Love the Life you Live, Live the Life you Love

I decided resolutions are overrated, hardly fulfilled, and rarely even taken seriously. Few people realize resolutions are a lifestyle change and not a quick fix to a seemingly simple problem. They give up or forget and return to their normal schedules before Valentine's day decorations fill the Walgreen's aisles. I thought about my resolution around Christmas time, I usually make at least one, write it down in my notebook or what not, stick to it for about a week and then give up, just like everyone else. I'm only human. So this year, instead of a resolution, I'm going to make a "To-Do" list that lasts over a year. I can add to it or cross things off as I complete them - or, what I like to do, write them down and cross them off after I complete it. It might last, it might not, but I tend to stick more to specifics than to general ideas so at the very least this is a step in the right direction. -Finish A Walk in the Woods -Run 1/2 marathon -Knit a scarf -Eat ...

So today was my second ride in Boston, boy am I happy to be back to suicidal roundabouts and near death intersections. I missed them in Florida...not that the senior citizens in Naples didn't offer enough obstacles to keep me on their toes as they ignored stop signs and lights and drove half in the bike lane - when there was one...which was never. Excuse me, mister Cadillac boat-mobile I'm not sure if anyone informed you or not but in America we drive on the right side of the road. And if you hit me, I will come after you and beat you with your cane. Anyway, so yesterday I went out with the cycling team and what I thought was going to be a super challenging ride turned into a almost 40 mile ride that lasted 4.5 hours - wahhh. If that's not bad enough, I think I have to take Doctor Jones to the doctor (irony?) because something was wrong with him, and I'm not making this up! I KNOW spinning at 15 mph should be easier than that, especially when I was avg. 19 in Florida. ...

Sometimes...I wish I were more of a girl. Like a girl-girl. As in 'my nail polish isn't chipped', hi-lights, I-don't-look-awkward-in-heels girl. The kind that can pull off a babydoll dress and headband without looking like a Halloween costume and doesn't shudder at the thought of pink. Just once I would like to go one day without having giant bruises on my legs and skinned knees and bike chain oil on my right calf. Or maybe actually willingly choose to go on a shopping spree on Newbury instead of Landry's bike shop or the Nike store. It's not that I haven't tried to keep my nails unchipped for more than an hour or pretended to like spending an entire day at the mall, but honestly I find it more exhausting than doing a 6 hour century bike ride. And why would I spent $100 on a new dress I'll wear maybe once if I could buy a new set of Speedplays I'll use everyday? I blame it on my Missouri upbringing, my brothers, and triathlons. I used to love m...

To date, I am a firm believer that the act of a cyclist falling down at a stoplight is one of upmost amusement. Absolutely nothing is funnier than an absolutely ripped cyclist, riding a carbon fiber bike thinking he's all badass in his racing jersey and white shoes and Rudy Project sunglasses, toppling over while at a dead stop. All too often I'm the person laying on her ass in the middle of the road. Granted, don't have white shoes (a privilage left to the speed demons), a carbon fiber bike (sigh), and I am nowhere near a badass, but I do have the scars to prove I have hopped, skipped, and jumped over those cyclist milestones. Today, while waiting for my fellow cyclist extraordinaire to awaken from her slumber, more like coma, I waited outside her gate of her condo. After only about two minutes I realized, hey Katie, you're in the middle of the road and this is a potentially problematic situation. Being the avid problem solver I am, I chose the efficient route of clip...

Remember that letter I wrote to my stabbing, throbbing, sharp, firing knee pain? Well, I think it did just the trick! Last night around 8 I got really restless and crabby, as I always do when I don't have at least two hours of training a day - I think I just get a ton of negative energy built up. Anyway, so finally got fed up with the ATP build up in my body and I decided it was about time to get my body through some fermentation cycles. It was too dark to cycle and too cold to swim so I had one last option: running. For the past two months the mere thought of running makes me weak in the knees - and not in a good way. So fully decked out in spandex and hoodie (because it was 45 out...in Florida...what bull) and running shoes strapped on I prepared myself for a complete trainwreck of a run which would probably result in a walk, a limp, and a call to my sister for a pick up. As usual the first steps were a little testy, the pain still there in sharp little spasms. Frustrated, I got ...

Not that sitting in spandex for an hour and a half isn't comfortable or anything but honestly, I can't get my ass motivated to sit on Dr. Jones. So here I am, I'm on my second bowl of cereal, my new bike computer hasn't moved since I set it down to "get a quick bite before heading out", and the Doctor is sitting stationary, probably wondering why he's in a closet and not locked to my bed...and probably cussing me out because he's been there for over 24 hours. But who can get motivated when you're in Florida, it's 50 degrees out and the wind is enough to knock you off your bike - thank God I never invested in disc wheels. In addition to all these problems, I didn't bring one piece of winter cycling gear with me, not even a pullover! Now I know all you cyclists who are braving the 5 degree weather up on the East coast are loathing my very existence right now, but if it's any consolation I'm loathing mine too. I hate days when I just c...

I have increasing anxiety about my career choice, or lack thereof. I apologize for just throwing that out there without any cute opening about dogs or knee problems, but I can't think of any other way to say it. When, okay if, I do, or choose to, grow up and settle down (Like that's ever going to happen) there is a very small chance I will actually stick to one path. I'm too fickle. You see how picky I am about my running shoes, and they only go on my feet. Imagine how I'm going to be in six years. When I turned twenty I had a very small anxiety attack. In a sad attempt to comfort me, a friend said, "Just think Katie! In the next ten years you'll have a career, a house, probably a husband, maybe a kid..." Just hearing that made me throw up in my mouth a little bit, in fact I think I did. Needless to say that was the last time I went to that friend for comfort. I've always been the type of girl that gets what she wants. Not because it's been handed ...