Tips for a Successful 5k.

I have a love/hate relationship with 5k's. Or maybe not just 5k's. Maybe running in general. Or, you know, exercising. That's probably it. But I feel that I am somewhat justified. Exercising hurts. I mean, sure, you feel great afterwards, but you don't feel great when you're doing it. It's like food. Put squash and spinach on a plate. I don't care how healthy it is or how it's going to make me live an extra five years or how it's going to give me clearer skin or stronger fingernails (can food really do that?). If it doesn't taste good, I'm not going to eat it. It's simply not worth it. Granted, if it tastes good and it's healthy, I'm all over it. If it just tastes good, I'll splurge. If it's just healthy and has no taste benefits whatsoever, I'm just not doing it. But I think that's fair enough. Food is supposed to taste good, right? But anyways. Back to the 5k thing.

So this morning I ran a 5k with some of my dearest friends. We ran our first 5k together during the fall of our freshman year and a tradition was born. And about my love/hate relationship with them . . I think that's due to the fact that I almost passed out at the end of my first 5k. It made me a wee bit skeptical of the whole race thing. But last spring, I ran another one, just to prove to myself that I could, in fact, run 3.1 miles without passing out. And guess what, I felt just fine. That was exciting.

And then this morning, I felt fantastic. Here's what I learned about the best way to run a 5k:

#1: If you have jingle bells on your shoes, you will run faster.
#2: If you drink lots of cranberry sierra mist and eat lots of puppy chow the night before, you will have lots of energy on race day.
#3: If you sing really loudly on the way to the race, you will be in a better mood.
#4: If you and your three running buddies all wear the same t-shirt, you will feel more unified.
#5: If Santa Claus is present, you will have that much more of a motivation to run fast so that you can impress him.
#6: If you sing the chorus of "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock while you're running, you will be more entertained.
#7: If you run with your camera and take pictures every time you pass by reflective windows, that half hour of running will go that much faster.
#8: If you provide a commentary of the race by video-taping yourself and your friends as you run, you will keep yourself light-hearted, giggly, and way too excited. Also, people running around you will look at you like you've lost your mind. Which you probably deserve.


BEST 5K EVER.

Prioritizing

When I was younger, I always rolled my eyes at those people that said, "Oh, I love to read, but I just don't have time any more." I thought it was complete hogwash. Being the over-opinionated eleven year old that I was, I would adamantly declare to myself. "I will never be like that. I will always have time to read."

Confession: I have become that person.

I made up excuses, of course. Oh, I am reading, really. It's just that I'm reading textbooks instead of actual books (in my mind, textbooks and real books are totally different things). Besides, I'm in college now, which automatically means that I am somehow absorbing the same amount of knowledge that I did when I read books (see how that became past tense. When I read books. Shame, shame.) So after going through freshman year reading only a handful of real books on breaks, I decided to change things, hence the stack of seventeen books on my bedroom floor this summer. My self-esteem boosted quite liberally when I ended the summer having read thirteen books for a whopping total of 4350 pages. Success.

So I have been making significant changes to continue this new trend and to keep myself from being that person again this school year.

Progress thus far: Well, lucky for me, in one of my classes we're actually studying contemporary American novels. I've recently finished Typical American by Gish Jen, and I'm nearly done with Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee. Then I have also read The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, and I am making significant progress with Ann Lamott's Bird by Bird, which I am thoroughly enjoying. Reading four books in six weeks isn't all that bad, is it?

Because Jane Is Always A Good Idea

I am currently sipping Passion Tazo Tea out of my favorite mug, and taking a break from my ever-present need to study. If there's anything to help relax the mind in between American History notes and literary criticism essays it has got to be Jane Austen (I realize that this is probably a very stereotypical-English-major thing to say, but there it is). But when you are a college student like me, you don't have time to just pick up Emma for fun. So instead, you just have to settle for snippets of Jane Austen and her brilliance. Of which, I have many. Way too many, actually. Here's some I've been reading today (I figured I probably shouldn't unload all fifty-seven of them on you).

"I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives." -Jane Austen, Persuasion

"I have not the pleasure of understanding you." -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

"I pay very little regard to what any young person says on the subject of marriage. If they profess a disinclination for it, I only set it down that they have not yet seen the right person." -Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

"A woman, especially if she has the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can." -Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

"But when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way." -Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Jane Austen has such a interesting take on life, and I find myself constantly amazed by how often I laugh when I read her novels. Who would have thought that Victorian women had the nerve to be sarcastic? And so terribly witty. I just love it.

I Flipped

It all started on New Year's Eve. Even on New Year's Eve my family is not quite the type that stays up til the wee hours of the morning. Or even until midnight, for that matter. True, it was kinda a major holiday, but did half the family go to bed around nine o'clock like usual? Absolutely, yes. Did it matter that the rest of America, and possibly the world, was up until midnight to welcome in the new year? No. Not really. The three remaining members of our family -- my dad, my sister, and I -- were the only ones awake by ten o'clock. I contemplated going to bed, but talked myself out of it. No, I had to stay awake. And I figured that watching a movie would probably be my best strategy.

So I browsed through some movies on itunes, attempting to find something to rent. I really wasn't in the mood to take a risk and waste four dollars, plus an hour and a half on a movie that was just okay. Especially on New Year's. Then I came across a movie that looked interesting. I was drawn to it by the cover. I had never heard of it before, never heard of any of the cast, and the director Rob Reiner really didn't mean that much to me as I've never seen When Harry Met Sally. After hunting down reviews (which was mostly unsuccessful as I believe it only hit select theaters), I decided to give it a go. The cover was pretty, and that was enough to convince me that it could have potential.

Let's just say it took the movie all of ten seconds to pull me in. When "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" started playing, I knew this movie was going to be a winner. It was. It was just perfect, and I fell in love. Ladies and gentleman, may I introduce: Flipped.

Since that New Year's Eve, slightly over six months ago, I have watched Flipped at least a dozen times, possibly more. Juli's determination to win over Bryce Loski's heart and get her first kiss from this boy with the "world's most dazzling eyes" never ceases to charm me. Of course, Bryce wants nothing to do with this "mud monkey." The movie (and book) so appropriately begin with Bryce's declaration: "All I ever wanted was for Juli Baker to leave me alone." Their story is humorous, witty, and thought-provoking.

Usually I make a point to read books before I watch their movie. In this instance, I didn't even realize that there was a book until I had watched the movie a couple of times. I ordered the book earlier this week, and the day it came in, I began reading it. The next day, I had finished it. When I finished reading Flipped, I couldn't quite decide which I preferred: the book or the movie. That's a first for me; I pretty much always prefer the book. So I watched the movie again last night to try to make up my mind. They're both just good; that's the only resolution I can come up with. None of the book's charm is lost in the movie. There are many parts, in fact, that are word-for-word the book. Both the movie and the book are just wonderful. Some advice for you: treat yourself; watch this movie or read this book or do both. It is well worth your time.


"Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss. But every once in a while you find someone who’s iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare." - Wendelin van Draanen, Flipped

I thought I would be able to read faster. . .

At the beginning of summer, my book list contained some seventeen books. The stack that formed on my bedroom floor looked something like this:



I'm beginning to think that perhaps I over-estimated myself. Granted, I have made a little progress. I have read eight books. Eight. Which, yes, leaves nine for me to read within the next three weeks. Somehow, I don't see that happening. Hm. Nonetheless, here are some of my favorites so far.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, which I have already mentioned, is excellent. If you're into philosophy and are willing to invest the time to read all 1000 pages, I say go for it. It is definitely thought-provoking.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee was definitely a winner. I can't believe it took me this long to get around to reading it.

And if you're a history lover like me, The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara is phenomenal.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson is a gem of a book. It always makes me think of my childhood when I read it for the first time as a young girl. Simply wonderful.

"No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting." ~Mary Wortley Montagu

Summer Happenings.

It seems that every three months or so I go through an I-need-to-recommit-to-my-blog phase, which shows how effective this supposed "recommitment" is. The odd thing is that I am usually quite consistent about these sorts of things. Apparently not when it comes to the blogosphere. I mean, a quote every three months hardly justifies the existence of a blog at all. Even if they are really good quotes.

But all the same, with the arrival of summer, I have had the time to invest in some projects. Let's just say I've gotten rather artsy-craftsy. Well, kind of. I only have two finished products to boast in so far, but I'm still quite proud of myself. The first is lampshade that I covered in a delightful yellow geometric pattern for my room. The second is a white and black striped bolster pillow. I used to sew quite a bit when I was younger, but it had been years since I pulled out the machine. I was delighted with myself for remembering what little sewing knowledge I have retained over the years. All that to say, little projects have kept me feeling productive.

Not to mention the books that I feel that I have been living and breathing the past month, the most notable of which is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I was hesitant. Number one, I knew very little about Ayn Rand before I picked up her book, so I had no idea what I was in for. I imagined myself spending my whole summer poring over a book that contained scientific, mathematical jargon with a hint of the philosophical. Not to bash philosophy, of course. I find philosophy absolutely captivating. When I can understand it, that is. My second concern was perhaps more disheartening than the first. It had everything to do with the fact that this unassuming little book contained 1069 pages. Yeah, enough said. Though it might be worth noting that the font could not have been bigger than 8. Seriously, it was tiny. The combination of the unknown and the fact that this book was massive was slightly daunting. Let's just say I felt a serious sense of accomplishment when I finished that 1069-page brick after midnight two days ago. And just for the record, that book was excellent. There was definitely a lot that I didn't agree with, but I now have a deep-seated respect for Ayn Rand's brilliance. I tried to explain aspects of the book's plot to my family and just got confused looks. I guess you would just have to read it yourself.

"If I read a book that impresses me, I have to take myself firmly by the hand, before I mix with other people; otherwise they would think my mind rather queer."
Anne Frank

C.S. Lewis. Again.

"Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the greatest secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking them more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less."

C.S. Lewis

If

Over winter break, I've been trying to catch up on my reading. When I was in high school, I was always baffled by the college students who said that they were so busy that they didn't have time to read anymore. "Well, I'll make time!" I declared adamantly to myself. Well. Confession. Didn't happen. I, too, have been clumped into the category of busy college students whose best attempt at reading is completing homework assignments. Thankfully, this isn't all bad, as most of my college textbooks were quite enlightening and unquestionably beneficial. Still, it's not quite the same as sitting down with a small paperback book that doesn't take all the weight in your arms to keep positioned correctly. So, as I've been reading this past month - books both old and new - I've been reflecting on those books that have meant the most to be over the years.

So you, dear reader (I assume you exist, of course. Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who reads this, after all. But I have quite decided that even if I am speaking to a blank void, this blogging business is still worthwhile.) will be hearing from me more frequently (hopefully) these next couple of weeks as I attempt to post some of my favorite books, or as happens to be the case today, one of my favorite books of poetry.

The first book, then, is not necessarily my favorite, but it was quick in coming to mind. Simply put, I love Amy Carmichael. If you're looking for a book that is both convicting and encouraging, pick up her collection of small poems titled If. It is a small book that has no more than seventy pages, yet it is not a quick read. I find the best way to absorb it is to read a poem a day in order give myself time to mull over the ideas that she expresses. Here's a poem to give you a little taste.

If there be any reserve in my giving to
Him who so loved that He gave
His Dearest for me;
If there be any secret "but" in my
prayer,
"Anything but that, Lord,"
then I know nothing of Calvary love.

(Amy Carmichael)

Ouch.

Choosing Joy

"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. It is a choice based on the knowledge that we belong to God and have found in God our refuge and our safety and that nothing, not even death, can take away that away from us. Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved and that nothing - sickness, failure, emotional distress, opposition, war, or even death - can take that love away."

[Henri Nouwen]