in a later post. This particular day we had taken a a "field trip" from work (my job is way close to CostCo) to go and get a bunch of free samples for lunch.
It was a good day, we made the usual round from the bakery through the cheese area and up and down the cold aisles to make sure we didn't miss any, ending on the waffles with real maple syrup. Now, there is a delicate art to sample-collection. If you can manage to get a good dialogue going with the sample people, then they will likely give you more and/or bigger samples. This worked particularly well on the chimichanga sample-man who ended up cutting them in thirds instead of fifths and offering multiple pieces to us, score! Yet I digress...
After all the cold aisles, we ended up wandering through the seasonal stuff and we came across a neato little karaoke machine, with built in microphones and speakers. Of course, for Tosh and I, this proved to be an irresistible opportunity to push the limits of our comfort zones and have a little fun at the same time. There were no good songs, and each one we attempted was thoroughly embarrassing. We didn't know most of them, but we did our best, the girls were too wimpy to join in, so they watched from afar and pretended not to know us. After a couple songs, we got a couple of fans, one older, foreign lady actually came up to us to express her enjoyment. We felt our deed was done, until I realized we had one more spectator who deserved a personal tribute...
It was at this point that a song I was actually somewhat familiar came on the screen. It was "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch. Not the most ideal song for a couple of guys to sing, but it would have to do. The introductory notes started playing and I shouted into the microphone a dedication of this song to the waffle sample lady. It was as stirring a rendition of a Michelle Branch song I had ever sang publicly.
If you are wondering if there is a point to this blog post, you can stop now, because there really isn't. But if I had to make one up for some reason, I would say that it is a tribute to the people in our lives who labor tirelessly to bring joy and happiness to others without seeking personal recognition. In particular, the waffle ladies in each of our lives. So next time you are at CostCo, remember to thank the sample people for the joy that they bring into your life each and every visit, and if you are not in too much of a hurry, stop and sing them a little song. You will not only get the joy of bringing a smile (or look of utter confusion) to some random old-person's face, but you may just get another sample out of them, and that is what it is really all about.
First off, doesn't the word "karaoke" look funny? It doesn't look like it sounds to me and I always have to look it up after wards to make sure I spelled it right. Anyway, where was I... Oh yeah, CostCo. As a matter of fact, I am at CostCo quite often these days, the reasons for which I may have to elaborate upon in a later post. This particular day we had taken a a "field trip" from work (my job is way close to CostCo) to go and get a bunch of free samples for lunch.
It was a good day, we made the usual round from the bakery through the cheese area and up and down the cold aisles to make sure we didn't miss any, ending on the waffles with real maple syrup. Now, there is a delicate art to sample-collection. If you can manage to get a good dialogue going with the sample people, then they will likely give you more and/or bigger samples. This worked particularly well on the chimichanga sample-man who ended up cutting them in thirds instead of fifths and offering multiple pieces to us, score! Yet I digress...
After all the cold aisles, we ended up wandering through the seasonal stuff and we came across a neato little karaoke machine, with built in microphones and speakers. Of course, for Tosh and I, this proved to be an irresistible opportunity to push the limits of our comfort zones and have a little fun at the same time. There were no good songs, and each one we attempted was thoroughly embarrassing. We didn't know most of them, but we did our best, the girls were too wimpy to join in, so they watched from afar and pretended not to know us. After a couple songs, we got a couple of fans, one older, foreign lady actually came up to us to express her enjoyment. We felt our deed was done, until I realized we had one more spectator who deserved a personal tribute...
It was at this point that a song I was actually somewhat familiar came on the screen. It was "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch. Not the most ideal song for a couple of guys to sing, but it would have to do. The introductory notes started playing and I shouted into the microphone a dedication of this song to the waffle sample lady. It was as stirring a rendition of a Michelle Branch song I had ever sang publicly.
If you are wondering if there is a point to this blog post, you can stop now, because there really isn't. But if I had to make one up for some reason, I would say that it is a tribute to the people in our lives who labor tirelessly to bring joy and happiness to others without seeking personal recognition. In particular, the waffle ladies in each of our lives. So next time you are at CostCo, remember to thank the sample people for the joy that they bring into your life each and every visit, and if you are not in too much of a hurry, stop and sing them a little song. You will not only get the joy of bringing a smile (or look of utter confusion) to some random old-person's face, but you may just get another sample out of them, and that is what it is really all about.
Monday, October 11, 2010
"Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You"
I don't expect any of my readers to know the origin of the quoted title, unless I have one of those random creepy blog-stalkers. It is a quote from a video I posted a few months ago that I said really inspired me to make something more interesting out of my life. And it is filled with lots of great one-liners and pieces of advice and counsel for life. Highly recommended!
Anyway, back to the point. I have not taken the aforementioned advice as seriously as I have taken others. I do not make it a point to do something scary everyday, because I haven't really been able to see the point. But it started to fit together on that day in Good Earth Natural Foods... But recently, more events have occurred that have taken me well out of my comfort zone, and as a result I found that my comfort zone has expanded each time something like that happens. No wonder there is such value in leaving your comfort zone!
So I thought I would share a couple experiences I have had that have been kind of scary. One of which was forced out of my comfort zone, the other one I voluntarily left it.
First story: The other week I was babysitting my nephew Tate. A note about babysitting, I love little kids, especially ones that I am related to. But there is one thing that I have successful avoided for my whole life as a babysitter, I have never had to change a "poopy" diaper. I came close once, I was playing with Tate when an odious stench filled the air. My sister (his Mom) was due to arrive home any minute, so I prayed that it would be soon. But the situation soon worsened as I discovered that the frothy excretions were not fully contained by the diaper! I panicked and put Tate on his changing table and went to the opposite corner of the room to sit in the rocking chair. He was stranded by a wall on one said and a four foot drop every other direction, so there I sat. Rocking and watching him to make sure he didn't jump/fall off. In a few more minutes I heard the door open and called out to my sister as if this crisis was just barely under way and happily passed the baton over to her, seeking refuge in the basement. Crisis averted!
But the next time this happened, I was NOT so lucky. It was a similar situation, but the problem was that it happened shortly after my sister and brother-in-law left. I knew I could not just wait like last time. So I took inventory of the situation. I ran into the bathroom and started searching through cupboards for supplies. I found a box of latex gloves and quickly grabbed them and when I could not find any surgical masks I ran to the kitchen to grab a paper towel and stuffed it into the collar of my shirt, and proceeded to drop essential oils (Peppermint and Lemon) on it to neutralize any odors. What happened next was all a big blur, I remember hands and legs flailing around, lots of baby wipes, laughing, and a cloud of baby powder... then it was over. I sat there, my mind reeling with the implications of what had just happened, I could not claim total inexperience as an excuse ever again. (But if any of my siblings are reading this- don't get any ideas, I do not plan on repeating this anytime soon!) The moral of this story is though: as long as you have the right supplies and are prepared, and keep your cool, you can make it through even the most horrible situations!
Anyway, back to the point. I have not taken the aforementioned advice as seriously as I have taken others. I do not make it a point to do something scary everyday, because I haven't really been able to see the point. But it started to fit together on that day in Good Earth Natural Foods... But recently, more events have occurred that have taken me well out of my comfort zone, and as a result I found that my comfort zone has expanded each time something like that happens. No wonder there is such value in leaving your comfort zone!
So I thought I would share a couple experiences I have had that have been kind of scary. One of which was forced out of my comfort zone, the other one I voluntarily left it.
First story: The other week I was babysitting my nephew Tate. A note about babysitting, I love little kids, especially ones that I am related to. But there is one thing that I have successful avoided for my whole life as a babysitter, I have never had to change a "poopy" diaper. I came close once, I was playing with Tate when an odious stench filled the air. My sister (his Mom) was due to arrive home any minute, so I prayed that it would be soon. But the situation soon worsened as I discovered that the frothy excretions were not fully contained by the diaper! I panicked and put Tate on his changing table and went to the opposite corner of the room to sit in the rocking chair. He was stranded by a wall on one said and a four foot drop every other direction, so there I sat. Rocking and watching him to make sure he didn't jump/fall off. In a few more minutes I heard the door open and called out to my sister as if this crisis was just barely under way and happily passed the baton over to her, seeking refuge in the basement. Crisis averted!
But the next time this happened, I was NOT so lucky. It was a similar situation, but the problem was that it happened shortly after my sister and brother-in-law left. I knew I could not just wait like last time. So I took inventory of the situation. I ran into the bathroom and started searching through cupboards for supplies. I found a box of latex gloves and quickly grabbed them and when I could not find any surgical masks I ran to the kitchen to grab a paper towel and stuffed it into the collar of my shirt, and proceeded to drop essential oils (Peppermint and Lemon) on it to neutralize any odors. What happened next was all a big blur, I remember hands and legs flailing around, lots of baby wipes, laughing, and a cloud of baby powder... then it was over. I sat there, my mind reeling with the implications of what had just happened, I could not claim total inexperience as an excuse ever again. (But if any of my siblings are reading this- don't get any ideas, I do not plan on repeating this anytime soon!) The moral of this story is though: as long as you have the right supplies and are prepared, and keep your cool, you can make it through even the most horrible situations!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Classy Way to Execise; Part 1: Spin Class
Obviously, I have decided to cancel Book Review Monday due to a general lack of interest among my readers. But one failed series attempt deserves another, so please welcome Boring No More's latest and greatest review series: "The Classy Way to Exercise!"
Recently I have taken a few exercise classes at my local 24 Hour Fitness to try new things and see what they are all about. My experiences varied so greatly, and slightly comically, that I decided I would do a few posts to discuss my experiences...
The first one I tried since getting home from my mission was a Yoga class. But since I already did an entire post dedicated to that, I will let that suffice and move on to Spin class. This is the only group exercise class I ever took before my mission. For some reason, I remember liking it a lot more... When I attempted another spin class recently, all I could think of was how awful it was!
Don't get me wrong, I love biking. It is my strongest of the three legs of Triathlon, but I think that if you were to take everything that is awful about biking, and take away everything that is enjoyable, you would get... a spin class. Really, the thrill of racing down a hill with the wind in your face, the feeling of effortlessly leaning into a long turn that makes you feel like you are one with the machine, the sun on your back, passing people, reaching destinations, maneuvering, and cheating traffic laws while laughing at cars... All of the things that make me love biking, gone. And all is left is a dark room with loud music, someone yelling at you, and a whole bunch of fatigue. I do not dispute in the least that you can get your heart rate up or get a good workout from a spin class, but lets face it, biking kicks its butt! Maybe I'll try again in the winter when there's no outdoor alternative.
Recently I have taken a few exercise classes at my local 24 Hour Fitness to try new things and see what they are all about. My experiences varied so greatly, and slightly comically, that I decided I would do a few posts to discuss my experiences...
The first one I tried since getting home from my mission was a Yoga class. But since I already did an entire post dedicated to that, I will let that suffice and move on to Spin class. This is the only group exercise class I ever took before my mission. For some reason, I remember liking it a lot more... When I attempted another spin class recently, all I could think of was how awful it was!
Don't get me wrong, I love biking. It is my strongest of the three legs of Triathlon, but I think that if you were to take everything that is awful about biking, and take away everything that is enjoyable, you would get... a spin class. Really, the thrill of racing down a hill with the wind in your face, the feeling of effortlessly leaning into a long turn that makes you feel like you are one with the machine, the sun on your back, passing people, reaching destinations, maneuvering, and cheating traffic laws while laughing at cars... All of the things that make me love biking, gone. And all is left is a dark room with loud music, someone yelling at you, and a whole bunch of fatigue. I do not dispute in the least that you can get your heart rate up or get a good workout from a spin class, but lets face it, biking kicks its butt! Maybe I'll try again in the winter when there's no outdoor alternative.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Cookie Dough
Today has been one of those days...
You have probably heard of the grieving process. (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance) Well, today I thought I would outline the process I have gone through amidst my anxieties and frustrations:
Stage One: "Fake it 'till you make it" This step is similar to denial in which you try to act as if nothing is wrong. You keep a smile on your face, and try to not dwell on negative things said to and/or about you. Depending on the quantity and severity of your difficulties, this may be the only step you need. But on a day like today, I had no choice but to continue to...
Stage Two: "Venting" When you pass the point where you can just let those things roll like water off a ducks back, there is usually no option but to seek the willing ear of a close friend or family member to unload on. This conversation will typically be quite one-sided, with you complaining in great detail about your circumstances and criticizing the people who contributed to your woeful state. Even things completely unrelated to the current day's issues will tend to arise, in a desperate attempt to make your situation seem more dire, and thus obtain more sympathy. Typically, there will also be a lengthy explanation included in which you explain how none of what is wrong is in any way your fault, and was exclusively caused by others. (Either by their ignorance/stupidity or more often their outright evil/malicious intent to make you feel miserable.) Note: If you are the one being vented to, there is no use in trying to reason with the "venter," all you can do at this point is listen, and say things like "I'm sorry" or "I love you."
Stage Three: "Letting the wound fester" After the venting process is complete, there will typically be some very wise advice given by the "ventee," which (because of their wisdom and lack of involvement in the situation) is objective, accurate, and extremely valuable. They offer this advice and help as a physician offering a soothing balm to ease the pain of a serious laceration. Unfortunately, at this point you choose to completely ignore what they say, and may even go through parts of stage two again. But the advice sinks in subconsciously, ready to be recalled at a time when you can think more rationally. (In a sense, you take the balm or ointment from the doctor, but refuse to apply it.) At this point, you tend to end up basking in the "self indulgent hot tubs of self pity."
Stage Four: "Cookie Dough" This is when you attempt to ease your pain by burying it in pleasure. In my case, frozen cookie dough. When you are eating cookie dough with a glass of milk on the side, everything is right with the world, there are no problems, and your mind is clear of everything but the euphoric sense of bliss emanating from the sugary gob in your mouth... That is, until you swallow. It only takes that long for troubles to fully reassert themselves, but that is easily solved by taking another bite... And another... This process may continue until you run out of cookie cough or you start feeling sick, whichever happens first. Either way, it will come to an end, and most likely you will end up at...
Stage Five: "Obtaining More Cookie Dough" Okay, so this isn't really stage five. That is, unless you have had a really hard day, in which case it may be necessary. But in most cases you will continue on to...
[The Real] Stage Five: "Rising above" I do not know the science behind it exactly, but that part of the subconscious mind where the good advice received in stage three is stored is somehow released into the conscious mind when the two hemispheres of the brain are connected by a wave of cookie dough-induced endorphins. The sickening, junk food feeling in your gut brings you back to reality, and you start being able to accept the wise counsel given to you by your loving friend or family member (or both, in my case). You begin to realize that what happened really wasn't that big of a deal, and the things that people said (or didn't say) weren't even that mean to begin with. Ultimately you decide to just move on with life because it is far too short to dwell on trivial things. Besides, life will keep moving on whether you like it or not, so you might as well enjoy it, if for no other reason than this: as life moves on, this day ends up farther and farther behind me. Now that is a comforting thought, almost as comforting as cookie dough.
Which reminds me, stage five will often end with some kind of resolution to go to the gym and work off all the cookie dough you ate. Which is fine, because doing so will not only burn off cookie dough calories, but any residual negativity as well.
You have probably heard of the grieving process. (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance) Well, today I thought I would outline the process I have gone through amidst my anxieties and frustrations:
Stage One: "Fake it 'till you make it" This step is similar to denial in which you try to act as if nothing is wrong. You keep a smile on your face, and try to not dwell on negative things said to and/or about you. Depending on the quantity and severity of your difficulties, this may be the only step you need. But on a day like today, I had no choice but to continue to...
Stage Two: "Venting" When you pass the point where you can just let those things roll like water off a ducks back, there is usually no option but to seek the willing ear of a close friend or family member to unload on. This conversation will typically be quite one-sided, with you complaining in great detail about your circumstances and criticizing the people who contributed to your woeful state. Even things completely unrelated to the current day's issues will tend to arise, in a desperate attempt to make your situation seem more dire, and thus obtain more sympathy. Typically, there will also be a lengthy explanation included in which you explain how none of what is wrong is in any way your fault, and was exclusively caused by others. (Either by their ignorance/stupidity or more often their outright evil/malicious intent to make you feel miserable.) Note: If you are the one being vented to, there is no use in trying to reason with the "venter," all you can do at this point is listen, and say things like "I'm sorry" or "I love you."
Stage Three: "Letting the wound fester" After the venting process is complete, there will typically be some very wise advice given by the "ventee," which (because of their wisdom and lack of involvement in the situation) is objective, accurate, and extremely valuable. They offer this advice and help as a physician offering a soothing balm to ease the pain of a serious laceration. Unfortunately, at this point you choose to completely ignore what they say, and may even go through parts of stage two again. But the advice sinks in subconsciously, ready to be recalled at a time when you can think more rationally. (In a sense, you take the balm or ointment from the doctor, but refuse to apply it.) At this point, you tend to end up basking in the "self indulgent hot tubs of self pity."
Stage Four: "Cookie Dough" This is when you attempt to ease your pain by burying it in pleasure. In my case, frozen cookie dough. When you are eating cookie dough with a glass of milk on the side, everything is right with the world, there are no problems, and your mind is clear of everything but the euphoric sense of bliss emanating from the sugary gob in your mouth... That is, until you swallow. It only takes that long for troubles to fully reassert themselves, but that is easily solved by taking another bite... And another... This process may continue until you run out of cookie cough or you start feeling sick, whichever happens first. Either way, it will come to an end, and most likely you will end up at...
Stage Five: "Obtaining More Cookie Dough" Okay, so this isn't really stage five. That is, unless you have had a really hard day, in which case it may be necessary. But in most cases you will continue on to...
[The Real] Stage Five: "Rising above" I do not know the science behind it exactly, but that part of the subconscious mind where the good advice received in stage three is stored is somehow released into the conscious mind when the two hemispheres of the brain are connected by a wave of cookie dough-induced endorphins. The sickening, junk food feeling in your gut brings you back to reality, and you start being able to accept the wise counsel given to you by your loving friend or family member (or both, in my case). You begin to realize that what happened really wasn't that big of a deal, and the things that people said (or didn't say) weren't even that mean to begin with. Ultimately you decide to just move on with life because it is far too short to dwell on trivial things. Besides, life will keep moving on whether you like it or not, so you might as well enjoy it, if for no other reason than this: as life moves on, this day ends up farther and farther behind me. Now that is a comforting thought, almost as comforting as cookie dough.
Which reminds me, stage five will often end with some kind of resolution to go to the gym and work off all the cookie dough you ate. Which is fine, because doing so will not only burn off cookie dough calories, but any residual negativity as well.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Scariest Moment Of My Life!
I have come close to death and severe injury on many occasions in my life. I have nearly drowned twice, once while whitewater rafting, the other time in the ocean. I have had some scary close encounters with shards of glass that should have cut me to ribbons, and have had large rocks falling from above that just missed landing on me. I have been lost in the wilderness by myself more than once, and have nearly fallen off a few rock faces. I have been threatened to be shot while staring at a loaded shotgun. I have lost control of cars on black ice and/or snow several times, and confronted members of the Aryan Nations.
But all of that pales in comparison with what happened yesterday in a Good Earth Natural Foods store... But before I tell you exactly what happened, I will need to provide some background.
Last Christmas, I planned an extra special gift for my dearly beloved sister, April. She had recently gotten into the whole/natural food scene, and so I made and stocked a custom grain cupboard for her. To get the grains needed, I went to WinCo, and Good Earth Natural Foods. I found out that my dear mother also needed to go to these two stores, so like any good son, I decided to go with her. (And also so I wouldn't have to pay for gas.)
Anyway, I'll get to the point. There was a certain cashier at Good Earth, and she was extremely beautiful and radiant. A great smile, and tons of light in her face, she was practically glowing. Anyway, I tried to strike up a little conversation, which is quite difficult when you aren't really buying a lot. So I asked her to show me where something was, then I purchased it from her, and under the pressure of the people in line behind me, I wimped out and kept walking. After I left the store, my mother commented on how the cashiers thought I was "cute". This bolstered my courage and I asked if she would wait in the car while I went back inside to seek this fair maiden's number.
I went back in, grabbed some random product and got in her line. As luck would have it, the person in front of me had some protest about how much something cost, or they couldn't write a check, or their card was declined, or they were paying in all pennies, or something. They must have been there for 10 minutes, and I am standing behind them looking like an idiot because there is another line that is completely open. My nerves grew more tense, and then I heard a car horn. I thought it was my mother, and all my confidence was shattered. I put down whatever it was and left the store, only to find out that it was some one else honking, but it was too late. I could not go back. I was left to wonder if I would ever see this beautiful girl whose name started with "C" and was a little bit strange but I couldn't remember it because it was covered in part by her hair.
Anyhow, it was quite a traumatic experience, and every time I have gone to that store since, I have looked for her, but my efforts have been in vain. That is... until yesterday.
Of Course, fate would not allow me to meet this girl under normal, non-awkward circumstances though. The first time we met, I was with my mother (whom I love, and is in no way embarrassing to have around other than the fact that she is my mom...) and this time I was going to the aforementioned store to get supplies for a "Clue" themed party to be held that evening; and of course, was already in my costume. So here I am, dressed up as a character from a board game, this time having given a ride to my sister and nephew, and there she is. My sister sees how my eyes lock onto this angelic creature, gives a knowing look, and prods me over to ask for her number.
So there I stood. Eight months, almost to the day since I last saw her, and I go and get the same thing I purchased from her in December, ginger ale. I go through the line, while my sister takes the parallel checkout line, the whole while jerking her head in a "go ahead, ask her" motion, and I wimp out and keep walking. I just couldn't do it, asking a girl out without any basis is too scary. I am fine asking girls out that I know, or even ones I don't know that I can talk to for at least 5 minutes, but the fear of the unknown here was crippling. While my sister continued checking out, I seized my nephew in hopes that he would be a conversation starter, or if hit the jackpot, he would be as enthralled with this girl as I was, then I'd have an easy in. But no such luck. I left the store again, heartbroken. But at least this time I could read her name tag, "Caprise." Once out of the store, my sister threatened to go and ask herself if I didn't, and gave me the same reassuring confidence boost I got back in December. "She thinks you're cute, I'm a girl I can tell."
So for about a minute I gathered my courage, prepared what I was going to say, marched right back in there, she greeted me by saying "back again, huh?" in a melodiously beautiful voice, and I said... "Where is your bathroom?"
Apparently, I needed some more courage gathering, so I went to the bathroom, and on my way back out, I grabbed a sample cup of chocolate soy milk, drank it and then looked for a garbage can that I knew they kept under the registers so I could be close to her. This time there was no one else in the line, just Caprise, standing there looking at me, perhaps wondering why I was wearing a green shirt, green tie, and faded green corduroy flood pants. (I was obviously "Mr. Green" from Clue...) I disposed of my sample cup, looked her in the eye, and turned around to face the door. Then I stopped, turned back to face her, leaned over and said, "Actually I have one more question." She encouraged me to ask it, and I so I nervously inquired : "Not to be weird or creepy or anything, but I was wondering if you ever go on dates with random guys who come into natural... I mean, Good Earth Natural Foods..." She smiled that beautiful smile, giggled a little bit, and then said, "I would, if I was single..."
And that was it, just like that it was over. I gave her another smile, which she returned, and I quietly left the building. Now, this may not have been the ending I wanted, but the good news is, now that I have done it once, I think that I have crossed over some kind of mental barrier I had. So look out random good looking receptionists, cashiers, dental assistants, and girls on the street, there ain't no stopping me now...
But all of that pales in comparison with what happened yesterday in a Good Earth Natural Foods store... But before I tell you exactly what happened, I will need to provide some background.
Last Christmas, I planned an extra special gift for my dearly beloved sister, April. She had recently gotten into the whole/natural food scene, and so I made and stocked a custom grain cupboard for her. To get the grains needed, I went to WinCo, and Good Earth Natural Foods. I found out that my dear mother also needed to go to these two stores, so like any good son, I decided to go with her. (And also so I wouldn't have to pay for gas.)
Anyway, I'll get to the point. There was a certain cashier at Good Earth, and she was extremely beautiful and radiant. A great smile, and tons of light in her face, she was practically glowing. Anyway, I tried to strike up a little conversation, which is quite difficult when you aren't really buying a lot. So I asked her to show me where something was, then I purchased it from her, and under the pressure of the people in line behind me, I wimped out and kept walking. After I left the store, my mother commented on how the cashiers thought I was "cute". This bolstered my courage and I asked if she would wait in the car while I went back inside to seek this fair maiden's number.
I went back in, grabbed some random product and got in her line. As luck would have it, the person in front of me had some protest about how much something cost, or they couldn't write a check, or their card was declined, or they were paying in all pennies, or something. They must have been there for 10 minutes, and I am standing behind them looking like an idiot because there is another line that is completely open. My nerves grew more tense, and then I heard a car horn. I thought it was my mother, and all my confidence was shattered. I put down whatever it was and left the store, only to find out that it was some one else honking, but it was too late. I could not go back. I was left to wonder if I would ever see this beautiful girl whose name started with "C" and was a little bit strange but I couldn't remember it because it was covered in part by her hair.
Anyhow, it was quite a traumatic experience, and every time I have gone to that store since, I have looked for her, but my efforts have been in vain. That is... until yesterday.
Of Course, fate would not allow me to meet this girl under normal, non-awkward circumstances though. The first time we met, I was with my mother (whom I love, and is in no way embarrassing to have around other than the fact that she is my mom...) and this time I was going to the aforementioned store to get supplies for a "Clue" themed party to be held that evening; and of course, was already in my costume. So here I am, dressed up as a character from a board game, this time having given a ride to my sister and nephew, and there she is. My sister sees how my eyes lock onto this angelic creature, gives a knowing look, and prods me over to ask for her number.
So there I stood. Eight months, almost to the day since I last saw her, and I go and get the same thing I purchased from her in December, ginger ale. I go through the line, while my sister takes the parallel checkout line, the whole while jerking her head in a "go ahead, ask her" motion, and I wimp out and keep walking. I just couldn't do it, asking a girl out without any basis is too scary. I am fine asking girls out that I know, or even ones I don't know that I can talk to for at least 5 minutes, but the fear of the unknown here was crippling. While my sister continued checking out, I seized my nephew in hopes that he would be a conversation starter, or if hit the jackpot, he would be as enthralled with this girl as I was, then I'd have an easy in. But no such luck. I left the store again, heartbroken. But at least this time I could read her name tag, "Caprise." Once out of the store, my sister threatened to go and ask herself if I didn't, and gave me the same reassuring confidence boost I got back in December. "She thinks you're cute, I'm a girl I can tell."
So for about a minute I gathered my courage, prepared what I was going to say, marched right back in there, she greeted me by saying "back again, huh?" in a melodiously beautiful voice, and I said... "Where is your bathroom?"
Apparently, I needed some more courage gathering, so I went to the bathroom, and on my way back out, I grabbed a sample cup of chocolate soy milk, drank it and then looked for a garbage can that I knew they kept under the registers so I could be close to her. This time there was no one else in the line, just Caprise, standing there looking at me, perhaps wondering why I was wearing a green shirt, green tie, and faded green corduroy flood pants. (I was obviously "Mr. Green" from Clue...) I disposed of my sample cup, looked her in the eye, and turned around to face the door. Then I stopped, turned back to face her, leaned over and said, "Actually I have one more question." She encouraged me to ask it, and I so I nervously inquired : "Not to be weird or creepy or anything, but I was wondering if you ever go on dates with random guys who come into natural... I mean, Good Earth Natural Foods..." She smiled that beautiful smile, giggled a little bit, and then said, "I would, if I was single..."
And that was it, just like that it was over. I gave her another smile, which she returned, and I quietly left the building. Now, this may not have been the ending I wanted, but the good news is, now that I have done it once, I think that I have crossed over some kind of mental barrier I had. So look out random good looking receptionists, cashiers, dental assistants, and girls on the street, there ain't no stopping me now...
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Have It Your Way!
Never, since the days of the great "Willy Wonka Golden Ticket Promotion" has there been such devotion, determination, and united effort to reach a common goal.
It all started about a month ago when Burger King launched the Twilight/Eclipse game promotion. We learned that not only was it possible to win a Vespa, but also $100,000 or a really fun trip for four! This is when my friend Amber suggested that we buy our beverages from BK until the promotion ends. (The stickers you need to win are on the drink cups and the large "fry-pods") At that time Amber had already purchased several drinks and kicked off the game, and later that evening I suggested we return to buy a couple more, because I had an idea.
So off we went, Amber and Lisa in the drive-thru and I went into the store. They bought a couple drinks, and I asked if I could buy a large water cup for 25 cents, when I found out I could, and that the cups he would give me had the stickers, I got three or four of them. My two friends were so impressed with the idea that we decided to go out even later that night and buy as many water cups from as many Burger Kings we could find in the valley!
In the car we went, fortunately Lisa had her GPS so that we could plot a course to as many BK's as was possible. Some would give us the cups with the stickers, others would not, one lady made us pay full soda price just to get the water cups! One guy was sneaky and gave us some of the cups that were defective and didn't have stickers... Well, two can play at that game, so we took them to another BK and complained that they had no stickers on them, so she gave me some new cups with stckers, but the gross part is... She kept the cups without stickers that we had already used, and gave them to Amber when she went through the drive-thru to buy more water cups! Isn't that disgusting? She gave Amber USED cups, and she did not even know we were part of the same group, because I was in the store, not in the car with Amber. Ick.
Overall, we ended up getting TONS of cups, stickers, and instant win prizes though. And since then we have continued to patronize Burger Kings, look through the garbage cans, petition people for their empty cups and frypods, and collect stickers in every way we could. It was quite an adventure, especially the first night.
Unfortunately, the contest ended today. And we are not in possession of a Vespa, $100,000.00, a trip, movie tickets for a year, or even the collectors Eclipse water bottles. But that is not to say we finished empty-handed. We have coupons for free Whoppers, french toast sticks, shakes, sausage biscuits, and probably about 30 cheeseburgers! Not to mention the fact that I stayed really hydrated buying and drinking all of that water, and we had fun anyway.
I close with a sentiment from modern philosopher, Jack Handy:"It's funny that pirates were always going around searching for treasure, and they never realized that the real treasure was the fond memories they were creating."
It all started about a month ago when Burger King launched the Twilight/Eclipse game promotion. We learned that not only was it possible to win a Vespa, but also $100,000 or a really fun trip for four! This is when my friend Amber suggested that we buy our beverages from BK until the promotion ends. (The stickers you need to win are on the drink cups and the large "fry-pods") At that time Amber had already purchased several drinks and kicked off the game, and later that evening I suggested we return to buy a couple more, because I had an idea.
So off we went, Amber and Lisa in the drive-thru and I went into the store. They bought a couple drinks, and I asked if I could buy a large water cup for 25 cents, when I found out I could, and that the cups he would give me had the stickers, I got three or four of them. My two friends were so impressed with the idea that we decided to go out even later that night and buy as many water cups from as many Burger Kings we could find in the valley!
In the car we went, fortunately Lisa had her GPS so that we could plot a course to as many BK's as was possible. Some would give us the cups with the stickers, others would not, one lady made us pay full soda price just to get the water cups! One guy was sneaky and gave us some of the cups that were defective and didn't have stickers... Well, two can play at that game, so we took them to another BK and complained that they had no stickers on them, so she gave me some new cups with stckers, but the gross part is... She kept the cups without stickers that we had already used, and gave them to Amber when she went through the drive-thru to buy more water cups! Isn't that disgusting? She gave Amber USED cups, and she did not even know we were part of the same group, because I was in the store, not in the car with Amber. Ick.
Overall, we ended up getting TONS of cups, stickers, and instant win prizes though. And since then we have continued to patronize Burger Kings, look through the garbage cans, petition people for their empty cups and frypods, and collect stickers in every way we could. It was quite an adventure, especially the first night.
Unfortunately, the contest ended today. And we are not in possession of a Vespa, $100,000.00, a trip, movie tickets for a year, or even the collectors Eclipse water bottles. But that is not to say we finished empty-handed. We have coupons for free Whoppers, french toast sticks, shakes, sausage biscuits, and probably about 30 cheeseburgers! Not to mention the fact that I stayed really hydrated buying and drinking all of that water, and we had fun anyway.
I close with a sentiment from modern philosopher, Jack Handy:"It's funny that pirates were always going around searching for treasure, and they never realized that the real treasure was the fond memories they were creating."
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Just Desserts
Now it is July, and you know what that means. Wait, you don't? Well, I'll remind you: This month means that the Dessert Fast of June is ended! You may recall that Tosh and I were planning on ending it triumphantly today, but then we realized we wouldn't even be together, so we went camping the night of the 1st instead and had smores that night.
I really must say, the anticipation was the best part, because I could hardly finish mine. I had also been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to eat some junior mints I had been saving for several weeks, and I kid you not: I could hardly eat three of them because they were so sweet it felt like they were burning my mouth! Unfortunately, I am confident in the ability of my taste buds to quickly re-adapt.
My observations following this undertaking are few. I noticed several things of note though... Right when I stopped I broke out horribly, I think because my body was detoxing. After that though, my skin was a lot clearer. There is a noticeable energy difference (increase), but it was not as defined this time as it has been in the past. The only other thing is that I almost got sick twice last month and both times I was able to overcome, so I think my immunity was a lot better. So there you have it.
Anywho, now that I have talked about that and this post is still kind of short, I will close by talking about the camp out Tosh and Katie and I went on... We went up to where I did my triathlon at Rock Cliff campground. We stopped at BIG 5 on the way so Tosh could buy a fishing pole, and I saw that they had inflatable rafts on sale, and I could not resist buying one! So we went up there, claimed our space, had our dinner and then I was anxious to go out on the lake, and even though it was after 11pm, I was able to get Tosh and Katie "on board" with the idea. On the walk to the lake we saw fireflies! That is exciting because I have only ever heard of them and didn't know they even existed in Utah.
On the lake we were considerably squished into my little boat, but had an amazing view of the stars. It was so peaceful and serene, we all loved it. In the morning we went out again, except I was swimming in my wetsuit some of the time. But I did learn that it is a good idea to make sure your fishing pole is secure before you jump out of the boat because Katie may or may not have been holding it, and she may or may not have let go for fear of her life because you jump out in such a was that could have tipped the boat. Either way, my fishing pole (which was really my dad's) may or may not have ended up at the bottom of the lake that day.
Lessons learned from today's post: (also from the experiences that the aforementioned post are based upon) 1. Camping is fun. 2. Sugar is bad. 3. Rafts are fun. 4. Lavender oil in water really doesn't keep bugs away. 5. Fireflies do exist in Utah! 6. "Where the Wild Things Are" is a weird movie. 7. Reheating sticky rice in tin foil on a campfire doesn't work. 8. Don't wear flip-flops and/or shorts camping in a place densely populated with various "itchy-bitey" insects. 9. Fishing poles don't float. and 10. Camping is the one of the only times I can really clear my mind and just think... or not think whatever the case may be.
I really must say, the anticipation was the best part, because I could hardly finish mine. I had also been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to eat some junior mints I had been saving for several weeks, and I kid you not: I could hardly eat three of them because they were so sweet it felt like they were burning my mouth! Unfortunately, I am confident in the ability of my taste buds to quickly re-adapt.
My observations following this undertaking are few. I noticed several things of note though... Right when I stopped I broke out horribly, I think because my body was detoxing. After that though, my skin was a lot clearer. There is a noticeable energy difference (increase), but it was not as defined this time as it has been in the past. The only other thing is that I almost got sick twice last month and both times I was able to overcome, so I think my immunity was a lot better. So there you have it.
Anywho, now that I have talked about that and this post is still kind of short, I will close by talking about the camp out Tosh and Katie and I went on... We went up to where I did my triathlon at Rock Cliff campground. We stopped at BIG 5 on the way so Tosh could buy a fishing pole, and I saw that they had inflatable rafts on sale, and I could not resist buying one! So we went up there, claimed our space, had our dinner and then I was anxious to go out on the lake, and even though it was after 11pm, I was able to get Tosh and Katie "on board" with the idea. On the walk to the lake we saw fireflies! That is exciting because I have only ever heard of them and didn't know they even existed in Utah.
On the lake we were considerably squished into my little boat, but had an amazing view of the stars. It was so peaceful and serene, we all loved it. In the morning we went out again, except I was swimming in my wetsuit some of the time. But I did learn that it is a good idea to make sure your fishing pole is secure before you jump out of the boat because Katie may or may not have been holding it, and she may or may not have let go for fear of her life because you jump out in such a was that could have tipped the boat. Either way, my fishing pole (which was really my dad's) may or may not have ended up at the bottom of the lake that day.
Lessons learned from today's post: (also from the experiences that the aforementioned post are based upon) 1. Camping is fun. 2. Sugar is bad. 3. Rafts are fun. 4. Lavender oil in water really doesn't keep bugs away. 5. Fireflies do exist in Utah! 6. "Where the Wild Things Are" is a weird movie. 7. Reheating sticky rice in tin foil on a campfire doesn't work. 8. Don't wear flip-flops and/or shorts camping in a place densely populated with various "itchy-bitey" insects. 9. Fishing poles don't float. and 10. Camping is the one of the only times I can really clear my mind and just think... or not think whatever the case may be.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
My First Olympic Triathlon!
This will be a post very similar to the last time I talked about my triathlon experience, and I will just put what I learned this time in here, rather than make a separate post for it again.
Alright here goes, my plans to get to bed early did not work out, neither did my plans to go to sweet tomatoes. I ate a bunch of pasta at home and then just tried to go to bed. Getting everything ready took longer than I thought so I didn't have time to do PM yoga either. That may be the reason I could not fall asleep. I just lay there for an hour or more thinking about the race, and visualizing my triumphant leap through the finish line. Finally I put on a talk from speeches.byu.edu, because those usually put me right out, but it still took lots longer than usual.
When my first alarm went off I turned it off and waited until the second, third, and forth went off. Then I was up, and had "The Final Countdown" in my head (I recommend opening this link in a new tab and listening to the song while you read the post!) while I gathered everything up I had so nicely prepared the night before and at some cereal and a banana. Now I was off. I arrived just on time, that is to say, about an hour early. Which was enough time to look around, stretch, talk to others, and get my body marked, but not way too much time like my first triathlon.
After getting my little transition spot all set up, I put on the ol' wetsuit and got in the water to get acclimated. It wasn't too horrible actually, about 61 degrees with a wetsuit is just fine once your feet go numb, and until you put your face in. They delayed the start for a little while to try to clear a bunch of driftwood out of the way of the course, but let's just say they didn't get it all...
When they announced we would be starting in "3...2...1..." I scrambled to get to the back of the group so I didn't get killed and then jumped in and started swimming. I immediately realized why it is important to have anti-fog drops for your goggles, because even with them it is really hard to see the buoy that you are supposed to swim to. At first I tried to just swim with everyone else, elbows, legs, hands and everything flailing all around me... Then it got less crowded, which was nice. I guess I figured everyone had just kind of found an equilibrium with their surroundings, but I was wondering why I kept hearing a whistle blowing and someone yelling "right, swimmer!" I guess I just figured it was someone else's problem, until I stopped and looked around to see that I was way off course! I tried to re-correct my direction and the next time I checked I was off again! It is terribly difficult to swim in a straight line in a lake when the water is moving, the water is cloudy, and there is no line on the bottom to follow. It was all I could do to try to stay with the "herd" but even this didn't always workout, since some of them would stray off too. (See diagram below)
I was already tired and only a sixth into it, and I knew there was only one way to keep my cool: pretend I was not in a triathlon. I would stop for a couple seconds and say hello to the lifeguards, or tell them good morning, just as if I was out on a beautiful summer day for a leisurely dip. When I ran into someone I would politely say "excuse me" and keep going. Last time I could afford to be a little competitive in the swim and committed myself to doing only freestyle stroke. This time, anything was fair game. I would switch to breast every now and then to get my bearings and look for the buoys, then I would do backstroke when I got tired and then I would slap someone on accident and switch back to freestyle, only to find that I had been going completely off course. If swimming straight in a lake is hard, backstroke is 10 times worse! At one point I switched to backstroke after rounding a buoy and when I got my bearings again I found out I had actually been going backwards. And even when I could get myself moving forwards, the buoys seemed to be swimming away from me. Oye ve.
The good news is, even though you may think it is not an admirable trait to swim all skiwompus in crazy loops and zig zags, consider the fact that I probably swam farther than anyone else in that lake. So there, I bet I did a half-ironman distance swim, actually. But while I'm speaking of skiwompusness, there was one guy who I think made it his personal mission to swim in a crazy floating zig zag pattern specifically designed to block my progress. Oh well.
Anyway, a few more collisions with people and driftwood as well as a few swallows of lake water to keep hydrated, I made it out of the lake in one piece. I must have been one of the last ones because there were hardly any bikes in the transition area! One glance backwards confirmed my suspicions. I think there were only 2 or 3 Olympic distance swimmers left in the lake, and one was a girl! (they start several minutes after the men). Oh well, at least my bike was easy to find.
I admit it, I was too tired to do a really fast transition, so I took my sweet time, and was a little nervous in getting on the bike because my legs were already sore due to the variety of strokes I had to use to stay alive in the lake, and my arms were so sore that I could hardly support my torso by holding on to the handlebars! I managed to get up and going though, this time not so gung-ho about passing everyone, even though I did a few, of course. Then my morale took another hit when the first place kid came zooming in on his bike shortly after I got on mine.
26 miles is a long way, and it feels even longer when the first half of the bike leg is all uphill. I was happy to have a long downhill stretch to look forward to though. I tried my first GU packet at this point, and it wasn't bad, I just hoped it helped me get back some energy because people were passing me, which is unacceptable, even though most of them were sprint distance people, so they had half the distance to go. Ultimately, I think everyone passed me except for one blessed soul though. He was my motivation to keep going strong, to keep me safe from last place! I beat him to the top of the hill and turned around for the downhill half, only to feel a gust of wind in my face. Terrific. But I was still doing good, until I noticed a girl with a flat tire. As I went by I yelled out, "do you have everything you need?" and she said, "um... yeah..." Not a good sign. So I turned around and biked back to her only to find out she had no clue how to change a flat. I had kept telling myself I just wanted to finish, and not worry about the time, so I helped her. As I did, that other guy zoomed by. Oh well. Once she was good to go, I got back on course and she was close behind me the whole time, but I never let her pass me. Until the run, at least...
As I biked into the transition area, I passed people who had finished and were heading home. I knew most of them were sprinters, but it was still a little disheartening. But then I saw my 3 friends Amber, Lisa, and Tosh walking and cheered that they came and they cheered for me. That renewed my zeal as I got off my bike, slipped my shoes on with my new rubber laces I had just bought (which are fabulous by the way) and grabbed a GU packet and took off running.
The transition wasn't too bad, thanks to the brick workouts I've been doing, but I couldn't finish the GU packet because it made me thirsty so I just ran with it and it got all over me! (but I didn't want to litter!) I passed my friends again who were in the middle of making signs, my favorite was an unfinished one that Tosh read aloud as I ran by, "You are doing GREAT, keep..." it was quite funny. It wasn't long after that when the girl who I helped with her bike ran past me, and for the remainder of the run I was left to battle it out for last place with this woman twice my age. I kind of set my pace to hers, and she started taking little walking breaks so I caught up with her, we were neck and neck for a mile or two, and made it through the first lap, still fighting for second-to-last place.
This part was torture! I think it is unfair to have to run 2 laps because then you know what is ahead and that is no fun, because then I just dread the hills! But to make matters worse, the second lap starts about 10 feet from the finish line, to be right there and then have to run away again, oh... pure psychological torture. I think that is one reason I ended up "hitting the wall" (as they say) a little later and had to take a walking break. Fortunately, I can walk pretty fast because of my long legs, and she would walk periodically too so we were still close. Eventually though, she pulled away from me and I kept run/walking after her. I got my 6th or 7th wind (I think I used up my second one in the swim) as I got close to the finish line, and was able to run the rest of the way there. My friends were there cheering me on, and I ran up to the finish line and mustered all the energy I could to "leap" through it like I had pictured myself doing, but with the way my legs were, I'm sure it was more of pathetic hop, than a triumphant leap.
But I finished! That is the cool thing, and despite pretty much everyone else being done before me, I still got a time that I was okay with, around 3 1/2 hours. And even better news: I found out I wasn't last! There was at least 2 people behind me somewhere. One person who apparently had gotten lost during the run when they took a wrong turn, and an old grandma lady. Bless their hearts.
Then I had learned that Amber won a gift certificate (that she gave to me) for being the most supportive fan there, and even cheering for everyone else too. My friends are the best! They even shaded and fanned me as I lay on the ground and as I stretched. Not to mention that they got me a whole quart of chocolate milk that I drank on the way home. I doubt they will ever know how much it meant to me to have them there cheering me on. And especially to have them there to give me and my bike a ride back to my car because there is no way I had another 3 miles left in me to get back to it myself!
During the ride home my feet were so sore it hurt to even just have shoes on, and for some reason even my fingers were sore. But man, was it nice to shower and take a nice long nap when I got home...
Alright here goes, my plans to get to bed early did not work out, neither did my plans to go to sweet tomatoes. I ate a bunch of pasta at home and then just tried to go to bed. Getting everything ready took longer than I thought so I didn't have time to do PM yoga either. That may be the reason I could not fall asleep. I just lay there for an hour or more thinking about the race, and visualizing my triumphant leap through the finish line. Finally I put on a talk from speeches.byu.edu, because those usually put me right out, but it still took lots longer than usual.
When my first alarm went off I turned it off and waited until the second, third, and forth went off. Then I was up, and had "The Final Countdown" in my head (I recommend opening this link in a new tab and listening to the song while you read the post!) while I gathered everything up I had so nicely prepared the night before and at some cereal and a banana. Now I was off. I arrived just on time, that is to say, about an hour early. Which was enough time to look around, stretch, talk to others, and get my body marked, but not way too much time like my first triathlon.
After getting my little transition spot all set up, I put on the ol' wetsuit and got in the water to get acclimated. It wasn't too horrible actually, about 61 degrees with a wetsuit is just fine once your feet go numb, and until you put your face in. They delayed the start for a little while to try to clear a bunch of driftwood out of the way of the course, but let's just say they didn't get it all...
When they announced we would be starting in "3...2...1..." I scrambled to get to the back of the group so I didn't get killed and then jumped in and started swimming. I immediately realized why it is important to have anti-fog drops for your goggles, because even with them it is really hard to see the buoy that you are supposed to swim to. At first I tried to just swim with everyone else, elbows, legs, hands and everything flailing all around me... Then it got less crowded, which was nice. I guess I figured everyone had just kind of found an equilibrium with their surroundings, but I was wondering why I kept hearing a whistle blowing and someone yelling "right, swimmer!" I guess I just figured it was someone else's problem, until I stopped and looked around to see that I was way off course! I tried to re-correct my direction and the next time I checked I was off again! It is terribly difficult to swim in a straight line in a lake when the water is moving, the water is cloudy, and there is no line on the bottom to follow. It was all I could do to try to stay with the "herd" but even this didn't always workout, since some of them would stray off too. (See diagram below)
I was already tired and only a sixth into it, and I knew there was only one way to keep my cool: pretend I was not in a triathlon. I would stop for a couple seconds and say hello to the lifeguards, or tell them good morning, just as if I was out on a beautiful summer day for a leisurely dip. When I ran into someone I would politely say "excuse me" and keep going. Last time I could afford to be a little competitive in the swim and committed myself to doing only freestyle stroke. This time, anything was fair game. I would switch to breast every now and then to get my bearings and look for the buoys, then I would do backstroke when I got tired and then I would slap someone on accident and switch back to freestyle, only to find that I had been going completely off course. If swimming straight in a lake is hard, backstroke is 10 times worse! At one point I switched to backstroke after rounding a buoy and when I got my bearings again I found out I had actually been going backwards. And even when I could get myself moving forwards, the buoys seemed to be swimming away from me. Oye ve.
The good news is, even though you may think it is not an admirable trait to swim all skiwompus in crazy loops and zig zags, consider the fact that I probably swam farther than anyone else in that lake. So there, I bet I did a half-ironman distance swim, actually. But while I'm speaking of skiwompusness, there was one guy who I think made it his personal mission to swim in a crazy floating zig zag pattern specifically designed to block my progress. Oh well.
Anyway, a few more collisions with people and driftwood as well as a few swallows of lake water to keep hydrated, I made it out of the lake in one piece. I must have been one of the last ones because there were hardly any bikes in the transition area! One glance backwards confirmed my suspicions. I think there were only 2 or 3 Olympic distance swimmers left in the lake, and one was a girl! (they start several minutes after the men). Oh well, at least my bike was easy to find.
I admit it, I was too tired to do a really fast transition, so I took my sweet time, and was a little nervous in getting on the bike because my legs were already sore due to the variety of strokes I had to use to stay alive in the lake, and my arms were so sore that I could hardly support my torso by holding on to the handlebars! I managed to get up and going though, this time not so gung-ho about passing everyone, even though I did a few, of course. Then my morale took another hit when the first place kid came zooming in on his bike shortly after I got on mine.
26 miles is a long way, and it feels even longer when the first half of the bike leg is all uphill. I was happy to have a long downhill stretch to look forward to though. I tried my first GU packet at this point, and it wasn't bad, I just hoped it helped me get back some energy because people were passing me, which is unacceptable, even though most of them were sprint distance people, so they had half the distance to go. Ultimately, I think everyone passed me except for one blessed soul though. He was my motivation to keep going strong, to keep me safe from last place! I beat him to the top of the hill and turned around for the downhill half, only to feel a gust of wind in my face. Terrific. But I was still doing good, until I noticed a girl with a flat tire. As I went by I yelled out, "do you have everything you need?" and she said, "um... yeah..." Not a good sign. So I turned around and biked back to her only to find out she had no clue how to change a flat. I had kept telling myself I just wanted to finish, and not worry about the time, so I helped her. As I did, that other guy zoomed by. Oh well. Once she was good to go, I got back on course and she was close behind me the whole time, but I never let her pass me. Until the run, at least...
As I biked into the transition area, I passed people who had finished and were heading home. I knew most of them were sprinters, but it was still a little disheartening. But then I saw my 3 friends Amber, Lisa, and Tosh walking and cheered that they came and they cheered for me. That renewed my zeal as I got off my bike, slipped my shoes on with my new rubber laces I had just bought (which are fabulous by the way) and grabbed a GU packet and took off running.
THE END
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Summer is Here!
I know that the official day that summer starts is not for a couple more weeks, but I think that summer should start on Memorial Day. That is when most pools start being open, that is close to when Lagoon starts to be open weekdays, and just a week or two before the kids get out of school, or... I start school again.
My point is, from whatever unofficial view point you look at from, summer has begun! I even saw a 5 day forecast that didn't have any rain scheduled in it, that was a welcome site. (I am thankful for the rain though, it has made everything green and beautiful!)
To officially kick off the summer season, I went camping this last weekend. It wasn' t like real, hardcore camping because it was technically a stake activity. I know this diminishes a bit from the adventurous, solitary spirit of camping, but it was a lot of fun nonetheless. But I did still sleep in a tent, and just to feel more independent, we set it up about a half mile away from everyone else, right by a river. That was nice because I love the sound of rushing water. The funny thing is, I forgot to grab a sleeping pad from my camping gear, but fortunately I had my yoga mat in my car. Ah, 3 millimeters of pure comfort... Anyway, here are some other highlights of the weekend.
I was kind of sad that there was no lake nearby, I think camping is always more fun by a lake, and I wanted to test out my new wetsuit in a little open water swim to get ready for the Rock Cliff TRI in a few weeks. There were some cute girls there, one in particular who's name will probably not appear on this blog in the near future unless spending time with her becomes a more common experience... ;) So that was good, we also got to do service on Saturday which was a good workout-- we dug rocks out of the horse corral that turned out to be boulders, and had to get them out, it was a pain, but so satisfying to get a big 400 pound rock up out of the earth. (Note this rock looked like it could weigh a half a pound before we started digging and found it to be the tip of a proverbial iceberg!) The rest of the time was walking around, exploring, talking, and sitting around the campfires...
Which reminds me, it was pretty rough not to be able eat smores in such an environment, and the water tastes like they took it from a swimming pool, so the soda and kool-aid were even more appealing. But fortunately, there is strength in numbers. Tosh and Suki were both there as well, and Suki got her friend Holly to go off desserts too. So we had a good support system, even though smores weren't the hardest part, it was breakfast the next day. Tosh and I were expecting pancakes, and debating how we would deal with the syrup issue, but they blindsides us with Costco muffins. (And by muffins I mean, really big cupcakes without frosting.) We debated amongst ourselves whether this was a dessert or not, but when we saw that there was more sugar than flour in the ingredients, we had a meager breakfast of grapes, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Yep, that's how hard core we are.
My point is, from whatever unofficial view point you look at from, summer has begun! I even saw a 5 day forecast that didn't have any rain scheduled in it, that was a welcome site. (I am thankful for the rain though, it has made everything green and beautiful!)
To officially kick off the summer season, I went camping this last weekend. It wasn' t like real, hardcore camping because it was technically a stake activity. I know this diminishes a bit from the adventurous, solitary spirit of camping, but it was a lot of fun nonetheless. But I did still sleep in a tent, and just to feel more independent, we set it up about a half mile away from everyone else, right by a river. That was nice because I love the sound of rushing water. The funny thing is, I forgot to grab a sleeping pad from my camping gear, but fortunately I had my yoga mat in my car. Ah, 3 millimeters of pure comfort... Anyway, here are some other highlights of the weekend.
I was kind of sad that there was no lake nearby, I think camping is always more fun by a lake, and I wanted to test out my new wetsuit in a little open water swim to get ready for the Rock Cliff TRI in a few weeks. There were some cute girls there, one in particular who's name will probably not appear on this blog in the near future unless spending time with her becomes a more common experience... ;) So that was good, we also got to do service on Saturday which was a good workout-- we dug rocks out of the horse corral that turned out to be boulders, and had to get them out, it was a pain, but so satisfying to get a big 400 pound rock up out of the earth. (Note this rock looked like it could weigh a half a pound before we started digging and found it to be the tip of a proverbial iceberg!) The rest of the time was walking around, exploring, talking, and sitting around the campfires...
Which reminds me, it was pretty rough not to be able eat smores in such an environment, and the water tastes like they took it from a swimming pool, so the soda and kool-aid were even more appealing. But fortunately, there is strength in numbers. Tosh and Suki were both there as well, and Suki got her friend Holly to go off desserts too. So we had a good support system, even though smores weren't the hardest part, it was breakfast the next day. Tosh and I were expecting pancakes, and debating how we would deal with the syrup issue, but they blindsides us with Costco muffins. (And by muffins I mean, really big cupcakes without frosting.) We debated amongst ourselves whether this was a dessert or not, but when we saw that there was more sugar than flour in the ingredients, we had a meager breakfast of grapes, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Yep, that's how hard core we are.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Bite Me!
One of the most common things I do to avoid boredom is play with my friends. A while ago I was at Amber's house and we were playing games from the television game show: "Minute To Win It!" My friends and I were trying to do the "bite me" challenge which involves picking up a 2 inch high paper bag with your mouth, and only your feet can touch the ground. Amber filmed us and later made this video. I thought it was funny, so I decided to put it up as a testament to how much fun you can have with a little creativity and very little money. (If you are bored and want to know how to play this and many more fun games using only common household objects, you can find the "blueprints" to all of the games from the show here...)
Sunday, May 23, 2010
You're not hardcore... unless you live hardcore!
Anyway, the evening came, and we piled into the car and drove to Provo. (I know, as if I couldn't sound more lame, I am claiming a Battle of the Bands, in Provo of all places, as a hard core experience - but wait... it gets better.) We got there with enough time to eat dinner first, and the amount of anxiety that went into choosing a place to eat could have an entire blog post all to itself, but I will let it suffice to say that we went to the Malt Shoppe from which we proceeded forth to ROCK!
Here's what happened. We walked in to this little hole in the wall cafe place with a brick room in the back with neon signs and everything. I felt like I was in a movie. The first band had just started and we met some friends there and some stood in front while myself and others found a couch in the back to sit on. Somewhere between 10 and 30 seconds later, I realized that I would not be able to take this kind of torture, not the band wasn't good (they weren't) but it was just that the "music" was so LOUD that I thought my eardrums would burst and I periodically checked to see if blood was dripping from my ears! I think I was the only person in there who thought so because every one else looked like they were having fun.
My excuse is that I do have more sensitive hearing than most people. I can hear those high pitched noises that most people can't hear after 18, and I never play my music really loud because I intend to be able to enjoy it well into my 40's at least! Yet I digress...
I tried to get used to it, I really did try, but it was too much... and yes, I had to plug my ears. (even then it was too loud, but at least not intolerable.) Don't laugh, even though I know the site of my sitting on a couch at such an event with my fingers in my ears must have looked completely ridiculous I had no other choice, or so I thought.
I wasn't sure which was worse, looking like a moron or a severe headache coupled with lasting ear damage. Then there came a point during WakeSide's turn (the second band, which was actually pretty good) when I decided that both of the aforementioned scenarios were unacceptable. So what did I do? I left. Not for good of course, I paid for this thing, and I intended to get my money's worth. Not to mention the fact that I got a ride there in the first place. But I did start running down the street. I knew there had to be a drug store somewhere near by that would sell me some earplugs, but after running for about half a mile I still saw none in sight, so I went the other direction and low and behold... The Marriott Hotel. Of course they would have earplugs, maybe even free ones for guests, or possible guests as the case may be. So I ran there, inquired at the front desk who asked me what room I was in, so I came clean and was referred to the gift shop. It was the best $2.49 I'd ever spent. I popped those babies in and ran back to catch Wakeside's last song, which was great despite the fact it lacked about 35 decibels.
For the rest of the night I was able to be up and in the action jumping around and looking like a crazy person, but at least I fit in just a little bit better. I had lots of fun, and coincidentally got a free CD, not to mention keeping my hearing in tact.
But if you think I am any more lame than you already did before reading this post, lemme just say: I saw one of the drummers had earplugs in too. So there.
At least next time I will be better educated on proper rock etiquette.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Hillariously True
1. There is a great need for sarcasm font.
2. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
3. Bad decisions make good stories.
4. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
5. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
6. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
7. The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again
8. A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.
9. Was learning cursive really necessary?
10. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
11. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.
12. Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
13. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a putz from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
14. Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"
15. What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
16. While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
17. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
18. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
19. I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
20. Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
21. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
22. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....
23. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
24. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
25. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
26. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
27. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
28. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
29. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
30. Why is a school zone 15 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
31. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
32. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
33. It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
34. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
I hope this made you laugh as much as it made me laugh!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Midnight Hike
I really like hiking. A lot. And this year wasn't the super-best for snow shoeing, so I have been excited for the weather to be nice so I can go back to the mountains, my favorite place to be.
Anyway, we had a semi-not-too-cold day a week or two ago and my friend Tosh and I were trying to figure out what to do one night. It was a clear night, and so I insisted we go hiking, and he was cool with that. So we went up Mill Creek Canyon to Church Fork and hiked up Grandeur Peak at like 10ish or something. I have never been hiking at night before, (unless you count snow shoeing) but I found it to be quite enjoyable. Near the top we did hit some snow, but it wasn't too bad, and the view was great.
I never seem to learn my lesson about bringing water because I think I won't be gone long, but often end up quite thirsty. Oh well, it all worked out.
I feel like this post is missing something. Meaning? Depth? Purpose? All of the above, perhaps? Oh well, it's a post, and who really cares if it is funny, clever, or meaningful. Just be grateful there's pictures for this one!
The point is: Hiking is fun, and is better at night if there is a lot of moonlight.
Me, AT THE TOP!!! With city light coming out of my stomach...
This one we were trying to look "manly." Did it work?
I moved before the picture was done, so the lights ended up on my face, obviously...
Monday, May 17, 2010
What not to do the night before a 5k...
Salt Lake Running company just opened up a new store in my area, or rather, moved a location... But the point is they were having a grand opening celebration, which included a free 5k. I am all about racing, and I am even more excited when they are free because the only thing that keeps me from racing every other week is a lack of excess money.
Anyway, I digress. This particular race (like most of them) was on a Saturday morning, and I had a date Friday night. I was not thinking about what I had the next morning when I decided it would be fun to go Ice Skating for my date. I have only been ice skating once in my life, and I thought it was fun, and it was out of the ordinary enough that I thought it would make a good date, and I was right. We had lots of fun, in spite of the fact that the skating place opened later than usual because of an event they had there. We just went to CostCo and ate samples, then played Rock Band at Best Buy. When I got on the ice, it felt just like it was my first time all over again. And I was all wibbly and wobbly, and so was my date. It was so uncomfortable that she decided to switch from hockey to figure skates. I was too nervous to make the same switch, since I thought figure skates were only for girls, but I eventually gave in and I must say... I like figure skates way better, I was faster and had better balance, and dare I say it? Much more graceful.
The point of this whole story is, ice skating makes your ankles, knees, and legs overall pretty sore, and you shouldn't do it the night before a race, it will make it that much harder. The good news is: I still managed to finish in 25ish minutes, which isn't too bad considering...
Anyway, I digress. This particular race (like most of them) was on a Saturday morning, and I had a date Friday night. I was not thinking about what I had the next morning when I decided it would be fun to go Ice Skating for my date. I have only been ice skating once in my life, and I thought it was fun, and it was out of the ordinary enough that I thought it would make a good date, and I was right. We had lots of fun, in spite of the fact that the skating place opened later than usual because of an event they had there. We just went to CostCo and ate samples, then played Rock Band at Best Buy. When I got on the ice, it felt just like it was my first time all over again. And I was all wibbly and wobbly, and so was my date. It was so uncomfortable that she decided to switch from hockey to figure skates. I was too nervous to make the same switch, since I thought figure skates were only for girls, but I eventually gave in and I must say... I like figure skates way better, I was faster and had better balance, and dare I say it? Much more graceful.
The point of this whole story is, ice skating makes your ankles, knees, and legs overall pretty sore, and you shouldn't do it the night before a race, it will make it that much harder. The good news is: I still managed to finish in 25ish minutes, which isn't too bad considering...
Friday, May 7, 2010
What I've been up to...
So during the last couple of weeks I have found myself at work a little more than usual, which is not really what I feel super good about. There are other things that I think would be better uses of my time that I have not been doing as much as I should. Not that I have given up on my higher pursuits, but I find it amazing that I get almost the same amount of stuff done when I am in school vs. being out of school. Surely the principle discussed in my last post applies.
I have been dating a little bit. That's progress. And I am slowly making headway on one of my business ideas. But I think I need some accountability to get things moving so here's the deal. By the end of this week (it's Friday) I will have petitioned Good Earth Natural Foods to sell some of my products. That's my goal.
Wait, I never discussed my latest idea did I? I have been doing some research and experimenting with Essential Oils lately, and I think they are amazing! I have used them for several purposes and have had great success. So, naturally, my entrepreneurial mind is determined to market these wonderful products. Don't worry. I'll soon have a link that you can buy them from on this blog ;) . As a matter of fact, I think I will start working on a website too. See, it is great to blog about this stuff, it gets me really motivated.
In other news, I have decided to do the Rock Cliff Olympic Triathlon in June. This is twice as long as the last one I did, and the swim is open water, which I am actually pretty enthused about. So, hopefully the weather will warm up past 60 degrees and I can be more motivated to go out in it. I did a brick workout a couple days ago, a bike up the canyon followed by a 5k. Man, it was cold coming down the mountainside I tell you, and I got a flat tire. Oh! the bane of my existence. Flat tires... Oh well.
I have been dating a little bit. That's progress. And I am slowly making headway on one of my business ideas. But I think I need some accountability to get things moving so here's the deal. By the end of this week (it's Friday) I will have petitioned Good Earth Natural Foods to sell some of my products. That's my goal.
Wait, I never discussed my latest idea did I? I have been doing some research and experimenting with Essential Oils lately, and I think they are amazing! I have used them for several purposes and have had great success. So, naturally, my entrepreneurial mind is determined to market these wonderful products. Don't worry. I'll soon have a link that you can buy them from on this blog ;) . As a matter of fact, I think I will start working on a website too. See, it is great to blog about this stuff, it gets me really motivated.
In other news, I have decided to do the Rock Cliff Olympic Triathlon in June. This is twice as long as the last one I did, and the swim is open water, which I am actually pretty enthused about. So, hopefully the weather will warm up past 60 degrees and I can be more motivated to go out in it. I did a brick workout a couple days ago, a bike up the canyon followed by a 5k. Man, it was cold coming down the mountainside I tell you, and I got a flat tire. Oh! the bane of my existence. Flat tires... Oh well.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
What I learned...
Here is what I learned that I will apply to my next triathlon.
1. You don't need to get there so early.
2. If you can, find a friend or at least an acquaintance to race with, or that you know will be there. It would have been nice to have someone to talk to pre-race and afterward too.
3. Do rest the week before, but make sure you at least can do the swim distance easily at least one week before race day. (It helps to not get sick)
4. Do more brick workouts, that means biking and running, so you can get used the the transition. Just because you can do each individual leg of the race easily, does not mean you can easily do them all back to back.
5. Especially if the race is longer than a sprint, wear padded bike shorts!
6. If the swim starts in waves, rank yourself one notch lower than you really think, it is better to pass people than get passed. (See: Luke 14:7-11)
7. Bring toilet paper. Photo Credit
But one thing I think everyone should realize that I learned is this: It is worth it!
My First Triathlon!
So I went to bed super early last night and set 5 or so alarms just in case. (unless you count drinking a lot of water, then it would be 6 alarms ;) ) I did my pm yoga practice to calm me down and do some stretching and it worked like a charm. I woke up 1 or 2 times in the night with a mix of excitement and my 6th alarms going off early, and when 5:00 came, I was up and ready to go, having laid out all my stuff the night before, and my bike in the car already. I ate some oatmeal with peanut butter and a banana and took off. I way overestimated the time it would take me to get there, in my frazzled and excited state of mind I actually factored in extra time for traffic, just in case. (note: it was 5:30am on a Saturday!) Suffice it to say, I was there in like 15 minutes, got my race packet, they wrote numbers all over me, I stashed my bike in the transition area, and still had 2 hours until the pre-race meeting.
I spent most of the time just wandering around in the cold in flip flops and a swimsuit, fortunately I did bring a hoodie, but my feet were cold. I did some stretching, some a.m. yoga (which made me feel silly in front of everyone) and eventually the time passed and it was 8:00, pre-race meeting. They covered the basics, told us where the course went (like I'd remember, that's why they have signs!) and I headed to the bathroom before the race. Apperently, I wasn't the only one who thought it was a good idea to lose a few ounces of weight before starting because there was no toilet paper, and unfortunately I did not notice until it was too late. This was a dilemma, 20 minutes until race time and I was stuck in a stall. How humiliating. I quickly analyzed my options, and decided I'd have to ask the stall next to me if they could "spare a square". I was just working up the courage when I heard the people in both other stalls loudly complain about a lack of TP in their stalls as well. Now I was doomed! I scanned my surroundings for other options, no toilet seat covers, no tissues, and then... there it was. Divine providence had placed a scrap of paper towel at my feet, and though I knew it was disgusting, I had no choice, that scrap saved me.
After that exciting moment, we all got in line to start the swim according to our 100m swim times. I placed myself with the "average" swimmers, I stood in line among these middle aged women and thought I was in the right skill group, I was wrong. My number was called and jumped into the water and took off. I haven't been swimming hard core for a couple of weeks because of a recent illness, but I thought 2 weeks wouldn't matter, I was wrong. I struggled to make it to the end of the first lap, near paralyzed at the prospect of doing the same thing 7 more times, I tried to keep reminding myself I was a good swimmer and had done a mile a couple weeks ago without too much trouble, 400m was nothing. But I did not believe myself, each time a middle aged lady swam past me I felt more and more humiliated, my only scrap of dignity I could maintain was to not give in to the urge to start doing backstroke, if I could do the whole thing freestyle, even if I was slow, I would feel okay about it. I think about 4 people ended up passing me, which is scary because they pace you 5 seconds apart, and I was with the "average" people.
Every time I caught a glimpse of the remaining laps, my determination faltered a tiny bit, but somehow I made it. I jumped out of the water, and wobbled over to my flip-flops and hoodie, and walked to the transition area, not able to jog. I was worried that I felt so drained but I got to my bike, put on my bike shoes, helmet, and shirt, and was off.
Now I was in my element. I was not even deterred by the huge hill that lay before me because I passed almost everyone in sight. It was incredibly satisfying to fly past so many people, I did not even realize that biking was as much of a forte as it was. I cruised up the hill, for a few miles and was regaining all of the confidence that I had left in the pool. It was particularly exciting to pass one of those people with the 3-4 thousand dollar bikes. Right near the top of the hill, another guy managed to pass me, and as he did, he said: "Man, you're flying on that thing!" Oh, that did it, my confidence and adrenaline went into over drive, I couldn't let this guy be the only one to pass me, so I began chasing him down a big hill, but he was quick! So I crouched down and relished in the sound of the wind passing as I torpedoed down this hill at 30-40 mph. I lost a little momentum on a sharp turn, but did not let up, even thought the guy in the blue shirt that passed me was nearly out of site. I kept going, another stretch of downhill, and then it was time to pay for all the fun I'd had with a very long, very steep climb. It was seemingly endless! Each time you thought you could see the top, you would get there and just see another stretch of uphill, but this turned out to be a great blessing, because I ended up passing about 5 or more people on this stretch, including Mr. Blue Shirt. My legs burned each time I pushed down on the pedal, and somewhere in the back of my mind a piece of advice I'd heard or read started to warn me: "Don't give it your all on the bike, because it will make the run incredibly difficult". I tried to reassure myself I was not giving it my all, just my most. Besides, it was now my goal to not let anyone else pass me, now that I had regained my lead over blue shirt. And when I finally reached the top of the hill, I but into high gear and let loose. There were 3 people in front of me that I could see, and I could tell I was closing in on them. I overtook the first one and crouched down into a more aerodynamic position, chasing the remaining two. I slowed slightly at an intersection and the guy I just passed breezed by me. Now it was on. I put my heart and soul into overtaking all three of them, and at about 100 yards to go until T2, I did just that. It was so close that when I dismounted the guy that had passed me was right behind and ran past me to his bike spot. But I did not care, I had won the bike leg of the race! Walking afterward was difficult though.
I made it to my little spot and changed shoes much faster than I had in T1, and tried jogging a little bit. Wow. They are not kidding when they say T2 is the hardest transition. And of course, the run leg began with a nice stretch of uphill running, on grass... I passed people I saw walking and desperately wanted to join them, but just like my determination to stick with freestyle in the swim leg, I tried my best to not start walking, no matter how slow I ran. There was a guy about two feet in front of me that I set my pace with, if he could do it, I could. I just hoped he didn't stop to walk because I needed the motivation I got from following him. The uphill did not end after the grass, and continued up and up through some neighborhood in Kearns. The guy I had been following had a ridiculous watch that would beep every mile, and when it went off the first time, he announced "one mile!" and I just about died. "You mean I have two more to go?!" I almost started walking right there, but did not give in, I could see a water station and knew it must be the halfway point, I only walked to drink my water and then kept running, knowing that the downhill had to start soon, even though I was beginning to think that the whole running course was something akin to M.C. Escher's painting of the never ending staircase!
Then I saw the spires of the Olympic Oval, which I knew housed the finish line, and the descent began! A couple of people got bursts of speed and ran past me, but it was all I could do to keep running, I smiled at ever spectator I saw and made small talk as I ran by at a pace of what may have been only 3mph, until I made it into the building and onto the the track, only 100m to go! My original intent was to sprint the last bit, but that did not work out so well, I managed to pick it up to a normal running pace at least with about 15m to go, and then I crossed the finish line.
Oh, what relief! What fun to hear the people you never met cheering for you as you ran through. I celebrated by eating a banana and drinking some chocolate milk, and I soon learned that was all my body could handle at that point. A few minutes later (ironically) my Sister, brother-in-law, and nephew showed up, and took pictures and gave me a balloon. :)
The final results... 83rd Place, (woot!) which is out of about 300 people I think... And I finished in 1:28:38, which made me happy since my goal was to beat 1:30:00. The realization of what just happened didn't hit me until I was driving home and a wave of satisfaction came over me, now I really am a triathlete!
(Just ignore my weird face on this picture)Monday, April 5, 2010
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