2:27:27

I. AM. A. CHAMPION.

13.1 miles, kiddos!

Next on the docket: ragnar relay. It involves a team of people, funky costumes, 200ish miles, 24+ hours, and much spandex. (Naturally.) It goes down feb 25-26.

p.s. My darling niece and nephews understood 13.1 miles in their language: it took "longer than toy story 3" and was farther than "to preschool and back." also, my nephew kept asking, "Now that Katie's done running, can she play with us?"

joy in the journey

[this sunday i'm actually recommending music. aim for #198, "blessed" by martina mcbride]
lately i keep coming back to one thought ... i am happy. i am just really, really happy.


i could make an infinite list of the reasons why ... but we'll just name a few key items:

religion. family. friends. roommates. service. new job (more on that later). running. frisbee. music. food. color. taking risks. laughing. wiggling. loving. 

and now on to the words of someone much wiser than myself:

(excerpts from "finding joy in the journey" by pres. thomas s. monson)

Day by day, minute by minute, second by second we went from where we were to where we are now. Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes.

This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now. 

My brothers and sisters, there is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today.

Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future. 

Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. 

Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows. 

p.s.
yes i survived yesterday's run in one piece. more on that tomorrow.

"i just felt like running."

as you read this, i'm either a) running 13.1 miles, or b) lying around somewhere, moaning.

moaning … but feeling like a champion.

while you’re awaiting my official report, you can watch the clip below. it’s from one of my all-time favorite movies. and it also kind of describes my running experience over the past few months.

a spontaneous decision, a commitment grown one mile at a time, a lot of therapeutic thinking … a few hundred hippies … yeah, that about sums it up.

(sorry about any profanity. you can come watch my edited version w/ me anytime you want. maybe while i'm recovering from the aforementioned 13.1 miles.)

1/2marty eve

[tunes: #42, "it's only life" by kate voegele]

i've discovered i tend to set achievable goals. yes, ones that will stretch me ... but rarely anything i think is truly impossible.

on sunday, august 8, 2010, i wrote the following in my journal:

"The epic craziness begins tomorrow ... Meghan and I start training for a 1/2 marathon. Yes, a 1/2 marathon. I must be crazy."

side note: sometimes i have a tendency to start things and not finish them. it takes a serious passion for me to invest in something long-term. even as i wrote that journal entry, part of my brain said: "yeah right. impossible."

but i started running.

and i hated it. absolutely hated it. i thought of all the people that said, "all you have to do is train, and any one can be a distance runner." i called them liars and continued to hate running.

but i kept running.

and at some point, my lungs adapted. and i could breathe easier. and the thought of 3 miles didn't make me want to die.

so i kept running.

and then there were those pesky issues with my knees and ankles. and i found myself either heating/icing/stretching some part of my body on a daily basis.

but i kept running.

i got into and out of a relationship during all of this. my heart hurt. more than my knees and ankles. on many nights, i just wanted to curl up on my bed and distract myself with boy meets world and some fro yo.

but i kept running.

when it was hot. when it was cold. when it was rainy. when it was windy. when my body felt great. when my body hurt. when i had good days. when i had hard days and my head was a mess.

i kept running.

and here we are. nearly 6 months later. and at 8 a.m. tomorrow, it's go time -- 13.1 miles. i expect it to take a lot out of me. i expect to feel good on some miles. i expect to hate life on other miles. i expect it to be hard.

but guess what? i can do hard things.

so i'll keep running.

because it's about time i did something impossible.

(this is not me. nor will i be wearing that exact outfit. nor am i sponsored by toyota. but you get the idea.)

wedding bells a-ringin

this post's music will be brought to you by the following video -- so pause the playlist above & click play below:



today my little sister is marrying her childhood sweetheart. i know, does that really happen anymore? seriously, they met when they were like seven. but elementary school "relationships" aside, they didn't actually end up together until senior prom.

and today, they're getting married.
meet monica & austin:

(photo by my lovely sister at bonnie jean photos)

congrats, little sister! and welcome to the fam, new little brother.

i am personally contributing to this wedding as the official DJ. i can put together a mean sappy playlist, if i do say so myself. this isn't my first rodeo, kids.

i even picked their official wedding dance song ... you guessed it, it's playing right now (if you followed the rules and clicked play above.)

the wedding will take place here:

(it's the kind that lasts forever.)

mazel tov to the little lovebirds.

p.s.
2 days.

bridesmaid round 10

It's true. Tomorrow's wedding will make it an official dime's worth of bridesmaiding. (What if hollywood makes a movie about me soon?)

In important news, i'll be wearing this:

{from shabby apple. i know, i'm drooling over the big bow too.}

and these, in dark brown:

{from cathy jean. my new scottsdale cheap-shoe obsession.}

and perhaps my hair will look like this, also in brown:

(inspiration found on grey likes weddings)

I sure do love weddings!

Real-life pictures to follow at a (hopefully-sooner-than-)later date.

aches & pains & podiatry

[tunes: #60, "love is all around" by the troggs. because it makes me think of "love actually." which resides very happily in my edited DVD collection.]

so about halfway thru my 1/2marty training, i began experiencing a little pain in the ol' knees. my sweet, knobby little knees had turned on me.

at first, it was just a post-running ache. then one saturday morning, i woke up and couldn't really walk effectively. limping = not okay.

so i spent the afternoon on frumpylumpyredcouch with an ice pack (okay, frozen peas) and a few episodes of Vaughn. I mean Alias.

knees = much better.

then a couple weeks later, i noticed that my right ankle was quite unhappy. i found myself hobbling about while setting up for a certain swanky new year's party and attempting to boogie to katy perry. hobbling = not okay.

one night at another party, a guy wanted to look at my feet. yes, he's a podiatry student. (let's imagine that he was hitting on me in his own way.) anyway, he told me i pronate ... aka stand on the insides of my feet. he even guessed exactly where my knees and ankle hurt without me telling him. someone give that kid a license and a white coat.

however, custom orthotics = expensive.

determined not to quit without pickling the beast (to quote a classic), i headed to walmart to scope out cheaper options. i "invested" in some dr. scholl's shoe inserts ... the $5 variety.

two months later: knees and ankle haven't hurt since, except for a bit after my very long runs. i'll take it.

it's funny to discover, more than 2 decades after first learning to stand/walk/run, that i've been doing it wrong this entire time.

thanks, dr. scholl's. now if you could only make my knobby little kneecaps more attractive. oh skeletal patellas.

p.s.
4 days.

turbo mode

[music: #21, "brighter than sunshine" by aqualung]

so this is kinda a big week for me.

nay ... a really big week for me:

1. my little sister's wedding on thursday
2. 1/2marty on saturday

so it's likely that much of this week's posts will be devoted to one of those two themes.

today, let's chat about running. so i'd heard that when you start running crazy long distances, it might be a good idea to pop some kind of energy supplement. at first, this rubbed me the wrong way -- i don't want any unnecessary junk in my bod.

but it turns out even people i know who are running purists -- let's call them hippies -- believe in these things. and i thought, there's probably nothing natural about running 10+ miles anyway ... so it probably takes a little extra boost to get thru it.

so after much research (Google) and consulting w/ the experts (the man at the running store who thought my roommate and i were in high school), i selected a winner:

 

shot bloks. they're gummy -- like gummy bears, the running man at the store said -- but who can trust his opinion when he's a few years off in his age assumptions?? but trust him i did.

the first flavor tasted terrible. but then i tried strawberry.

and i approve.

did it make a huge difference? i tried it for the first time on a 9-miler. since i'd never run that far before, i have nothing with which to compare. but since i didn't die by the end, i figure it did me some good!

so the strawberry shot bloks shall accompany  me on 1/2marty.

5 days, kids.

He'll Carry You

i particularly love this sunday's inspiration. we had a church activity this week with a guest speaker, C.A. Larson from LDS Family Services.

she talked a lot about healing. about forgiving. about accepting the past but choosing to live in the present. about how sometimes it's okay to tell God we're angry or upset or think He's being unfair ... because that's honest communication. it's not about saying pretty prayers and holding the ugly emotions back ... but saying what we really feel.

she said something like, "it's okay to be angry at God. i don't say that to be disrespectful ... i say that because i know He can take it. He wants to know our honest feelings so He can help us understand. so go ahead and tell him how you really feel ... and see how He responds."

i also love this quote she shared from rev. jesse jackson:

"most of the emotion you feel today is not even about today ... it is baggage ... we must be pulled by our dreams, not pushed by our memories."

and here's a video of an exceptional Hilary Weeks song she played for us (lyrics below):

He knows your heart

He knows your pain

He knows the strength it took just to simply breathe today

He sees the tears that you cry

He knows your soul is aching to know why

He hears your prayers

each humble word

When you said you couldn't face another day

He understood

He knows the path you walk blind

Though you've felt alone

He's never left your side

He knew there'd be moments

when no earthly words could take away your sorrow

and no human eyes could see

 what you're going through

When you've taken your last step

and done all that you can do

He will lift your heavy load

and carry you

He'll bring you peace and leave you whole

and in the darkest night He'll comfort you

until you know the sun will rise with each new day

You will have the strength to live again

He knew there'd be moments

when no earthly words could take away your sorrow

and no human eyes could see

 what you're going through

When you've taken your last step

and done all that you can do

He will lift your heavy load

and carry you

He hears you

when you're crying in the night

He hears you

when your soul longs to fight

Til the morning will come

and the light of the dawn reassures

that in the moments

when no earthly words can take away your sorrow

and no human eyes can see

 what you're going through

When you've taken your last step

and done all that you can do

He will lift your heavy load

and carry you

want to hear more?

happy sunday.

merriam webster

[song: #183, "bohemian like you" by the dandy warhols. dare you not to dig it.]

so you know those word verifications on the blog comments? ever seen one that makes you laugh?

a year or two ago, i started making up absurd definitions for these words every time i commented on my sister's blog.

this christmas, she presented me with a handmade gift ... a dictionary of my own made-up words. she even included relevant pictures with each word. aaaand secret bunnies hidden throughout. (i know, what an excellent sister i have!)

here i am looking at my new treasure:

(ignore my appearance. i just ran 7 miles. on christmas. yeah, i've become one of THOSE people.)

anyway, some samples from my own personal word-verification dictionary:

Alises: multiple illiterate people named Alice

Berelize: what the doctor does to the daddy bear when you don't want any more baby bears

Brontris: the species of dinosaur that roams in the nethermost cavities of the throat cavern leaving germs that cause sickness

Chowel: what an asian person dries off with

Colere: a disease that affected the natives when crayons were first introduced in the new world

Entriess: the secret door a man uses when arriving for a secret date with the French maid. nothing adulterous, of course. just secret.

Gar Pl: i am almost certain this had to have been a character on Fraggle Rock

Gravenom: a snack for zombies. nom nom nom.

Ingers: CLEARLY this is the name of the crazy Russian exchange student with long scary fingers and bangly jewelry who you wish would stop talking to your guy friends. clearly.

Inodaws: i'm not sure, but it has something to do w/ illegal breeding and in-laws

Leidl: CLEARLY the forgotten Von Trapp sister

Logral: a redneck activity that involves standing on a spinning tree in churning water. lawg-rawl

Mugloe: what happens when a non-wizard character on Harry Potter swallows a glow-worm

Nizeme: probably the name of someone Sayid would date. but then she would tragically die, wouldn't she? (Lost reference, for any nonbelievers out there. watch the first episode. you'll believe.)

Pheran: that chemical that makes boys like girls. also, what p-diddy will name his next child.

Spermine: let's not even go there

Spopag: i keep coming back to something involving a catheter. moving on...

Twori: sorry, but it has to be that character on the (2nd version of) senior year of Saved By the Bell...but with a speech impediment. now i've probably offended someone.

Tyisimp: wasn't she dating mr. tumnus?

Winocit: pronounced "Win-o-cit." it sounds like 'innocent' so it MUST be referring to Winnie (Wonder Years) during her pre-craziness at the roller rink with her older boyfriend phase

and there you have it.

p.s.
ask to look at the pictures next time you come over, if you're the type of friend that a) knows where i live and b) has a standing invitation to come over. not just some random blog stalker. you are not invited over.

put you in a song

when i first listened to the lyrics of the following song, i thought, "wait, that doesn't make sense." 

case in point:
"i don't love you but i always will."
(wait, you've just contradicted yourself, right?)

but then i thought again and realized ... i so know exactly how that feels. it makes perfect sense because it doesn't make sense ... which describes a lot about post-breakup emotions, actually. that uncanny ability the heart has to keep a firm grip on a feeling that or may not be the best thing.

i find everything about this song and video absolutely mesmerizing.




"i don't love you ... but i always will."

(you've been there too, haven't you?)

p.s.
it's also #180 on my playlist. in case you have something against music videos.

(not) the crack of dawn

[music: #177, "all the right moves" by one republic]

first of all, lately i feel like every time i hear a good song on the radio and think "who is this?" ... it's always one republic. when did they get to be plastered all over the world and then some?

anyway.

just in case you had noticed this ... 

... and were amazed at my level of ambition, i have a little secret:

that's right kids, you can tell blogger when to automatically post your thoughts/dreams/ramblings for you. it's like a well-oiled machine. (thanks, meggles, for clueing me in.)

case in point: i wrote this particular post last saturday. it is jan. 15 as i write this, and will be jan. 20 (or thereabouts) as you read it. magic, right?

or you can go on believing i'm dedicated enough to blog daily at 7 a.m.

good luck with that world of delusion you're inhabiting. i hope it's blissful for you.

iHome

[music: #137, "don't worry baby" by the beach boys. because it's healthy to listen to that song about once a month.]

there's something comforting about having a personalized internet homepage. every time i use a computer where the homepage is still set on msn.com, i feel overwhelmed the minute i sign on.

(maybe a bit more informed about current celebrity happenings, but overwhelmed nonetheless.)

anyway, i just really adore my iGoogle.

i like that i made it whilst living in utah, so i still see the weather forecast for both here and there:

(warms your heart if you live on this side of the state line, yeah?)

i also like that, during baseball season, it tells me the current baseball standings:

(even if it's almost never good news for my beloved diamondbacks)

also there's this friendly little tree frog that follows my mouse around:

(i like him.)

and let's not forget the moon phases:

(makes it easy to impress people when i can identify the moon phase. waning crescent, anyone?)

but my favorite part is the template i chose. it's a delightful little park. i shall call it my iPark. and it changes depending on the time of day. i mostly love when the hot dog peddler appears, peddling his wares -- can you spot his cart?

p.s.
i'm glad that my little iPark isn't realistic enough to have any creepy drug dealers and thugs wandering the hood at night. just stars and empty see-saws, waiting patiently for the ninos to return.

p.p.s.
no thugs, but sometimes during the day there are iJoggers out and about. (going a little iCrazy, sorry.) the point is ...  remember how i'm a runner too, now? 10 days, by the way. 10 days til 1/2marty.

p.p.p.s
iMarty?

i'm reed fish.

(sorry the last 3 posts have all included video clips. i usually aim for more variety. it just happened, ok?)

anyway.

anyone have a favorite obscure movie?

here's mine:



a clever and delightful film miss katie lee and i discovered hiding in a blockbuster (remember when such a thing was still in business?) a couple years ago.

i like that it's quirky. and has an unexpected twist.

i also like that it's the reason i know schuyler fisk can sing. no really, examine my playlist #169-173. she's perfectly lovely.

and you all thought she was only destined for acting. though who doesn't need a little snow day and orange county in their lives?

august 28, 1963

[music: there's no music on the video below, so hit up #179 on my playlist - "imagine", by john lennon. then hit play below.]




"so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow...

...i still have a dream."

the best book i've ever read

and let's be honest, i've read a lot of books.

[p.s. it's sunday - pause the playlist]

can you feel it? yes, that feeling. please ask me about it. also go here.

it means everything to me.

happy sunday.

i'm a mentor.

[music: #49, "life is a song" by patrick park]

last friday night, i simply didn't feel like hitting the town. so after a lovely KAST project with Feed My Starving Children, i flopped on my bed ... watched a movie on my laptop ... wrote in my journal ... read a bunch of stuff ... all the goods.

oh yeah, and i definitely did not distract my roommate diligently studying for the GRE. even when halfway thru her study session i serendipitously found this button in an old backpack.

i put it on my sweater and (in a not distracting way) eagerly pointed it out to her:

(yeah, that's my karate kid shirt.
what would YOU wear at home on a friday night??)

anyway, the following conversations occurred when i was (quietly) being being her (silent) study buddy. not distracting her in any manner. nope, don't recall that happening.

anyway, enjoy ...

we've since named her bulky-yet-loveable TV "onus." dear, sweet, sagalicious onus.

p.s.
those words failed to show up on her beastly test. i feel personally affronted by the GRE.

never.never.land

Usually, i'm pretty good about avidly pursuing my adult goals. I job-hunt like a warrior and I don't waste (too much) time pining over carefree college days. I also think I've actually adapted to the whole adult thing fairly well ... learning to dress and talk and act like one, for the most part.

But sometimes, trying to be a grown-up makes me feel like this:

And also this:

And probably this:

And, on some days, a lot like this poor bewildered child:

Also, my google image search for "grown-up shoes" made me want this:

p.s.

last night, i was going out to socialize. i looked at my heels and ruffly things ... and put on sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt ... and i think my soul heaved a happy little sigh. hello, me. i'd been missing you.

"she opened her eyes"

[tunes: #63, "what the world needs now is love" by jackie deshannon.]

did you catch pres. obama's memorial speech for the victims of the shooting in tucson?

i heard the beginning on the radio on my way to somewhere. when i got to the aforementioned somewhere, i sat in the parking lot for 30min and listened to the rest until i was late for my somewhere. captivating.

regardless of your political beliefs, this is a message anyone can and should appreciate. it's a message about being more kind, expressing more love and living each day like it might be our last. it made me think about what would be said at my funeral -- what defining character traits i'd be most remembered by.

it also made me think what love i would regret expressing if today happened to be my last. what i would wish my priorities had been on that last day. who i would have called, e-mailed, hugged, apologized to. what i would have simply left undone, unsaid, unworried, unstressed, unfretted.

it's the kind of thoughts i always think in the wake of a tragedy. i don't care what political party you belong to -- this is a message we could all stand to think about.

so...

go read it.

or better yet

go listen to it.

just a couple gems below. but please, don't miss his words about each of the victims.

"make sure we talk with one another in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds." 

"we recognize our own mortality, and we are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters most is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame -- but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others."

"only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation."

"the forces that divide us are not as important as the forces that unite us."

"we should do everything we can do to make sure that this country lives up to our children's expectations."

"may [God] bless the United States of America."

p.s.

i also love that pres. obama is unashamed of referencing the Bible in public. i respect that.

the year of bob saget

[music: go google the Full House theme song]

but really. i'm going to san francisco for my birthday next month. i fully plan on finding the house/park where they filmed the opening sequence to Full House and reenacting a proper frolic with the g.g. bridge in the background.

in the meantime.

i took the following to a white elephant christmas party last month:

(don't drool on your computer.) 

got that preciously delightful frame at a church service auction (someone had to buy it) and (lovingly) tossed it into my backseat.

so when i was running late for the aforementioned christmas shindig, i resorted to pawning off one of the treasures hiding in my car. (which are plentiful and glorious, mind you.) en route to meet up with miss katie lee, i phoned her w/ an urgent request: "please print me a picture of john stamos, stat!"

good friends don't ask questions.

i am a cat-sitter ▲

what would YOU say if you got offered a paying job that involved visiting a nice apartment ... with a comfortable couch ... and lots of quiet ... and a large collection of DVDs you mostly haven't seen?

i said yes. my name is katie and i am a cat-sitter. not full-time (why, are you offering?), just a weekend every now and again. and with the holidays, there have been a lot of now and agains recently.

meet mowgli:

okay okay, that's not really mowgli. i don't have a pic of my little feline friend, but i found this one online that's pretty similar. (thanks, Google images.)

following a recent investigation, i think mowgli has six toes on each forepaw (is that normal?), but that's a tale for another day.

i've been cat-sitting sweet syrupy little mowgli on and off for about 8 or 9 months now. she's one of those cats that MUST have your attention. she must be petted. she must be noticed. and she will yell at you if you don't meet her demands. (i know, sounds like one of those girls that you secretly wonder why your guy friend is still dating. it happens.) anyway, i put up with it. because truthfully, i like dear ol' mowgs. and i like being paid to visit her. and we like watching Oprah together, among other things.

we might venture into scrabble soon, now that i know she's got that secret, extra opposable thumb.

i'll let the following facebook excerpt tell the rest of the story of mowgli & i:

(sorry if it's hard to read ... i did what i could to invent proper dimensions without spilling off the side of my blog template.)

jungle book,

katilda

march of the penguins

[music: #157, "come on" by green river ordinance. not really relevant to the post but whatevs. also, the video below doesn't have any sound, so music away.]

[but if it had sound, it'd be a gagging noise. that's all.]

okay so my older sister used to tell me about the awful couples in high school who demonstrated a form of transportation known as the dreaded couple walk.

waddle, if you will.

you know you've seen it: guy behind, girl in front, couldn't-let-go-long-enough-to-get-from-point-A-to-point-B.

it's like a vertical spoonfest. in public. in transit. mostly through school hallways and/or walkways of ghetto malls (*cough*fiesta*cough).

anyway. i thought this trend died with the 90s and/or the evolution of the human brain. but tempe marketplace the other night taught me otherwise.

behold:

what? you can't tell there's two people involved in that walk? that, my friends, is the crux of the problem.

p.s.
yeah i totally filmed these people with my cell phone. it's like those people who film natural disasters and get to put their footage on the news. hey ABC 15 ... i have ... something ...