Why I ♥ Running

MO:
Here goes...

I chose between a tough session in the gym or a long, slow run. As the skies cleared in the afternoon, the choice was easy.

An 8.5k run in the forest. Yummy!

Except for one thing... as I was going to check the pace/distance at the end of those 8.5k, this is what I saw:

#*^###%¤"@!!!! I´d lost my NIKE Sportband chip during the run!!!

I´ve decided NOT to loose my mood because of this little 700SEK hick-up, so here is the real reason of today´s blog post: Why I ♥ Running...

- It´s one of the purest forms of movement. (Wo)man has run since s/he could walk upright.

- There is NO way you can cheat! You´re either running or you´re not, simple as that.

Once you´re on the go it´s just you: your heart, your lungs, your legs and your bodyweight.

- It´s cheap (well, as long as you don´t go overboard with the gadgets...or...erhm...loose said gadgets in the forest....). The only thing you really NEED is a good pair of shoes, no matter if your taste says fully cushioned or 5fingers.

- It can be done from where you are. You don´t have to transport yourself to get started.

- It can be done any time. In the morning. At lunchtime. In the evening. Perfect for a toddler mother.

Add stress relief, weight management, creator´s buzz and runners high into the equation and what have you got? A perfect training form, must be?

What do you think?

For Date night:

Cropped khaki pants - Designer´s Remix

Long fitted Granpa shirt - minus

Necklace - Hoss

Belt - Pinko

Shoes - KG

Handbag - my old road racer turned into a Mulberry Bayswater

I´m spinning around

MO:
It´s 00.03 and I´ve spent most of today´s waking hours in front of my computer.
It does completely kill your body, sitting around, doesn´t it?

Well, after having done a crash course in html-code (surfing around on the internet, visiting different forums), I´m fairly happy with the result with the two projects I´m working on simultanously.

I´m glad some of you already have noticed and commented on the new look of MOJO! - there were a few times today I thought I was going mad and I really wanted to throw the computer out of the window...still a lot to learn, and I´m experimenting wildly on my (other) new page, soon to be released on a blog near you. ;)

Hope your day was better than Green´s! (If you´re into the World Cup, you´ll know what I mean...)

I'm sorry...

MO:

...but I HAVE to show off one out of two new iPhone shells:

Yvis - thank you, thank you, thank you! I felt like a child on X-mas Eve!

- blinged from my iPhone

Running Snob

MO:

My 7k run tonight felt ridiculously great!

You know, it was one of those workouts when you sport a stupid smile throughout.

My running this spring is about comfort and consistency right now, since my real focus is on STRENGTH until June.

Therefore I rarely push it during my weekly runs and there is definitely no snot, drool or other unattractive bodily fluids leaving my body throughout my sessions.

I don´t care if people run past me.

Or, I should say: I don´t care if certain people run past me.

I even step out of my way for high tech sportswear-, lycra-, dri-fit-, the latest models of running shoes-, this season´s wind jackets, proper running socks- and POLAR/Garmin/NIKE Sportsband-wearers...

What I do not tolerate - and let me admit it straight away: I AM A RUNNING SNOB (and do not mix this up with being elitist. I consider everybody who runs to be a runner)- is when I am overtaken by a cotton T-shirt-/washed out baggy cotton pants-/football shorts from the 19th century-/old indoor bandy shoe-wearer.

Then and only then, my fiery, competitive spirit awakens and I push and push and push until I´m next to, and then past this unworthy human being.

It´s like all my gadgets, all my wiring - (hello! HOW MUCH technology can one wear for a run??? Polar watch, heart rate chest strap, foot pod, iPod player, headphones, NIKE+, NIKE+ Sportsband...), my expensive clothing and this season´s shoes, just HAVE to make me a better runner than "them"!

Because if that is not the case, I am no better than the ridiculous case of a person at the top of the ski slopes who FALLS out of the chair lift, tangled into everybody else´s equipment, wearing the most expensive gear, with all the right labels, but who just ends up on his designer dressed butt over and over again, with no idea how to ski.....and that would just be so, so sad, wouldn´t it?

Beautiful, disgusting day

MO:

Can I just start by saying: The weather was DISGUSTING today, but the day was beautiful!

After yoga I had a facial booked. It turned out to be the longest lasting facial I´ve ever had - 2h 15min - WHOPA! That´s what I call value for money. Only problem: It left me short of time to my next appointment: a self-tanning session. I have this aversion toward sunbeds and my skin goes a sour milk yellow/white colour in the winter, (NOT very flattering together with the latest Nike spring collection, which is an explosion of colours - and yes, you may call me vain...), so.... best place in town for a "natural" tan: Anna H at MAZI.
It was easier said than done, trying to keep my face dry, running towards the car afterward. Rain/snow/and more rain made the city look like this:

Whilst waiting for my newly sprayed body to dry, I flickered through some magazines and found this:

The quality is not great, but it´s a picture of an iPhone-pimped with Swarovski crystals around the brim. The pimping is done by a company called Guldplatina.
How much they charge for the phone? Wait for it...
17.995:- SEK
I´m sorry, come again?
17.995:- SEK.
Ehhhhhhh... ooookey.
Check out yesterday´s blog post and try to put a price on that... :)

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BlingBling Love

MO:
Some people know you better than others.
One of my best friends, finaste Y, (actually, I call her part of the family) just got back from 6 weeks in Hong Kong. She knew how much I LOVED my old blingbling iPhone-shell that she got me a few months back, so as a delayed birthday present (together with heaps of other beautiful stuff, Y-you´re wonderfully mad!), she got me this:

WOW. Spot on. BlingBling Love at its best.

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A busy Sunday

MO:

Yes, is the answer to the question: Did I feel yesterday´s class in my body? Although not half as much as I was afraid to...
I kicked myself out of bed this morning to guest teach a yoga class at 10. Had a lot of fun! Great crowd and a lot of familiar faces.

After the class I went home, showered, changed and rushed off to my meeting with Usama & Musse. We discussed the Ruffie concept in length. Ruffie will be launched spring 2010. Exactly how our collaboration will pan out will be decided in the next couple of weeks. Inspirational guys and a very promising concept.

Father´s Day was then celebrated at home with the 3 families. Robin & I are both coughing away, so tomorrow will definitely bring a long sleep-in.

By the way, anyone who calls me up until Friday (when I get my phonenumber transfered to the iPhone): Don´t worry if I sound weird on the phone. My SIM-card has gone haywire since I transfered my contacts to the iPhone, which means I don´t get caller ID anymore on my Nokia. Hence, when JOJO called me earlier tonight, instead of going: "Heeeelloooo JOJO!", I went: "Yes, this is Monika speaking" in my business voice. Silence. "Ehhhhh...hello?...This is Johanna...?" :)

New week tomorrow. New adventures.

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You phone, we phone, I phone

MO:
When I finally dragged myself to the 3 shop, it looked like....well, you can see for yourself on the picture above. I ended up spending 20min outside in the freezing cold, before I finally found out that all the computers were down inside the so called shop... Well, I should have the coveted gadget before Friday. Much to my delight, my dear friend M, the techno freak, decided to get one too. Yes! This means that I will have someone to teach me (and no doubt tell me) what applications I should get/need! :)

Life as a self-employed educator/entrepreneur can be quite lonely sometimes. After almost 15 years on the road, most of the time traveling alone, working alone and brainstorming with one´s own little self, I´ve noticed that I seek out more and more ventures together with other people. Why not? I know some extraordinary people and not only are they amongst the best in their chosen fields, but they are also great people to be around... It´s much more fun being able to bounce ideas off somebody else´s exciting brain for a change!
2010 will be the year of collaborations... I like!

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Question for the weekend

MO:

First free weekend in over 5 weeks. Nice to have both Saturday and Sunday with the family. We begun the weekend with a lovely dinner with F&F last night. I will miss Febs so much when he now officially packs his bags and moves to Stockholmo. It´s sad, but also absolutely fabulous. Finding the love of your life makes you radiant.

Is it the time of year or is it something in the water? The theme at the moment seems to be either a) falling head over heels in love or b) breaking up. Weird, isn´t it, how these things always seem to happen in clusters?

By the way, to all iPhone users out there: which subscription (abbonemang) do you have and are you happy with it? I´m with Telenor at the moment, but it seems like 3 has got the better deal with iPhone. Saying that, trying to understand the small print is a nightmare...All feedback is welcome. Help!

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I´m tired of using technology

MO:

OHHH...
First night back, teaching my regular classes. Boy, did that feel great?! 30min spin & 30min kettlebell. Time FLEW past. Fabulous to see my regulars and wonderful to sweat it out together. Didn´t realize just how much I had missed it! It´s soooo good to be back!
(Looking forward to Wednesday when I teach yoga in the morning and 60min of spinning followed by 45min kettlebell in the evening.)

Went to the Bostadsrättsföreningens-board meeting tonight. I excused myself after about 1h when Robin was completely bored and started moaning loudly.

The rest of the night has been spent FIGHTING technology. a) Bredbandsbolaget-who completely buggered our plans for fast broadband when they told us there was something wrong with the telephone wiring (ADSL) in our apartment - so we had to go with Comhem (24MB) - tonight I found out that all the apartments in our house are prepared for 100MB fiber optic broadband (which has nothing to do with the telephone wiring!) from, wait for it:...Bredbandsbolaget! When I call customer service, I get a lazy, uninterested young male on the phone. I´m going to kick up a stink...b) my home computer, which is: 1. OLD. 2. Tempramental. 3. I could not find my Windows XP CD anywhere, so when Windows decided to crash - nothing worked...

Anyone living in Gothenburg with a Windows XP CD lying around the house? Can I borrow it tomorrow? I´ll come and get it!...and I promise to return it in mint condition! Call, email, sms me, please!
This weekend I HAVE to buy a new server, but I need windows to work to be able to save all my stuff! (or do I? I am sooo computer illiterate sometimes....help!)
I also found out that one of my external hard drives got damaged in the move (the move from hell remember...) and that´s where I kept my back up....hmmm...I can feel a technological drawing to a close....

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Techno Head

Mo:

For anyone trying to call or sms me this weekend: If I take ages to get back to you, it´s because my old Nokia has finally broken down and I´m borrowing P´s iPhone... My NEW Nokia has been handed in for service, since it:

- shut itself off
- let the screen go black for no apparent reason
- would shut down calls - in the middle of answering, or in the midst of a call
- would not start the camera until the second try-EVER
- would RANDOMLY change the date whenever I chose to turn the phone off
- would store all my sms´s in it´s own, not very logical at all, order...
(when I got to the last point of a very loooong list of complaints, the guy in the Telenor shop looked at me with sympathy and went: "I guess you´re not TOO happy with this phone, right?"
You got that one right, mate.)

So, learning a completely new system and not being bothered to download the program I need to transfer all my SIM-contacts to the phone... Give me a day or so to get back to you?

Love
Mo

First sign of LIFE

Mo:

Feeling a bit dizzy and up and down, still.

Last night when we went to bed, I was moaning to P about feeling hormonal and ugly. He stroke my belly and told me all the right things. I moaned a bit more, feeling low and down and uncomfortable - very far, far away from being "a happy, glowing pregnant person"...and just as I stopped talking...BAM! A KICK!

It was so distinct even P could feel it! Wow! I wanted to cry, it was such a big moment. Here I was, complaining about not feeling at home in my new body and suddenly "Bebblina" had enough... It was like she was saying:

"STOP bloody moaning - you have a person growing inside your belly, for God´s sake! Grow up!"

It was comical. And suddenly everything felt great. February 4, the day we both felt Bebbelina for the first time....

Highlights of today:

- had a great meeting with a new collaboration for InCycle. An exciting opportunity for my company.

- hearing from Barncancerfonden and the latest details on "Spin of Hope". On March 28 I´ll be presenting a class, live-wire, across Sweden to numerous people and numerous centers. The goal of this charity spin is to raise 1.000.000 SEK in one day for Barncancerfonden. Do you want your center to participate? Contact Billy Ydefjäll on: billy.ydefjall@barncancerfonden.se for more details.

- recieving my new phone, a Nokia79, with a 5 megapixel camera and a 4GB internal memory card... Finally, you will have better mobile phone photos on MOJO. :)

Mmmmm.... a nice 24h, actually.

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