Barefoot for Winter

I am incredibly frustrated!!!!

As the name of my blog may have hinted, I am a barefoot runner. Not literally. I wear VFF's , they are as close to barefoot as I can get and still have my tootsie's protected.

I learned to run in these shoes. They are one of the main reasons I am a runner, and that I am as fit as I am now. I wear these shoes to work, to run, to Zumba, to the grocery store....but, alas, perhaps not for much longer.

You see, I live in Alberta. We have winter. Not a little bit, but, serious, sub-zero winter. The type of weather where the insides of your nose freeze as soon as you inhale. Not conducive to barefoot running at all.

I thought things would be fine this year. I thought that the fabulous VFF company that I love and tell everyone about had my back.

This winter, they were finally making a winter shoe. I heard about, and then read about these fabulous shoes --> THE LONTRA . They were the winter running shoe I had been dreaming about.

So far, I cannot get a straight answer as to whether or not we will be seeing them up here. One major retailer of outdoor gear has informed me that they will not be carrying them as they could not get them from the manufacturer. WHAT? Where else would we need these more than in Canada???The land of snow and ice??? VFF's got me hooked on their product, and now seem to be leaving me high and dry when I need them most.

If Canada will not be getting these, I don't know what this gal will do.  Treadmill you say? Hamster wheel of death I say.

Put Your Mask On!

It's important to take care of yourself....eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, those are the basics. We all know these things. They're talked about on every daytime  talk show, shouted at us from the fronts of magazines while we wait in line at the grocery store. (I won't even get into the mixed messages we all hear about getting and staying healthy...let's keep it simple tonight.)


Somehow, this self-care seems to be at the bottom of the list for most of us.

There are so many other more "important" things that absolutely must be done.

We are all busy. That is the common denominator. The universal excuse for not caring for ourselves.

If we are too tired to care for ourselves, how long can we go on caring for our families/homes/kids/dogs/goldfish?????

The most important lesson we can teach our loved ones is that it is ok to take time for YOU!

Going to Zumba for an hour should not be guilt inducing.. That hour is for you do decompress and do something good for your body.

Telling your kids/husband/cat to wait until you finish that last set of bicep curls is not being selfish. By doing that, you've shown them that you finish what you start.

Let's use the old airplane analogy: If those funky yellow masks drop from the ceiling, they tell you to put yours on before your child's. This goes against your instincts to care for your little one first....but....if you don't get your mask on, you may pass out....then you will be no help to your child. See where I'm going with this?

I'll confess, I am having a hard time fitting it all in these days. I've gone to work full time for the first time since my oldest was born ( he is 14). I start early, and once home, I still have my "home jobs" to do, and my workout, and the online course I've just started, and planning each week for Booty Busters.

I need to remember to make an appointment with myself every day ( or a couple of short ones daily) to move my body and stay strong.

I need to take the time to eat right and drink my water.

I have worked too hard to lose ground now.

I need to put my mask back on.

Our Battle at the 'Battle River Half Marathon"

Before the Race

A week ago today, we were picking up our race packets.

It was hot and a bit muggy. We were standing in line for the porta-potties....very important pre-race ritual. Also, a great place to chat with  fellow racers.

We were nervous, and excited. For FRB ( Fabulous Running Buddy) and I, it was our first Half Marathon ( I really feel it deserves capitalization).

I could give you a blow-by-blow....but, over 3 hours of my struggling to put one foot in front of the other, though  huge accomplishment for me, may be absolutely mind numbing for anyone that stumbles across this blog.

However, there were some pivotal moments.

At the turn-around point, FRB was having a tough time. We'd made it up the long steady hill ( I do believe they call it the Widowmaker), we were past the half-way mark. She had a horrible cramp in her side, and had for some time. It was a tough point in the race for her...but, she didn't quit! We walked together for a few minutes, then got back to it. She was amazing! I could see the pain on her face, hear it in her voice....and she kept on going. I was so proud of her!

Around this time, another gal from WBB who was doing the Half was hurting as well....her ankle was sore, her knee taped up.....let me take a moment here to say that she is one of my running heros. She never quits, has run more races than anyone I know, is incredibly supportive of everyone around her.....she deserves a medal for being so fabulous!

Next one for trouble was me. Around the 15k mark, I hit my limit. Call it The Wall if you like.... I felt a little like Simon Pegg's character in "Run Fatboy Run" , when he hits his Wall......he was much funnier about it though. ;)

My legs were weak and watery. My back hurt. I was so hot, then I'd feel chilled. I could hardly stumble in a straight line ( yes, I find walking without bumping into folks on a regular day a challenge, but, this was worse). I was on the verge of tears.

FRB came up behind and stopped to see how I was....and then she heard me, and saw my face. I told her I didn't think I could finish. Then she did for me what I did for her when she was struggling. She told me I could do it. She made me say "I am a runner." She put her arm around my shoulders and made me believe I could make it. ( During this pivotal race moment, my Running Hero tried to snap a pic of us with her cell phone, but, it was too smeary from the heat :) )

The rest of the race is a blur of water stations and distance markers.

Coming around the last turn, people were getting in their cars, having finished their races (There had been a 10k, a 5k, and a kids 2.5k) and were getting ready to go. So many of them stopped to cheer on the last of us. They clapped and encouraged...it was touching. One lovely gentleman we had chatted with in the porta-pottie line before the race stopped his car, rolled down his window and told me to keep going.

Then, I saw Asher ( son #3) waiting at the last corner for me! I was ridiculously excited to see him. Made a fool of myself shouting and waving at him ( who knew I had the energy!). He rounded the last turn with me, then I dug in to get over that finish line.

Hubby was there with the other 2 boys, and our spazzy dog Dexter. I was so happy they were there ( the Littlest was at Gramma and Grampa's for her visit with them)...and I was ever so glad to be DONE.

Race time: 3:15.48....15 minutes over my goal. That''s fine though. The ultimate goal was to finish, and I did that. :) Was I dead last? Yup. Do I fell bad about it? Nope!

Highlights of the race: the people, especially the volunteers. They were the most encouraging, fabulously supportive people I have ever met. Yes, it was my first race of this length, but no matter. All those people gave up their mornings to sit in the hot sun, with the mosquitoes and other assorted bugs. Every single one of them had a smile and a kind word for everyone one of us along the way.

To the gentleman that stuffed the ice packs down my back and put them on my neck, even though I insisted I didn't need them....pretty sure you saved me from over-heating.

So, my thanks to all of the volunteers. Without you, there is no race....the fact that you were all so kind and supportive was a bonus!

Biggest Disappointment: After we had crossed the finish line, we were told they had run out of medals. 10 of us would have to wait and receive ours in the mail.
Seriously?
I was, and am, upset about this. My understanding was, that due to the larger than expected number of race-day registrations, they didn't have enough medals for everyone. There was a group of people that had been ordered to run the Half in preparation for the Death Race in Grande Cache. These people that probably didn't even want to be there, that most likely could have cared less about getting a Finishing Medal, who probably tossed it on a counter and have never given it another though, all went home with one.

As I have stated numerous times.....THIS RACE WAS A VERY BIG DEAL. I was so looking forward to having that medal around my sweaty neck. Taking photos of us with our shiny medals on our dirty shirts, tired but smiling after accomplishing something we never thought we could.

We were cheated out of that. I don't think the running club that organized the race thinks of runners like us. (They seem to be at a more..... ummmm..... elite level than folks like us who are still novices.) At the Spring Fling ( Our first 10K), they ran out of food, and were packing things up at the finish line as we finished. We did not have out names called like the rest of the runners, or our times announced. We pre-registered for that one as well.


This time, they had plenty of food ( my kids enjoyed the pasta, I was thankful for the watermelon and oranges), but ran out of medals...yup, said it twice. I feel it bears repeating.


I have a solution, maybe they should think about it:
If you have pre-registered for the race, you get a medal set aside for you. Let the folks that register the day of the race wait to receive theirs in the mail. Think about it.

So, what's next for this Barefoot Mama?................................


................... We're running a 5k race tomorrow. :) 

2 Sleeps Until the Half

Pretty sure everyone and their dog is tired of hearing me talk about the Race on Saturday.

Too bad.

I am a bundle of excitement & nerves.

I ran my last taper run yesterday. 2 miles. Seemed so hard not that very long ago. Yesterday was easy-peasy.

Today and tomorrow, I'll do my best not to drive myself nuts thinking about Saturday. I think I may have pushed my Fabulous Running Buddy over the edge too. ;) I'm trying not to "eat my nerves"....I'm feeling so hungry!

I'll get my favourite gear washed and ready. I'll stretch and relax. I'll give myself a super-sparkly manicure so I can remember that I am Sparkly during the hardest bits on Saturday.

Wow, this post is as disjointed as I'm feeling!

This....is a Very Big Deal

I've been writing and deleting this post for a couple of weeks now. The problem being, there were too many thoughts rolling around in my jumbled  noggin'. So, I made myself pick one rolling boulder out of my brain, and, hopefully this will make some kind of sense.

Just about a year ago, FBR ( Fabulous Running Buddy) and myself embarked on the C25K running program. We wanted to have some sort of regular exercise to keep us going during the summer break from our weight loss group.

In September 2011, we entered our first race ( 4K trail race at Arm Lake). It was hard.....and it was an amazing experience.

In March, we ran our first 10K Race. It was hard too! Especially for me, had a couple of nagging, minor injures that made it a rough one. ( I'll blog about my race experience later......for reasons that may become clear in future posts.)

Now, it's July.....and next weekend FBR and I are running in our first Half Marathon. EEK! So exciting, and a little terrifying, all rolled into a big ball of ooey, gooey stress in my tummy.

We have trained so hard. Faithfully following our training plan, experimenting with gear, fuel, and running techniques. Eating well, getting enough rest....all part of the plan.

The biggest commitment though, was time. Three runs a week, no excuses. Tuesday and Thursdays, long runs on Saturday morning....EARLY in the morning I might add.

The overall commitment was something I didn't really think about when we started. When we ran the 10K, I'll be honest....I didn't train as well as I probably should have, and I surely did not commit to keeping my body as "clean" as I could have. I ate too much garbage, I went out some weekends with friends....I am convinced that it hurt my performance.

So, when we started the Half training plan, my attitude was different. I was going to follow the Plan, treat my body well, and listen when things hurt.

In 10 weeks, I lost 13 pounds, and ran further every weekend than I had ever run before. ( Last weekend's 12 miler was a real coup for me brain-wise).

What I didn't count on, was how this major commitment would change the other parts of my life.

Before I did anything, the question "How will this affect my running" would pop-up in my mind.
Before I ate anything, "How will my tummy feel if I have that, then run tomorrow?".
Friends would ask me to go out, "If you go, you know you won't be able to run tomorrow.", or "What if you hurt yourself, it's so close to the race?"

I know that the folks in my life are tired of hearing about my runs, my aches, my pains. I find myself editing conversations, trying not to talk about it too much.

...............HOWEVER...............


This is a very big deal for me. This is very important to me.

I have in turns felt bad for not socializing with friends, felt glum about "always being the good girl", and been upset that people were upset with me.

I hope that the folks in my life understand that this is something I WANT to do. That this is a MAJOR accomplishment for a non-running gal like myself....the "picked last in gym class" girl I used to be.

I do know, that, this final taper week isn't just about getting things right for my body. It's also about getting my head right for the race. Running is 90% mental for me.....so, I'll be screwing things on tight and keeping my eye on the prize.....the Finish Line.

Turn Right? Left? Just GO!

I am a sore mama this morning. We had a group workout with the Booty Busters last night. We walked, ran some hills, beat off mosquitoes and did our various exercises under the heavy gazes of the other people out enjoying the evening at the park. Seriously, never seen a group of grown woman doing burpees and squats before? I digress.....this post is not about that (I'll save it for another today).

Pondering the Plateau


In my last post, I talked about how a plateau can make a person feel. The frustration, loss of determination and faith in what you've been working for. Keeping a positive attitude is key, of course ( firm believer in the body-mind connection here folks). There are other things you might need to look at, fiddle with, tweak....if the plan you're following has stopped working, you're at a cross roads. Time turn, right, left, whatever, because going forward is no longer a viable option.

Look at Your Consumption


Do you have a food journal? Do you track your calories? Weigh and measure everything?
This can work for you. It's so very useful to see exactly what passing through your lips, food and drink wise. You may not realize how much you are consuming in liquid calories/sugar/fat. All those little bites you snagged while prepping supper can really add up too. As long as you track honestly, using a food journal may be just what you need to start making progress again.

Once you start tracking, you may notice that you are not eating enough. You've increased your activity as you've built your endurance, you're getting stronger and working harder with your strength training. If you're not giving your body enough fuel, it'll start hanging on to everything you do put in the tank, and your progress can slow, or even stall out all together. It seems counter-intuitive to eat more to lose more, but, it can work.

Maybe you're wondering just how much you should be eating? Some great sources to find out are Sparkpeople, and My Fitness Pal. These 2 are my favourites, very user friendly. Of course, you should talk to your doctor if you are very concerned. ( I am a layman here, all this info I have gleaned over the last couple years)

Your Activity


Are you doing the same 35 minutes on the elliptical 5 days a week?  Do you do the same set of push-ups and crunches, and call that good for strength training? Got a favourite fitness dvd that is your go-to to get your sweat on?

All these things are good for the bod, no doubt about it. However, if you're doing the same thing all the time, your body gets used to it. No more challenge = no more progress.

It's important that, like your diet, you have variety in your exercise routine. I also strongly believe that a body needs not just cardio or strength exercises.

Despite my current training plan for the Half Marathon next month, I do not love cardio. I much prefer picking up my dumbbells and working up a sweat. My Fabulous Running Buddy however, loves her some cardio! She does not love my ST workouts ( but is always a good sport and does them anyways).

(I feel the need to say a little something about weights right here)
***lifting and doing body weight exercises will not make you look like a man. You will not "bulk-up". What strength training can do for you is tone and tighten.*** ( steps off the soapbox).

Need some inspiration? Again, the 2 websites I mentioned for calorie tracking have some good workout idea. Fitocracy is a Facebook-esque fitness site. They offer you challenges to follow based on your goals, and plenty of chatter about it.  I am a bit of a fitness magazine junkie. I compile a lot of my workouts from the ones they feature every month. Fitness blogs like Nerd Fitness, The Angry Trainer, and many other other are also good sources. Google, my friends!

The Point


Here it is.    VARIETY.  You have to have it. You will get bored if you eat the same thing and sweat the same way every week. Boredom is your nemesis. Not chocolate/chips/pop/ice-cream. Those things are Boredom's henchmen, always waiting in the shadows.

This week, challenge yourself to a new exercise ( push-ups anyone? on your toes, not your knees). Try a new recipe. Turn right....or left....whatever. Just GO!

No Quitting!

I cannot believe we are in the final weeks for the Spring round of Wainwright Booty Busters! I have to say, that even though I enjoyed the Fall and Winter round.....this one has been the best, Maybe because I am finding my rhythm with the whole thing, maybe it's the frank desire this group of ladies has to bust their booties and their willingness to try new things. Whatever the case, it's been really positive.

The challenges for this past week were designed to help bust some plateaus.

I do believe that the further we go along this journey to being healthier, we can fall into a rut. At the beginning, eating better and moving a little more was enough to see results. That doesn't last, and that can get scary and a teeny bit depressing. It can feel like all the hard work you've done just wasn't enough, the the thought of doing more .....it can be incredibly daunting.

Maybe you're already working out for 30-60 minutes a day. Maybe you feel like you're about the sprout floppy ears and a cute little cotton tail because of all the veggies you're consuming. Maybe, when the scale stopped moving you felt like heading over to your closest mega-mart and buying all your old "favourites" and spending the evening eating all of it....because, if you're not losing weight, then what's the point!!!!!!!


THE POINT!!!!


*Every time you exercise, your body gets stronger, your heart gets healthier.
*Every time you choose not to binge, you choose to step forward on your healthier path.
*Every time you get up off the couch and get your body moving, you move a little further away from the sluggish shell of a person you used to be.

Only a pound down this week? Hmmm, looks like a lot to me.

Success: not always how you think it will be.

Week #1

Our Booty Busters did a fantastic job the first week of our Spring session. We have 7 members that were part of our winter session, and 3 new ladies that I am looking forward to getting to know better. :)

Our challenges for the first week were:
Cardio-->150 minutes over the week
Strength Exercises-->Total of 450 reps over the week, doing a combination of:

• push-ups
• shoulder press
• crunches
• reverse flyes               *a good place to start would be 25 reps of each
• air squats
• kettlebell snatch

The results overall were really good. We had a group loss of 20.8lbs, and I know it will only get better after this.

Even though this is a competition, I think ( and hope) it will be more. I know it has been for me over the past year and a half.

Having a group of people working towards the same goal as I am really keeps me committed. I know if I am having a bad day, I can post in the group and I will get the support I need. I know if I succeed, I will be recognized. I love that, I mean, who doesn't love being told they did a good job!

I hope my fellow Booty Busters know they have my support and my encouragement as well. :)

....In Medias Res....

It's not the beginning of my journey, and it's nowhere near the end ( fingers crossed!).

On March 14th, 2010, I was fed up. I wasn't at my highest weight, but I wasn't a healthy weight. I wasn't healthy at all. I was dissatisfied....with my body, my mental health, my life. I was surely not the best I could be in terms of being a wife or a mother either.

                                (My "before" in December 2009)

In previous years, I had blamed everyone but me for what was going on.

"I'm too busy with the kids."
"I'm too tired."
"My diet isn't that bad."
"I deserve a treat."

I'm sure that some or all of these excuses are ones you may have heard, or used yourself.


I was always on the lookout for a quick-fix too. I didn't want to work, I just wanted to be thin. It took way too long for me to smarten-up and realize that I HAD TO EAT GOOD FOOD TO FEEL GOOD. There wasn't going to be a magic pill (or shake, or supplement). So, I began with baby steps in the kitchen. Pop, gone. Less cheese, more fresh freggies, WATER.....



I started out small in the fitness as well and purchased Jillian Michael's "30 Day Shred" . I honestly thought I would die. I didn't (obviously). For the first week, I squeaked when I sat down, and groaned as I stood up. My poor hamstrings were positively mutinous! I finished all 30 days.....then it was ON!

Since then, I have joined 2 weight loss competitions, have run and participated in 2 more. I have met a wonderfully supportive group of ladies, who help keep me going on this crazy ride.

Since then I have started running! I was the gal who said I'd only run to save my kids or if my house was on fire! Just 2 weeks ago I ran my first 10K with some of my fellow Booty Busters and, of course, my Fabulous Running Buddy!

Our Spring session of Booty Busters begins this Wednesday. I'm so looking forward to it! new challenges, new people and plenty of support from everyone!

Busting Booties....one booty at a time.