Virtual Hyperbole

Run/walk/talk session.  I started a FB group of FB & actual friends to meet up in West Seattle on the weekends.  The idea is we go 20 minutes one direction and then turn around.  Run, walk, find a bench and people-watch or scenery-gaze, whatever.  Some of us get farther than others; who cares?  Kids, dogs, strollers, and hooligans welcome.  Then we often go get a coffee or brekkie. Today was with wife-couple K&B and Heath, their dog.  The weather is just turning nice, but it wasn't crowded at Alki because of Easter.  We went further than 20, because we hadn't seen each other for awhile and had a lot to catch up on. Join us, if you wanna.  Look up West Side 20 on FB. <p><a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/embedded/81866807">Alki Bathhouse - Me-Kwa-Mooks Park</a><br/> <a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/rout...

Yesterday's run was awkward because it had been so long; I was rusty, but the basic form was still there. But TODAY. Today was a different story. I felt like a hippo or a sleepy fat bear. Clumsy and lumbering. Clumbering. A cartoon Igor without the signature tag line, but retaining the slobber. But who the hell cares? I did it. Another 2 miles. I get to checkmark this day. I'll take the W.

I won't be winning any prizes for today's run, but it's been many many many weeks since I did it at all.  And many many many months since I've done it regularly.  I hope to change that.  I want to sleep well again.  I want my body to feel right again.  I want my mind to land in my skull on top of my body again. I ran.  Not far, not hard, but I'll take it. Quick loop up Genesee Hill to overlook. Find more Run in Seattle, WA Find more Run in Seattle, WA

I don't diet - there's no point, I end up obsessing about food which I don't actually do usually - but I am watching it. I'd like to lose "the last elusive 10," and I know I'll just feel better. Ya know - run faster, jump higher, live with greater abandon, practice zen-like patience, carpe diem, et al. I DO NOT LIKE: self-deprivation. Let's face it, my kith. I like to eat. I like to drink good whiskey and good wine and the occasional excellent mixed drink. "Apertif" and "digestif" are 2 words that I am thrilled to have (and use) in my personal lexicon. I absolutely adore epic meals the span the length of an entire evening or mid-day, when you get just as drunk off of food and conversation as off of wine. I DO LIKE: weighing consequences. I don't mind that, after one of those aforementioned glorious epic dinners with Monkey on Friday, I woke up in a cold sweat several times through the night because my body was working ...

I have to admit frustration. Since mid-Febraury, I've been diligent about counting calories, cooking at home, eating in a much more balanced manner, keeping exercise levels consistent; and yet the scale does not move down. And in the last week, I am sorry to report that it's moved up. I don't expect miracles or even drastic change, but seriously? C'mon now.

If you eat like shit, you will feel like shit. Trust me, I've done the research and it's true.

For the first time in weeks, today I drank as much water as I should. In related news, I also peed like 100 times, but who cares? I know from experience that it regulates as soon as my body's flushed some of its toxins. I'm also trying to cut back on my diet cola consumption. At one point, I'd quit it altogether, but then I quit quitting. Now I'm going to quit quit quitting. I'll have to find new ways to get my caffeine. Maybe I'll just start taking speed. I'm joking. DON'T DO DRUGS. I am finding that it's not the lack of desire to workout that keeps me from it; nor is it the lack of time anymore now that the holidays are over. It's simply that sometimes I get distracted and I forget. Yesterday, for instance - I wanted to workout, but I also wanted to get this project done. * I planned to work on the first half of the project, take a break & workout, and then finish up the project. Well, I forgot to workout. So thoroughly, in f...

I'm kidding. Kind of. Seriously, though - that shit is HARD. TODAY: 45 minutes of beginner's yoga Prior to: Felt rushed; was worried about how much time I had (or rather didn't have) before I had to leave for the 14/48 meeting. During: Felt good - the stretches in particular. The woman on the DVD I have does an excellent job of getting me to visualize various muscle activations & grounding, and also describing how it might feel. This helps me a lot, since I don't have a personal coach in the room to monitor me. After: Glad I fit it in; I really needed the stretching. Yoga's a bit sneaky -- at the time, I felt like maybe I should have done more, but now (a few hours later), my body feels even the little that I did. Tomorrow, I have the same time crunch issue with work & 14/48. I will try to make it home in between the two and bike for at least 1/2-hr. (stationary bike).

So. Turns out that fitness is still one of the first things out the window when I get busy. Not a surprise to me, truly. At least it wasn't the very first thing I threw out the window. And I kept my weight steady throughout the holiday season, even though my habits slipped. I can only guess that some of my base level habits have changed for the better, and I'm actually getting more activity & eating better all around, even though it hasn't been at the forefront of my mind. 2008 is a brand new year full of promise, and I intend to participate in an August triathlon in Seattle. 1/2-mile swim, 12-mile bike, 3-mile run (or thereabouts, depending on the final route). I was persuaded (quite easily) to do it by a friend who was going to do it again only if she could round up some other gals to commit. So I'm in, as well as some other lady friends of ours (it's a female-only event). The most exciting development is that my mom's going to fly out to do it wit...

Where've you been? KIDDING! I'm know it's me who's been gone so long. C'mon baby - don't be like that. The Women at ACT Theatre closes this weekend. From Sept. 11 to Dec. 16. I think it's like 80-85 performances total. 8x/week in addition to holding down my day job (p/t job, but still). I can count on one hand the number of pure days off I've had in that entire 3 month period, and most of those have been in the last 2 weeks. Not complaining, mind you, BUT! It'll be nice to have my regular life back starting next week. Quick health & fitness update: =>My weight has stabilized at 144/145 lbs. I'd like to drop another 5 or so. =>My workout routine is solidly out the window and has been for 3 weeks now. Zilch. I've been a very bad girl. I have many theories & reasons, many of which I hope to amuse you with as soon as I can get some goddam sleep. =>In January, I will begin training for an August triathalon. That should kick ...

The facts, in cold hard numbers. Numbers do not lie, my friends. 11 = days I've belonged to a mainstream membership gym. 8 = days I've worked out at the gym since joining. 3 = days I didn't feel like working out, but did anyway. 1 = days I didn't feel like working out, and went home instead. Not freakin' bad, if I do say so myself. Oh, and I do -- as often as possible. I miss Cody terribly, of course. It's a lot easier when there's someone there pushing you and expecting things from you. But I'm proud thus far that I've stuck with it all on my own.

The facts, in cold hard numbers. Numbers do not lie, my friends. 11 = days I've belonged to a mainstream membership gym. 8 = days I've worked out at the gym since joining. 3 = days I didn't feel like working out, but did anyway. 1 = days I really didn't feel like working out, and went home instead. Not freakin' bad, if I do say so myself. Oh, and I do -- as often as possible. I miss working out with Cody terribly, of course. It's a lot easier when there's someone there pushing me and expecting things from me. He's there in spirit, though. Some days what gets me into the gym is the fact that I don't want to have to tell him that I slacked off. Also, what would all that money and hard work have been for if I'm just going to dump it? I make deals with myself: "I don't want to go work out." "I know, but you'll feel better." "Not today, I won't. I really think I should take the day off." "Alrig...

Cody and I are taking a break. I know, right? Don't cry. Actually, I just started rehearsals for a professional theatre show in addition to holding down my day job (with the blessings and help of an incredibly accommodating job-share partner). The fact is, no matter how much I adore working out with Cody, I simply do not have one day free until mid-October. In a lot of ways, the timing of this has worked out brilliantly. I was starting to feel like I needed to stumble out of the nest to see if I'd fly on my own. Not whether I can fly, mind you, I know I can. But would I? Or would I rather just choose to land on my couch with a bucket of cheese ? Well, now I guess I get to find out. Sink or swim, baby! Sink or swim. * *I can preliminarily report that I'm actually more like treading water right now than sinking or swimming. Not bad, but I gotta step up my groove. I got big plans. More soon.

Hang with me through this post - I promise I'm making a point here about my fitness (albeit perhaps obliquely). As I progressed through my acting training in college, I was taught - and encouraged to employ - a wide variety of styles and methods. We started with basics in Fundamentals of Acting (the title of our majors' intro course): text & character. This was followed very closely by - practically simultaneously with - objectives (goals) & intention (how you achieve them). As I and my peers progressed, the scope was widened, and we learned other techniques to supplement and enhance the basics (breath patterns, emotional recall, alexander technique, lessac vs. linklater , bippity boppity boo). We would learn and practice these techniques in isolation, which is necessarily the way of teaching (although not the way of acting or of life, really), but the idea was that they were all building blocks for a well-rounded actor. (I now prefer to think of it as a road-map, b...

Hello, I've been avoiding you. Oh, it's not you - it's me for sure. The last several weeks have been a whirlwind of classic "real life" activity. I won't got into it again - I cursorily explained it in my last post. However, in the last post, my bad habits hadn't been creeping back in yet. Although it seems that I did anticipate them quite eerily. Yes, it's true. I am humbled to report that my forward momentum ceased. I was phoning it in. I wasn't doing anything on my own in between workouts because I was busy and (I justified) at least was working out 3x/week with Cody. But then I was dissatisfied with my workouts because I wasn't ever getting anywhere because I wasn't doing anything on my own in between workouts. And even at my most avoidful, I can easily spot that circular logic. Eventually. I was driving to my workout a week ago, kinda not wanting to go and fantasizing about excuses I could use to cancel. And then I thought - what the ...

It's been a cRaZy month. First the detox, then there were (are) some upheavals on the workfront, then we decided to get a second cat, and now we're suddenly moving at the end of this month! It's been mostly good stuff, but big changes for me. Stress levels are rising, and although it's not bad stress, it's stress none-the-less. Stress without anxiety, if you see what I mean. Anyway, my past patterns would indicate that this is exactly ripe for me to slack on my fitness & health routines, and to start eating a lot of comfort food. I'll be monitoring myself closely because I know it's a tendency of mine; however, so far - I'm doing really well (if I do say so myself). I've made sure to do some kind of exercise every day, and while I'm not skimping on my food desires I'm also not eating crap. I'm staying fairly balanced. This bodes well for me, I think. If you'll allow me to pat myself on the back for a self-indulgent minute: I jogg...

For those of you keeping score at home ... I started out the detox at 148.6 lbs. I hit my lowest weight on Day 11, at 138.2 lbs. The morning of Day 14, right before I ate my first proper breakfast in 2 weeks, I weighed in at 139.8 lbs. I have gained weight slowly but steadily since then, and I seem to be evening out around the 142/143 lbs mark.

Now I know what it was. It was like the last week of school after exams have already happened, and the professor is still giving you homework. That's what yesterday was. I have eaten, and the sun is shining. However, in a cruel twist of fate, as I was driving home from rehearsal last night ... I swallowed, and I knew - without question - that, all of a sudden, I was sick. And yep. I woke up with a full-blown cold this morning. Ain't it a bitch?

Today is the last day of my detox diet. That makes tomorrow the first day of the rest of my life. Honestly, I wouldn't have stuck this out all 13 days if I hadn't publically said that I would. I wish it had been a 9-day detox. It's not that it's been difficult to go without regular food - not since day 3, really. However, I have not received any noticable benefit in the past several days, apart from some more weight loss. My overriding feelings at this point are of utter boredom and moderate annoyance. I am receiving nourishment, but no joy. Yesterday's switch to raw veggies & fruits provided some minor excitement, but I long to be truly sated. I'm glad I did it. I'd even do it again, possibly. No way in hell for 13 days, but maybe for 3-5 every once in awhile to clear my system out. Conceptually, I'm thrilled that my body's clean and that I'm starting from a clear slate, and I'm eager to monitor how I react to my standard fare. Pragmatic...

11 days down, 2 days to go. Tomorrow, I will actually get to chew food for the first time in 12 days. It's like Christmas - I want to go to bed early so that morning gets here sooner. Imagine what I'm going to feel like on Thursday night! My brain may shut down. I think the first thing I'll do upon waking on Friday is toast some bread. Sprouted whole wheat bread. With just a little organic honey. Mmmm ... I have been yearning for toast for days now. Oh my god. My brain IS going to shut down. For sure. Holy crap, I can't wait. (You can't hear me, but I just giggled maniacally.)