Friday, May 13, 2011

Need Your Input

I got my hair cut today. I’m forever being told my hair is dried out, tangley, damaged, you name it. I always act like I don’t know how that happened, but really it’s because I don’t give a crap. I go swimming then don’t rinse it out for five hours. I yank it up into a ponytail and stick it into a hat for days on end. I don’t condition or moisturize or spritz or glaze or clarify like you're supposed to. Getting my hair cut is like going to the dentist – I always get a lecture about what I’m doing wrong or not doing. I only have myself to blame.

Confession: While I do sort of care about my appearance, it’s only to a point. I’ve never been very fussy with make up and clothes and body piercings and shoes and things. My mom isn’t either. One of my least favorite things to do is take a shower and get ready. I hate it. There, I said it. I only do it at all because I smell and need a good cleaning after a few workouts.

So, today, I am turning over a new leaf with these products. Maybe they will help my neck too.

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  • I promise to clarify after every swim.
  • I promise to alternate shampoos.
  • I promise to use a heat protectant before blow drying, curling or flat ironing.
  • I promise to not color my hair for a couple more months and let it heal.
  • I promise to take control of my hair and make it better.

She did a good job of cleaning me up, though, after she lectured me. Still a work in progress.

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Enough about the hair. At least I’m not talking pubes. I’ll save that for another day.

If you are making your race/trip/vacation plans for the rest of this year, consider this: The Urban Running Blogger Summit in Vegas on December 3. Yes, this is the weekend of the Vegas Rock ‘n Roll Marathon (on purpose). The race is going to be run at night for the first time ever.

This conference is being put on Skinny Runner and the Squires Group. I’ve been asked to be a speaker, along with some of your favorite bloggers. I’m hoping to do this, but still need to figure out logistics and expenses. What the hell with the fact that the early bird entry fee is $140 marathon/$130 half marathon? What are they going to do? Give everyone their own personal ho (no minimalist hoes please)?

I’m hoping to run at least the half marathon if I can come up with $130 bucks. Praying I don’t take a wrong turn down an alley and get violated. On the plus side, running in the dark is always good for someone like me who is prone to accidents, if you know what I mean. After all, you can’t see brown in the dark.

So consider it.

And, humor me for a moment. If you WERE to attend such a conference and you WERE to come to hear me talk (in my wildest dreams), what would you most want to hear me talk about?

  • Injury and recovery?
  • My favorite toilet paper brand?
  • Balancing motherhood and working with training?
  • Running while you are getting really old?
  • How to start running and training for your first endurance race?
  • Nothing related to running. Just potty mouth and cussing.

I’m trying to get a feel for subjects people really give a crap about.

So do tell.

SUAR

48 comments:

  1. Jennifer Aniston's nipples. And maybe a multi-part lecture on overcoming injury to run at Boston.

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  2. I'm super excited about RnR Vegas. I'll be running it. (but wont be at the conference)

    BUT if I were...

    I'd be love to hear you talk about injury and recovery.

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  3. Balancing being a really old mother and training.

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  4. I HATE admitting to the hairdresser that I use cheap shampoo. I tried lying but they have a 6th sense about that kind of stuff. "This is NOT Frieda, it is at best the work of Tresseme..."

    Sub "drinking" for "motherhood" in #3 and it gets my vote.

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  5. Falls under the general umbrella of 'injury and recovery', but having gone through the injury-challenged road to a BQ in a fairly short period of time, how would you do it differently if you were to start over. The old 'if I knew then what I knew now' approach. Maybe save some folks from time on injured-reserve.

    I'd also like to hear you talk about which designer cold-war Soviet Union steroids you're taking to get those triceps. You've turned the dial up to P91X.

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  6. I'm signed up for the full marathon in Vegas but the course limit time (4:30) and the fact that they haven't released the course are making me a little nervous...

    Anyway, I'll be there with people from my running club so I don't think we'll be attending the conference. But I think all of us could benefit from hearing the wisdom you gained while being injured.

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  7. I don't do much with my hair either but at least i don't get lectured. I'm running R&R Vegas - excited and a little nervous(?) about running at night. All those topics that you listed sound great; I hope to be able to attend the conference too!

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  8. I use good shampoos and products (Aveda) but I am L-A-Z-Y with styling it and it ends up in a messy bun or ponytail far more often than it should.

    I am planning to be in Vegas running the half and may attend the conference part too. Topic idea? Incorporating cross training as a way of injury prevention or using cross training to come back from an injury (and still maintain fitness).

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  9. Hey - I'll teach running while getting (and being) really old for you. You can skip that session and have a couple of margaritas. I simply ask that you save one for me.

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  10. That sounds awesome. I am trying to train for a half in Tucson in December, or I would be all over that.

    I would go with pooping and over-training related injury.

    Oh and hey, go through the Loveland airport if you do go... I got a trip to Vegas for $39 there and $59... company called "Alliance". Just FYI.

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  11. I am glad to see you got some Shampoo Three, that will help with the swimming! As a stylist (...in Littleton if you ever want to come down) I try not to lecture my clients but educate them on how to take better care of it.

    That Rock N Roll sounds AMAZING and I wish it wasn't right in the middle of holiday season. I'm running the Colfax on Sunday- my first full. Will you be at the race?

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  12. I pretty much don't care what you talk about, I'll be there! My husband and I have already booked our airfare/hotel for Vegas that weekend... just gotta fork over our $260 so we can both run the 1/2 when they open registration (sheesh- why did I get him into running? double the entry fees!).

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  13. I'd love to hear you speak about injury and recovery AND getting older while you are running. I've been running for a year and a half now and love it! But I'm 44! Gasp!

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  14. I would like to hear about training for endurance and then all the weird things that happen to the body when running long distance.

    ...I enjoy anything you have to say, blunt and honest.

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  15. Another vote for injury and recovery AND being old and running. Kind of the two go hand in hand, anyway, don't they? Or is that just ME?

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  16. Can't you combine potty mouth and cussing with running while getting really old?! For the record, I don't consider myself really old; 40 to be exact. But my body hurts a lot more these days. I want you to give a talk of helping me with that.
    Pretty hair. Always clarify and always use a heat protectant.

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  17. I'd love to hear you talk on running and aging. There is a lot of info out there for running mothers, but I haven't seen that much about making running a lifelong commitment and the ramifications of that commitment. I didn't find running until after I had kids, and I am staring right at middle age.

    As for hair, I have just cut mine really short and quit coloring it. It's going gray really quickly, and soon I will be oh so chic, like Jamie Lee Curtis. Now I just kind of look like my father.

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  18. Running while getting really old. Problem is I'm almost 60 - SIXTY!!! - so you seem a babe to me!

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  19. You've got me checking flights and school calendars.. 1/2 marathon in Vegas under the lights would be freaking phenomenal!

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  20. I hate showering and getting ready too. Which is why my husband complains. I figure the chlorine kills whatever bacteria is on me anyway, so why shower right?

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  21. SUAR, I just found your blog and I LOVE it. It definitely makes me want to get out and run! Love your wit.

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  22. I chopped my hair Sharon Stone pixie short and love it. All I have to do is pay $$ to my stylist every 5 weeks, and on a daily basis it's no work at all. I gave up coloring it too (started going gray mid20s! Thx mom and dad) and even when I started doing bit myself, it was time, $ and chemicals....and when the gray started showing up every 3 weeks I said enough. So I have brown hair that looks like I got paint in it, esp in the back (but I don't see it so who cares?), and use HeadnShoulders since I no longer care about protecting color or damaging long hair- it's only 3 or 4 inches long.

    Your hair looks fab btw.

    Would want to hear the running/older part though your experience would differ because you started only recently. I am almost 45, and wayyyyyy slower than you are, and I have been running regularly for at least 10 years, with 1 bad tendon injury that nags. Also, how do you have time for everything?! You have hubs, kids, job, friends and still, train, coach, blog and party! Do you never sleep and have blood of caffeine?! :-))

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  23. Hair? I didn't even notice, can't stop looking at your awesome arm muscle in the bottom photo!

    I'd love to hear more on running and aging too, I'm over 50 and still haven't managed to run more than a half marathon due to getting injured.

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  24. Oh, and I am with you on the getting ready thing....

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  25. I'd be disappointed if I heard you speak and didn't hear the word "shart" at least once....anyone can talk about running. Tons of other (boring) bloggers do that. You're hilarious - go with that.

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  26. # How to start running and training for your first endurance race?
    # Nothing related to running. Just potty mouth and cussing.

    It's a tie between these two for me. But I'd probably go with the first given that I'm always shocked be the amount of people who don't appreciate a mad cussing sesh.

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  27. Aniston's nipples are all very well but I notice we don't hear or see much about yours. Hint, hint. Potty mouth and cussing would probably go over pretty well. Look what it did for george carlin after all.

    That said, hearing you gush about the merits of deep water running would be good. Hearing you talk about running as you get old might be amusing, given how young you are. Injury prevention is always good.

    But you want to know what would sell out your talk 3x over? Talk about how running makes your sex life better. That'll do it every time.

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  28. Potty mouth and cussing discussion about training for endurance races after recovering from injury and balancing a job. I think it would relate to many bloggers/readers.

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  29. I say potty mouth and cussing!! I really hope I can make this!! It should be awesome. Also, I heard that Clarifying shampoo dries your hair out even more. I used to use KMS shampoo and conditioner which is amazing but now I just use good old Pantene and it works fine. I never liked Paul Mitchel Shampoos and Conditioners.

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  30. I vote for topics on injury and recovering, and tips/ tricks for minimizing injury to begin with.

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  31. As soon as I heard about RnRLV I wanted to do it. I mean, seriously - Vegas? And a race at night? Count me in! I can run, go shower and change, and still have a great evening out! BUT...we're taking the in-laws on a cruise for their 40th wedding anniversary and it leaves a week later. (I know, you're crying for my poorness, I'm sure.)

    Anyway. If I was able to do the race - which I'm still toying with - I would want to hear you talk either about injury/recovery, or balancing endurance training w/ parenting. :)

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  32. I'd want to hear some fun motherhood balance stories and how you still get your run on/tri on with kids and a husband and still leaving room for everything else.

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  33. Ponytail is the only way to style hair, especially when it's hot!
    Ummm...would love to hear cussing and potty mouth while talking about balancing life and running and injury stuff.
    Sounds like an epic adventure...I hope I can come!

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  34. So you're not big on your beauty routine - I totally get that. What I'd like to know is your feelings on clothes shopping - and I do mean the non-running kind of clothes.

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  35. Running when you are getting really old and injury and recovery. They kind of go hand and hand don't they?

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  36. Injury and recovery, you've mastered it!

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  37. I think you could talk about hair products!! :)

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  38. Love the hair cut!!

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  39. Wow... everyone really is going to Vegas for a super kick ass time. :(
    Lame.

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  40. Your hair looks fantastic. I am also training for a HIM. My training buddy nailed it when she said "you know it's not the training I am burnt out on...it's having to wash and dry my hair so often." The triathlon training books don't tell you how much extra time you will be spending in the shower.

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  41. The wife and I will be in Vegas running RnR. I will be doing the full and she will be doing the half.

    As for me, I would just want to hear you fart and then name them and the names must include a curse word in it.

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  42. I'm planning on signing up for the marathon. But app. the sight isn't open for entries until after May 31st. hope I get in.
    Not sure how the night marathon is going to go. I'm one of those 5 am runners so my training will be drastically changed, espec. since I've got to somehow find energy at the end of the day.
    Maybe that would be a good topic for you: Training for races should mimic the race as closely as possible (clothes, food, TIME...)

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  43. I don't think you should prepare any talks at all. Get up and talk about the last 3 runs you had and it will be off the cuff and hysterical. Feel out the audience and no pressure for you!
    About hair: Since we are in Florida and Alice is running in sun all year round, her hair gets fried. We found the Olive Oil brand works great in her hair. Wash/condition or whatever you usually do, then run through about 1TB of this: http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Root-Stimulator-Olive-Creme/dp/B004JM3HUU/ref=pd_sim_hpc_6
    just on the roots. It helps her hair when she uses it regularly.

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  44. am planning on being there. I would love to hear about running as we age and then of course your potty mouth.

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  45. I will be there because Vegas is where I grew up, so the race is a favorite of mine! Not sure about night running, but at least like you, if I shart nobody will know. I would like to hear you talk about anything, but only if there is plenty of swearing! Vegas is for swearing, not for pussies!

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  46. How to train for your first half marathon is much needed info for me right now! Oh, and I love the potty mouth stuff too. :)

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  47. Running while you are getting really old: dont know about REALLY old but older yes...as in over 40

    How to start running and training for your first endurance race: first, second, third...

    that and fuel.

    wish I could go. 130 is way too much. more then freaking Disney race! and there at least we see Pluto on the course, I mean big bonus.

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