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The thing is, I actually have a really difficult time getting rid of things. I connect memories to material objects so much that it sometimes feels physically painful to toss things (and of course there’s the whole “but I might need or want this someday” thoughts too). However, I like living in clean, organized spaces, so that requires me to toss things. This is why I included “going through all my clothes” in my 14 in 2014 Challenge– to give myself an extra little kick.
The fact is that stuff DOES load us down. We need some of it, but doesn’t it get exhausting to wade through the piles of clothes we don’t want, the stacks of magazines we’ve read but haven’t thrown away, or the _____ (fill in the blank) that we’ve saved because we might need it again. Our physical stuff can weigh us down and take away energy that we can use for other things. I’m really forcing myself to actually evaluate why I’m keeping what I’m keeping, and going through and tossing (or donating) more things than ever this year.
So far this year I’ve gotten rid of about 110 articles of clothing, a few books and movies, 4 pairs of shoes, 4 old belts, and a bunch of other random things. On top of that, I’ve tossed about 70 old magazines (YIKES- why was I saving all of them!?!), and tossed about 5 or 6 other bags of old papers from school, notes, articles, etc… that I was saving. I think about some of the stuff from time to time, but overall I’m enjoying the extra breathing room more than being able to visually look at the stuff.
On the left is the VHS tape I used in college to record TV shows that were on when I was in group meetings or night classes. Clearly I still needed this in 2014… right? 🙂
I try to take a few pictures while cleaning every year, just to remind myself the following year that I got rid of all that stuff and was happy that I did it.
So here’s my challenge to you- this next week try to throw out one bag worth of things. Sometimes it can be really overwhelming to look at everything that needs to be cleaned, so start with what’s easy first, and enjoy the feeling of creating some space and breathing room in your life. The week after, do the same thing. Who wants to join me in doing this for the next few weeks?
Now it’s your turn to share! Are you someone who has a hard time getting rid of things? What are some of your tips for getting rid of things?
Melissa went and picked up our packets on Friday, which was really nice of her (so I can’t speak to packet pick up on race evening). I was a bit disappointed in what the race gave to us- there were generic cotton tee-shirts that fit awkwardly and were not in any way ideal for running. So that’ll get tossed pretty quickly. The other thing they gave was this weird neon dash scarf thing that looked bad no matter what we did to it. So Melissa and I decided to just go with it and did cheer leader bows with it.
Because we were feeling really weird about our whole outfit (there was LOTS of laughter as we were getting ready), we had to take a funny pic- ninja, cheerleader, ballerina.
We drove to the race site and started to deck ourselves out with glow bracelets and necklaces (Meg purchased these online- far cheaper than buying them at the race).
Nice and Clean before the race start…
The race was originally supposed to start at 8:30, but a few days before the race we got an email saying they were starting at 9 instead. Around 8:50 we walked to the race start to get in line… and proceeded to stand there for half an hour before we started running (they let tiny groups go every few minutes… but never communicated that to us. We would’ve gotten in the starting shoot much earlier if we had known).
LOVING the tutu action.
The first color station took almost a half mile to come to, and it was a powder station. Then it was almost another half a mile before the next color station. Then there were a few color stations really close together. I really wish they had been more spread out.
They had specifically said multiple times that walkers were to stay to the right, and runners to the left. That obviously didn’t happen, and it was a little annoying. I wasn’t expecting to run fast, as this isn’t a normal race, and I wanted to have fun at the color stations. However, it was really annoying to have to weave around really slow walkers.
There was water once on the course at mile 1.5, and I was looking forward to it. It was hot and humid, and going through powder stations had made my mouth extra dry. We got to the water station and there was a LONG long long line, so we decided it wasn’t worth it to wait the multiple minutes it would’ve taken to get a cup of water. When we passed we realized what the problem was: they were filling tiny cups with a water hose! SERIOUSLY. The entire thing was really inefficient, and I was not so pleased.
Mid race
We continued on, enjoying the black light stations they had to take pictures at after the color stations along the race course. That part was fun. It would’ve been fun if they had music playing around the course too- it would’ve fit in with the black lights and neon vibe.
Post-race!
Once the race finished, we went in search of water. Again, they were filling tiny cups with water that was not cold or refreshing. They had the Honest Tea company there with samples too. This was cold and refreshing, but only about 2 ounces too. So, at the end of the race, we were given about 4 ounces (MAYBE) of liquid, and that’s it. Not fantastic. The post race party was “meh”, so we headed out pretty quickly. French fries were calling our name.
We stopped my McDonald’s on the way to Melissa’s house (we spent the night there), where we stocked up on Fries and McChicken’s (it was after 11 pm at this point, and we had dinner at about 5 pm, so we were HUNGRY).
A few tips for you: Bring a towel for your car after the race is done. We were covered in liquid and powdered color, and it would’ve soaked the seats if we hadn’t brought towels with us. Bring snacks and drinks for the car on the way home, as you won’t be getting any during the race. If you’re going to bring your phone, put it in a plastic bag. My phone was in a bag, but the bag was covered in color by the end. It’s worth it to bring your phone so you can get fun pictures along the course! Line up early on in the starting shoot so that you’re not waiting around for 45 minutes after the official start time to actually run.
Pros for this race: It was pretty cheap. I paid 22 dollars I think, so of course I wasn’t expecting some of the race amenities that I was used to expecting. It was a fun environment and something different to do with friends! Running in a tutu was a blast…. and there might be more of it in my future 🙂
Cons for this race: It was REALLY unorganized. Our start time was later than expected, the water station was poorly managed (they should’ve had more tables set up, and maybe tiny water bottles or something to accommodate the crowds. Warm water from a hose was just not ok). More hydration post race would’ve been nice as well.
Would I do it again? Yes, as long as it was as cheap as it was. I would’ve been really disappointed if it had been more expensive. This race could be awesome if it was just a little more organized. Really though, I just had a fun time running in a tutu with lots of glow stick bracelets and dancing in liquid and powder color- all things I don’t do in my normal life. Running it with Meg and Melissa was a blast too!
I was talking to my parents a few weeks ago about how most everyone in my life has no idea about all the tiny things I have to do each day to manage my POTS symptoms. To be honest, I haven’t even shared much with them. However, I was talking about the issue with my vision in regards to POTS, and they were really surprised I do this one thing every day to help deal with my symptoms. I thought I’d share here too:
As I’ve said before, with POTS I get really dizzy upon standing up, sometimes almost to the point of passing out (when I first got diagnosed, before I was on my beta-blocker, I actually did pass out a few times). With dizziness and passing out comes loss of vision. I’m sure many of you reading this who don’t have POTS have experienced some loss of vision (or at least seeing black dots) when you stand up. This is a similar experience to POTS, except with POTS it can be much worse. There are times where my world is completely black for 15-20 seconds or more, and at first this was really scary and overwhelming for me to deal with.
When I stand up, sometimes I’m completely fine, but other times I lose complete vision. At this point I have two choices- stand in one place until my vision comes back, or continue to walk forward and wait for it to come back that way. When I stand up in my office with clients, I can’t very well stand in one place, so the walking to the door option is what I take. So this is how I’ve learned to manage it- before I stand up, I look at my surroundings. If it’s in my living room or office, I know how many steps I need to take to get different places. I look for things I might have put on the ground (shoes, books, etc…) so I can avoid them.
When I stand up and my vision goes, I can continue to walk forward despite the fact that all I can see is black. I don’t think my clients have ever noticed that at times I can’t see them start to leave my office. Usually by the time I get to the door and start to open it my vision is back, and I smile as they are on their way. As I said, this certainly doesn’t happen every time I stand up, but does definitely happen from time to time.
That’s the thing when it comes to any long term diagnosis or illness- it’s about normalizing what is going on within us and then learning to manage it as best as we can. This is something I’ve done so much that I don’t even think about it much anymore, which is nice. But when we have to do these little things to manage our illnesses, it takes energy. If you’re a friend or family member with someone with an illness, have a little extra patience with them. It’s likely that they are constantly using energy to manage themselves in small ways so they can remain functional and live a full life!
I wanted to share this for a few reasons- First of all, no one told me that this brief vision loss was part of POTS, and it freaked me out at first. I hope that this might serve to encourage some of you who have POTS. Secondly, this is meant to give a little insight to family and friends about what your loved one deals with on a regular basis (in multiple ways- it may not even include vision loss).
For other posts in my POTS series, click here.
* I am not a doctor, and these posts should not be taken as expert medical advice. I’m simply someone who has lived many years with POTS and has found resources around the internet that help to explain this syndrome. I’m just sharing my personal story. Please contact a doctor if you have questions about POTS or think you might have it.
I’m thankful for a fun weekend with friends. Last weekend I ran the 5k foam fest, and then headed out to a fun weekend with friends. Spent Saturday day/evening/Sunday morning with a friend from grad school (going out to eat, seeing the Fault In Our Stars in the theater–i sobbed and thought it was a fantastic movie, watching Orange Is The New Black, and just catching up), and spent Sunday afternoon with Melissa and Meg at the pool. It was really wonderful and I definitely needed that. It was awesome. (Those bright orange sunglasses are from the Color Me Rad race I ran last September)
I’m thankful for good books. I’ve been reading SO much lately, and I’ve been enjoying it so much. Last week was “Fault In Our Stars” (go read it AT ONCE!), and this week I’m reading “Gone Girl”.
Im thankful for my porch. I’ve been spending a few hours most days of the week sitting out on my porch writing, reading, and enjoying the sunshine and flowers. Most of the time (unless my very loud neighbors who love to scream are outside) it’s such a peaceful place to be, and I’m glad that I have it.
I’m thankful for the World Cup. I love huge sporting events that bring groups of people together, and I love the excitement of international competition. I filled out my bracket for it last week, so now I’m officially invested.
I’m thankful for fresh, cold water. It’s been in the 90s and HUMID this week, which means that I’m drinking far more water. I fill a few water bottles with water and keep them in the refrigerator so I consistently have really cold water to drink, and it’s so refreshing.
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you thankful for today? When you’re feeling a bit down, what’s one thing that helps you turn your day around?
Books About Running:
- Born to Run
- Hal Higdons Marathon Book
- Anatomy For Runners
- Natural Running
- What Do I Talk About When I talk About Running (Haruki Murakami)
- The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (Alan Sillitoe)
- Hanson’s Marathon Method
- The Hobbit (participant said “Watching Bilbo go from a fearful and afraid guy into a brave man really, really inspires me)
- Me Only Faster (Greg McMillan)
- Running With The Kenyans (Adharanand Finn)
- Flanagan’s Run
- Onward! The Absolute, No B.S., Raw, Ridiculous Soul-Stirring Truth About Training For Your First Marathon (Brook Kreder)
- Running For Women (Kara Goucher)
- Run Gently Out There (John Morelock)
- Never Wipe Your Ass With a Squirrel (Jason Robillard)
- 4:09:43 (Hal Higdon)
- Running For My Life (Lopez Lomong)
- My Life On The Run (Bart Yasso)
- Chi Running
- One More Step- the 638 best quotes for the runner (Randy Thurman)
- Jogger on Riverside Drive (poem)
- To An Athlete Dying Young (poem)
- Spartan Up!
- The Long Run (about firefighter Matt Long)
- Mind Gym
- Running & Being (Dr. George Sheehan)
- Running On Empty (Marshall Ulrich)
- Once A Runner (John Parker)
- Marathon Man (Bill Rodgers & Matthew Shepatin)
- Running Like a Girl: notes on learning to run (Alexandra Heminsley)
- The Perfect Mile (Neal Bascomb)
Movies About Running:
- Spirit of the Marathon
- The Marathon (a movie about a boy with autism who ran a marathon)
- Forrest Gump
- Chariots of Fire
- Without Limits
- Running the Sahara
- Run For Your Life
- Unbreakable (the Western States 100 documentary)
- Prefontaine
I’ve read and watched a few of these, so I can’t vouch for some of these things on the list. All I know is that I have a long list of books to read now the rest of the summer!
Now it’s your turn to share! What’re your thoughts on any of these books or movies? Anything else you want to add to the list?
From the 16th to the 22nd of this month, you can get 10% off your purchase using the code “Epic14”. They have all sorts of bracing and support items, and I’ve continuously heard great things from those who use the products. I myself swear by their compression sleeves (here’s a post I wrote about it that will give you more information), and these sleeves helped me get through my 6th half marathon a week ago!
See those sleeves? They’re amazing.
Go check their products out and take advantage of the discount!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry oatmeal
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup of honey (minus about 2-3 tablespoons- just eyeball it!)
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds (which I chopped up further)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- approximately 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1.5 or 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
I started with sliced almonds, put them on a cutting board, and then diced them up into much smaller pieces. Then I tossed everything else into the bowl too. I put it in the refrigerator for awhile to let it set, and then rolled the dough to make the individual balls. This made 16 balls I believe, and I tried to make them all as even as possible!
The result was absolutely delicious! I’ll definitely be making them again, as they are really fast, and a much healthier (but still delicious) snack option.
I popped them in a container and put them in my refrigerator… but had to go back a few times to get a ball throughout the afternoon!
This was my first time making no bake energy balls, and I can’t wait to try out other flavors and variations! The day after I made these I ended up spending 14 hours helping a friend pack and move to a new apartment (I carried 59 loads of boxes and furniture up stairs- each time up was 17 stairs), so needless to say I needed a lot of energy! I brought some of these balls with me, and they worked wonderfully! This was a great way to put them to the test:)
So seriously- make these as soon as you possible can! They’re worth it! For more recipes, click here.
Happy Thursday! This week has felt a little strange and off to me this week, I think mostly due to recovery (and a random out of state trip on Tuesday to help one of my friends move). Here’s what I’m thankful for at the moment:
I’m thankful I’ve had the convenience of a friend living a two minute and thirty second walk away from me. Seriously, how convenient is that? We walk together on occasion, and watch TV or movies together almost every week. We went to grad school together back in the day, and it’s been really nice (and convenient) to have a friend so close. She’s moving three and a half hours away now for a new job, and I’m definitely feeling sad about that!
I’m thankful for another half marathon. For some reason it almost seems like that half didn’t happen last weekend- I wonder why? I’m thankful for the chance to get out and run again in a race setting- so fun (even when it’s tough)!
I’m thankful for fun with new friends! I have friends that are moving away, but I also have new friends too! I spent Saturday hanging out at the pool with these girls, and had a great time!
I’m thankful for fresh air. What a simple and beautiful thing, right? I love it!
I’m thankful for the rain that is watering my flowers. They are growing so quickly and they are beautiful and vibrant!! I love looking at them.
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today?
Looking for more ways to connect?
- Connect on twitter @kalolainastar
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It doesn’t get much better than this.
The Parthenon has light shining on it at night, and it’s absolutely beautiful. I’d leave the curtains open at night, and fall asleep looking at the Parthenon. Amazing, right? I wish I could be transported back to those nights just for a few days. I close my eyes, listen to the music, and am transported back to a truly wonderful time of my life. I didn’t know it then, but that trip was the foundation to a lot of growth in my life, and I’m thankful for that time.
Parthenon at sunset.
As I’m sitting here in the middle of the night (just one of those nights where I’m sleepy but can’t actually sleep), I thought I’d spend a few minutes listening to the music and being consumed with those memories. I thought I’d share two of the songs that stand out to me from my time falling asleep looking at the Parthenon:
This song is “Si Volvieras A Mi”- I immediately feel like I’m looking at the Parthenon when I hear this song.
And I just love this song. I learned to play it on the piano back in high school, and every time I felt stressed or overwhelmed I’d play it- awesome stress reliever!
Now it’s your turn to share! Do you have a song that reminds you of a great time of life? What song/experience is it?
I ended up getting to Melissa‘s place around 11 am on Friday morning, which meant the weekend started early! We immediately headed downtown to the expo. Walking back and forth to the car gave us about 15 minutes of walking each way, and we were both so happy to at least let our legs move a bit; the taper crazies were really getting to us. We walked around the expo for about 20ish minutes (it was pretty small and wasn’t too crowded since we were there at about noon), and then headed back to the car.
Melissa is such a creative gift-giver (seriously- I wish I was half as good at buying gifts as she is!), and this was sitting waiting for me when I got to her place:
After eating lunch (she ate pasta, I ate this awesome quinoa dish— we really just both wanted fried food), we headed out to the pool for a few hours. We finished the day with dinner (I ate my pasta then, along with some of those delicious doritos!), and we watched the first season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which was really funny (especially how much they talked about how they only wanted to do things that were “tasteful” and “classy”- this has now become a joke of ours), and really relaxing as well. We headed to bed around 9:30, and I ended up sleeping about six and a half hours– a record for the night before a race!
After the race, we headed off to Mexican food, and Meg met us there! I felt a little badly for her, as Melissa and I were both still feeling a bit off from the race (or really, the heat during the race). I got a migraine as we were leaving the race, and took some medicine in the car on the way to the restaurant. I almost passed out as we were leaving too–I was in rough shape. We went back to Melissa’s place, changed, and headed off the pool for a few hours again. I was wondering if it would be good being outside because it was warm, but the pool was nice and cool, and that helped to revive me and cool down my body temperature.
We spent a few hours there talking, which was great! I wish we all lived closer so we could hang out more (but we ARE running a race in tutus together in a few weeks!). Overall the Friday and Saturday of race weekend were the most fun I’ve ever had around a race, and I think I’d like to spend every day post-race at a pool with friends!
Now it’s your turn to share! Are you a good gift giver? What’s your favorite way to rest after a race?
