veganpolkadots

October 28, 2009 marked my 7 year anniversary of being a vegetarian! In celebration of this day, here’s my favorite vegetarian-type quote:

“Animals are my friends, and I don’t eat my friends.” - George Bernard Shaw

Lots of awesomeness at work on that day…I arrived to a vegetarian (mostly vegan!) pitch-in - veggie tray, vegan Ohio cucumber sandwiches, pumpkin muffins, hummus and pitas, brownies (sadly not vegan, they looked really good so they probably weren’t even vegetarian - oh well!)…very happy and grateful! There was also a ‘farm’ on my desk with cute pipe cleaner animals and ‘Happy 7 years of leaving animals on farms!’ It was a great day!

I have been thinking a lot about the aspect of vegetarianism —> decreasing suffering. I found this information on religionfacts.com about Buddhism, and if you haven’t already seen this, I think it’s pretty interesting:

One of the most important questions all belief systems seek to address is: What is the purpose of life? And virtually all religions propose a way of life that will lead to salvation, liberation, satisfaction, or happiness. Buddhism is no exception.

In Buddhism, the primary purpose of life is to end suffering. The Buddha taught that humans suffer because we continually strive after things that do not give lasting happiness. We desperately try to hold on to things - friends, health, material things - that do not last, and this causes sorrow.

The Buddha did not deny that there are things in life that give joy, but pointed out that none of them last and our attachment to them only causes more suffering. His teachings were focused entirely on this problem and its solution.

This is done by recognizing the impermanence of all things and freeing oneself from attachment to these things. This will lessen suffering and eventually end the cycle of rebirth. These teachings are expressed most concisely in the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, which together form the foundation of belief for all branches of Buddhism.

That is definitely food for thought. I find that sometimes I find it hard to accept things as they are, because there’s no way they are going to be here, in the form they are now, even second by second. Even things that are strong and solid, like buildings. So reading that was kind of interesting to me.

Anyways, just wanted to share those quick things.

You CAN and SHOULD run a marathon. Maybe I’m experiencing post-race amnesia, but I truly have come to believe, upon completion of my first full length marathon, that everyone should participate in at least one endurance event in their lifetime. I have several reasons why, and I would like to explain them below.

1. Health.

I think it’s safe to say that most people know that physical activity is a huge part of being healthy. I’m not trying to say that in order to be healthy, you have to train for and run a marathon, however - if you train properly and embrace activity as part of your life, you will reap the health benefits of marathon-related activities. Adding another layer - I have found that being active keeps your health in perspective. Smoking, excess drinking, eating crap/processed food - and running a marathon? To me it seems logical that when you are embracing one healthy behavior, you would gravitate towards others as well. I don’t know too many people who have used twinkies to carb-load. :)

2. Commitment.

To me, “commitment” means a couple of things when thinking about running. The first aspect is that it requires time and dedication to put in long runs and build up your endurance. Finishing the marathon is important, so you dedicate your time and invest in the marathon training. The second is the actual commitment during the race. Once you’ve started it, you can’t just stop because you don’t feel like going on. In my recent experience, I found that the commitment during the race is something I had not anticipated. Obviously I had done long runs, but it’s just not the same. It’s not the same to push yourself in a long run as it is during the actual race. This is the time where you prove to yourself that you are committed to finishing and that your previous commitment (the training) is going to take you to the finish. Running a long race is obviously physically strenuous, but it is also very mentally taxing. But being able to mentally push yourself through is HUGE - you can show yourself what you are made of and commit to the end!

3. Goals and focus.

Setting a goal for yourself is related to the commitment piece here. When I set a goal to complete something, I am committing myself to doing my best to achieve it. I wanted to complete a marathon before I turned 25. Having a goal such as completing a marathon really helps to drive you and give you focus. It helps you to prioritize what really is important to you.

4. Entertainment.

I think the entertainment part of a marathon is priceless. It’s a great atmosphere. Some people will run with ridiculous hats or outfits (my first half marathon in 2007 - I saw a group of women wearing bunny ears and tails…) and funny signs or people along the way. For example, when running through campus at Ohio State, which is in the second 13 of the Columbus Marathon, on the ground someone had put signs that read, as you ran by:

DRINK

ME

v

[Then an unopened bottle of beer.]

People get really creative and show their spirit. From a sign that said, “You’re doing great! (That’s what she said!)” or “Your feet only hurt because of how much ass you’re kicking” to a local high school drum corps playing music, not to mention any local sights, you really can absorb everything around you and it enriches the experience all the more.

5. Fun!

Part of the entertainment piece I think…But really - I caught myself smiling (when I wasn’t thinking about the pain in my feet/quads/hams/butt/ovaries…just kidding!) and thinking how much fun I was having.

6. Reignites / strengthens your love for running and exercise.

You have just proved to yourself you can run 26.2 straight miles and the next thing you think is, “I want to get better!” I wished my legs weren’t sore so I could get back to it!

6. Accomplishment.

Again with proving something to yourself. I did not run my first marathon near the time I was really hoping I would have. However, I didn’t walk (except for the couple minutes after I fell) and I finished with a smile on my face. It was just a couple days ago, but I have been feeling like…wow. I ran a marathon. I can get on an elliptical for 45 minutes, no problem. I can do anything. I really, really wanted to quit and turn down Nationwide Boulevard with the half-marathoners. I wanted to cry at mile 18 when I realized I still had 8.2 miles to go on my already tired and achy feet. But I didn’t and that made me feel so good. I think that is why I ultimately decided to bust out the tumblr and write all this. Because I want everyone else to feel GOOD about something they’ve done. I am one of those people where I’ve never been really awesome at any one thing - I like to make things, bake, whatever - but running is something anyone can do and anyone can gain a sense of accomplishment from. When you see a man who’s shirt read ‘I was crippled in 1992, and I wasn’t supposed to walk again. Now I’m walking a half marathon,’ how you can you think about the soreness in your legs? When you are at mile 20, and someone you don’t even know yells, “You are doing so great, keep going! Come on!” how can you possibly not feel good, and not want to keep going?

That’s all I wanted to write. I just feel like everyone should have that experience in their life that comes from putting both your body and your mind through something tough and showing yourself (not anyone else) that you can do anything you want. You can do it and then improve yourself even more. I believe it can be translated to other areas of your life.

Yes, that’s lame but who cares? I’m just so excited!!

And if you’re someone who’s run a marathon and totally hated it…Oh well. :D

I think my motivation for writing about really random things is that once I get those out…stupid random things about nothing…I start thinking about more important things. So yea. Thus the post about random things I did this weekend below. 

So! It turns out there is a Lush mini store in the Macy’s at the Mall at Tuttle Crossing in Dublin. For all I know, it’s been there a while, but I just never paid attention. Usually if I’m in there, I’m trying to cruise through the cosmetics without talking to a sales associate so I don’t end up paying $200 on Clinique makeup. This time, I was at the Chanel counter with my mom, buying her birthday present “from dad” - a bottle of Mademoiselle - and almost had a hippie heart attack when I saw the Lush sign. Long story short, I got some solid shampoo, liquid conditioner, dusting powder (living up to my grandma-like characteristics) and lip balm. I love all of it so far, especially the lip balm. 

Then I dragged my mom to the Whole Foods (Dublin, not Arlington) for 1 item - agar flakes - yay! And we ate some yummy food there, too. 

I did lots of other things (canoeing, picnic, dog park, played Outburst-hehe, took 4 hours to get back to Indy, saw a terrible movie..) but those were the ones I wanted to talk about most. At least for now. 

Speaking of the movie…It was “All About Steve” and Sandra Bullock was in it. First off, she looked like Kathy Lee Gifford with that blonde hair and clown makeup. Second, the story line was unbelievable and not even Bradley Cooper’s unrivaled acting (uhm) helped. It was so stupid. So stupid. I think if America (‘Murr’cah, if you’re patriotic) stopped making these movies and focused on other things, we’d be back on top of ruling the world again, and less people would hate us for putting out terrible movies that poison our brains. 

Yea so there’s some negative vibes around the movie, sorry! I am trying to be positive about things!! :) Anyways, I’m doing pretty good with cutting down on my diet soda consumption (I think I’m just above what a normal person might drink now…maybe not…but getting there!) and my mom liked the necklaces I made her for her birthday…so guess what shhhheee’ssss getting for Christmas :) I’m going to try to step it up a notch so they look a little better and I can make them for other people as well. :)

Just an interesting quote here:

New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become. - Mr Kurt V!

I don’t have any particular motivation for posting that, just that I love Kurt Vonnegut and forcing other people to listen to me talk about him. (Which, I know, who does that but me, eh?)

My real motivation is to write about the “why me?” attitude a lot of us have [myself included]. Or, as I usually say, “Of course…Of course this would happen to me.” And usually when we say the “why me?” it’s related to something extremely trivial, such as getting stuck behind a slow school bus when you are already running late to work, or losing a $5 bill. Sometimes, it’s bigger things that do have a bigger impact upon your life, but ultimately, I think what it comes down to, is that we [of course I’m talking about myself] need to evaluate what is truly worth getting upset over. Reactions are just that – a response that that reveals your feelings or attitudes. However, I feel that we can control our reactions to events or people, or at least make a conscious decision to control the impact that it has on us. I used to get upset when people cut me off in traffic, but I actively decided that unless it puts me in serious danger, I truly do not care. Why should I? Like I mentioned, still a work in progress, but I’m trying to be more self aware! Ultimately most things that happen in life just don’t matter, so I want to take advantage of and embrace the things that do. Yes, I believe I will still vent and complain, but I’m a human being, so I don’t really care about that either. Things that do hold importance, of course, you still have to consider, I’m not saying ignore them, but I’m thinking about approaching them in a more positive (or even objective) fashion.

I also wanted to mention that to some degree, I believe that when you do good things, good things will happen to you. But you can’t expect the payout to be winning the lottery. I will give an example. I was at Whole Foods the other week, and I was looking for a product (agar agar or Japanese gelatin), and someone who worked there asked me if I needed help, so I asked. She couldn’t find it, someone else couldn’t find it, but when I was checking out later on, she came up to me and said her manager gave her an idea of something that might work instead (it probably won’t, but seriously, it’s the thought!!), and they gave me a package of arrowroot starch to try for free. I think that was so nice of them to do, and I don’t know if it’s a payback to me, but it certainly made me want to do something nice for someone else. This is when I think the small things do count. Whether or not the arrowroot is going to be a good substitute doesn’t matter, those people were thoughtful. I could choose to be upset about not finding what I originally wanted, but I was happy. I can just make something else instead of the original thing I meant to. When I think about it, I swear I’ve read something before where someone asked the “why me?” about a positive situation. Like why did this good thing happen to me? I think even in this case, we shouldn’t ask ourselves this question, and instead, enjoy it! Why did you happen to get the job you wanted or enjoy a beautiful afternoon or even have a good hair day (haha I know that one’s lame!)? Some things you might be able to contribute to, the rest, just enjoy! J Maybe you did something good for someone and this is your gift in return…or not…I don’t know what forces create what.

With that being said, I am going to actively make choices that will naturally allow me to become happier. It’s not so much about trying really hard to see the positives in things, or ignoring the bad stuff, but just choosing to embrace what I know is important to me, and not letting the bad/irritating/whatever take precedence. I have talked recently (um, 2 hours ago?) to Kat here at work (who may in fact be the only person to read this!), and we both think it’s pretty cool that basically, for whatever reason life came to be, there may or may not be meaning…who knows? But it doesn’t matter, because you can make “the meaning of life” mean anything. It’s YOURS to think, feel, do whatever with.

I’m trying!

And to round this up (which sorry, I’m a huge fan of parentheses, which may be indicative of my inability to complete one thought without beginning another simultaneously),

“The Dude Abides.”

Lesson learned:

When you are trying to make vegan rice krispies, and the recipe calls for corn syrup, just use corn syrup. Don’t try to be fancy and make a substitute. Because it won’t work and you will just waste 5 cups of rice krispies cereal. :(

So I have been thinking a lot about the impact that I have on other people, animals and the earth in general. Not in a conceited way, but really just that I am realizing how much one person can do, in both negative and positive ways. Anything from a hurtful comment (or a hurtful comment in disguise, for that matter) to a person who does not take care of themselves, and is therefore setting a poor example for their children, all the way to a really good, true friend, impacts someone else. I think it’s easy to forget that sometimes and we (um, me!) tend to forget that or take it for granted, and not really think about the consequences of our actions.

As sort of an aside: It’s easy to get caught up in being the person who is right, the person who is the best, even easy in getting caught up in trying to assert how good we are. It’s actually pretty satisfying to be correct or proving how saintly we can be. But ultimately, does that matter? If I know that I’m right, or if I know that I am a good person, do I have to spend all my time proving it to you? Not really. No. I know that for myself, I am trying to remember these things and not let small things rule my thoughts and how I behave.

Back to the main story: Our actions, however small, have a bigger impact than just affecting the thoughts and feelings of other people. In years past, I have gotten rid of clothes and shoes and random things because I didn’t want them anymore, when I could have donated them to a charity or even found new uses for them. Now, probably an old coat of mine is sitting in some landfill when it could have been wrapped around some kid 6 Decembers ago, who’s parents just couldn’t get a newer or bigger coat for her. That thought is making me tear up, out of shame and guilt. (By the way, who but me starts crying when she is writing something like this? I need to take it easy, ha!)

I think about when I adopted my dog, Nayla, from the Humane Society, and how I wanted to feel good about giving her a home, but the fact is that there are tons of other cats, dogs, etc. that would not EVER get homes. And that was just ONE shelter in ONE city in ONE state in ONE country. (Pretend this is a visual: the zoom out from the roof of the shelter all the way out to outer space view of the planet. How small that is, that one shelter. You can’t even see it.) I feel so childish asking this question, because there is no answer, but why do we treat animals like they are not living beings? That is something a kid would ask. I think it’s ironic that so many God-fearing people, who are well versed in scripture (protocol?), don’t care about the creatures God made. What is mercy for, eh?? I’m not necessarily saying that God or Jesus was a vegetarian (hahaha), but does it seem right to everyone else what’s going on? You know I’m clearly no expert in theology, but ok - we all have free will, supposedly, and so we are just going about doing these things with our free will - producing, consuming, wasting, and animals are our victims. But do you really think God intended for us to artificially inseminate livestock animals? God wants us to go to rodeos and watch some guy try to ride a bull (who’s balls are tied up so painfully, that’s why he bucks so furiously??)? It seems to me that if we are trying to embody good values, religious or not, we should show mercy and kindness to both people and creatures that need it.

Ahh, getting away from religion. I’m just saying. Things don’t make sense. There’s a lot more that I want to say but it’s getting time for me to go. Anyways, on a lighter note, the whole reason for this post is that I just bought cruelty-free shampoo and conditioner and that my Coke Zero bottle says “Please Recycle.” The recycling initiative is so polite, eh?

There may be more on the fact that we produce so much useless crap, that ends up being wasted, even if we don’t buy it, so maybe we can be “greener” by producing less crappy things that sit in WalMart that no one buys because it’s crappy. (Longest sentence ever?? Geezzz.)

GDub: I don’t know why you call me GDub.

Me: Because you wear a golden watch..and I don’t ever see anyone wear a golden watch.

GDub: LOTS of people wear golden watches.

Me: No…no, they don’t.

GDub: Ray Charles wears a gold watch.

Me:..no response for a second [where did Ray Charles come from?]…Ray Charles is dead…

Thinking, my brain going off on a tangent:

Ray Charles was blind…so he didn’t really know he was wearing a gold watch and therefore probably shouldn’t be subject to the same…fashion standards…as everyone else.

Then I question the validity of the statement. Did Ray Charles in fact wear a gold watch? And if he did, and again with the fashion standards - he was such a good musician - that should we just ignore the gold watch and say, ‘Well, he played the piano so well that he can wear anything he wants, blind or not.’ ?

Then some more questions. Ok, so if Ray Charles did wear a gold watch, what does that have to do with your gold watch? 

Quarterway through typing this I got bored, ate some Honey Nut O’s (yummy!) and I am reminded that maybe I should ask my doctor if I have some kind of attention problem…

I’m going to write a post about my first triathlon, and it will probably be dripping with lameness, or be akin to writing about your new boyfriend when you’re 14 and how cute and smart he is, because he’s new and exciting…

MY FIRST TRIATHLON <3 <3 <3

1. There was tons of people. I love events like this because people - despite competing against each other - are typically pretty friendly and in good spirits. They will even help you if you ask for help. It’s such a cool thing to be around so many other people who enjoy a challenge and just getting some exercise!

2. I don’t swim efficiently - AT ALL. No surprise there. I slowly made it around the 500 meter course [like a rectangle without the 4th side], which to be honest, really isn’t that far - but when I got out of the water I was surprised by how…heavy…I felt. 

3. Scared of a bike? Yea. The night before, I decided that hey - I should probably hop on this last-minute bike rental and practice putting the front tire on. I do have enough foresight to realize I would probably mess something up, so might as well get that out of the way before morning. And yea, I did. I don’t know what I did, but when I got to the transition area in the morning and asked for some help from Jessica / Ashley / Jessica’s boyfriend Corey to make sure I had put the tire on correctly again, I got a “Umm…you’re not going anywhere on this thing.” Luckily they went with me to go to the bicycle tech guys to get it fixed. I swear I didn’t mess it up that bad - I mean part of it had to be that way when I rented it - because the guy had to get out several tools and mess around with the thing for a while. Thanks bicycle fixer-tech guy from T3 Multisport! You were awesome! [Also, the guys at DG bicycles on the Monon were pretty nice, that’s where I rented my bike in the first place!]

But anyways, I was scared of the bike because on the downhills I was flying. It was pretty exhilarating to feel the cool wind in my face and the feeling of moving so fast - but I was afraid I was going to crash my bike in a really dramatic way and possibly take some innocent people down with me. I can realistically imagine myself flying through the air and landing in some really painful, albeit hilarious, way. So the fear kept me behind some slow people for the first couple miles. I was afraid of pulling them into an orbit of clumsiness - and also inadvertently breaking some of the USAT rules about passing. And so I stayed behind some man and his daughter, who was literally no older than 12 years old, until I got comfortable and passed them. Then I kept passing people but by then it was too late to get a good bike time because I’d been so timid before. And also because I would slow down a lot on any curves in the road because of the whole not-wanting-to-careen-out-of-control-and-smash-into-a-tree idea. I bet the funniest part of my being scared is that no one else had the same experience and the curves and hills that I was afraid of were no big deal to anyone else. 

4. Dismounting the bike. Also could have been disastrous, almost fell off, but it was otherwise pretty smooth. I just thought it was funny that its called dismounting. 

4. The run. The familiar part. It went by pretty fast, but I still felt like I wasn’t moving very fast. And I wasn’t. I ran a 8:16 pace, which kind of sucked, but considering I just swam and biked, I figured that was at least somewhat respectable. Not to a good hardcore runner, but you know…to me!

Lessons learned:

1. Anyone can do a triathlon. Maybe not competitively, but anyone can do one. And you will have fun - I promise! I think if you just take the time to enjoy your surroundings and the challenge of completing the race as fast as you can, you will definitely have a good time. The bike through Eagle Creek park was so fun - riding around roads with beautiful trees on either side, all that green - no one should take that for granted. :)

2. When your friend says, “Hey, we should all do a triathlon” your response should be 

“ABSOLUTELY WE SHOULD!” That’s what I did and I am so happy! :)

3. I need to invest in a gym membership that involves a pool.