1Posted by Lindsey Mastis on January 1, 2012 at 4:12 PM
2012 is a year of unknowns. I don’t have a crystal ball (I hear those things are really expensive). But I do have goals. I’d like to share a few. Why? Because writing it here is how I hold myself accountable.
Continue with 30-day fitness challenges
Start by being active 30 minutes every single day
Run a Half Marathon in less than 2:00:00
Start biking
Make a fancy(ish) home-made meal once a week
Read 20 books
Launch my new blog
Create new blog posts at least twice a week
Include a new video at least once a week
Get my new blog mentioned in trade articles
Visit family at least four times (every quarter– that’s double last year)
Do more work with the American Cancer Society
Get 8 hours of sleep per night
I’ve mastered Philadelphia Rolls, now learn how to make more sushi (including the Dragon Roll!)
Watch a TV show only once
My 2011 accomplishments:
Ran my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon (26.2 miles)
I ran two Half Marathons (Chicago and St. Louis)
Ran the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler
I raised $1,526 for the American Cancer Society
Learned how to make sushi
Went to two performances at the Kennedy Center (first time!)
I became a MacHead (MacBook Pro, iPhone4s, iPod, iPad)
Before I had the chance to start pondering the question (Why do we need to spend $6.2 Million to rehab an old home) I caught the first sentence of the article: “Theodore Roosevelt had a lot of stuff.”
I bought some books Teddy had written, one about the outdoors. I never read them, but they are on my bucket list. Funny how a simple article can remind me of things I planned to do one day. Not to mention, I’d still like to bike from Roosevelt Island to Mount Vernon. I just need to get a new bike.
Anyway– back to the point. Teddy Roosevelt had a lot of stuff. I never dreamed I could go to his house and see it. After reading the article, I have a new item on my bucket list: see the trash can made out of an elephant’s foot. (Would having something like that today be illegal?)
The big issue for the park service is packing all the stuff up and storing it in a safe place so they can rehab the home. The National Park Service is providing updates about the project. It’s going to take three years. At least I know what I’ll be doing in 2015.
0Posted by Lindsey Mastis on November 16, 2011 at 10:35 PM
(Note: This is not an endorsement– it’s just something I thought was cool and wanted to share.)
One of my favoriate places to shop (okay, one of my husband’s favorite places– but I think it’s awesome) is ThinkGeek. And this year they have interactive shirts. My favorites are the instruments: synthesizer (piano), drums, guitar.
Imagine walking into work. Someone says, “Nice shirt!” But no one notices the mini amp on your belt. You quietly arrive to the morning meeting. The musicians in the room instantly notice your shirt. “Do you play?” they ask. “A little,” you reply.
You sit and go through the motions of the meeting. At some point it gets boring. You secretly turn on your amp, wait another minute, and then reach for your shirt…
It takes everyone a moment to realize what’s happening. But instead of getting in trouble for interrupting, you’re getting an applause. You are the office rock star. You can do anything… say anything (as long as it’s not to your boss), and wear sunglasses inside.
And it all starts with the shirt.
Okay– maybe I’m being a bit dramatic, but these are cool.
My husband bought an interactive Wi-Fi shirt years back. Now they have hats. This stuff is cool.
Remember, this is not an endorsement– it’s just my imagination running away with me…
0Posted by Lindsey Mastis on October 8, 2011 at 10:02 PM
It caught up with me today. I haven’t been getting in my weekday training runs. Two weeks ago I ran 21 miles and it was great. A few days after that I ran about three miles on a treadmill. That was it for two weeks. Then I attempted another 21 miler. This is where the FAIL comes in.
I told my coach it was my fault– that I hadn’t done the weekday training runs. He asked why. Well…
I have no excuses. Nothing and no one to blame. It’s just that I allow myself to get distracted. Let me jot down a few thoughts about this.
I love people. I think they are interesting. I love to get to know people, and why they do what they do, and why they react the way they react. So I’m naturally attracted to reality shows. I love Project Runway, America’s Next Top Model, Bridezillas, Say Yes To The Dress, Teen Mom, Auction Hunters, Top Chef, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, America’s Got Talent, etc.
You might be thinking– what about news? Shouldn’t you be watching the news? Yes, I do that too. On Sundays I like to watch This Week, Face the Nation, Reliable Sources, State of the Union, and Meet the Press (generally in that order). I will watch 60 Minutes later in the week (since it’s on late). And then there’s my Thursday night show line-up. And all the other weekday shows I like. And then the marathons on cable networks that allow me to watch a whole season in a day…
In other words– television is a big distraction. And I’ve got two Hi-Def TiVos that record 150 hours of HD a piece. That’s 300 hours of Hi-Def shows or 600 hours of regular television. I love it, but I get sucked in and next thing I know…
How do I combat this? Simple. I’ve trained myself to refrain from turning on the TV in the morning before work. Instead I listen to news radio. I even have the radio app on my phone so I can take it with me around the house while I get ready. I’m able to start off my day in the know– but it doesn’t distract me from eating breakfast, primping, or checking e-mail from overnight.
How do I translate what I do right to the evenings? I’ve got to set a limit. I’ve got to say: Only an hour of TV a night. Or, I won’t turn it on tonight. Or TV off at a certain time. What would be ideal? A half hour of news– just to get caught up on what I missed. And once a week, I could have a TV night with no more than two or three shows (like my Thursday night line-up). And I could rely on shows like The Soup to fill me in on the best reality show moments.
Another distraction: The computer. Again– I love technology. I love connecting with people through social networking. It’s done great things for me (even helped me raise more than $1500 for the American Cancer Society). But I find myself becoming obsessed with my Klout and PeerIndex scores. Yes– I need to interact with my Friends on Facebook and my followers on Twitter, and my colleagues on LinkedIn. But if I truly balance my life and spend only quality time on the computer– and share only what is relevant– everyone would appreciate it more (even though I’m convinced everyone loves looking at pictures of my cat).
Lack of sleep. I stay up way to late every night. I’m a night owl naturally. Always have been (if you ask my mom, I was also a night owl in the womb). I take a long time to get in bed. It’s not just because I’m watching TV and on the computer. I have a very long nighttime routine. I spend too much time primping. BUT– I do a lot of things at night right.
For example– I make my lunch the night before. I decide what I’m going to wear the next day. I try to anticipate what story I might do and try to prepare. I make lists of things to accomplish. My nighttime routine will always be a bit lengthy. But if I can eliminate other distractions and set a bedtime, I could get more rest in the long run.
I try to do too much at once. Perhaps it’s habit. I start my workday at 9 a.m. and by 5 p.m. I have to have everything done– every “i” dotted, every “t” crossed– or every deko in, web copy completed. At home, I’ll want to clean the entire house, do all the laundry, wash all the dishes, organize the basement, go to the gym, go to the mall, go to the grocery store, get my oil changed, and do a million other things and have them all done by the time I go to bed. Add in the television and computer and next thing I know nothing has been accomplished. (Okay– when I say nothing, I mean, not everything). I could get everything done but dusting and I’ll feel like I haven’t done anything all day.
Solution: Prioritize. I’m great at making lists. But I feel like I have to get everything on my list done. Instead, I should set different deadlines. There’s no way I can go to an eye appointment, hair appointment, dentist, and car appointment in one day. At least not in DC traffic. Although they may all be on my list– I could set different deadlines for each. I just discovered a new app and computer list program that may help me with that. It’s called Toodledo– and I’m trying it out now. So far, I like it. But it’s only been a couple days.
I get headaches. Migraines. I think I may have allergies. Every day at a certain time, my eyes start to ache. Then my head and it lasts all night. The next morning I feel better. It happens at work and at home. Perhaps I need to get an allergy test. Or– it could also be triggered by lack of sleep, stress, and unhealthy eating habits. I’ve always had headaches (and stomach aches) but when my life is balanced, they are better. Solution: balance.
Balance, balance, balance is the solution to all my distraction issues. Everything in moderation. Sure– there will be nights when I have to focus on just one thing and go all out. But the majority of the time, it’ll be better if I set limits, create realistic goals, and follow through.
I wasn’t proud of my epic running FAIL today. And I have to create a schedule to get myself back in the race. It’s doable. I just have to commit. And I’m serious. I know what I have to do. Now– I just have to do it.
I’ll need some support. I’ll be setting a bedtime for myself. I’ll also be setting a dinnertime. And a running schedule. I’ll treat it like a requirement. If I’m going to go to bed at 10 p.m.– it’ll be like I have no other option. (And yes– I keep thinking in my head… unless there’s breaking news…). But really– if something big is happening, I’ll get an alert or a phone call. I don’t have to constantly refresh twitter or keep my TV on anymore. That was old school– this is new school: Balance, health, goals, and ambition.
As I’ve been sitting here writing this blog, I turned the TV off twice (as SNL keeps turning itself on–this happens when I have the TV on the TiVo menu. After a certain amount of time, it flips to live TV). As much as I want to see who the guests are and just watch Weekend Update– I know I’d be sucked in. No, I’ll watch it later. I’m also looking at a load of clean laundry that needs to be folded and I know there’s another load in the dryer. Not tonight– it’s midnight. It’s time for bed– but it’ll go on my tomorrow list.
All I have to do tonight is take my contacts out, brush my teeth and get into bed. It’s that simple. It should only take me 7 minutes max. I also need to quickly clean up the coffee table so my cat won’t eat my American Cancer Society project. That should only take five minutes max. Could I be in bed, asleep in 15 minutes? I’m going to try. Timer starts now…
3Posted by Lindsey Mastis on August 15, 2011 at 9:04 PM
“I run this town!” I screamed as I ran past crowds of people ringing cow bells and wearing brightly colored wigs. I was in Chicago, wearing a pin-striped suit. It was obvious that I was a gangster. But I was running so fast that none of the cops could catch me. In fact– they just waved.
Sunday morning the alarm went off at 5:30. I dressed in my gangster outfit, including tie and hat. Patrick and our friend Geo were also running the race. They dressed like normal runners. My best friend Julie was there to cheer us on.
Our hotel was right in front of the starting line. That means we thought we had more time than we actually did. Before we got there the race had started. I missed my corral (in the 9,000s), but was able get into line with Patrick and Geo (in the 24,000s). I snapped some pictures as we started. As soon as I crossed the starting line, it was like magic.
I liked being in a slower corral because I wanted to start slow and work my way up to pace (which overall came out to be 10:36). I got to run with Patrick and Geo. About a half mile in, I took off. I focused on the race and on the people around me.
The first thing I noticed was all the American Cancer Society’s DetermiNation flags, signs, coaches, and participating runners. I’m raising $1,275 (or more) for the American Cancer Society before I run the Marine Corps Marathon in October. I was so inspired. So many of the runners had names and pictures of their loved ones on their shirts. I even saw one runner running for “Myself” which means he has cancer now. I was so proud to be a part of the DetermiNation team.
I started thinking about the reason I’m running. I’m running because my mom survived breast cancer twice. Because my Yia Yia is a lung and brain cancer survivor. And because my husband’s father died of esophageal cancer 15 years ago. I even saw another runner with a sign saying that she’s also running for her Yia Yia (Greek for Grandma).
Nearly 25,000 people ran this Half Marathon. For me, it’s a way to train for my full marathon. I wanted to beat my best time and finish in less than two hours. But because of my foot injury, I had to keep stopping and stretching my calves. Both my feet fell asleep on multiple occasions. Even though I didn’t want to slow down, I knew it was better in the long run.
The only other issue (which was really just a nuisance) was the tie around my neck. I didn’t train in the outfit because I was afraid it may only last one run. It’s made of polyester and spandex so it was able to stretch. I ran in the same material when I dressed as Elvis for the 2009 Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon.
The tie was flying around, bopping me in the face. I constantly tucked it into the running outfit I was wearing underneath the costume. I should have safety pinned it down.
As soon as I started to feel comfortable, I took in the sights. The clouds were amazing. It had stormed the night before and the forecast called for more rain. Every time I ran over a bridge I tried to capture the moment in my head: robust clouds; the reflection on the water; the danger of slipping while running across a medal grate.
And then there was music. Part of the fun of running a “Rock ‘n’ Roll” race are the bands and cheerleaders. Instantly– I got into the spirit. I wanted to make everyone smile. They didn’t have to wake up early to entertain us or hand us water. But they did and I was so thankful.
I started screaming– “Thank You!” to the police and the transportation employees that were blocking the roads and making sure we were safe along the course. I got almost all of them to smile back and cheer. Then I started thanking the families. Most of the people along the course have a family member running the race. They often don’t cheer or even smile until they see that person. I wanted them to feel good about all the runners, so I started yelling: “Thank you families! You make this fun for us!” They all started cheering back.
This became my routine. Soon, the miles started flying by. And it seemed that people started noticing that I was dressed differently. One runner came up to me (which I could tell was hard for her because I was running at a much faster pace) and asked me a bunch of questions about my outfit. She wanted one too and seemed surprised that it was so easy and comfortable to run in.
I also ran with my camera and snapped 214 photos while I ran. I took a lot of pictures of my watch and the mile markers so I could remember where I was in the race. There was plenty of water. I got GU. And my favorite part of the race was getting a sponge. Even though it wasn’t super hot– I was cooking on the inside. I squeezed the ice cold sponge over my head and down my back. It felt so, incredibly, amazingly, good.
Another surprising element of the race was something I forgot to do. That’s carry my music with me. I haven’t been listening to music during my long runs on the weekend. I didn’t remember to bring my iPod to the race at all. It didn’t cross my mind until I was about half way into the race. But I didn’t need it at all. In part, because there were so many bands.
My favorite was a band that got into the crowd. The music was great and then I noticed the guitarist by a tree near the course. He gave me a high-five. And then I noticed the singer. He was wearing tight silver spandex pants and pink mesh top. He also gave me a high-five. I was on top of the world!
A few times I was sprinting. I just felt so happy. I guess it’s part of the runner’s high. And the GU. And the people cheering me on. I just love running this race because the crowds are so encouraging. Around mile 7– I think– my feet problems seemed to go away. I could feel both my feet. It was great!
It drizzled a bit during the mid-part of the race. But during the last few miles, it poured. There were big rain drops that seemed to hit right in my eye over and over again. I have to admit, it also felt good because it cooled me off. I was more worried about slipping.
Surprisingly, the only time I lost balance was when it wasn’t raining. I just came out of a tunnel and I stepped on a rock. My left foot slipped sideways. I’m pretty sure I cussed. It hurt so bad. I kept going and eventually the pain went away.
The last part of the course was in the direction of downtown. There were so many clouds, I couldn’t see the top of the Sears– I mean Willis– Tower. It was amazing. I still had energy.
I usually end up walking a lot at the end of a race. I always seem to use up all my energy in middle of the race and not have anything left over for the finish line. Not today. I was going fast. I only slowed down to take pictures. I saw the finish line. I saw all the people. And I conquered.
I crossed the finish line– put my arms up– and snapped a couple pictures. I looked around and realized that everyone was in pain. I was too– but I could have kept going. This is the first time I’ve felt like that after a race. Or at least the only time I can remember.
I got my medal, an ice-cold towel, a banana, and a granola bar. Then I went and got my beer. I had a runner come up to me said I was a “riot” on the course. A few others asked me about the experience of running all dressed up. I was feeling strong. It didn’t take long for me to catch my breath. And I found myself chatting with a group of runners that finished around the 1:30 mark. Wow!
Soon, Patrick finished and then we met back up with Geo and Julie at the hotel. I wore my medal the rest of the day– or at least until I went to the Kennedy Center. And if you’re thinking: “Wait– the Kennedy Center is in DC,” then you realize that I ran a half marathon, hopped a plane, and made it to the Kennedy Center to see Wicked for my birthday. Yes– crazy. But that’s how I do it. Gangsta style!
This article by the Associated Press caught my eye this morning: “
“I run this town!” I screamed as I ran past crowds of people ringing cow bells and wearing brightly colored wigs. I was in Chicago, wearing a pin-striped suit. It was obvious that I was a gangster. But I was running so fast that none of the cops could catch me. In fact– they just waved.
Sunday morning the alarm went off at 5:30. I dressed in my gangster outfit, including tie and hat. Patrick and our friend Geo were also running the race. They dressed like normal runners. My best friend Julie was there to cheer us on.
Our hotel was right in front of the starting line. That means we thought we had more time than we actually did. Before we got there the race had started. I missed my corral (in the 9,000s), but was able get into line with Patrick and Geo (in the 24,000s). I snapped some pictures as we started. As soon as I crossed the starting line, it was like magic.
The first thing I noticed was all the 
The only other issue (which was really just a nuisance) was the tie around my neck. I didn’t train in the outfit because I was afraid it may only last one run. It’s made of polyester and spandex so it was able to stretch. I ran in the same material when 
As soon as I started to feel comfortable, I took in the sights. The clouds were amazing. It had stormed the night before and the forecast called for more rain. Every time I ran over a bridge I tried to capture the moment in my head: robust clouds; the reflection on the water; the danger of slipping while running across a medal grate.
This became my routine. Soon, the miles started flying by. And it seemed that people started noticing that I was dressed differently. One runner came up to me (which I could tell was hard for her because I was running at a much faster pace) and asked me a bunch of questions about my outfit. She wanted one too and seemed surprised that it was so easy and comfortable to run in.
I also ran with my camera and snapped 214 photos while I ran. I took a lot of pictures of my watch and the mile markers so I could remember where I was in the race. There was plenty of water. I got GU. And my favorite part of the race was getting a sponge. Even though it wasn’t super hot– I was cooking on the inside. I squeezed the ice cold sponge over my head and down my back. It felt so, incredibly, amazingly, good.
My favorite was a band that got into the crowd. The music was great and then I noticed the guitarist by a tree near the course. He gave me a high-five. And then I noticed the singer. He was wearing tight silver spandex pants and pink mesh top. He also gave me a high-five. I was on top of the world!
I crossed the finish line– put my arms up– and snapped a couple pictures. I looked around and realized that everyone was in pain. I was too– but I could have kept going. This is the first time I’ve felt like that after a race. Or at least the only time I can remember.
I got my medal, an ice-cold towel, a banana, and a granola bar. Then I went and got my beer. I had a runner come up to me said I was a “riot” on the course. A few others asked me about the experience of running all dressed up. I was feeling strong. It didn’t take long for me to catch my breath. And I found myself chatting with a group of runners that finished around the 1:30 mark. Wow!
