Anamal

Steve, you like travel right? Have you read anything by Mark Jenkins? He has a really wonderful style, his book Off the Map: Bicycling Across Siberia is really a great, I think I've read it 4-5 times. Also To Timbuktu: A Journey Down the Niger, same author, fantastic style and writing. And Last but not least The Places in Between by Rory Steward (the dude walks across Afghanistan!). I really love travel lit/journalism. Also for a lighter side (but still travel related) read anything by Bill Bryson, I'm re-reading his book on Australia right now, and the book "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" about his return to America after living in England for nearly 20 years is hilarious and poignant too.

Mightier than the Sword (as in the pen is mightier than the sword)

Shredded Sketches

Stand Alone Art Works

Building Upon the Real

Grasp Designs (or art works, or illustrations)

---uhhh yeah, that's about it for now. I'm trying to make a leap from film to ad/graphic design so I know that personal branding can be a challenge.

Day 5: Found a really cute coffee shop out in East Pasadena, hung out there for a few hours to get some work in. I really hate job hunting. Today was off for exercise which was good because I was strangely tired all day, despite not really doing anything. In fact, I'll probably go to bed early tonight.

Sounds like you have tomorrow all figured out! What's ultimate Frisbee?

What, really? I guess the best way to describe it is as a combo between soccer and American style football, where you try and pass the disc between your teammates to score a goal (like soccer), but if you drop the disc its a turn over (like football). Or watch this really cool video:

Aaaaaaallllriiiiiiiiiiight! Day four wrap up. I just ate a big salad! Is there a better combo than steak, avocado and balsamic vinegar? Yeah... I didn't think so.

Well, I applied to two jobs, make some new LinkedIn connections, went rock climbing (wasn't really feeling it so I left after about an hour), then went a knocked out a quick weight set (wasn't really feeling it, so left after about 30mins). Uhhh, yeah, work and design motivation was high today, while exercise motivation was low. I think tomorrow I'll take a day off since I know I'll be playing 2+ hours of ultimate frisbee on the beach on Saturday, followed by soccer in Long Beach.... I might count those as my speed running day.

In other random news, I made a comment on my twitter feed yesterday about how New Zealand became the 13th country to legalize gay marriage and how I couldn't believe it was still illegal in America. I immediately lost several followers. To which I say good riddance. If you're a biggot and a homophobe, I really couldn't give a fuck if I offend you. Sorry, I'm not sorry.

I also probably drank more coffee than was really needed today. Meh.

Strong hips eh?  That's new!  Makes sense though.  Fix the problem up stream type of deal.  Icing knees, will definitely start on that.  I live in Canada, so outdoor running is good for like.... 3 months of the year?  The rest of the time its too hot and humid or way to cold.  Ra ra ra for those who run out in the cold, I salute you, but I know how many people don't salt the foot paths and I don't like running enough to take my life in my hands or break a hip.  

I also have retarded feet.  Size 12.5 (yes, I know, I'm a duck), super narrow heel.  I have custom orthotics, but have given up on finding shoes that will actually fit right.  I have never gone to a running shop though, as I always thought they were for flush yuppies with more money then brains.  I will rethink this POV though and go to a Running Room and see what they have to say/sell.  

Especially as a woman, the way our hips our are built wider than a mans means our knees can have a tendancy to fall inward and cause extra wear and tear as we impact at odd angels. Strong hips make your knees track better. There are lots of workout suggestions on Runners World website and Triathlete Magazine's website too.

You'll probably find that the running store is a) more expensive filled with really nice people who want to help and are passionate about running, and therefore c) you'll spend more money on a nice pair of shoes that won't hurt you. And really, isn't preventing a nagging injury worth an extra $50? Especially considering you can get at least 300-500 miles on one pair of shoes. Even as a broke college kid I still liked to give these shops my money. Runners World has a store finder that will help you locate a quality store in your area. Good luck!

Of course LostOne, I tend to use whatever excuse gets people to stop asking questions. I choose to eat paleo for me, not so I can explain it to everybody around me.

Anyway, on to Day 3 wrap up:

I woke up early (8am) and then used the morning to update my resume and cover letter, and spent a lot of my day sifting through online resources and finding groups to joing and networking on LinkedIn. I had a big salad for lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon sifting through more resources and job openings: most of which I'm woefully underqualified for, but at least I'm looking and have all the materials set up in case I do find something to apply for.

I just got back from a run, it was initally supposed to be a track/speed work out, but I'm feeling a little sore from weights yesterday so I just did an easy 3.5miles. I really like being able to call myself a runner and I like the way it makes me feel too. I was pretty surprised at how upset I found myself after hearing about the bombings at the Boston Marathon and its definitely been going around my head the past few days. I had friends running the race (all of whom are ok), but more than that it feels as though somebody has come into my house and harrased my family. This may sounds weird, but I guarantee you ask a fellow runner to describe our communtiy and they'll say its a big family. I've been running off and on since high school, and racing and training more seriously in the past two years and runners really do feel like one big family. I've chatted with random strangers along the course, made friends through running and even bonded better with existing friends through running. Furthermore, our spectators are fantastic, running is one of the very few sports where nobody comes to an event to boo the other team, or say anything negative, we're just a bunch of crazy people who dress funny, (sometimes in too little clothing) and get up early to run around. And its very sad that the inocence of this sport has been stripped away by violence. Runners work very hard to go out to a race (especially something as prestegious as Boston) just to be a part, with over 27,000 runners at the marathon most people are not winners, most wont even place in their age group, but running is about a personal challenge and the human spirit and body overcoming something challeging. The idea that somebody would want to ruin that is disgraceful and cowardly, and I for one do not take kindly to people threatening my family.

Ok, thats it.

If you're a forward runner then it really might be the shoes. I had a pair of Nike's that I loved, and I mean LOVED! But then suddenly running became so much harder and my feet were killing me and I realized I had basically worn through my shoes, once I replaced them (changed over to some Newtons) running became fun again.

Lastly, if you have a running backgroud then it might be you're expecting more of yourself than your body can handle at the moment. I recently took a 3-4 month break after running a 1/2 ironman and now that I'm getting back into running I find 3miles gets me sore, where as I used to be able to knock out 7-8 without even getting tired. Its kinda sad how quickly you lose fitness.

Thanks for all the support everybody! Yesterday wrapped up by working on set. It was only a half day (6hrs) but we ran long and the producers ordered everybody pizza... gross. So I booked it out of there and used the excuse "I can't eat wheat" they don't need to know its because I'm paleo, they can just assume its a medical thing.... or whatever.

Alright kids, end of day 2, I'm about to make myself a paleo dinner and then watch a movie!

Today I got up and went to the gym and did weight and then wrapped up with a short swim. Tomorrow I'll do a swim and then maybe 4-5mile run.

I went to the grocery store hungry (bad idea), but didn't buy anything non-paleo. Win! I actually started reading some lables on items I wanted to buy and there were just so many ingredients and addatives that it really took any urge to cheat or snack away.

Lastly and most importantly I made some progress towards the "get a job" goal. I went back to my old Alma Mater (USC, go Trojans!) and checked out the career center as a new alumni. The last time I was on campus was in August of last year when I was still a student. Anyway since I'm switching careers I figured it would be best to have somebody review my resume and cover letter and offer some suggestions as to where to find a job. Now I have a list of leads and an updated resume and I can start my job hunt properly tomorrow.

PS If anybody knows of any Seattle based advertising/marketing/graphic design/video job they want to pass along, it would be greatly appreciated ;D

If you're a big cyclist than likely your quad strength is much greater than your hamstring strength and your calves are really tight too.

Without having ever watched you run, or knowing your history of running I would suggest a few things.

1) Slow it down, running unlike cycling is a load bearing sport, so you have to get used to all your body weight being translated into your feet with every strike, it takes time for your muscles to adapt to the shock, so view your first month or so of running as more of jogging and then look to pick up speed later. Walking more (not during the runs but just in general will also help).

2) Have a friend video you running and analyze your stride. If you're slamming your heel into the ground with every step its gonna hurt. There are also coaches and programs that will analyze your stride and help improve it. In some ways you're lucky because as a new runner you wont have to unlearn any bad habits, but can just have good habits from the get go. YouTube has a ton of videos that analyze and teach about mid-foot running and running techniques, runners world is also a good source.

3) Get good, fitted running shoes. Go to a real running store, they'll watch you run and listen to the type of runner you are and will help you find the right shoe. They'll be a little more expensive maybe, but will actually be comfortable and help you run.

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, just a triathlete.

No doubt stronger feet and ankles will help, but really what you need are stong hips. The muscles around your hips control the forward movement of your legs and take some of the shock off your knees. Read this: http://www.runnersworld.com/stretching/get-rid-knee-pain

The suggestions to look at form are also wise. I hated running for a long time because people were always telling me to run heel to toe and it made it hurt to run and I always quit. Then in collge I started running after my second knee surgery (on the same knee!) and now I run more mid foot style and have completed 4 half marathons, a half iron man and tons of 5 and 10k's and I really love running. Trust me if I can run with my knees, you certainly can.

Also remember to ice your knees after every work out. Even if you feel you don't need it! I ice after almost every run, soccer, hike, whatever. It keeps you from getting inflamed and injuries starting up.

Treadmills are good, but I hate running indoors, instead try to run outside on grass, turf, the track, or even dirt trails all of which are softer to run on without making you feel like a hampster. I'm a big fan of trail running for this reason.

Last but not least go to a good running store, and get properly fitted for running shoes. They'll usually watch you run and walk, and measure your feet and then have you try on a few shoes. Orthodics can help to a point but having shoes that fit properly (especially if you have unusual feet) is huge. Again, I hated running when I just went to the store and bought whatever shoe looked cool. I have really wide feet and narrow heels and finding the right shoe is a god send. You'll spend a little more money likely, but a shoe that fits and helps you run is worth the extra money.

Good luck!

Day 1 off to a good start!

I got up early and went to the gym for a spin class and then hit the treadmill for 20mins (no stopping or walking!) of running. That was probably my first brick workout (bike to run) since tri training last year and it felt great. Then I came home and had a tasty paleo brunch and I'm off to work soon.

Getting my workouts in early in the morning really helps me not cheat or go off course throughout the day because I think "I already did all that work, I don't want to undo it" plus after 12hrs on set I rarely feel like working out afterward. Today also helped me remember why I love traithlon and really want to start training to get back into shape.

Tomorrow will be weights and then maybe some easy laps in the pool. Yay challenge!

Thanks all! I'm super excited to get started with this challenge, I'm a pretty competitive person by nature so I'm hoping I'll be able to kick my own butt into shape. Not gonna lie, I'd kinda like to win the challenge

Here is the calendar I've drawn up and put on the back of my door so I'll see it every time I go out.

Go-go gadget fitness adventure!

Found this quote and I love it:

"Today I realized: the harder I try now, the sooner I'll see my goals. The more excuses I make, the longer it'll take to see results. So, go that extra mile, even when you don't think you can."

Fitness Goals:

1) Run 3x a week, Weight training 3x a week

- I want to get back into running, and make progress towards my 5k and 10k times, so I'm going to start running three days a week, between 3 and 7 miles, one of those days has to be an interval/speed/track day.

- I was really inspired/impressed by the 300 work out. Does it matter that I can't do any of those moves right now? NO! Because its a huge step up from my current strength it will give me motivation for this challenge and the next. I don't expect to be able to do the 300 work out by the end of this, but I do expect to be much stronger.

2) Lose 10lbs (this will be part 1 of 3 until I get down to 135-140)

- I'm 165 right now, and I'd like to be under 155 by the end of the challenge. I'll also be posting a before, durring (at three weeks) and after picture and hopefully seeing some good physical changes to go with the scale.

3) Eat clean paleo.

- No sweets, no grains, no cheating. I realize this is strict but I also realize that its what is going to work for me. I don't want a weekly cheat day since its far too easy to undo all your hard work in one day. Instead I'll have 3 "whatever days" reserved for special events, birthdays, unforseeable celebrations etc, where I can let myself have some off limits foods for a social purpose, not just because I'm feeling sad/stressed whatever.

Life Goal:

1) Get a full time job.

- Right now this is a huge stressor in my life, seriously, even if I only accomplish this one goal, I'll feel like I've succeeded. Its not that I'm unemployed at the moment, but instead that I work as a freelancer and the stress of not having a job/always having to find work is killing me.

- To accomplish this I'm going to apply to 2 jobs every weekday. MY JOB IS TO GET A JOB!

- I also want to build my advertising portfolio by completing 1 desing every day.

Best of luck to everybody on the challenge! I'll see you on the other side!

Wow, I too am late to this pretty epic party! I'm just getting back into running, and durring the upcomming challenge I want to run 3x a week so would ya'll mind if I ran there? I'll be interested to know how long it takes me to run the full 3,871miles. I'll probably include any hiking and walking I do, since this could possibly take years to complete.

Buy a food locker (seriously, they sell these for you house) put all the crap food in them, and only give the key to your mom and sister.

Really, I think what it all comes down to is: if you're not hurting other people, pressuring them to believe as you do, or excluding groups for alternate beliefs, I could really care less what do, believe, or practice. Religious zealots do get the brunt of this antagonism, because (they're really vocal), they make the evening news.

On the same note (and watch out, this will probably offend somebody): http://theoatmeal.com/comics/extremists

I think one of the things that has always interested me about pushy christians (ya know the kind that try and shove their beliefs on you) is that they think that if there was no god/deity is that people would just go around raping and murdering as much as they want.

Well ya know what? I do go around raping, murdering and pillaging as much as I want... and that ammount is zero. Because I don't need the fear of eternal damnation to be a good person. Does that mean all religious zelots would be terrible people if they didn't have the fear of god? Kinda makes ya think doesn't it.

Yeah my parents are pretty rad people.

I think Neil deGrasse Tyson says it best:

[in response to the view beholden by some religious people that God is the cause of various inexplicable events...] If that's how you want to invoke your evidence for God, then God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time moves on. So, just be ready for that to happen, if that's how you want to come at the problem. So that's just simply the God of the gaps argument

oh and:

I don't have an issue with what you do in the church, but I'm going to be up in your face if you're going to knock on my science classroom and tell me they've got to teach what you're teaching in your Sunday school. Because that's when we're going to fight.

I should get a t-shirt printed

 

"I hate kids"

 

I think it's subtle enough, and wear it on dates, women love t-shirts on dates right? I think the next time I have a date, I'll come here for advice...my own advice is...awful.

Ummm, If you wore this to a first date I would actually be pretty stoked. Just saying.

I hope this doesn't degrade into an internet argument where there can be no possible winner, ever.

 

We all have different beliefs, but right here, on an internet forum, is not the place to express some pointless anger!

 

We're all people, descended from space tacos.

I think when choices are made with the heart and not with logic there can be no way to convince somebody of your views through logic. Its how most religious/political/philisophical things are, people have a very hard time being convinced of another view point when their beliefs are something that they hold very close to their emotional center and not their logical/scientific center.

That being said I am an athiest, always have been, and the older I get I cannot see ever becoming religious. I have friends who have very strong faiths and we simply don't discuss those things. I've found taking the silent option is the best way to preserve these friendships. I believe the best approach is live and let live, as long as you're not hurting anybody else; do what makes you happy.

However, if you try and force your opinion on me, or bully other poeple or alienate them through your religion, then so help me god-I-don't-believe-in, I will fight you tooth and nail. I went through a phase where I was what you would probably call "anti-theist" as in I felt that most religion brough bad things to those who dissagreed (ummm, cruased much?) but now I've mellowed a lot, and actually really enjoy discussing and debating religion. The only minister whom I've ever become close to was from my friends church  and would debate religion with me for hours and never belittled my beliefs or questions, he really was in every sense of the word a christian in both his acts and words and it saddens me how un-christain people can be in the name of their religion (and not to pick on christians you guys are just the most vocal/seen).

One last momento: When I was young, maybe 7 or 8 years old and I saw that many of my friends went to church I asked my mother why our family didn't. I thought it was somewhat odd, especially knowing that both my mother and father had attended catholic schools until college. She responded simply "we though it important to teach you how to think, before we taught you what to think" and that has informed a large part of who I am today.

But if anybody wants to continue discussing I'm more than open!

Then you also have a lot of young professional ladies who go before work, like I do. I get a lot of 'looks' from this group (my peers I suppose), I assume because I lift weights and then go change into my office clothes with Doc Martens and blue hair. But, they get a lot of 'looks' from me, for doing cardio with magazines and dangly jewelry, then chatting in the changing room about how maybe they should do Pilates so they can get stronger without building muscle (???) or maybe they should do the Spinning class instead because the guy who runs that one is cuter.

Sigh. I miss my old gym.

Its for this very reason that I don't miss my old gym! As a recent college grad I'm so happy my new gym doesn't have as many of the women who come to the gym in full make up to slowly walk on the eliptical and then "stretch" for 20mins of the mats hoping to be seen by some frat bro. I took to waking up at 5am and going to the gym because, in college, everybody is too hung over every day to be up that early. But seriously, full make up? And they would match their sports bras to their shoes.... gah, I can't even.... ugh mad just thinking abou it!

Largest annoying comment set I get is "Phoenix, you're a rabbit." or "You keep the produce section up and running with how much you have to buy.  Seriously, all those veggies...," etc, etc.

 

I honestly like veggies.  I do.  Even as a fat guy, I Would rather munch on carrots or fruit than chips.  Healthier AND tastier.  Hell, I had a post-doc visit me at my apartment one time and he commented on how my fridge was way too healthy for a grad student...

Yes, I get the rabbit comment all the freaking time... because it totally get funnier each time... oh wait no it doesn't.

I also get the "your favorite food is salad" and the "what do you want for dinner? Let me guess, salad!" And one friend who really enjoys insisting that I'll buy a bag of romain lettuce and eat that for a week... *sign* tired of people's talk.

The height bias doesn't seem quite as bad for outdoor or crack climbing. 

I think that's probably because you're not forced to follow a specific route ouside and can place your feet and hands where they feel natural for you.

I remember going to one gym and there was this crazy hard 5.10+ route, and next to it was a little sign that said "if you think this route is too reachy, just remember that it was set by a 4' 11" girl" buuuurn!

One thing that helps me is flagging or smearing my foot on the wall, that way you don't need a food hold but you can get yourself up just a little higher to get the hand hold and then bring your feet up to match. A friend who has a climbing coach says he made her do one entire route (probably 5.4, and not qute veritcal) without hands at all and that it forced her to really think with her feet first. Just think how long you can stand, all day right? But how long can you straight arm hang, maybe 5mins on the outside?

Man now I'm motivated to go climb!

LA for film and advertising, huh? Maybe you know my buddy Kyle, he also does freelance filming out there. 

Anyway, I also wasn't really into Star Trek for a long time. That is, till my friend forced me to watch a bunch of them. I've been converted. 

Any other scifi you like?

Sandwhich, what a quality name! Is your friends last name Leach? If not, then I don't know him.

Maybe I'll need to sit down and main line some Star Treck, but currently I'm planning to cancel my netflix and hulu subscribtions once the month ends so I can afford my rock gym membership. Priorities, bro For me I nerd out about anything film and camera related, seriously, I can discuss and analyze film ad nauseum, its bad, and wonderful too. I guess I'm more into real life science than SciFi, I'd rather watch an episode of Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking than a Star Wars rerun.

I really like your goals, very clear cut. What is the 12 week strength training program? I'm currently looking for one myself.

Leah, I've put the program that I'm following on my profile under an album called Work Out Ideas or something, feel free to check it out, so far I like it. Also the associated article is a good read. Best of luck!