SimplyComplexJen

Last friday, I ran a little over 7 miles, if you count a 1 mile warmup walk/jog.

So, in my new Chi-running form (leaning foward, elbows tucked, proper head position) I ran. The run would have been good except one little detail. When I left the house it was 52 and sunny. I was wearing Adidas capri pants and a running tshirt. No gloves/hat or other things you might normally run with in Kansas in February.

The sun went down.

The cold front moved in.

Within a half an hour it was between 36-39 degrees. Of course the only thing that brings in a good cold front, is a good cold wind.

Layers? Good.
Cold Quads and Ears and Hands? Bad.

So, Yoda never spoke about wearing layers, though a good Jedi would not have to be reminded of this. (A good Jedi I am probably not) What Yoda did for me was say : Do or Do Not. There is no try.

Turns out, that is a great saying in the cadence of running. I will make it to the stop light at Metcalf and once I got there I realize I will make it past Shawnee Mission North HS and then I realized I will make it to my street and then Yoda's saying helped me sprint home. [side note: I usually walk the last 1/2 mile home to cool down, but near-sprint = less time in the bitter wind. Yay me!]

The thing is, I'm not even a huge Star Wars fan, but that quote is amazing through its simplicity and truth.

I've had various quotes posted around my office or house over the years depending on life's situation. Find yours and when you need the energy for your sprint of the day, maybe that quote will carry you to your destination.

I have a male employee that is just awesome in the office, but the poor soul will never live this down....

My assistant and I were talking about birthday cards for a customer who is turning 60, and he just randomly says, "I saw your rack. looks nice."

I bust out laughing and my assistant is laughing so hard she can't breathe.

Then realized I left my bike rack on the back of my car and that is what he was talking about.

**lmao**

He turned 20 shades of red and I couldn't stop laughing. I'm so Beavis.

If I had the writing skills of my brother, the story would be conveyed in the hilariousness that it happened in.......

There's lots of things that can go wrong while training for your first triathlon. If you pause a moment, you can probably come up with a dozen easily, hopefully death not being one of them ;)

The one lesson I've learned is that I will look like I don't know what I'm doing and that's ok! haha (actually it's not really ok but I've learned to accept it.... just like accepting I'm 5'4" no matter how much I want to be 5'7").

While swimming with "Boston" this past weekend (I love how he doesn't give me a choice on swimming when I'm out of town LOL) we went to the local Y. I used one of his swim caps, an gray Ironman race cap (this little tidbit is important to the punchline). My purpose of swimming last weekend was to practice my form and things from the previous class I had taken. I'm not to the endurance part yet!

I was doing laps and pausing after each length to evaluate what felt good, what to work on next, and catch my breath. In the lane next to us was an instructor with a 12 yo kid. I can tell he's watching me on and off and find it odd, but see my note above about looking like I don't know what I'm doing, so I move on.

Towards the end of our trip to the Y, I was pausing at one of end of the pool and Mr Private-Instructor-of-Young-Man said, "you know, with many triathletes, swimming is their weakest event. Why don't you try my stroke class on Thursday evenings? I think it would help a lot."

Ego? going....... going...... gone....

I smile and I thank him and tell him I really should consider it (despite living 1,000 miles away but he doesn't know that).

About half way down on my next lap it dawns on me how this guy knows I'm trying to swim for a triathlon.... Boston's cap! Then I get to the other end and just start dying laughing.

This Instructor is probably wondering how the heck I survived a 2+ mile swim (IronMan distance) when it's obvious a lap is giving me problems. I wonder if he's surprised I don't show up tonight LOL

The same week Peanut Corp. of America backdated its recall of products to January 2007 and the FDA announced numerous apparent violations at the Blakely, Ga., manufacturing facility, the Chinese government sentenced to death three people convicted of intentionally adulterating milk products with melamine last year.

They have now shut down a second plant of theirs in Texas.

18 months earlier, China executed the head of its food and drug safety agency for taking bribes. His lack of oversight eventually lead to the sickening of thousands of children and hundreds of deaths.

When Melamine killed pets in the US, it was on CNN nightly for almost 3 weeks straight, until the death of Anna Nicole changed the media focus. Where is the out rage in the actions of Peanut Corp? Where are the protests? The letters to the FDA? Where is the outrage?

The failure of the FDA in both the pet food recall and the current peanut butter recall should lead consumers to action and the FDA to being reorganized. Unfortunately, consumers are quite content to ignore again what is in their food.

someone sent this pic to me, but I can't find the t-shirt!

So, again, it's been awhile since I've updated, but here's the latest. I had a crazy friend talk me off the fence about a triathlon. Found one for July, so luckily I have some time, but not much.

First things first, I have to learn to swim. Keep in mind, I can swim playing around at the pool, lake, or in the ocean, but have never swam a lap before Jan 2009. Seriously. So, I noticed the community center is offering a triathlon swim class on Saturday mornings. I take it and have been trying to practice at lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

This weeks practice? The trifecta of disaster.

First. I walk out in my swim suit to only discover another trader from another company works out at my gym and is sitting in the hot tub. I've known him 12 years. Greeeeat, an audience. Disaster part 1.

Secondly, I suck at swimming. Truly this is one of the hardest things I've had to learn and I hate not doing anything well. I am also convinced I am going to die this summer of cancer of the stomach considering how much pool water I manage to ingest. Dear lord, how hard can this be? I gulp so much air, I burp chlorinated water for an hour after practicing. My stomach will hurt for 2 hours after a practice haha

Third, the middle aged men at the pool don't help. They are swimming 2 or 3 laps to my one then like to head over to the hot tub and watch me struggle. Keep in mind, these men have bellies bigger round than my ass circumference and look like they would have a coronary if they tried touch football with their grandkids. They like to comment on how "this week looks a lot better than last". Did I mention colleague from other company is watching all of this?

So, add together:
water in stomach +
middle aged men kicking my butt +
audience from a colleague I wish had never seen me in a swim suit
= trifecta for disaster.

Said friend who kicked me off the fence? He said, "it sucks until it doesn't." I hope he's right.