Run #91: Remembering Why I Run

About 13 more miles to go until my next goal.
About 13 more miles to go until my next goal.

So with the last several weeks being so hectic at work, I haven’t been devoting as much time to exercising as I was before. There are only so many late night runs a person can endure before giving up completely.

I’ve broken past my weight loss plateau, but just barely. And last week, I kinda overindulged at Ra Sushi with my friend Caroline, had lunch at Bread Zepplin with Briana (MMM… BREAD), and ate BBQ with my mom for 4th of July dinner because, well, meat.

The other day, one of my coworkers said to me, “Girl, you’ve lost SO much weight. You’re a skinny mini! When I saw you walking towards me, I was like ‘Daaamn…'”

I laughed. “Really?”

“Yeah, you’re looking really good.”

That boosted my confidence. I’m feeling really comfortable in my body these days. Although I am not a size 12, I’m fine with knowing that I’ll get there eventually, and in the meantime I can still enjoy my body at any size.

Hi Dad, It’s Me, Kristine.

IMG_7750It’s Father’s Day so to remember my dad, I want to tell a story about him. A few years ago, my mom was browsing the paper one Sunday morning when she came across a diamond ring that was on sale. “Oh look at this diamond ring,” she said to my dad. “It’s nice isn’t it?”

“Do you want it?” he asked. “Maybe we should get it.”

Before she knew it, they were going to the store to buy the diamond ring. She wondered why he was so eager to spend a lot of money on an extravagant purchase. She found out later that he had bought a very expensive semi-automatic rifle and needed something to cushion the blow. Don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness was his motto. That’s just one of the countless stories we tell when we remember him.

Happy Father’s Day, Daddy. I miss you so much.

Where We Discuss the Nuances of Pinterest and Other Intricacies While Floating in a Pool

Izzie and bags ready to go!
Izzie and bags ready to go!

The timing of Friday night’s sleepover was absolutely flawless. I was ready to celebrate a successful week by relaxing and unwinding before I had to start it up again. I stopped by the house to pick up my overnight bag and, of course, Izzie. Dogs were totally welcome at the sleepover.

Crosstown traffic was still in effect, but I was in such a good mood I didn’t mind it. In fact, even Fergie’s song Fergalicious was less annoying, to which I danced and sang along in the car.

When I arrived, Caroline and her sister Florence were already in the living room snacking on pizza and watching movies in their PJs. The spread was artfully thought through and arranged on a pink table sheet with confetti all around. Pizza, chips, dips, wings, wine and cheesy bread sticks, it was carb heaven. Even though I told my therapist I would eat healthy, I realized this would not be possible. It was Friday after all and I had just finished a really hectic week at the office so I wanted to completely vegetate. It was the best weekend ever, one that I wish didn’t have to end.

 

Insanity Defined

insanity
Standing in our office kitchen, eating a bowl soup (not pictured) and ribs. Strange things happen on busy weeks.

I have this insane habit of standing and eating my meals when I’m sometimes under stress. I don’t know why, maybe it just makes me feel like I waste less time and can quickly move onto the next thing on my list.

After 6pm today, I’ll have a brief period of 18 hours of downtime where I won’t think or talk about work. I’m going to have a grown-up sleepover with my friends, drink, eat good food, play games, watch movies, and just generally be a kid again for 18 hours. After that, my carriage is going to turn back into a pumpkin and I’m going to pull another weekender.

The definition of the word “insanity” would’ve looked like this week. I don’t know if I’ve ever launched a website in under 5 days, but I didn’t think I could learn and deploy a new system in less than 8 hours and, well, I managed to do that this week. Quite honestly it takes a special kind of masochist to work at an agency. You have to enjoy suffering to a certain extent because you know that when the pain is over, you’ll have something amazing.

With that being said, I just need to keep my head above water for one more week before things will (hopefully) calm down again.

Stop.

20150605-StopFrom the moment I got to my desk, I’ve been going going going. Physically, mentally. Two major projects have been put on my plate, one with a short deadline, the other with an even shorter one.

There was a moment today where I just needed a few minutes of quiet time. Lunchtime can bring a lot of people into our office kitchen, so I decided to take advantage of an earlier lunch hour and reheat my leftover Thai food in peace.

And just like I enjoy doing at home, I stood at the kitchen counter with my bowl of food and my book and I read and ate lunch, not even acknowledging anyone who walked by.

Surprisingly this very simple ritual was re-energizing. At times yes it can be difficult to get a few minutes of alone time when you work in a bustling agency where being social is the norm. But most of my peers seem to pick up on my need for this so it works somehow.

Agency life is harsh and unforgiving at times. It can chew you up and spit you out in the worst way if you let it. It’s good to push yourself and test your limits. But it’s also good to know when you need to stop, reflect, and re-fuel.