This week.....

In a slightly better head-space this week. Only feeling slightly dissatisfied rather than overwhelmingly so.

Fitness-wise:

Went to Zumba, dragged myself through Zumbatone ( love the class, but my body was letting me down), and a flow-yoga class.

It was only my third class for yoga. I am liking it quite a bit. I am fairly strong when it comes to the balance poses and not too stiff in the flexibility department. There are a thousand ways I can get better at it for sure, but I don't feel like a complete interloper in class. I did learn that I do not like doing yoga near a mirror. I found it very hard to let myself really sink in to the poses while I could see all the parts of me I try not to think about. (closing my eyes did not help....made me lose my balance).

So, another reason to lose the weight....it will make yoga easier.

No running this week either. :( We're supposed to be doing the "Color me Rad" race next weekend, but, with the horrible flooding in Calgary right now, it's not looking good.

Diet-wise:

Meh.....still a work in progress.  Increase the calories, restrict the calories.....seems I always end up in the same place.

Tip of the week: Check out Go Kaleo , she's great!

Presently Present

....."I miss being the age when I thought I'd have my shit together by the time I was the age I am now"

                                                                                                                         

~original source unknown                                                              

Is having your shit together a mythical state of being? Like being 100% caught up on laundry?

I have encountered people that appear to have their shit together, and I envy them. I mean, all we really see of people is their social face. We can never really know how they feel on the inside I suppose.

I am back in a place I did not want to return to.

Weight/body-wise, I am back to square one. I'll spare anyone who reads this the numbers, but, suffice it to say, I am unhappy.  I have no one to blame for this but myself...gotta get my shit together.

Fitness-wise, I am holding on by my fingernails. I can still run, but I am no faster. I need to make time to do more, move more, lift more.....you know, get my shit together.

Work-wise....let me just say how much I enjoy my job. Today, in discussing some upcoming time away, it was mentioned to me that a monkey could do my job. Perhaps....but I clean up after myself, unlike the aforementioned monkey. In this instance, I do have my shit together ( a monkey would just throw it).

Now we have arrived at the weekend I have been waiting for. All week my head was, well....swirly, yeah, let's say it was swirly. I can't say it's settled now, but, my mood is smoother.

Logically, I know what to do. I won't bore you with the details, I've listed them before. It comes down to three things really:

#1. Stop worrying about the things I cannot control. 

This leads to all sorts of trouble for me, and usually flares my case of Chronic Dissatisfaction. (I do believe I've written about it somewhere before, but, I can't remember. Just watch Vicky Christina Barcelona ).

#2. Shrug your (my) shoulders and let the shit roll off.

It could be argued that this is nearly the same as number one. Not for me though. It is actually a reminder for me to physically shrug my shoulders and take a few deep breathes.

#3. Don't borrow trouble.

Live more presently in other words. The future will unfold, and the only thing that I need to do is be the best I can be in the moment I am in. Stressing about a situation that may or may not arise is a waste of my energy.



So, for today, I will watch the clouds blow by the kitchen window, sip coffee, and spend time with my family.
I will finally complete the family chore chart and my workout schedule I have been putting off.
Oh......and do laundry. I mean, there's always laundry.

Back in the .....Saddle?

I have a plan.

A plan to get my running legs back.


It's a................    Running Schedule. 

That's it.

No tricks, no gimmicks. I entered my runs into the calendar on my phone. I get a reminder that I have a run planned.

I am making appointments with myself.....for myself.

No one is going to do the work for me. Frankly, I am tired of hearing myself whine about the reasons I can't do things.

Big girl running bra and VFF's on....it's go time.

Today's mileage: 2.21 miles

Winter Blahs

     It's been a long time since I made the time to post here. I never know if anyone reads these, and that's o.k. (Though it would be nice to think someone might find the words I type entertaining/comforting/funny)

     I used to blog for me, so I could look back at the things I wrote, kind of like post-its on the calendar that is my life.

...........................................
Then I got a job.
...........................................
The kids went back to school.
............................................
Life got in the way.

The last few months have been a little rough. Not huge-crisis type stuff, but, more like a bunch of little things all rolled up into a big ball that keeps trying to knock me over. 

Winter rolled in in October. Makes for a very long season. At this point, I am of the opinion that snow is only pretty on a Christmas card.

There's been some health related stuff for me ( nothing life threatening and it is mostly resolved now) has really taken the wind out of my sails.

I haven't been running. I am getting back on track there, but, it's a slow road.

I really could use a vacation, and listening to everyone talk about their sun & fun filled trips is killing me a little. ( Oh jealousy, that nasty b*tch!)


So what now?

Well, I have a few choices.

1. I can wallow. Feel sorry for myself and let these winter blahs drag me down.

2. I can stop talking to people.

3. I can suck it up.


So seeing as we still have a good chunk of winter in front of us, I had better suck it up.

I have a treadmill now, so, no more letting the snow stop me from logging my miles.

While I am horribly jealous of those that get to escape winter for a short & sunny time, I am happy for them. They deserve R&R just as much as anybody, and I am glad for them that they got the chance to get away.

Before I know it, it will be Spring. The roads will be clear, and I'll be complaining about the bugs while I'm out pounding the pavement.

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. :)