nostalgia

I miss posting blogs, especially when it involves my critical commentary regarding a NY Times article. I have so much to talk about-even more so now that I am watching "The View" on a daily basis (Isn't everyone tired of my talking about that dang show?...I can't help it though because it is such a comprehensive show covering politics, fashion, entertainment, self-help...I LOVE IT!). Not to mention, that daytime show is actually affording me a certain degree of sanity during the chaos (a good chaos, of course) going on in my life. I am BUSY ALL THE TIME!!! Even when I'm sitting on the john, I'm busy reading something- most likely, Twitter updates haha. No really, I am probably reading some sort of study guide or notes, which brings me to my closer in this hodge-podge post: My eyes are getting bad, I'm certain.

P.S.
Thanks, K.O., for reading my blog; you were the motivation I needed to post some old running articles I've been meaning to pick apart on this thing. :)

Jimmy Choo for H&M...are 'choo serious?!

Hey Y'all!

I know, you're totally surprised to hear from me. I actually got up early enough to do something non-school related, so now I'm surfing my most favorite blogs.

Does anyone except for me think it's completely preposterous and unheard of that Jimmy Choo is coming to H&M? I can't wait until November '09 to see wassup.

DWTS-so glad they won!

As I type this blog, I am watching "Regis & Kelly" and looking forward to seeing yet another live performance by Shawn and Mark Ballas. I know I already did a Facebook status update on my happiness of their winning, but I can't stress enough how HAPPY I am for them! (I think part of my over-inflated giddiness is due in part to my infatuation with Mark! :D)



On a side note: I have soooo many things to look forward to for the remaining of 2009...
1. Acceptance into The Johns Hopkins University! I'll be starting classes at the end of May.
2. My 2_th birthday next month...I'm trying to be optimistic and actually be happy that I'm getting that much closer to the dirty-30s.
3. A trip to NYC at the end of June- hopefully I will be a Ninang and get to celebrate a 65th birthday party for Lats' mommy.
4. HAWAII with Lats the first week of November! My first excursion to the tropics...it better not rain.

P.S.
5. My cousin from Florida is here to spend some time with my broham and me...we've shared soo many laughs thus far and I am hoping his trip fares out to be fun for both parties despite our respective budget cuts.

I'm BACKKKK,
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wait-don't swallow that pride just yet

I can't really shake my routine in light of the reduction in workforce; I'm still trying to keep my morning runs/workouts intact and maintain some sort of semblance to my "normal" life. I am actually trying to work into my budget the daily commute to work just so I can frequent my favorite gym (almost a 45 minute ride away)...I find this unnamed gym quite cleansing on so many levels and that is prolific to say about an establishment unless it's a church!

I liked this NY Times article about keeping your pride when all else is lost. Read below!


When All You Have Left Is Your Pride
By BENEDICT CAREY
Look around you. On the train platform, at the bus stop, in the car pool lane: these days someone there is probably faking it, maintaining a job routine without having a job to go to.

The Wall Street type in suspenders, with his bulging briefcase; the woman in pearls, thumbing her BlackBerry; the builder in his work boots and tool belt — they could all be headed for the same coffee shop, or bar, for the day.

“I have a new client, a laid-off lawyer, who’s commuting in every day — to his Starbucks,” said Robert C. Chope, a professor of counseling at San Francisco State University and president of the employment division of the American Counseling Association. “He gets dressed up, meets with colleagues, networks; he calls it his Western White House. I have encouraged him to keep his routine.”

The fine art of keeping up appearances may seem shallow and deceitful, the very embodiment of denial. But many psychologists beg to differ.

To the extent that it sustains good habits and reflects personal pride, they say, this kind of play-acting can be an extremely effective social strategy, especially in uncertain times.

“If showing pride in these kinds of situations was always maladaptive, then why would people do it so often?” said David DeSteno, a psychologist at Northeastern University in Boston. “But people do, of course, and we are finding that pride is centrally important not just for surviving physical danger but for thriving in difficult social circumstances, in ways that are not at all obvious.”

For most of its existence, the field of psychology ignored pride as a fundamental social emotion. It was thought to be too marginal, too individually variable, compared with basic visceral expressions of fear, disgust, sadness or joy. Moreover, it can mean different things in different cultures.

But recent research by Jessica L. Tracy of the University of British Columbia and Richard W. Robins of the University of California, Davis, has shown that the expressions associated with pride in Western society — most commonly a slight smile and head tilt, with hands on the hips or raised high — are nearly identical across cultures. Children first experience pride about age 2 ½, studies suggest, and recognize it by age 4.

It’s not a simple matter of imitation, either. In a 2008 study, Dr. Tracy and David Matsumoto, a psychologist at San Francisco State, analyzed spontaneous responses to winning or losing a judo match during the 2004 Olympic and Paralympic games. They found that expressions of pride after a victory were similar for athletes from 37 nations, including for 53 blind competitors, many of them blind from birth.

“It’s a self-conscious emotion, reflecting how you feel about yourself, and it has this important social component,” Dr. Tracy said. “It’s the strongest status signal we know of among the emotions; stronger than a happy expression, contentment, anything.”

In one continuing experiment, Dr. Tracy, along with Azim Shariff, a doctoral student at British Columbia, have found that people tend to associate an expression of pride with high status — even when they know that the person wearing it is low on the ladder. In their study, participants impulsively assigned higher status to a prideful water boy than to a team captain who looked ashamed.

The implications of this are hard to exaggerate. Researchers tend to split pride into at least two broad categories. So-called authentic pride flows from real accomplishments, like raising a difficult child, starting a company or rebuilding an engine. Hubristic pride, as Dr. Tracy calls it, is closer to arrogance or narcissism, pride without substantial foundation. The act of putting on a good face may draw on elements of both.

But no one can tell the difference from the outside. Expressions of pride, whatever their source, look the same. “So as long as you’re a decent actor, and people don’t know too much about your situation, all systems are go,” said Lisa A. Williams, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Northeastern University.

The various flavors of pride may even feel similar on the inside, when the stakes are high enough. “She was always scrupulous about keeping up appearances to herself,” wrote Edith Wharton of her tragic heroine Lily Bart in “The House of Mirth.” “Her personal fastidiousness had a moral equivalent, and when she made a tour of inspection in her own mind there were certain closed doors she did not open.” If you believe it, so will they.

A feeling of pride, when it’s convincing, acts something like an emotional magnet. In a recent study, Ms. Williams and Dr. DeSteno of Northeastern had a group of 62 undergraduates take tests supposedly measuring their spatial I.Q. The patterns flashed by too fast for anyone to truly know how well they did.

The researchers manipulated the amount of pride each participant felt in his or her score. They either said nothing about the score; remarked, in a matter-of-fact tone, that it was one of the best scores they had seen; or gushed that the person’s performance was wonderful, about as good as they had ever seen.

The participants then sat down in a group to solve similar puzzles. Sure enough, the students who had been warmly encouraged reported feeling more pride than the others. But they also struck their partners in the group exercise as being both more dominant and more likable than those who did not have the inner glow of self-approval. The participants, whether they had been buttered up or not, were completely unaware of this effect on the group dynamics.

“We wondered at the beginning whether these people were going to come across as arrogant jerks,” Dr. DeSteno said. “Well, no, just the opposite; they were seen as dominant but also likable. That’s not a combination we expected.”

Therapists say that in time, people usually do better when they come clean. “In some ways it’s easier to do this now, with so many people out of work,” said Michael C. Lazarchick, an employment counselor in southern New Jersey. “You may very well find out that others are going through the same thing, or something like it — ‘Oh yeah, I just took a big cut in pay.’ ”

But in the short term, projecting pride may do more than help manage others’ impressions. Psychologists have found that wearing a sad or happy face can have a top-down effect on how a person feels: Smile and you may feel fleetingly happier. The same most likely is true for an expression of pride. In a 2008 study, the Northeastern researchers found that inducing a feeling of pride in people solving spatial puzzles motivated them to try harder when they tackled the next round.

Pride, in short, begets perseverance. All of which may explain why, when the repo man is at the door, people so often remind themselves that they still have theirs, and that it’s worth something. Because they do, and because it is.

However much pride may go before a fall, it may be far more useful after one.


****

I think, therefore, I am-
P

Bethenny vs. Kel-amity: a reprise

Alright, Bethenny's book wasn't spectacular, but I still love her! (After all, she did have a ghost writer helping her, which may have had an impact on what information was actually imparted...I'm rooting for you, Bethenny!).

I'm watching the "Bethenny vs. Kelly" episode that I missed last week and my heart was doing somersaults and palpitations during the girls' confrontation. I was absolutely disgusted with how glib and half-baked Kelly comes off as on the show (and in real life, for that matter)! I hate that woman! Okay, I love my share of celebrities and their respective lives (the gossip the drama...*start the music*), but I will not shut someone out of my life or turn my nose up to a non-celeb. I found the outright embellishments and lies Kelly was throwing out to Bethenny on their date PREPOSTEROUS!

Wasn't Kelly arrested for punching her ex-husband/boyfriend last week? That woman has issues...

I'm a salty sweater!...and other helpful nutritional advice for runners

So I incurred an injury yesterday-more out of the blue, if anything- from running a mere 4 miles or so around Fremont Central Park. My left knee has always been my weakest, but lately, I started off with some foot achiness (in my arch) and now my kneecap is acting up. I thought everything was okay though...I felt fine too. Oh well, the best surprises *sarcasm* are the ones that sneak up on you and blind-side you, I suppose.

I get an e-newsletter from an avid marathoner and he sent me a plethora of interesting running articles. If you don't run, but you enjoy working out, these should provide you with some grains of salt, if any.

Two ways to recover more quickly
Note: co-sponsored by Jeff's running store Phidippides

1) During my long runs and marathons, I wear the Zensah calf sleeve. The research says that the compression improves blood flow to reduce damage, improves recovery and can result in faster times. I have noticed that my legs don't feel as tired at the end when I wear this sleeve.

For the next 24 hours (even when sleeping) I like to wear the sleeve. My legs just feel better—with less fatigue. Research shows that compression sleeves and sox tend to reduce blood clots. Since there is a slight increased risk of clotting (for everyone, not just runners) when sitting on an airplane for several hours, this is another good time to wear the Zensah sleeves.

2) Take a cool tub bath. After the race (or any run longer than 12 miles), I recommend soaking your legs in a tub of cool water for 12-15 minutes or more. The water temperature needs to be 20 degrees cooler than body temperature. I don't believe that ice is needed if the water is 78F or cooler.

***I will definitely take heed to this advice after running my long runs! Plus, I tend to have achy legs in general (well, I do sweat A LOT-like I'm the girl you DO NOT want to sit next to in a hot car with vinyl and probably leather- you'll be a hot, sticky mess next to me! lol) and have experienced Charlie horses in the past.

Strategies to Eat Better
Copyright: Nancy Clark, MS RD, The Athlete’s Kitchen, March 2009

2009 Sports Nutrition Guidelines

Hot off the press from three prominent nutrition and exercise associations—the American Dietetic Association, American College of Sports Medicine, and Dietitians of Canada—is the 2009 Joint Position Stand on Nutrition for Athletic Performance. While there is little earth-shattering news in this comprehensive document (available on www.eatright.org; on the left side of the screen, click on Position stands), the authors comprehensively reviewed the research to determine which sports nutrition practices effectively enhance performance. Here are a few key points, and the reminder that what and when you eat powerfully impacts how well you can perform. I hope this information entices you to “think again” if nutrition is your missing link.

• Don't weigh yourself daily! What you weigh and how much body fat you have should not be the sole criterion for judging how well you are able to perform in sports. That is, don't think that if you get to XX% body fat, you will run faster. For one, all techniques to measure body fat have inherent errors. (Even BodPod can underestimate percent fat by 2 to 3%.) Two, optimal body fat levels depend on genetics and what is optimal for your unique body. Pay more attention to how you feel and perform than to a number on the scale.

• Protein recommendations for both endurance runners and strength-trained athletes range from 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound (1.2-1.7 g/kg) body weight. For a 150 lb. runner, this comes to about 75 to 120 g protein per day, an amount most runners easily consume through their standard diet without the use of protein supplements or amino acid supplements. Vegetarian runners should target 10% more, because some plant proteins (not soy but legumes) are less well digested than animal proteins. If you are just starting a weight-lifting program, you’ll want to target the higher protein amount. Once you have built-up your muscles, the lower end of the range is fine.

• If you are trying to build muscle, you need to pay attention to carbohydrates, and not just protein. That's because strength training depletes muscle glycogen stores. You can deplete about 25% to 35% of total muscle glycogen stores during a single 30-second bout of resistance exercise.

• Runners who eat enough calories to support their athletic performance are unlikely to need vitamin supplements. But runners who severely limit their food intake to lose weight, or who eliminate a food group (such as dairy, if they are lactose intolerant), or train indoors and get very little sunlight (needed to make Vitamin D) may require supplements.

• If you are vegetarian, a blood donor, and or a woman with heavy menstrual periods, you should pay special attention to your iron intake. If you consume too little iron, you can easily become deficient and be unable to exercise energetically due to anemia. Because reversing iron deficiency can take 3 to 6 months, your best bet is to prevent anemia by regularly eating iron-rich foods (lean beef, chicken thighs, enriched breakfast cereals such as Wheaties and Total) and including in each meal a source of vitamin C (fruits, vegetables).

• Eating before hard exercise, as opposed to exercising in a fasted state, has been shown to improve performance. If you choose to not eat before a hard workout, at least consume a sports drink (or some source of energy) during exercise.

• When you exercise hard for more than one hour, target 30 to 60 grams (120 to 240 calories) of carbohydrate per hour to maintain normal blood glucose levels and enhance your stamina and enjoyment of exercise. Fueling during a long run is especially important if you have not eaten a pre-exercise snack. Popular choices include gummi candy, jelly beans, dried fruits, as well as gels and sports drinks. More research is needed to determine if choosing a sports drink with protein will enhance endurance.

• For optimal recovery, an runner who weighs about 150 pounds should target 300 to 400 calories of carbs within a half-hour after finishing an exhausting workout. More precisely, target 0.5-0.7 g carb/lb (1.0-1.5 g carb/kg). You then want to repeat that dose every 2 hours for the next four to six hours. For example, if you have done a rigorous morning workout and need to do another session that afternoon, you could enjoy a banana, vanilla yogurt and granola as soon as tolerable post-exercise; then, two hours later, a pasta-based lunch; and then, another two hours later, another snack, such as pretzels and orange juice.

• Whether or not you urgently need to refuel depends on when you will next be exercising. While a triathlete who runs for 90 minutes in the morning needs to rapidly refuel for a 3-hour cycling workout in the afternoon, the fitness jogger who works out every other day has little need to obsess about refueling.

•Including a little protein in the recovery meals and snacks enhances muscle repair and growth. Popular carb+protein combinations include chocolate milk, yogurt, cereal+milk, pita+hummus, beans+rice, pasta+meat sauce.

•Muscle cramps are associated with dehydration, electrolyte deficits, and fatigue. Cramps are most common in runners who sweat profusely and are “salty sweaters.” They need more sodium than the standard recommendation of 2,400 mg/day. Losing about 2 pounds of sweat during a workout equates to losing about 1,000 mg sodium. (Note: 8 ounces of sport drink may offer only 110 mg sodium.) Salty sweaters (as observed by a salty crust on the skin of some runners) lose even more sodium. If that’s your case, don’t hesitate to consume salt before, during and after extended exercise. For example, enjoy broth, pretzels, cheese & crackers, pickles and other sodium-rich foods. The majority of active people can easily replace sweat losses via a normal intake of food and fluids.

Final words of advice: If you can make time to train, you can also make time to eat well and get the most out of your training. Optimal sports performance starts with good nutrition!


Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) counsels both casual and competitive athletes in her practice at Healthworks, the premier fitness center in Chestnut Hill MA (617-383-6100). Her Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Food Guide for Marathoners, and Cyclist’s Food Guide are available via nancyclarkrd.com. See also sportsnutritionworkshop.com.

***I'm always trying to eat better and feel better after exercising, so these definitely will prove to be helpful to me.***

On that note, I HOPE AND PRAY that I was selected to participate in the Women's Nike Marathon in Oct. '09!!! My credit card was charged and I have been scouring the entire Nike website for hints that I was selected. Running for a Tiffany's necklace is as good as ever a reason to run a marathon...cuz the bf ain't gonna get me nathan in that lil' aqua blue box.


::sniffles::
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hello .twitter. world

It's the latest networking craze (or stalking tool): twitter!

I tend to retreat into my shell every now and then (more so lately), but catch me here if I gratuitously wind up typing some tweets out on my Blackberry: http://twitter.com/shoulderleen.

I have so many goals I'm ambitiously trying to accomplish as of late- I need to catch up on too many things!


Surreptitious mode (o' the irony in light of this post) forreal,
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