Wednesday, October 22, 2008
My horoscope... again
Geez... what is up with my (aries) horoscope lately. Check out the one for today: You are much more playful and physical than usual, which may be saying quite a bit! Today is great for starting a new routine at the gym, getting back into yoga or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Hmmm.... interesting.
Biggest Loser: Black Widow
Just a little update on me before I start hating on the Biggest Loser. Went for my run yesterday, and honestly, I seemed to run into everyone I know. The priest from my church. One of my grad students. Geez. I never run into people, but today I did. I did 1.89 miles in 25 minutes, which is about a 13 minute mile. Yeah, I'm slow. But I have seven weeks until my race, and so I'll just be happy doing it in 35-40 minutes, which translates into a 11 or 12 minute mile. I guess my biggest issue with running where I run, is that there are a lot of hills, hidden and explicit (as in, "oh, that didn't LOOK like a hill, but ouch" vs. "gd, that is one big hill ahead of me"). All in all, I'd say this run was a-okay.
Biggest Loser time.... you know the drill if you didn't watch it.
I hate Vicky. I know, my mom told me to never say that I hate someone, but really I do. She is manipulating the show, she and Brady are throwing their weights, they totally made up that story about Phil going up to Brady and asking for them to save his wife, and Heba is just dumb if she thinks that she can depend on them to stay in the game. I hate that she said they were there to win $350,000. Not to lose weight. Not to get healthy. But to win the money. Ugh. I hate her.
The episode was kind of boring in my opinion. The teams did some different exercises: The Blue Team was all Cirque d'Soleil with some rope/material type aerobatics. The Black Team did a challenge course which reminded me a lot of a challenge course zip cord that challenged *me* as a RA my senior year in college. Then, they had their weekly challenge that involved balancing. The prize was a video from home, which Vicky quickly deemed as "unworthy" and "non-beneficial". Whatever. Lots of people have commented on how Vicky doesn't play the game, she doesn't consider her team... this made me wonder what kind of mother she is that she doesn't want to see her children. WTH? The Black Team won, and they were surprised to find that the videos weren't videos, but instead, live teleconferencing with their families. Awesome. The weighins were awesome... geez. The Black Team kicked some major behind!!!! The Blue Team lost, with Vicky being the "biggest loser" and therefore, winning immunity, and they all ganged up on Red Amy and kicked her off. It was so dumb. And what is up with Bob's hair? What is he doing that makes it look so different.
Sorry for the short BL rundown. I'm in the middle of a research project, and I would like to go vote early today. Leave me a comment and tell *me* how you felt about Vicky and the negativity surrounding the Biggest Loser this year.
Biggest Loser time.... you know the drill if you didn't watch it.
I hate Vicky. I know, my mom told me to never say that I hate someone, but really I do. She is manipulating the show, she and Brady are throwing their weights, they totally made up that story about Phil going up to Brady and asking for them to save his wife, and Heba is just dumb if she thinks that she can depend on them to stay in the game. I hate that she said they were there to win $350,000. Not to lose weight. Not to get healthy. But to win the money. Ugh. I hate her.
The episode was kind of boring in my opinion. The teams did some different exercises: The Blue Team was all Cirque d'Soleil with some rope/material type aerobatics. The Black Team did a challenge course which reminded me a lot of a challenge course zip cord that challenged *me* as a RA my senior year in college. Then, they had their weekly challenge that involved balancing. The prize was a video from home, which Vicky quickly deemed as "unworthy" and "non-beneficial". Whatever. Lots of people have commented on how Vicky doesn't play the game, she doesn't consider her team... this made me wonder what kind of mother she is that she doesn't want to see her children. WTH? The Black Team won, and they were surprised to find that the videos weren't videos, but instead, live teleconferencing with their families. Awesome. The weighins were awesome... geez. The Black Team kicked some major behind!!!! The Blue Team lost, with Vicky being the "biggest loser" and therefore, winning immunity, and they all ganged up on Red Amy and kicked her off. It was so dumb. And what is up with Bob's hair? What is he doing that makes it look so different.
Sorry for the short BL rundown. I'm in the middle of a research project, and I would like to go vote early today. Leave me a comment and tell *me* how you felt about Vicky and the negativity surrounding the Biggest Loser this year.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Written in the Stars
So, here's my horoscope for today (it's yours too, if you're an Aries): Your energy today is perfect for physical exercise of any kind, from walking an extra block to running a marathon. Don't overdo it, of course, but expect a little boost just when you need it most. Funny, because today IS a running day for me. I'm doing it after work, which seems to be working out best for me. I'm starting week seven of C25K, which are 25 minute runs. I'm excited. I've been planning out a new route for my runs, and I think I have enough there for a good 25 minute run.
My weekend was great. Friday night, went to the gym and sweated it out on the elliptical. Saturday, got up and did my first 25 minute run. I was dying by the end of it, but at the same time, I totally pushed through it. My pedometer guesstimates that I ran about 1.8 miles in that time, so I want to work on my distance (um... don't want to be running a 5K near the 50 minute mark!!!) and speed. I also went hiking with E on Saturday. We got a bit lost, but at the same time, had a lot of fun... 5 miles total, half of it uphill.
My week is a busy one. Done with grading until next week, working on some research (read, entering data), and still advising... I'm scheduling my workouts for the evening as a kind of reward for the day spent working hard.
My weekend was great. Friday night, went to the gym and sweated it out on the elliptical. Saturday, got up and did my first 25 minute run. I was dying by the end of it, but at the same time, I totally pushed through it. My pedometer guesstimates that I ran about 1.8 miles in that time, so I want to work on my distance (um... don't want to be running a 5K near the 50 minute mark!!!) and speed. I also went hiking with E on Saturday. We got a bit lost, but at the same time, had a lot of fun... 5 miles total, half of it uphill.
My week is a busy one. Done with grading until next week, working on some research (read, entering data), and still advising... I'm scheduling my workouts for the evening as a kind of reward for the day spent working hard.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A Note from Dr. Kiki
I've been at my current university for three years now, which has given me plenty of time to get some Dr. Kiki groupies. You know those kids... the ones who take every single class you offer because they think you're 1) cool, 2) easy, or 3) both. I had my first groupie group during my first and second year here, and yesterday, one of these groupies came to visit me. This young man ended up sitting in my office for close to an hour shooting the breeze (it was a Friday, and quite honestly, all I had to do on my list was grading, and I was avoiding it as much as he was avoiding his work). E stopped by before she was heading home, and asked if we were still on for hiking tomorrow. After I said "definitely!", my groupie turned to me with a big smile on his face and said, "Really? You don't seem like the hiking type."
Granted, I was sitting in the office in my blue cashmere sweater, black pencil skirt and heels (yes, it was Friday, but I had lunch with the dean earlier in the day... be thankful that I didn't wear my pearls, which I whip out for ALL career related moments). Stylewise, I like to think of myself as someone like Charlotte out of Sex and the City, classic but chic. Seriously, when I reach my goal weight, I'm going on a shopping spree at Ann Taylor and Talbots. I love that stuff. And yes, I wouldn't be caught dead in public without my hair flat ironed. Or makeup. Or earrings. And a bracelet. And my favorite ring. But does that make me prissy? Does that make me a non-hiker?
The answer to that question is a big old Whitney Houston "hell to the no". Just because I like hiking and running outdoors doesn't mean that I need to be granola crunchy 24/7. It means that I can shop at Ann Taylor for cashmere (yay! nothing makes me happier!) AND Target for cheapo sports bras. I can wear four inch heels AND Asics. I can flat iron my hair AND pull it back under a cap for a run. Don't judge a book by its cover :)
Granted, I was sitting in the office in my blue cashmere sweater, black pencil skirt and heels (yes, it was Friday, but I had lunch with the dean earlier in the day... be thankful that I didn't wear my pearls, which I whip out for ALL career related moments). Stylewise, I like to think of myself as someone like Charlotte out of Sex and the City, classic but chic. Seriously, when I reach my goal weight, I'm going on a shopping spree at Ann Taylor and Talbots. I love that stuff. And yes, I wouldn't be caught dead in public without my hair flat ironed. Or makeup. Or earrings. And a bracelet. And my favorite ring. But does that make me prissy? Does that make me a non-hiker?
The answer to that question is a big old Whitney Houston "hell to the no". Just because I like hiking and running outdoors doesn't mean that I need to be granola crunchy 24/7. It means that I can shop at Ann Taylor for cashmere (yay! nothing makes me happier!) AND Target for cheapo sports bras. I can wear four inch heels AND Asics. I can flat iron my hair AND pull it back under a cap for a run. Don't judge a book by its cover :)
Friday, October 17, 2008
Weekly Weigh In: A Pink Post
This month is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and a ton of my favorite bloggers have already talked about it. Breast cancer has touched my life in more ways than I'd like to think about. My aunt is a survivor. My mom has had a few biopsies to see if her lumps are or are not cancer. I have friends whose moms, sisters, aunts are dealing with the disease. I'm an avid GMA watcher and love Robin Roberts (and her funky hair!)... people, the disease is everywhere. Take care of yourself. Check your boobies for lumps. Buy a fun lunchbag that supports breast cancer awareness (I've had one since last year, it's insulated and it rocks!). Participate in one of the many breast cancer walks or runs that go on this month or in the spring. DO SOMETHING.
On the other hand, I gained a bit this week, just about 1.5 pounds. Ugh. I'm getting so sick of this plateau/maintaining/whatever awful name we want to give it. I think part of it is that I've become active again after not doing much for two weeks, plus, it's that TOM. Lovely. I'm sure next week will be MUCH better.
Have a good weekend! Enjoy the lovely fall weather!
On the other hand, I gained a bit this week, just about 1.5 pounds. Ugh. I'm getting so sick of this plateau/maintaining/whatever awful name we want to give it. I think part of it is that I've become active again after not doing much for two weeks, plus, it's that TOM. Lovely. I'm sure next week will be MUCH better.
Have a good weekend! Enjoy the lovely fall weather!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
In the Cold (WV) Rain
I had a really stressful day at school today. Between advising and dealing with a problem student, I needed to get out of there. So, I came home, changed, and went for a run. Today's C25K interval was a 10 minute run, a 3 minute walk, and then another 10 minute run. Been there, done that! I was so proud of myself of pounding it out. I also noticed that I feel like a better runner when I go in the afternoon. Maybe I'm just not a morning person all around? I'm not awake enough to actually run in the morning? Maybe I just have a lot of aggression after work? Who knows?
Anyway, I've been tagged by RooBabs to tell y'all 6 random things about me. Hold on, let me get my water bottle before I start....okay, now I'm set!
1. I love tap dancing. I mentioned this before, but seriously, I looooooooooooooove it. I tapped from age 5 until age 17, and then quit when I was in college. I was involved in a competition group for five years, and it made me love it that much more. We danced a lot to swing and big band music, and once in a while, I'll bust out a little move in my kitchen, just to see if I still have it in me.
2. I wanted to be a screenwriter for as long as I can remember. Okay, that's a lie. I *still* want to be a screenwriter. My dream was to go to NYU film school, but my family didn't have much money, and my mom convinced me to do something more realistic, something that I could actually make a living off of (I'm not blaming her for any of my choices in live... my life is pretty darn good as a professor). Anywho, I took a creative writing class in college, and was slogging through with Bs, until it was time to write a small play. I thought this was my big test, to see if my prof thought that I could actually write something that I wanted to make a living off of. And I got an A+. And a note from my professor telling me that she thought it was one of the best student plays she read (and she's an Iowa MFA if that means anything to you). So, I still have that play... and I would like to turn it into something. Some day. After tenure.
3. I'm allergic to all pets. Never had one. Woe is me.
4. I didn't eat pistachios for over a decade. I used to love them, but I was at a family party when I was 10 and ate a WHOLE bunch of them. That night, I got violently ill, with an awful stomach flu. I blamed the pistachios. Only recently have I had some pistachio gelato and really enjoyed it. I guess I'm over my pistachio stomach flu blame.
5. I'm not a true girly girl (I wouldn't say that I'm a complete tomboy either... I fall somewhere in between there), but I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the color pink. Sorry. I denied it for years. Now I buy everything in pink. It's almost disgusting :)
6. I have an addiction to stationary. Seriously, when I'm in a city and there's a Papyrus or a Paper Source or a Crane's stationary store... I need to go in. I need to buy something. And yes, I still send letters to my friends. One of my best friends from college and I send each other weekly letters. It makes me feel very Jane Austen/Elizabeth Bennet. Love it!
I won't tag anyone, mainly because they've been tagged already, but if you want to join the fun, please do so!!!!
Anyway, I've been tagged by RooBabs to tell y'all 6 random things about me. Hold on, let me get my water bottle before I start....okay, now I'm set!
1. I love tap dancing. I mentioned this before, but seriously, I looooooooooooooove it. I tapped from age 5 until age 17, and then quit when I was in college. I was involved in a competition group for five years, and it made me love it that much more. We danced a lot to swing and big band music, and once in a while, I'll bust out a little move in my kitchen, just to see if I still have it in me.
2. I wanted to be a screenwriter for as long as I can remember. Okay, that's a lie. I *still* want to be a screenwriter. My dream was to go to NYU film school, but my family didn't have much money, and my mom convinced me to do something more realistic, something that I could actually make a living off of (I'm not blaming her for any of my choices in live... my life is pretty darn good as a professor). Anywho, I took a creative writing class in college, and was slogging through with Bs, until it was time to write a small play. I thought this was my big test, to see if my prof thought that I could actually write something that I wanted to make a living off of. And I got an A+. And a note from my professor telling me that she thought it was one of the best student plays she read (and she's an Iowa MFA if that means anything to you). So, I still have that play... and I would like to turn it into something. Some day. After tenure.
3. I'm allergic to all pets. Never had one. Woe is me.
4. I didn't eat pistachios for over a decade. I used to love them, but I was at a family party when I was 10 and ate a WHOLE bunch of them. That night, I got violently ill, with an awful stomach flu. I blamed the pistachios. Only recently have I had some pistachio gelato and really enjoyed it. I guess I'm over my pistachio stomach flu blame.
5. I'm not a true girly girl (I wouldn't say that I'm a complete tomboy either... I fall somewhere in between there), but I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the color pink. Sorry. I denied it for years. Now I buy everything in pink. It's almost disgusting :)
6. I have an addiction to stationary. Seriously, when I'm in a city and there's a Papyrus or a Paper Source or a Crane's stationary store... I need to go in. I need to buy something. And yes, I still send letters to my friends. One of my best friends from college and I send each other weekly letters. It makes me feel very Jane Austen/Elizabeth Bennet. Love it!
I won't tag anyone, mainly because they've been tagged already, but if you want to join the fun, please do so!!!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Sore Loser
The soreness refers to me, the loser bit, obviously Biggest Loser, which was on last night. But let's talk about me first. Sorry about the lag in blog posts... this is a pretty busy time of year at work, when we advise undergrads as to what they should be taking next year. Basically, it takes a big bite out of my research time, so I've been spending some extra time at the office. However, it doesn't mean that I haven't been working out. Yesterday, I got up and went for a run. I'm still on week 6 of C25K, which meant that I redid that weird interval (5 min walk, 5 min run, 3 min walk, 8 min run, 5 min walk, 5 min run, 5 min walk) and again, I kicked its butt. Time to move on. I've decided to continue on Level 1 of Jillian's 30 Day Shred, mainly because I was so sore after Monday's workout... I'll reevaluate what I want to do at the end of the week. Move on before the ten days are up? Stay, rinse and repeat?
And y'all will be so proud of me (especially you Miz!)... I got up at 6:30 this morning. 6:30!!! Granted it was completely dark outside, but I got up, put my clothes on and went to the gym. I can't believe that I had my workout in for the day before 8:30AM!!! I rock :) And I think I'm going to keep doing it, because, in all honesty, it wasn't that bad.
Okay... Biggest Loser SPOILERS ahead. Stop now if you don't want to know!
I'm really starting to dislike Heba. Wah wah, my husband went home, wah wah, I really need to stay with Bob. As much as I don't like Phil, he did have a point in trying to sway the game his way. So, we start with a Temptation. Ali announces that all the teams will be dismantled, and the players will become individuals competing against each other, but forming the infamous black (Jillian) and blue (Bob) teams. The temptation is that whoever eats the most calories (in the dark) will be able to pick who goes on what team. Heba starts arguing, saying that she wants to control this because Ed is gone, and she needs this control, blah blah blah, arguing with Purple Amy, when Phil just gets up and tries to sneakily eat some PB cups. Then Heba starts eating donuts... and Purple Amy flips out and eats a brownie. Doesn't matter, because Heba at the most calories. She splits the two teams who worked against her: Red and Purple. So, Heba's on the Blue team, with Vicki and Brady, Red Amy, and Purple Amy. Jillian's Black team includes Phil, Shellay, Coleen, Michelle, and Renee. Seems pretty fair because the guys are evenly distributed on both teams (and we're obviously set up for another female Biggest Loser).
They have to participate in an all day challenge, hiking up and down a hill and taking pictures at the top and the bottom. They get a point for each person in the picture, and a bonus if the whole team is in the picture. Vicki starts complaining about her knee, and that puts the Blue team at a disadvantage. So, while the Black Team is working as a whole, getting six points a pop, the Blue Team decides to do it as individuals. The two teams all agree to take a break, and Shellay fears that someone is out there cheating. I have to agree with her. I could totally see Heba, Vicki, or Brady being completely sneaky, but we find out that she's wrong... and the Black Team won, getting a two pound advantage in the weigh in.
The weigh in was great, with the Black Team going first. Michelle (who created some drama this week about leaving because she felt she was betraying her dad by being on the ranch with Renee, but in the end, decided to stay) had the highest loss on the Black Team, and with the pass, they set the bar with 33 pounds lost (er, or 32? I can't remember). The Blue Team starts to weigh in, and by the end, Red Amy and Heba need to lose a combined 12 pounds... and they loose more!!! Red Amy lost 6, and Heba lost 8 (pays to be the heaviest woman at the ranch, no?) and so, the Black Team had to choose who on their team was going home. (Side note: NBC it was SO WRONG of you to play Heba's victory dance in slo-mo... I so didn't need to see every bit of her fat ripple as she danced. I still have issues with the men wearing shirts through the weigh in while the women have to stand there in their sports bras.) It was a dumb choice in sending Shellay home, mainly because NONE of them were playing the game. Shellay is NOT a threat for the Biggest Loser, mainly because she was already in the 180s, and she was losing slower. I did feel bad for Purple Amy though... it will be rough for her when she finds out her mom is gone. And wow-- Purple Amy is looking GREAT. I think I'm noticing a lot of changes in the women, especially, but Amy is looking good. Could she be this year's Brittany?
And y'all will be so proud of me (especially you Miz!)... I got up at 6:30 this morning. 6:30!!! Granted it was completely dark outside, but I got up, put my clothes on and went to the gym. I can't believe that I had my workout in for the day before 8:30AM!!! I rock :) And I think I'm going to keep doing it, because, in all honesty, it wasn't that bad.
Okay... Biggest Loser SPOILERS ahead. Stop now if you don't want to know!
I'm really starting to dislike Heba. Wah wah, my husband went home, wah wah, I really need to stay with Bob. As much as I don't like Phil, he did have a point in trying to sway the game his way. So, we start with a Temptation. Ali announces that all the teams will be dismantled, and the players will become individuals competing against each other, but forming the infamous black (Jillian) and blue (Bob) teams. The temptation is that whoever eats the most calories (in the dark) will be able to pick who goes on what team. Heba starts arguing, saying that she wants to control this because Ed is gone, and she needs this control, blah blah blah, arguing with Purple Amy, when Phil just gets up and tries to sneakily eat some PB cups. Then Heba starts eating donuts... and Purple Amy flips out and eats a brownie. Doesn't matter, because Heba at the most calories. She splits the two teams who worked against her: Red and Purple. So, Heba's on the Blue team, with Vicki and Brady, Red Amy, and Purple Amy. Jillian's Black team includes Phil, Shellay, Coleen, Michelle, and Renee. Seems pretty fair because the guys are evenly distributed on both teams (and we're obviously set up for another female Biggest Loser).
They have to participate in an all day challenge, hiking up and down a hill and taking pictures at the top and the bottom. They get a point for each person in the picture, and a bonus if the whole team is in the picture. Vicki starts complaining about her knee, and that puts the Blue team at a disadvantage. So, while the Black Team is working as a whole, getting six points a pop, the Blue Team decides to do it as individuals. The two teams all agree to take a break, and Shellay fears that someone is out there cheating. I have to agree with her. I could totally see Heba, Vicki, or Brady being completely sneaky, but we find out that she's wrong... and the Black Team won, getting a two pound advantage in the weigh in.
The weigh in was great, with the Black Team going first. Michelle (who created some drama this week about leaving because she felt she was betraying her dad by being on the ranch with Renee, but in the end, decided to stay) had the highest loss on the Black Team, and with the pass, they set the bar with 33 pounds lost (er, or 32? I can't remember). The Blue Team starts to weigh in, and by the end, Red Amy and Heba need to lose a combined 12 pounds... and they loose more!!! Red Amy lost 6, and Heba lost 8 (pays to be the heaviest woman at the ranch, no?) and so, the Black Team had to choose who on their team was going home. (Side note: NBC it was SO WRONG of you to play Heba's victory dance in slo-mo... I so didn't need to see every bit of her fat ripple as she danced. I still have issues with the men wearing shirts through the weigh in while the women have to stand there in their sports bras.) It was a dumb choice in sending Shellay home, mainly because NONE of them were playing the game. Shellay is NOT a threat for the Biggest Loser, mainly because she was already in the 180s, and she was losing slower. I did feel bad for Purple Amy though... it will be rough for her when she finds out her mom is gone. And wow-- Purple Amy is looking GREAT. I think I'm noticing a lot of changes in the women, especially, but Amy is looking good. Could she be this year's Brittany?
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