These are my confessions

Enter Usher and Real World analogies because I'm about to take it to the confessional and things are going to get real.

If I'm gonna tell it then I gotta tell it all...

On Saturday I put away all of my summer clothes and brought my winter clothes out of their suitcase/storage in the closet.  There is definitely something exciting about pulling out winter items that I haven't seen in six months...it's like shopping in your own closet, and it's free!  There's also something really sad about putting away summer dresses that I didn't get to wear this year because of my chubbiness.  Le tear.

But - that's what this blog is for, right?  Getting my chubbybunny tail back into shape and sharing it with you!  Therefore, I'm making a pre-New Year's resolution to keep hiking and working out through the winter, no matter how miserable the weather gets.  I've already lost about 14 lbs. since August and NEXT summer - when I'm sitting secluded in an edit suite because of the looming election - I will be in the cutest dresses known to fashion.  By that time, they'll be a few years old and I'll start referring to my wears as 'vintage.'  I can see it now.

You heard it here first - I have another 15 lbs. to go to get back to what I've referred to as "My 2009 Body."  Slowly but surely; one hike at a time; other motivating cliche here.  Thanks for letting me share this goal!  Something about putting it in writing makes me positive it will become a reality.

And feel free to call me on this next June.  Thanks.

5K for AIDS

I didn't hike this weekend because Amanda and I had registered for the Aids 5K on Saturday morning.  That's ok, it still counts.

Boy, was it miserable.  Saturday morning was freezing and rainy.  Amanda and I both contemplated skipping it, but because we had our "Oh Sh*t" moments at separate times of the morning, we were able to motivate each other to show up.  I woke up and saw that it was a light drizzle and very cold.  I texted her to say I would still show up, but was in no way running if it was pouring rain.  She said she would still go too, so even though I desperately wanted to climb back into bed (I'm rarely awake when it's still dark outside), I layered up and headed to Freedom Plaza.  Around 7:15, I was on my way and getting a coffee at Starbucks when I got a text from Amanda saying "Have you left yet?  It is REALLY gross outside."  I called her and said, yes I'd left but if she wanted to cancel, that was fine with me.  I stressed that the rain was just a drizzle so running wouldn't be so bad, and she agreed to go.  

True Story: A guy at Starbucks asked me if I was running in the race and said he was going to cheer on friends.  He said he felt really bad for us runners because of the terrible weather.  He was running the Marine Corps Marathon the next day and the forecast was perfect.  I laughed and told him not to feel too bad, I felt bad for him that he had to run 26.2 miles in any weather.  Ba dum chhhhh.

Anywho, The race was a flat 5K starting at 12th and Penn, running up Penn towards the Capitol, and looping back to the starting line. I haven't gotten the official results yet, but I finished in about 31:00.

I prepped for the race by not working out at all the week before.  It sounds silly, but my calfs and shins have been killing me, so I wanted my legs to be really rested for maximum performance.  I have calf cramping issues, so I ate tons of Spinach for potassium the week before.  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the race I also forced myself to eat bananas.  I hate bananas, I always have. (I love banana chips and banana bread though - don't ask me why.)  I hate the texture, the smell and the flavor, I hate everything about them.  But I know from past race prep, that banana potassium is my instant preemptive remedy for cramping - potassium supplements just aren't the same.  That was my prep and it worked!  I ran the whole thing without stopping, not even run/walking!  So proud!

Yum. No. Yuck!

Amanda and I - Ready to Run.  Love her parka, BTW.

Amanda also had an AWESOME tip for sneaker care after running or hiking in the rain:

Put newspaper in your kicks to soak up the water!  Less than 24 hours later, my sneaks were dry and they weren't stinky with mildew.  For those of us who can't stick our sneaks in the dryer because it'll cost $1.50, this is a free and awesome solution.  

Smarty pants.

Overall, I am so glad my lazy butt didn't climb right back into bed at 6:30 AM because the rain really held off and the race was so fun.  Amanda is much faster than me so she finished first, but right when I finished, a little after 9:00, the rain really started pouring.  I told her that if this was what the weather had been 2 hours earlier, there was no way I would have run.  So I guess in a way, my Motivation Cookie was right: It can't rain all the time.  Or maybe it should have said: You can't blame the rain all the time.  Close enough.

Are you ready for your close-up?

Well now, has everyone seen this article about "Party Politics" - the new reality series they're casting for young, hot, politicos who like their party and to party?

I know what you're thinking: Kat, this is your big chance to have reality show cameras follow you around!  Think again.  This show sounds utterly un-interesting to the 99% of the population living outside the beltway.  And should it turn into some type of Political Jersey Shore, I think it will only leave people more distrusting of politics than they already are.  You and I are, after all, the leaders of tomorrow and if anyone has ever seen what goes on on Pennsylvania Ave when the sun goes down - I think they'd definitely fear the future.

And then selfishly I think - yikes, who would ever hire you again after a show like this?  I have my future to worry about people, so I'll stay behind the camera, where I make magic happen.

I'll totally be watching though if this baby ever goes to air, and I'll most likely be jealous of their JShore success.  Oh well, we can't all be reality show stars like Matt...  But if you feel so inclined to audition, you can do so here.

You're on your own for the paper app.  But if you need a producer/editor for your video tape, I'm available for a nominal fee.

Hiking in Heels

Continuing in the Halloweenie spirit - I went with friends last night to the High Heel Drag Queen Race here in DC.  It's an annual DC event, always the Tuesday before Halloween.  It's pretty much the closest DC gets to Mardi Gras - and I'd never been!

It was a ball.  They start with kind of a parade down 17th street.  The drag queens show off their costumes, interact with the viewers, pose for pictures, etc.  They're all so funny, and honestly some of them looked pretty damn good!  My favorite quote of the night was one queen commenting to the other, "Where the hell are all the eligible bachelors?  All I see are girls, girls, girls."  Le sigh, I have that thought every day, Priscilla, every.single.day.

Anywho, the race started at 9 on the dot and really only lasted about 3 minutes, but it was the best 3 minutes EVER.  Some of the queens were actually sprinting, but mostly, they sauntered down 17th.  I'll be going to this event again next year for sure!  What a blast!!

The Pan Am Stewardesses!

Black Swan was definitely the prominent theme of the evening.

Sprinting from the starting line!

The White Swan fell - I think the Black Swan pushed her.

Then they sauntered.

I have a lot of respect for these ladies running in heels.  Lord knows, most of the time I can barely walk in them.  I'm making them all honorary hikers.

This is the closest I've ever come to hiking in heels:

Alaska

As a closing thought, I was actually surprised I didn't see any Snookie costumes or other JShore themed queens.  But I guess the point is to dress up and look like women, and femininity seems to be lacking in my beloved Jersey characters.  Oh well, Snookie Waaaaaah!

Halloween Fright Hike!

I had been planning a trip to Six Flags Fright Night with Amy, John and Jenni for quite some time.  I would have blogged about how awesome it was anyway - but much to my blogging enjoyment (and yours, of course) - Fright Night includes a Halloween Hike!!

The Roller Coaster Jedi Strike Back

The day was a total blast - a crisp, blue-skyed, Fall day filled with roller coasters and excitement!  Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, MD is a relatively small park but the ride lines were short and all of the roller coasters were awesome!  Quality over quantity.  I like it.

The Superman is the most exciting roller coaster I've ever been on.  Great thrills, but an easy ride.

At 6 PM, on weekends in October, the crazies come out to play at the park.  They fill the park with smoke - spooky - and actors dressed like deranged clowns, zombies, and jesters wielding chainsaws chase you around.  At one point a jester started chasing me, I freaked, and I could hear Jenni yelling, "They can't touch you!  They can't touch you!"  It's actually a good tip y'all - the actors aren't allowed to touch you, so if you just act like you're not bothered by them, they don't mess with you.  But isn't getting scared half the fun?  You decide.

John and I were the only ones who wanted to go through the Backwoods Bloodshed aka the Halloween Hike.  We entered through one of the amphitheaters (that usually has a Batman show), so I assumed that it was a haunted house within the stage area.  Not so.  The line was through the theater, but the haunted forest was actually a 1/3 to 1/2 mile hike through the woods behind Six Flags!  John was a total gentleman and let me cling to his arm, yelp, bury my head in his shoulder, etc.  On one particular chainsaw incident at which I tried to bolt through the remainder of the trail, begging the people in front of me to, "Please move faster, Please!" John grabbed my arm and reminded me "No running in the park."  It was great - the last thing I wanted to blog about was getting kicked out of the park for running like a bat-out-of-hell through my haunted hike.  Thanks John.

I was scared guys - and as a Halloweenie activity, Fright Fest comes highly recommended by me.  

Waiting in line for the forest, Six Flags tries to set the mood.

The jester who chased me until I realized she'd be nicer if I wasn't screaming bloody murder.

Fright Fest was a really great activity to get me in the Halloween spirit, as Halloween is one of my favorite holidays all year!!  

John also told me that the reason Rock Creek Park is so gross this year is because of all the rain we've had the past few months.  So maybe I will take a second look sometime.

This Monday brought to you by the letter "M"

Just when you think your neighborhood chinese restaurant doesn't give a spring roll about how you're feeling...

You crack open the cookie that cares:

Is this really a fortune?  It's more of the cookie equivalent of "Don't Jump."  Or Little Orphan Annie popping out of a cookie to sing, "The sun'll come out...tomorrow."  Mei Wah has me on suicide watch.

"It can't rain all the time" was also the Prozac marketing campaign circa 1999.

(I know this because in the 8th grade I cut out that sun and used it in an art collage.)

As far as hiking goes - this little fortune means keep hiking, hikers!  If it rains, if people cancel on you, if you had one too many at happy hour last night and can't bear the thought of the sun - just reschedule, let the rain pass, and keep hiking!!  

Friday is only 4 days away.  Don't jump.

Happy Monday!  

  

Things I Shouldn't Have to Tell You.

This is an installment that will hopefully only have to happen once.  But, should it become necessary, I will grace peeps with my knowledge, let's say, as an annual Friday post.  Open your notebooks please.

Things I shouldn't have to tell you, Vol. 1:

1.  Please don't wear just a sports bra at the gym.  Refer to locker room etiquette - this is a public place.  If you have a great body, I'm distracted.  If you have a gross body, I'm still distracted, but more so in a car-crash kind of way.  *The only exception to this rule is if you're a "Real Housewife" - if I paid that much for my body, I'd probably want to show it off too.  Plus, they're usually not in a public gym - it's just them, their trainer and a national viewing audience.

2.  Conversely, please don't work out with just a tee shirt and no sports bra.  No matter what your cup size, it's gross.

3.  Wear deodorant.  That's mostly to you men.  Enough said.

As far as I'm concerned the gym should be like a restaurant at the beach:

No shirt. No shoes. No service.

Don't make me tell you again.