On the cusp of vacation, I remind myself to set clear boundaries regarding my time away. Work: true emergencies only, don’t forget you have a mandatory 2-hr teams call. Home: ehhh, Parts has it. Fun: enjoy every second!
The (partial) team!
Which leads me to a topic I know I’ve previously discussed on RoF. Two words: decision fatigue.
I don’t know the average number of decisions one makes a day, but I bet I outpace the average. By at least a hundred. As a leader, it’s expected and applauded to make decisions. I got it. Oftentimes, however, that role bleeds over into every other part of my life. And it’s tiring. I would still give the same percentage to my job even if I wasn’t being paid, but there is a level of expectation to relax while away from work, to simplify, to rest.
Perhaps I should approve a yes moratorium during vacation to combat the decision fatigue I will inevitably feel obligated to address. I’ll just say yes to everything. What do you want to eat? What time are we…? Do you want to stop here? How many minutes until…? When are we leaving? Where are we going? Have you…? Should we…?
Yes. The answer is yes. Does it truly answer a fraction of the questions? Meh. But the answer is yes! It never fails that at least a dozen instances will arise where I just remind everyone I, too, am on vacation and would really love to enjoy myself.
No more questions, please. Just yes.
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I ask you –
Is the most exhausting part of your day the decision-making?
(The post Choices first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)
A few weeks ago, Parts excitedly told me at 40 I needed to start having annual mammograms. So I scheduled one. TMI I’m not sure how this all works with the diminutive size of my breast material but whatever.
I’m still a little bitter that Parts told me I had to have one. But shouldn’t she, too? We could have made this a joint activity!
On the anticipated mammogram day, I figured out how it worked. It will forever be known as “The great smash and dash!” Which oddly sounds like I’m committing a felony and is truly exciting.
Behold! My boob!
Ok, if you don’t think it’s funny that I’m making jokes about having a mammogram, then I’m sorry; feel free to never read my posts ever again. Yes, I am aware of the seriousness of breast cancer as I have a very close friend currently in the throes of chemotherapy which will be followed by surgery, then culminating in radiation. It’s serious. And my heart hurts for her. I am not making light of her situation, or anyone else’s. However, if you know me well, you know I have the absolute worst sense of humor when it comes to serious things, like death, funerals, and, now, mammograms. It’s my coping mechanism. Could be worse, maybe?
Fortunately, the results indicated no issues except a gentle warning I have dense breast tissue and I have been granted a reprieve until next year.
Other things -:
The week of the great smash and dash included the great grab and smash. I’m onto something.
100 lbs – Deadlift70 lbs – Overhead Press
For context, 100 lbs is approx 70% of my bodyweight. And I’ve never lifted anything close to 70 lbs over my head. This “realization phase” was quite a success!
A week of reloading, then a week completely off from everything. Except running, of course. Then, I’ll start another 5-week routine.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
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I ask you –
For my mammary-beholden friends, have you completed your annual mammogram?
A compilation of the random things I tell myself and what I’d tell many women navigating life –
Girl, you don’t need another eye cream. You need a consistent sleep routine.
Girl, you don’t need excuses. You need actions.
Girl, you don’t need to use AI. You need to use 4 functioning brain cells.
Girl, you don’t need to date someone in the church. You were told to bring someone to church! If you read this and think these shoes fit you, they probably do. Put them on, march yourself outside, and start looking.
Girl, you don’t need any more energy drinks and you sure don’t need to check your blood pressure while drinking it. You need water!
Girl, you don’t need another cookie…wait, yes, you do!
P.S. do not try the newest Blue Bell flavor, chocolate lava cake. I want it all for myself!
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I ask you –
Anything to add to this compilation?
Have you tried the new ice cream flavor?!
(The post Girl, yes, you do first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)
You see that thing that says “Intensification Phase”? Well, the me who created this plan to coincide the Intensification Phase with my Luteal Phase (pre-period week, for any non-ovary owners) was an absolute idiot. My stomach looks like I drink beer for a living, and I’m craving donuts. Nonstop. I feel like garbage, I look like garbage, and my bloated belly is both uncomfortable and very unfortunate for my workout goals. I hate this part.
So, instead of complaining, kidding, I’m doing that anyway, I suck it up and complete the hellish workout, for intensification purposes only. Might even throw in a good run, to round off the rage and loathing. But, wait, there’s more! After the intensification phase is a lovely phase titled the Realization Phase, which is a nice way to say you’re about to lift some heavy a** sh*t and you’ll be powerful and awesome and toned and kick butt all day! Just don’t die.
And another thing! This is the worst time to learn a new skill, such as data analysis using this fun little program called Power Bi. It’s not fun. I should have been able to plug in an Excel document, tell it to analyze the data, and a happy graphic pop out. Ha. What I got was a headache, convoluted data, and no happy graphic. I did receive a graph, but it didn’t have anything populated so it was basically blank and unhappy. Much like me.
Fortunately, the very next day post-Power Bi BS was fraught with zero Internet connection so everyone received a reprieve from work. Haha sort of. Not me though. I had a 2-day unexpected delivery of fitness equipment I think everyone forgot about. They said delivery in April, then May. Almost July is good. There was trash scattered from one end of the facility to the other. I walked 18,000 steps that day and, if I’d known what the day would bring, I would not have run!
But guess who didn’t have to Power Bi that day? This girl! Alas, I still have tutorials to watch. And data to analyze. Pie chart, anyone?
Welcome to PMS, friends. It will probably get worse before it gets better but maybe it’s just the hormones talking. Maybe I can make a graph of mood swings.
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I ask you –
How does the Power Bi thing work? I’m googling demos.
There was a lot of strength training, some runs, and many days at the pool! Floating, of course.
I realized I haven’t been giving proper updates on the short disciples but, let me assure you, they are alive and well. And I am not. Alive maybe, but not well. Summer changes them into little gremlins. The class sizes have almost doubled, I’ve solo’d more times than I care to count, and if I am asked one more time for a prize – from the least well-behaved child – I might start throwing a fit on the floor. But I keep showing up.
Which is what June’s workouts were…a lesson in showing up. I eventually figured out the back pain was actually glute pain from (drumroll, please) not wearing my old lady orthotic shoe inserts. I suppose my hip/back/glutes began to take the brunt of the foot issues. Hence the revolt. Once I returned to wearing them regularly, almost all pain disappeared. Magical.
I guess some are expecting a creatine update, too, huh? Here goes –
Dare I say it’s not a problem to be fixed. The last several years, I have expected…demanded…perfection from myself. No missteps, all A’s, keep every ball in the air, no room for failure. Yet my brain cannot be expected to keep up. At some point, it will flounder for words, simple words, simple things I shouldn’t forget but have. But the big things? I don’t forget them. The big balls stop it Kel are still in the air, floating victoriously toward their finish line. Small balls? Well. They rolled away.
So what if I struggle for some meaningless term to describe the thing that changes the channel. Or that dude’s name. Or what I ate for breakfast. Who cares.
My very real and noticeable effects thus far are in exercise performance, specifically long-lasting energy during workouts and a reduction in post-strength training soreness (aka DOMS).
Now…does that mean I won’t keep trying to obtain a fix or placebo for brain fog and memory issues? Hahhaha. No. I’m not the type to give up. Maybe it doesn’t happen in 30 days. Maybe it takes 60 or 90. I’ll keep trying until I have determined all options have been expended.
I’ve decided to continue another 30 days with a daily creatine regimen but with one major update: a dosage increase. Research points to pre-menopausal women who regularly strength train and incorporate a cardio element, i.e., me, have shown cognitive success (in addition to exercise performance success) when utilizing a max load phase of 15-20g for 3-7 days, followed by supplementation of 5-10g indefinitely. Interestingly, upon full discontinuation, creatine remains elevated for approximately 30 days. What does this all mean? It means there’s promise in the creatine realm and I intend to explore it! (Smith-Ryan, A. E., Cabre, H. E., Eckerson, J. M., & Candow, D. G. (2021). Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients, 13(3), 877. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030877)
I do plan to talk to my doctor about prescribing creatine. If he balks, I’ll calmly explain that since social experiments are frowned upon (how unfair!), then allowing me to conduct my own medical experiment as the only subject should be an acceptable alternative. Regardless of placebo effect, there was/is an effect and I’m enjoying the longevity it gives me during workouts. I’m now taking 20g for 7 days (5-11 Jul), then returning to a 10g dose for the remainder of the 30 days.
Basically, more to come. Standby for another update in 30 days.
I love watching young people walk into the fitness centers, load the bar with 180 lbs, then proceed to crank out 15 chest presses. I don’t really love this. I want to ask what was the warm up, did they stretch, are they hydrated? Me? It’s a full prehab, post-hab, rehab and I still get injured!
Wrapping up another Garmin training plan of the big 5 – squat, deadlift, chest presses, overhead press, and row. I’ve consistently lifted 3-5x/week since October and my body is stronger because of it. Sure, we all know we’re supposed to be doing it but yeah yeah yeah. Who has the time? The energy? Answer: no one! However, maintaining any kind of lifestyle requires a lot of dedication. I almost wrote sacrifice instead of dedication but I don’t believe it’s true – I’m not sacrificing anything, I’m no martyr. But dedication? I got this.
Although it’s not about the size or weight, I’ve been maintaining a size I was in high school (ohhhh about 23 years ago) and I weigh less now than I did then. Even with running and muscle mass! Lord knows I lived on Twix bars and chicken in high school so not only incredibly unhealthy but fraught with disordered-thinking. Today? I feel good.
Update on the creatine trial: by the time of this post, I’ll have indulged in daily creatine for 16 days so nearly half the month. First, placebo effect is real. Second, I haven’t witnessed any eye-opening changes. Glutes are the same, in case you wondered. Brain fog seems to have not changed, although I don’t know how I would feel or even know if it wasn’t there. I’ve tested myself a few times to see how long it takes me to remember the word I was trying to say in the moment and maybe it’s a shade faster since starting creatine? I’m still trying though!
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I ask you –
On average, how long should it take for a person to notice the effects of a supplement?
Palindrome post achievement from last Wednesday’s post.
18 mins per day – totals 1,000 minutes per year. If you want to excel at something or see measurable results, commit to 18 mins per day. Guitar lessons, dance practice, and millions of other ideas you may have for yourself could be realized in just 18 mins/day. Now, I sound like one of those commercials for abused puppies.
The AI experience is out of control. Every flyer looks the same. Social media is overrun with it. You know the button you’re supposed to click to indicate it was made with AI? Yeah, no one’s doing that. It actually sickens me. And don’t tell me marketing has no role in today’s world. We need them to clear out the AI clutter and broadcast original ideas. Soap box, anyone?
I have no context for the hilarity of the above photo. Pretty sure I was asking McK about something while she was trying to do math. Me? Looking for an adult. McK? Looking for snacks. We were both sleep-deprived.
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I ask you –
Have you ever seen a photo of yourself where you wondered what was going on in that moment?
(The post Well, I’ll be first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)
It is hard to believe it took a massive installation-wide inspection for my job to not feel as if it was on fire. Seriously. I haven’t felt a peaceful moment at work since the first furlough. More accurately…since Jan 2025. This past week was 3 consecutive days of calm.
Referred to here as obligation overload, the trend in my workplace is to wait until the end of the week to load the schedule. For example, Thursdays are my busiest days. But why. I’d rather front load the entire week so I can deal with other things towards the end. I don’t believe this was thoroughly thought through.
Recently, I read an article regarding Gun Violence | Rockefeller Institute of Government https://www.rockinst.org/issue-areas/gun-violence/. I follow this Rockefeller site as it publishes information, data, and research related to immigration, which I’m deeply fascinated by. If you consider yourself as one who has an open mind and can read a research article with transparency and potential for usefulness, you, too, might find it interesting.
Finally, an observation meets obligation. The customary Change of Command ceremony, complete with pomp and circumstance. Meet my 6,000 closest friends. I ended up in the cheap seats, although there was a kind offer to sit on someone’s lap. Hallelujah for the dreary day because I brought my umbrella, just in case, old lady-style.
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I ask you –
What day of the week is your busiest day?
Have you ever brought an umbrella to a sunny outdoor event?
(The post I See You first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)
(Due to a thunderstorm the night before, my internet is kaput so I’m finalizing this post from my phone. Good luck with readability.)
Self-prescribed trial participant here.
The perimenopausal symptom of brain fog is too much to bear. I have a doctorate and can’t formulate simple sentences. And when I struggle to recall a word? Instant rage.
So I decided to try creatine. Some rave about its benefits, others say it’s not worth it. I’ll be the judge of that. I purchased a powder to add to my daily electrolytes, and the tub says I’m guaranteed to experience a decrease in brain fog and an increase in muscle growth. Lofty goals. I don’t care about muscle performance, but I need serious assistance with brain performance.
The brand is Peach Perfect and it tastes exactly like pink lemonade. Taste 10/10
Now, apparently, peach perfect eludes to increasing the size of your peach, aka your butt. Par for the course, I didn’t understand the reference when I purchased it but after looking at the package, I realized. Again, I’m not looking for supermodel-worthy glutes. I desire a brain functioning on all cylinders.
I’ll give it the full 30 days and report back. Even if it is just the placebo effect, as long as my words return to normal, I might be a creatine convert.
The worst that could happen is I chose an unclean brand and am one drug test away from prison. There’s not much thinking in prison.
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I ask you –
Do you take creatine?
Thoughts? Comments?
(The post On (a) Trial first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)
I’m both thankful and surprised this month flew by. I thought it would never end.
From traversing over 2,000 miles in just a few days to executing 2 large-scale work events (only 1 of which I actively had anything to do with) to fighting to keep what little budget we have to completing my services course practicum a week before the deadline – May was a lot. May it only come around once a year.
Unfortunately, the day before Mother’s Day, I failed to log any type of workout session so my streak ended there. The goal had been to log an activity for 365 days. I guess 364 will do. That day was busy – we had a community event, followed by graduation photos, then some other stuff I can’t recall. The workout just didn’t happen.
courtesy of Strava
I’ve also been struggling with some hip/lower back pain. A lifelong injury. Although I prehab, rehab, stretch, modify, eat right, drink enough water, limit sugar, and do all the things – still it persists. But the show must go on.
Surely I’m missing a huge part of this recap but, again, I’m mostly thankful May is over. For me, June is the first indicator of summer – with pool days, sunscreen, vacation plans, books by the dozen, lazy mornings, and all the iced coffee I can drink. We’ll see how it shakes out.
P.S. Today is Global Running Day so you know where I’ll be.
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I ask you –
Highlights of your May – please share!
(The post May Recap first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)
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