Went rogue and I'm warming the bench

I debated about whether or not to post about my knee(s). I mentioned in my last post about couch-to-5K that my knees had been sore after my runs, so I was going to pull back a bit and really stick with the program as its laid out and intended.

But when I got to the gym on Saturday, two days after I'd run my first mile, I couldn't even make it around the track once. I was hobbling along in terrible pain in both knees, on the inside under the knee cap. The pain was worst in my left leg, though.

Then on Sunday, I ran to beat my mom into the movie theater (or she wouldn't have let me buy the tickets), and I further injured it.

So I haven't run since Thursday, and I've been really depressed about it. I spoke with a coworker who started running last year, and he apparently had the same injury, and it kept him out of the program for two weeks. It's a pretty common injury among first-time runners.

I didn't want to post about this because I don't want to discourage others from trying the program. I still think it's great. But I decided maybe I should mention that I learned the hard way why the program is laid out like it is, with slow progressions made over time, and that it's not a good idea to go rogue and run extra just to see if you can. It's not just about stamina. It's about your body acclimating to a high-impact activity.

So, anyway, I'll be warming the bench if you need me. : ( At least for a while.

Sophia Grace and Rosie risin' to the top

I just can't get enough of Sophia Grace and Rosie, the 8 and 5-year-old British girls made famous by "Ellen," YouTube, frilly pink tutus and Nicki Minaj songs that they sing.

If you missed last week's "Ellen" featuring Sophia Grace's rap, you have to see this. At first she covers a rap song by Keri Hilson, and to be honest, the poor thing is pretty off key. But about halfway through she launches into a rap about her and Rosie that is about the cutest damn thing I've ever seen, and actually pretty good too. Embedded below for your viewing pleasure. Also, the girls have their own YouTube channel now, where you can catch up on all the back videos if you haven't seen the girls before.

Also, Ellen sent them to the Grammys to be her red-carpet correspondents. The segment featuring their coverage is on Tuesday's "Ellen."



I had to also post this video of when they covered the red carpet for "Ellen" at the American Music Awards. When they meet Katy Perry, it always makes me laugh, no matter how many times I watch it. (Which is a lot.)

I ran a mile, and I liked it

What nobody ever tells you when you're considering a couch-to-5K program is how FAST your body adapts to running. It's not their fault. They can't get a word in edgewise when newbie runners are coughing and wheezing and complaining about how badly their frickin' lungs burn and how stupid it was to attempt to run in the first place.

Since I started running less than two weeks ago, about a dozen people I've talked to about this -- some of whom are in very good shape -- have said almost the exact same thing: "I just don't like to run." They do other things, like yoga or speed walking or team sports. I used to say that exact same thing. There are so many other exercises and machines you can use. So why do something you hate?

I've really been trying NOT to become one of those people who say, "But, seriously, if you just try it -- if you just get through that first week or two of misery -- you'll love it. It'll be like a drug." But it's so hard! When you find something you enjoy, you want EVERYONE to do it, too.

I had a pretty huge breakthrough on day 8 or 9 of the couch-to-5K program this week. I ran a mile. It was the first mile I had ever ran in my life. And it felt amazing. This week consisted of running two minutes, walking one minute, and repeating that pattern 10 times. But at the end of each session, I did this thing where I thought, "Just run for as long as you can without stopping. Just to see how long you can go." The first day it was five minutes without stopping. The second it was 8 minutes, 20 seconds. And the third, I went for it, and I ran a mile. Now, granted, it was the slowest mile in the history of running-miles: 13 minutes, 03 seconds. But we are talking about someone who, just eight days prior, had not run in 15 years. In just eight days my body adjusted that much. It's pretty incredible to think about that, to think about what we are capable of.

I hate this expression, but it so very much applies here that I have to say it: If I can do it, anyone can do it. So, please, do it! It'll make you feel so good about yourself!

I plan to run the Girls on the Run 5k on April 28. That will give me plenty of time to prepare. My only big roadblock now is my knee pain. I've been advised by friends to stick with the program and stop running those extra minutes after each session because my knees get so stiff and achy a few hours after running that it's worrying me a little bit. Maybe if I dial it back, and just stick to what I'm supposed to do, it won't be so bad. It's a bit frustrating, though, because when your lungs and heart are totally into running, you really wish the rest of your body would cooperate.

But I guess I've got more than two months to get the knees on board, too.

Today, I shall run four minutes, walk one minute, and repeat six times. And I promise not to run an extra mile afterward. : )))) Of all the promises I never thought I'd have to make ... haha.

And the winner of the Katotainment rebrand is ...

Don't worry, you're in the right place. This is the former Katotainment blog, where I wrote about all the same things I plan to write about now. But I switched jobs at the paper, focusing now on writing about K-college education. So writing an entertainment blog for The Free Press didn't jive very well. The solution? A new name and a rebranding. Hence, the lovely new background of spring-like greens and blues that you see before you.

You'll also notice the new name, above. I wasn't clever enough to come up with something on my own, so I opened it up to my readers and promised a $10 coffee card to the guy or gal who came up with the best new name that encompassed my impulsive personality. The name had to include a variety of interests, from fitness to local entertainment, and it had to represent my personality, which is sort of bubbly and crazy and weird and all over the place.

As you can see, Ryan Gehrke, the manager of Blockbuster Video, by the way, came up with the winning name. My last name is Dyslin, hence the "Dys," and "disjointed" pretty much sums up the rest. So you put it all together, and you've got one hell of a blog title.

So, Mr. Gehrke, you are the winner of $10 in free coffee, as well as the incredible bragging rights of having rebranded Katotainment. Well done, sir. Well done.

So thanks, everyone, for reading Katotainment the past couple of years, and I hope you'll all stick with me through many more years of "Dys-jointed" blogging.

West's Shelby Tweten back on 'Idol' this week

It's Hollywood Week on "American Idol"! North Mankato's own Shelby Tweten, 17, was featured on the Fox show a couple of weeks ago when her audition resulted in a golden ticket to Hollywood. So there's a good chance Ms. Tweten will get some air time this week, especially considering her personal story about her depression and bipolar disorder resulted in numerous national news outlets reporting on her audition.

During the first part of Hollywood week, group performances take place and sweeping cuts are made. Sometimes whole groups go home. Sometimes the judges send contestants home just for forgetting the words to a song, or for not standing out against their more talented group members. So Tweten will definitely be up against a challenge.

Hollywood Week episodes are not live, so in all likelihood, the Twetens already know if Shelby has progressed to the semifinals. Perhaps even further than that. Again, some blogs and fan sites are reporting a list of the top 42 contestants, and Shelby's name is on it. If it's true, that is. No official confirmation has been made.

Anyway, be sure to tune in! The schedule is below. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, read the story here.

"American Idol" schedule:

Wed, Feb 8: 7:00 PM, Hollywood Round, Part 1

Thu, Feb 9: 7:00 PM, Hollywood Round, Part 2

Wed, Feb 15: 7:00 PM, Hollywood Round, Part 3

Thu, Feb 16: 7:00 PM, Performance Challenge

Wed, Feb. 22: 7:00 PM, FINAL JUDGMENT, PART 1

Thu, Feb. 23: 7:00 PM, FINAL JUDGMENT, PART 2

Wed, Feb. 28: 7:00 PM, Semifinalists perform, part 1

Thu, Feb. 29: 7:00 PM, Semifinalists perform, part 2

Wed, March 1: Finalists Announced and Judges' wild card picks revealed

There is only one Marilyn Monroe

My screensaver on my Smart phone is a black and white photo of Marilyn Monroe in a bikini about to go down a slide into a pool. I have several other framed pictures of her in a spare bedroom upstairs. I love the look of women in the late 1950s and 1960s, overall. To me, there's never been a period in history when women were more sexy and beautiful. But Marilyn Monroe was the most beautiful of all. I admire her in the way that everyone else during her time seemed to: as an object of extraordinary beauty. Nothing more.

The camera loved in her in a way that, to me, it has never loved another. Her beauty is other worldly. And that special something, that spark, I've never seen that in another woman. The biographies and interviews with those who knew her say that it was manufactured. Marilyn Monroe was a clever creation of sexy poses, fluid movements and a delicate whisper of a voice. But that doesn't matter. What she created was art. Her beauty, her persona -- it worked and continues to work to woo and enchant all of us.

All of this poses quite a challenge for an actress attempting to portray her. Portraying a character who herself was a character is difficult enough. Portraying one so extraordinarily enigmatic, that's nearly impossible. Which is why it wasn't Michelle Williams' fault she fell so flat in "My Week With Marilyn." Flat doesn't even seem to describe it. False maybe gets closer. Marilyn Monroe swallowed the meek and ordinary Williams the way she swallowed the lives of every man she ever loved. A great performance by a leading actress is one where the actress herself disappears. She becomes the role. There was only one moment in "My Week With Marilyn" where I didn't feel Williams' straining to portray a woman far beyond her own ability to charm, enchant, intrigue and excite. She was laying on a couch talking with Colin Clark about the many men she's loved and wondering why they've all gone wrong. She says, "They always seem right at the start." I remember thinking if Williams could only be this effortless throughout the whole film, her performance could be brilliant. Unfortunately, it was a fleeting moment.

If you plan to see the film to get a peek at who Marilyn was behind the scenes, you'll be disappointed. The movie is based on a memoir written by Colin Clark about a week spent with Marilyn during the filming of "The Prince and the Showgirl," but it barely scratches the surface of being any sort of character study of Marilyn. That's probably best. Williams couldn't have pulled it off. Rather, it's a sweet little film about the power a beautiful woman can have over a man. One man after another is so taken by Marilyn's stunning beauty that it seems to be life changing, and just as quickly, she turns her gaze to another.

Williams was my early pick for best actress, judging just be previews. But I have to throw my support fully behind Viola Davis now. "The Help" wasn't a great film, but Davis was great in it.

I'm overdue on a more in-depth Oscar post. It's coming soon. And be sure to check out the Feb. 24 Currents section for my official picks before the big show.

Making amends with my lungs

My lungs and I haven't always been friends. I haven't been very kind to them, you see. Until the age of 10, they grew up in a home with a smoker. So while other children's lungs were developing into healthy organs that look like thick, juicy cuts of ribeye steak, mine probably resembled dirty, shriveled yams. And to add insult to injury, it was just four years after leaving a home with a smoker that I took my own first puff behind the Bowl Mor Lanes and Lounge in Fairmont. Being an "invincible teenager" and all, I smoked for a solid couple of years in high school and then dabbled again when I turned 21 and discovered how very well ciggies pair up with beers and liquors of all colors and flavors.

Of course, then a few more years past. By the time I hit 25, feelings of "invincibility" turned to fears of dying tomorrow, and I was horrified thinking about what I'd done to my poor, helpless lungs, which, at that point, probably resembled burned and blackened baked potatoes.

Recently, though, I'm happy to report that I've made amends. This past year, through tons of exercise, I've been pumping a lot of healthy oxygen to my little buddies, and they've really come along nicely. They've perked up, seem happier. I'd venture to say we're friends again.

But then we hit a little roadblock this past week. I went crazy and decided I was going to train for a 5K. Never ran in my life, but I thought I'd give it a go. My lungs were angry. Too much exertion. They burned. Bad. Cried out in anger, a feeling reminiscent of that first drag behind the Bowl Mor. Honestly, I was ready to quit the running program, especially after I hurt my hip from not having the right shoes. I was feeling quite defeated, like my body was working against me.

As I was writing the blog entry that outlined this very situation, I got a text from Jackie, my personal trainer from last year. It was out of the blue. She and I don't text that often. And it said how happy she was that I was training for a 5K, and that she would love to train with me and run with me when I'm ready.

Now, that wonderful girl coached me through quite a few moments when I felt like I wasn't up to the physical challenge that lied before me. She told me I could, and so I did. Whatever it was. When that text came at exactly that moment when I needed it most, I swear to you it was like a sign. It was like she knew. It was truly incredible.

That very night I went out and I bought women's Nike running shoes (at Plato's Closet for only $18!!), women's sports under things (heehee), and a waterproof watch with a stopwatch function. And the very next morning, I went back to the gym, up to the track, and I tried again.

And you know what? I did it. I ran 60 seconds, and I walked two minutes, repeating the pattern 10 times. And my lungs were completely on board. No burning. And then I went down to the life center and did 20 minutes on the bike, just for that added fitness bonus and to prove to myself that not only can I train to be a runner, but I can train and then some.

But my biggest sense of accomplishment came this morning. Today I ran 90 seconds, walked 90 seconds, and repeated the pattern 10 times. Only my last bout of running, I ran two minutes without even realizing I'd gone over. To those who haven't ran before, two minutes sounds like nothing. But seriously, try it. Running is HARD. It's hard! So I felt in-cred-ible. And then once again, I went down to the Life Center and did 20 minutes on the elliptical.

I feel good today. I can do this, I think! Woo hoo!