Runners: Type-As & Forest Gumps

I try not to write about the same general subject matter 2 times in a week, but this one has been on my mind a lot lately since I’m in mid-stride of 10k training. As I’ve become a runner and observed the world of runners I’ve come to a conclusion: there are 2 very different runner personalities….. the type-A & the Forest Gump. The type-A is where I find myself. We like schedules, we like sticking to schedules, and we don’t like anyone messing with our schedules…. not only in life- but with our training plans.

“Oh…. You’re getting married Saturday? Aw man… I can’t make it. It’s my long run day.”

 “Oh hey can I run with you today?”

“Sure, it’s interval day!”

“oh I don’t  think I’m up for that

“oh yea?..... ready, set, go!”

We also like form, and proper form and proper gear that makes us have proper form. If you see us out on the trails….. The stride, the arms swings, the breathing…. It’s all the same, and it’s all because we looked it up on runnersworld.com. We write on our calendars the day we will be needing new running shoes. We plan our life around that run for that day… the food, the gear, the date for that night. We get there an hour early on race day with our packets already picked up and forms already filled out because we are always prepared.

The Forest Gump’s of the running world simply just take off! They don’t have a plan on how many intervals they will be doing that day. They don’t know their proper target heart rate. They don’t even have running shoes on… but there they go, trucking away, happy as a clam. No watch, and no ipod in cut-off sweat pants…. But at a steady pace. They’ve got a little hippie in them, and probably run to observe nature or something…. Not to bring home the gold medal and the awesome t-shirt like the Monica Geller’s of the running world.

I’m sure there’s many more observations to be made…but I’m out of time!

One hit wonder no more: Eric Church

Today's country spotlight will be put on Eric Church. He's been around a while, his first album "Sinner's Like Me" came out in 2006.... the year I became I liscensed driver.... now it seems even longer ago! That era of country music seemed to be the era of one-hit-wonders. Kenny, Tim, Brad, & Keith were hitting their stride and were on top & untouchable....and everyone else was left to fight to the death at the bottom of the countdown. I was afraid Eric Church would be just another one hit wonder- just another "kid from a small town" "bad-boy". "Guys Like Me" and "How 'bout You" barely made it to the top 20, but were both fairly cliche in a rough time to be in Nashville. His second album "Carolina" brought a little bit more honesty and poetry to the table. "Love your Love the Most" showed the romantic side of Eric....although I can't stand the line were he compares loving his lady to loving mustard on his fries... Nascar, George Strait, sure...but mustard... come on! But everyone else loved it because he made it into the top 10 with that one. "Hell on the Heart" and "Smoke a Little Smoke" also made it into the top 10 with fun, upbeat tempo that you can crank up and roll the windows down to. His newest album "Chief" is what's really set him apart from the one-hit-wonders of the early 2000s and made him a a country-household name. "Homeboy" is a unique song about a brother who's in trouble and needs to come back to the farm to make things right. "Springsteen" has stolen the hearts of everyone who's heard it. It's constently being requested on the radio and my eyes are glued to the TV when the music video comes on. His unique voice really shines, the lyrics hurt so good, and the beat is really catchy. I can't get enough.

This just in: Boots are good for runners!

After years of wearing “cowgirl” boots, I always knew I was the most comfortable wearing them but I never knew why. I thought maybe it was more psychological, like I am “being me” when I wear them and therefore I associate them with comfort. The heels and the flip flops aren’t “me” so therefore I associated them with discomfort. Reading an article in Fitness Magazine I have come to find that my theories are a little more scientific. It turns out that the most natural position for your feet to be in is when there is a 1” to 2” heel. And of course- for runners- we have to take care of our feet because they consistently and thanklessly carry us through insane intervals and up and down hills and only receive a pedicure every 3 months because they’re pretty much a mess all the time. I sadly survey my 4 inch heels that make me feel “grown-up” and my flats with bows that make me feel feminine and wonder what will I wear now! My eyes fall on a stack of boots in assorted colors and my old faithful running shoes…. well... these guys, they really do make me feel like me. So now I can be a healthy, comfortable, stylish me combining the best of both worlds as a runner and as a girl from the South.

The Priest, the Duck, and the Blonde

Most jokes start out with a cast of characters such as that... 3 unlikely personnel coming together to reach a goal...to make you laugh. Architecture & design, aren't strangers to unlikely casts of characters working toward a common goal. The architect: stereotyped to be a little artsy and out of touch- but very intelligent. The client: stereotyped to be needy and unaware, but in the end their opinion really does count the most. The contractor: stereotyped to be a man's man that spends the day in the dirt like "real men". The interior designer: stereotyped to be "couch placers" and "paint-picker-outers" and the majority are women. I know people who redefine these stereotypes- but yet they still exist. Throw in an engineer, electrician, decorator, furniture representative, and a fire marshal.... and it's a circus. Yet somehow they collaborate on a daily basis to build beautiful, structurally sound buildings and make clients happy. It means a little combining of the worlds has to happen- I've worn steel-toed boots and a hard hat with a pencil skirt one too many times. And I've walked around a did a punch list and saw the look on the contractors face when we said that they need to re-paint something because it doesn't match. Electrical engineers sigh and make lights go where the architect wants, and sales reps come through when the client has a list of demands. We're all in the field of creating and we're all in the field of good business. In the end these goals will be met, but not without compromise, collaboration, and communication..... and maybe a wardrobe change and a box of donuts.

In pursuing happiness, we lose our joy

It sounds insane to make that statement- but in a since of Spiritual joy- joy from the Holy Spirit- ultimately the ONLY thing worthy of using the word joy, it's true. Listening to a podcast while running of Matt Chandler, the pastor at the Village Church- he preached on and around this very notion.The American dream is the ultimate example. What often starts out as good intentions: "I will work hard to provide for my family"- which is Biblical... turns into long hours, lost priorities, and joy escapes this notion as we pursue what we think will make us happy. We are our worst enemy. We drive ourselves into the ground chasing what we think will satisfy us... "If I could just get a promotion, then I'll be happy" "if I could just lose 10 lbs, then I'll be happy" "If I could just get married, then I'll be happy" When ultimately, the "happiness" we are longing for- can only be filled by our Creator. Our worldly desires for happiness will leave us exhausted and broken, and not satisfied like we had hoped- we'll simply begin chasing the next American Dream- instead of chasing the One who is worthy of being chased. As far as how do we go about shifting our ideas about happiness and joy? Ask the Father to reveal it to you. Ask for your eyes to be opened and ask for an increase in hunger for His love and His joy. And continue to ask and ask and ask. Pursue Him first and He'll bring you the desires of your heart.

The grand scope of the design we call interiors

I realize more and more how much you have to know about interior design outside of the actual implementing of the designing. For example, in class we are currently designing a Cusp store (a brand by Neiman Marcus). Designing for retail means that we have to understand the nature of the business. Not only do we have to research the nature of retail: statistics about shoppers, the nature of the shopper, the operations of a sales associate, the operations of a sales manager, and statistics about impulse items, demand items, and convenience items. But we have to research the brand: what is Cusp’s target client, what is Cusp’s culture, what type of experience do they want the shopper to have, what type of shopper is this target client…..

Healthcare: to design a hospital- you can’t just blindly start placing operation rooms and nursing stations and then place a nice marble flooring down….. We would have to understand the processes, procedures, order of events, and daily activities of each particular wing of the hospital.

Sometimes it feels like we need a minor in retail, education, business, medicine, and culinary arts just to feel equipped to handle it all! But instead we must become researchers, investigators, and listeners. Most of all this means being tuned into the client and really understanding what they plan on doing with the space. We have to ask the right questions and follow that up with research and confirming what you find with the client.

Not only do we need to learn the wide variety of trades that we find ourselves designing for- but we have to continue to learn- because things change. Education doesn’t look like it did 10 years ago- they need more collaborative spaces (team work is encouraged more than ever!) and places to have one-on-one time with students (we’re learning more about how to handle learning disabilities) and fun/cool places to encourage reading (sometimes it’s way more fun to read in a big comfy couch than your desk!) Interior designers- be aware and never stop learning.

Interior design- it’s not for dummies.