The Midlife Reframe

Category: blog

  • 2015

    A blank canvas.

    Where there is much uncertainty in the land of Crazy Mama.

    Yep…whole lotta empty right there.

    I had what I am sure was the beginning of Knee-mageddon on Saturday where I went to stand up and something moved….something REALLY moved inside my knee.  

    There was pain and quite a few bad words.

    When I woke up the next morning, there was a smallish lump up above my knee.  I tried to show my Greg, but he SO did not want to see it.

    So I moved it.  Smooshed it back to where it came from…I think.  Then something tried to escape on the inside of my leg from inside my knee.  So, I smooshed IT back to where it came from.  

    I think.

    I called the surgeon’s office on Monday and got an appointment for January 9th.

    I figure the piece of cartilage/bone that is already in there really wants to escape, or a friend has joined it from FemurTown.

    This also happened after my FitBit christening.  I took over 13,000 the first day.  Now I am lucky to make it to 10,000.  Boo-urns.  My cousin’s wife is currently kicking my BUTT.

    Not that I am taking this lying down!

    Because I am not.  I am still goal planning with yoga, and gym stuff, and my whole life in general.

    I just want to be able to plan a run.  Not a big run, but a run.

    And I know I will.

    But back to my FitBit…

    I absolutely LOVE my FitBit Flex! My Greg gave it to me for Christmas. It has a lime green band and I am absolutely enthralled.

    This puppy tracks my steps, my sleep (the quality and quantity), I can also plug in my food and water on the app.  I don’t know how I survived before it!!!  (Well, okay, I DO, but shut up…..lol)

    This is my first “device” that I have attached to my body to track anything, so I am totally biased right now.  I believe that you have to find what works for you.   But I just love this little guy and so enjoy having it buzz and light up when I hit 10,000 steps!  So addicted!

    I am still really digging into all it can do.  So awesome.

    So, resolutions?

    Have to say, not really making any this year.  Only because it really is a blank canvas for me.  A lot of unknowns.  

    Usually, as a person with depression/anxiety, this would send me around the bend.

    But for some reason.  I’m okay.

    I think that maybe I needed this break to realign.  To get back to the other forms of fitness that compliment my running.

    A crappy way to take a break, but you have to play the cards you were dealt.

    So, I have begun to read The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga

    I am writing down things that inspire me, so that I can share them on my blog.

    I am also doing a 10 day Yoga InstaG Challenge with Erin Motz.

    What has been inspiring you lately?  Who has been inspiring you lately?

    #crazymamaruns

     

     

     

     

  • Christmas Vacation Check In

    Okay, Are You Ready??

     I will do a pic post today 😉

    Christmas Eve – Spotted Christmas Car
    Candied Bacon on my cupcake after Turkey Dinner #3
    Christmas Day – My “Greg” was good to me! xo
    Christmas Day with Auntie – Turkey Dinner #4
    I now scare my kitties with my Yeti Feet I got for Christmas 🙂

    I logged 13,800 steps yesterday with my FitBit Flex, and I am loving it!  Not being able to run until surgery in the New Year had me bummed, but my FitBit has movitated me to kick butt!

    I hope you are enjoying your Christmas! And yes, I am totally doing a FitBit Blog Post in the near future!!!

    #crazymamaruns

  • What I thought of the 30 Day Yoga Challenge!

    Kickin it with Erin Motz!

    So now that I have some time to breathe and reflect, here it is!

    When I was told not to run until my surgery, I was feeling kind of down.  I  knew I had to keep moving somehow!

    I hopped on the interwebs and searched diligently.

    It was then that I saw Erin Motz’s 30 Day Yoga Challenge.  It said “Hey, pick me!”

    Every morning I would roll out of my bed and fling out my mat.  Erin was happy and real.

    Because I have an injury, I had to modify my poses.  I picked a nice spot in my bedroom where I had access to furniture and walls in case I fell over during my knee “give out” moments.

    I was pleasantly surprised about how sweaty I was at the end of each session 🙂

    These are not super long sessions, which is another bonus.  It allowed me to get my yoga in before getting ready to start my day.  If I really enjoyed the session, I would sometimes do it again at night.  Because YOGA.

    One of the things I really enjoyed were the restorative days.  As in the photo above, there were days set aside for muscles we all forget about.  The wrists and hands are important!

    I also enjoyed the days focused on the lower backs and hip openers.  As a runner, these days were awesome!!

    I can say that there are many moves that I was not able to do, and wish there had of been a sidebar for a slow progression into Crow Pose or a Headstand.

    At the end

    All in all, I really enjoyed this challenge!  Would definitely recommend for anyone who has been doing some yoga 🙂

    Has anyone else done this challenge?  What did you think?  Any others you would like to share?

    #crazymamaruns
     

  • Christmas Post….What I Learned About Charlie Brown Today….

    Yes, Charlie Brown.

    Today, V (my daughter) and I attended a concert.  Tales of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

    Such classy broads 😉

    I was lucky enough to win tickets to this event through a Twitter Chat I participated in last Wednesday with East Coast Moms 

    For those of you that don’t know, Jerry Granelli (drummer of the Vince Guaraldi Trio who wrote the score for A Charlie Brown Christmas), is from Halifax, Nova Scotia.  His Trio performed for the audience today with the Vivace Children’s Choir.

    We attended the Matinee, which was filled with families.  Such a great atmosphere!

    Once the Trio and the Choir took to the stage, Jerry shared many stories about Vince, the recording of the soundtrack and the cartoon itself.

    Things I did NOT know:

    • Lee Mendelson heard Cast Your Fate to the Wind and contacted a jazz writer for the San Francisco Chronicle who put him in touch with Guaraldi, and asked Guaraldi to score the cartoon
    • Coca Cola commissioned and sponsored the special 
    • CBS did NOT want to air it.  Too slow.  Did not like the Linus reading from Bible. They said “NO”
    • Coca Cola said “YES”

    And we know who won.  Thank you Coca Cola!

     
    They also showed a clip during the performance of the Guaraldi Trio recording the score in the studio.  I had no idea Vince had a stylin moustache!

    Apparently, the ‘stache used to scare Jerry 😉

    The afternoon was filled with the awesomeness of Charlie Brown and has totally gotten me in the Christmas mood!!

    If they do something similar next year, I am totally getting tickets!

    I think we often lose track of what Christmas is all about, and the reason I love A Charlie Brown Christmas is that it brings it all back to the real reason in a super cute way.

    So, take some time with your family and remember why we celebrate this wonderful holiday!

    #crazymamaruns

  • Getting Close to the End – 30 Day Yoga Challenge!

    Today was Day 22 – Restorative Yoga

    What I love about this challenge is that Erin throws in restorative days.  These are days with nice, slow stretches that feel sooooooooooo goooooooooooood.

    Another thing I love about this challenge, is that it has opened me up to so many poses.  I get excited for the next email to pop into to see what I am doing the next day!

    What I can offer as advice is this:  If you are not comfortable with any pose – do not feel like you have to do it.  A big part of any physical activity is listening to your body.  

    Runners are guilty of ignoring certain tweaks 😉  But – since I can’t ignore my tweak, it reminds me that I really SHOULD listen to anything that doesn’t feel right.

    Any runners out there as stubborn as me?  Does anyone else have a weirdo knee issue?  Floating cartilage?  lol

    (What did she do with the Coconut Butter??)

     

    This is the coconut butter I won at yoga 🙂

    WELL, this past week has been crazy busy at work and at home.

    I have been using it in smoothies.  Let me tell you – it is the BOMB!  Of course, it helps if you love coconut, which I do.  A lot.  I am searching recipes for fudge (yum) using coconut butter, so I may be doing some fun food stuff on the weekend.  Already planning for apple butter 🙂  

    If anyone has a great easy recipe for slow cooker apple butter, please let me know!

    So, what’s coming up in the next little while?  THE GYM.  You’ll be seeing some gym blog posts in the near future…and look out for my gym selfies 😉

    Until next time my interweb peeps!

    #crazymamaruns


     

  • I MISS RUNNING!!!!!

    No matter how much yoga or planks or burpees I do…

    I miss my running.

    All over the yoga challenge.  Love it.

    But my running – I miss my endorphins.

    I will continue on with my yoga and my challenges and my gym going.

    And I will love it.

    But not as much as my running 😉

    Next post:  using coconut butter – good? bad? smoothie? with a spoon? fudge?

    Oh the possibilities!!!

    #crazymamaruns

      
     

  • Mom Post – Overwhelmed and Holding it Together

    It’s that time of year.

    Getting close to the Holidays (I know we’re not THAT close, but it is gonna sneak up on you I tell ya!) and my brain is close to being fried.


    Keeping myself on track, happy, healthy and on top of all my tasks is becoming overwhelming.  I have things to keep me on track, don’t get me wrong: Reminders, Apps, Calendar Appointments.

    I just feel like I am drowning.  Like there are not enough hours in the day.

    Work is becoming crazier.  It’s that “let’s get it all done before the end of the year” push.  Piles of paper and boxes are everywhere.  Nerves are frazzled.

    Then, there is getting everyone’s Christmas Gifts made/purchased (I do not like being a last minute shopper) while completing other projects for paying customers….hibernation seems like a great idea.

    It is during times like these that I just want to sit down and cry.  For real.

    But, as a single mom I have to keep it together, without losing myself to the chaos.  I do have a great support system.  Some days it’s good to know I can just rant and they will listen.  But some days I just don’t want to burden them, because I am just so tired and don’t want to talk.

    So at night, before I go to bed, I sit.

    And breathe.

    Just for a couple of minutes.

    And then, I may or may not scream into my pillow, depending on the day.

    But I take comfort in knowing that I am not alone.  That moms everywhere are sharing my plight, and are in the exact position I am – whether you are a stay at home mom, or a working mom.

    We all get overwhelmed.  And we all collectively scream into our pillows.

    So if you will excuse me, even though it is mid-day, I think I need to scream into MY pillow.

    #crazymamaruns

     

     

  • Wet and Wild Lucky 7 Relay! (Bucket List Run – Canadian Running Magazine!!)

    So I volunteered for the Lucky 7 Relay Race

    And got myself down to the Atlantica Hotel on Saturday to pick up my awesome Race Crew T!

    Woohoo!  Go Race Crew!

    Of course, we ARE on the East Coast of Canada, so the weather is always unpredictable.  I got up on Sunday, ate my breakfast and gathered my gear to wear.  Needless to say, I was not exactly thrilled with the temperatures…

    This called for My Soxy Feet long socks!  They were feet layer #1 😉

    When I arrived at the top of Citadel Hill, it was misty, cold and kinda blah.  Actually a little colder than I thought (note to self – more layerage when NOT running!)  I met up with Stacy (Runner and Race Director) in the “Don’t Park Here” Parking Lot (oops!) and my job at that moment was given to me.  I was the “Don’t Park Here” Girl.  I was given a fabulous helper and we directed folks to the other entrance for parking. 

    It IS as cold as it looks!  lol (Yay rain coat and pants!)

    The “Don’t Park Here” Parking Lot

    The TNT Purple People setting up their water station 🙂

    So, once all the volunteers and sponsors made their way in, our job at that station was done.  

    I was then assigned down by the Finish Line with a couple of other awesome volunteers to make sure runners did not walk back over the Atlantic Chip finish line with their bibs on!  This was harder than you might think! Being a relay, everyone wanted to head over to cheer on the next leg.  (The race started inside the Fort and you are to run 7 times around the Citadel to complete your leg.)

    (To check out some awesome photos of those folks running – head on over here: Photo Stream )


    I was as vigilent as I could be, holding my “Keep Right to Finish” sign and trying to cheer on the runners in the off and on torrential downpours with super wind that was going on – trying to stop those from crossing that finish line!  A couple runners got past me and totally wonked their finish time 😦  Bib numbers were taken so they could fix up the times of those who literally walked back over the sensors.  Eeeeeep!  Trying to steer runners away is NOT an easy job!  We are some determined people!  (By the second and third leg, this was much easier as folks were given the info before they ran out.)

    So we cheered and blocked 😉  I was given relief about halfway through Leg 3 and headed back inside the Fort to stay dry and have snacks.


    Watching the rain from INSIDE…snack time!
    Cold and wet hands….brrrrr
    Attempting to warm said hands.

    I was there when the winner from the Third Leg made it in to get his bag and change.  What a rock star!

    Third Leg Winner!  He was shaking like a leaf…

    This was my fabulous helper’s tower – he made it out of counter popsicle sticks 😉

    I ran this race last year (it was around the Halifax Commons) and absolutely loved it!  It is so much fun, and I ran a super awesome 38 min 7k….I was over the moon 🙂

    This race also provides a warm breakfast afterwards at the lovely Atlantica Hotel (their Sunday breakfast buffet in the regular restaurant is also TO DIE FOR).  The oatmeal was amazing, as well as the croissants and muffins, juice and coffee!!  I was able to boot it over and warm up my belly, thereby warming up everything else, as my gloves were soaked and my body temp had regulated back to “Holy Crap It’s Cold” after moving and bopping around to keep warm on the Hill. 

    I highly recommend this race as a must do!  The fun, the costumes and the atmosphere….well it just rocks!  When the Race Director is cheering you on at the finish line – well, I am wondering if Stacy has a voice today!!  We had so much fun.

    Oh Starbees….how happy I was to see you.
    These puppies were left to dry in the Van!!

    To close out – I have to give MEGA shout outs to those who ran in those conditions (especially those in costume!!).  Cold wet rain sucks!  I also give a HUGE shout out to my fellow volunteers who cheered and stuck it out for the whole morning!  We are awesome!

    And thank you so much to Stacy.  You run a good race girl 🙂

    #crazymamaruns

  • Okay, For the Most Part, I LOVE Social Media

    It’s a way for everyone to connect, share, and educate.

    Until you read small 140 character blurps that can be misinterpreted.

    It’s like broken telephone.  What you want to say ends up being shortened with no real “meat” to it.

    After our trek to Lawrencetown Beach today to watch the waves and hike along the cliff to get some cool “post-Gonzalo” wave pics:

      
    My Greg and I were catching up on news/events through our social media as we are geeks and it’s a great way to get a quick snapshot of what’s going on.  We both had friends running marathons, so it’s great to keep up on the event.
    While we were chatting, he came across a tweet that said something to the effect of: if you eat small meals your stomach will stay small and you will be able to see “your abs”.  Now I am hoping that this was not now it was intended to be read.  But the written word can be misinterpreted.

    THIS is why irked me:

    Your stomach is located here:
    The intestines, below.  “Abs” are the muscles.  Not your stomach.
    Fat surrounds muscles, body organs, etc.  It gets everywhere.  You need to eat clean and exercise to burn the fat and create lean muscle.  Burning the fat allows the lean muscles to “show through”.
    Yes, the stomach does stretch, but it also contracts.  Unless you are eating GIGANTIC meals at every sit down, it won’t be an issue.  [Once you continue to stretch out your stomach by overeating on a regular basis [like every day] the switch that sends the signals your stomach sends to your brain, indicating fullness and hunger, starts to get gummed up. After a while your stomach only says, “I’m full,” after its severely stretched out. And then it may start to go “HEY! Feed me!,” when its still half-full.]

    Small meals?  Yes, eating every 2-3 hours throughout the day is good – because your metabolism stays fired up, and working out builds your lean muscles, which in turn make them fat burning machines.  The whole wording of that tweet just irked me to no end.

    If you are still reading…..A bigger reason why it irked me:

    In a time where we are trying to empower our young women (and men) to be HEALTHY – not skinny, I am so afraid that there are young men and women out there reading the 140 character snippets or FB posts and misinterpreting the meaning behind it.  They will not dig to find out what is BEHIND the tweet, or FB post, or any other social media blurb.  They read it and believe it.

    This is a part of the reason I am proud to be an Ambassador for Sweat Pink (Fit Approach) , Girls Gone Sporty and My Soxy Feet.  These are communities that support EVERYONE and we share information that has “meat” to it.  We ask questions.  We read.  We investigate.  We blog and share our experiences with the public.

    It is also why I love my Twitter running fam.  We share our information on what has worked for us during weekly chats.


    What we have to remember is:  every person will have their own special formula that works for them, because WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT.  

    We are so much more that 140 characters, a Facebook post, an Ello post, or a forum comment.

    Keep asking questions.  Don’t limit your knowledge to a tweet, a post, or a picture.

    I’ll end with this:

    My advice:  Ask an expert.  A doctor, a nutritionist, sports specialist.  Get information for YOU.

    Best advice:  Love yourself for who you are.  Get healthy because you WANT to.  For YOU.  Healthy comes in many sizes.  Don’t think you need to look a certain way to be healthy.

    Keep. Asking. Questions.


    #crazymamaruns
     

     



     

  • Something Serious…

    I’ve talked about it before.

    This whole issue surrounding mental illness and it’s stigma.

    I told my story in a previous post (the short and sweet version) but still I hear of so may of those suffering and who are pushed aside.

    These aren’t celebrities.  These are your everyday people.  Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, lawyers, doctors, police officers, men and women who serve our country, and I could go on.

    To belittle a mental illness takes us back to the days where they would not bury mentally ill people in the church yard because they had “demons”.

    This illness is real.  To ask for help is hard.  To accept you are ill with something no one can “see” is harder.

    When someone shares the fact that they have mental illness, they trust you.  Trust you enough to not turn away in disgust or pity.

    And even if help is given and accepted, we have setbacks.  Just like every other illness.  Sometimes treatment is a life long thing.  The battle is a daily one.

    People with mental illness need to know they matter.

    We don’t want to be treated differently.  But we do want people to understand.

    Sometimes our bad days are really bad.  To go outside and face the world too overwhelming.

    We didn’t chose this.  We didn’t ask for it.  We don’t want to “stay that way”.

    We are sick.

    We are human.

    We matter.