Rethinking Critiquing Methods - Like vs. Dislike; What Works, What Does Not Work

Hey there,

I am making an effort to post more frequently.  This does not mean additional pictures will be added - fair warning, but I will try to improve on that as well.

As I was driving home from work, something struck me about criticism in the "Run, Selfie, Repeat" podcast - Number 15 or 16 I think - by Kelly K Roberts (http://www.runselfierepeat.com/).  Kelly, who I started following after she became a Oiselle Muse, is an advocate about women respecting the body they have.  Namely - do not criticize yourself or others.  Be proud of your body as it is.  She recently coordinated a Sports Bra Squad event encouraging people to accept themselves and to show this by running in only a sports bra.  You should check out her social media channels.  I am not quite comfortable enough to do this myself, but she definitely provides great ideas and concepts to consider!

Now back to what I was meaning to type, criticism - especially if you are honest with yourself - is not easy to handle.  Over the years, I have worked in a number of situations that were toxic or just plain tough.  I would spend more time protecting myself then doing work.  That's right, folks, and it is setup situation to become unable to handle criticism.  Then - I was listening to this podcast, where Kelly mentions the acting words of, "what works and what doesn't work" versus "like, doesn't like."

Right now, I am in a position of managing or leading two different groups.  One group is similarly enthusiastic and has many of my interests, but the group also does not hesitate to say, "um..this will not work."  The other group is smaller and not all members have done our assigned task at all or worked in a large group.  Recently, communication was an issue and I so wish I had thought to say, "let's identify what is or is not working."

So, Kelly Roberts, thank you for giving me more to consider, when providing feedback or criticism, and for assisting me in accepting criticism.  I am not quite how I will be able to adjust all my future experiences, but it sure gives me a better outlook for taking on correcting future mistakes and critiques.

Oh - for a little fun - I was able to give a play set to a family, who I am sure will enjoy it.  Ideally, my gifts might be sporadic, but I try to make them useful and I do the same when I donate items.

I hope you had a good day.  My previous two Mondays were rough, but today was pretty good.

So - indeed - Happy Monday to you!

Goals

Hello All!

Last week, I felt pretty spectacular all week.  This week, well, things were a bit different.  I ran on Monday and got some bloodwork done.  Tuesday morning, I got different bloodwork and felt off all day.  The "off" continued through Wednesday.  Today, I felt pretty decent and I got in a run and some strides.

Bloodwork never fails to throw a hitch in my plans, even when it is necessary.  I hope this time would be ok, since no fasting was required, but that did not happen.  Ah well, I am making progress and that is what matters.

After not racing since March 15th or so, I was toying with getting back to it on July 4th.  After this week, I might play it by ear and go for an August 5k.  I would love to do a Half Marathon this year, but that all depends on how the mileage buildup progresses.

Meanwhile, USATF Championships are tonight and I keep refreshing my Twitter feed for updates.  Thanks to @oiselle, @Laurenfleshman, @SallyBergensen and all the others for keeping us non-NBC Gold and non-USATF subscribers in the loop.

Although I will probably be asleep, I am hoping to wake up and see lovely results in my feed from Stephanie Rothstein Bruce, Ben Bruce, Nick Symmonds and the remaining Naz Elite folks.  It would also be great for Kate Grace to do well, but I might be asking for a bit much.

Happy Thursday!

CSAs and Responses

Hey All!

If you follow me on instagram, you will notice that I have now gotten two deliveries from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and I love it.  They are friendly, flexible, and incorporating veggies into my diet could not be easier.  Also - I opted for a half dozen eggs weekly and organic meet delivers once a month.  The price - paid in November - was around $550 and I will get deliveries through the end of September.  Check out the first meal I made below:

My first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) meal ever consists of organic hamburgers and asparagus. I put some blue cheese on it, because it was in my refrigerator. Thanks to Riehm's farm for the fine Tuesday night meal.

A post shared by Runningwithallergies (@runningwithallergies) on Jun 6, 2017 at 5:56pm PDT

As someone who loves opening gifts and packages, it's as if I get my own gift on a weekly basis in addition to supporting local farmers.  It's a win-win situation!

The heat is here.  I kept hoping it would stay away a bit longer, but it did not.  My running last week was a bit tough and some runs this week were not the easiest, but I pushed through.  I have decided the best way to respond to the heat is to be sure I am taking extra care of myself post-run.  The Tart Cherry juice (pictured below) along with water and the CSA veggies are helping with this!

My days of running in sleeveless shirts or tanks are here. Today, I can support the local economy and recovery better by drinking this 🍒 cherry juice. Ok - you should try it, even if you are not recovering from exercise. It is that good!

A post shared by Runningwithallergies (@runningwithallergies) on Jun 12, 2017 at 3:58pm PDT

On June 24th, many women will be joining in a movement to increase awareness about body image.  I agree that it is a huge issue and it must be addressed.  My comfort level, however, does not extend to running without a tank at this point.  So - I support the group and perhaps I will write about body image in a few weeks.

My first major research project is wrapping up - whew!  I am not shocked by the results, but I am determined to address the issue as best I can in my own setting and to encourage others to join me.

Happy Saturday!

Hello June - Unplanned Absence for a Month!

Wow - do you ever have time pass so quickly that, if asked, you could not recall a the events of a week or day?

So - a monthly recap it is.  For the first three weeks of May, I went home every day knowing that I would not finish what was needed.  It was tough, but I plugged through it all in preparation for a conference with a poster and a presentation.  The deadlines were met.  Sleep was lost, but I tell myself it is worth it.

After flying in early for meetings at my professional conference, I stood by my poster and actually had an enjoyable time discussing it.  Additionally, I managed to truncate my presentation, get the audience laughing, and everyone stayed.  The questions at the end were good and, due to experience, quite fun to answer.

Change is coming, but making it fun rather than scary will be my task for the next thirty-six months.

Happy Thursday!