The Midlife Reframe

Category: fitness

  • Don’t Come At Me With Your “Diets“

    Or your cleanses. Or your meal plans. Or your supplements.

    I’ve tried lots of things for my body over the years. I’ve also not given my body the respect it deserves. I’ve treated it badly and denied it what it needs to sustain me.

    Even during training for races, I know I haven’t eaten enough. I was too worried about “getting bigger”, instead of worrying about “am I fuelling my body correctly?”

    I really realized during the pandemic how much I was neglecting giving my body the nutrients and calories it needed to keep me going. I was tired, bogged down, and just plan flatlining with everything I was doing.

    Am I bigger now? Yes. Do I really care? No. Can I still be active? Yes.

    I know that I am healthy. I do not have a medical condition that requires any special diets, like celiac or diabetes. I am very lucky.

    It’s time to start taking care of me in a way that’s GOOD for me. No more stressing over calories. Eating good food and moving is what is important.

    Don’t say I need a cleanse…your liver does that for you. Don’t say I need a specific fitness diet…I am not a pro athlete. Don’t say I need supplements…because I don’t.

    If I am not feeling right, I see my doctor, we get bloodwork done and she will tell me what I need to do to get back on track. If it is nutrition we need to work on, she can refer me to someone.

    I’m done neglecting and disrespecting my body. I eat for me and I move for me.

    I know what works for my body, and I am driving this machine. I know what’s good for it.

    Let me navigate this road as I see fit, for me.

  • Dialing Into My Brain

    Today, I had planned to wake up early and get to the gym. There was a spin class I wanted to go to and then do a 30 minute strength training sesh.

    I must have turned my alarm off in my sleep.

    I slept in.

    Then my brain went into overdrive.

    It was a little stormy out. I checked the bus times.

    An hour until the bus came. That would set me back even more.

    (Not really, because the gym is open ALL DAY. Also, it would have given me time to get ready.)

    I had to do a workout right then and there, because I slept in and already wasted time.

    (I probably needed the sleep, to be honest.)

    So I grabbed my bosu ball and my weights, and headed downstairs.

    (My bosu ball needed some air, and I couldn’t find the pump. More chaos ensued.)

    It was after this workout that I took a moment to pause (before my yoga sesh), and finally dialled into my brain.

    I could have calmly waited and got myself ready for the gym.

    What was I afraid of?

    (Starting as a newbie….again.)

    Why didn’t I just slow myself down and talk it out?

    (Old habit of not wanting to know the real reason for the anxiety. Will have to work on that.)

    Would I have died if I showed up at the gym and other people saw me?

    (No. Definitely not.)

    So, one of my deep digs is going to be facing what my brain thinks is a big fear, and trying to talk myself through the situation.

    (If I can, because sometimes the anxiety wins, but I will try my hardest.)

    So, some notes will be going up to remind myself that I am worth the time it takes.

    I will set up a reminder system in my phone of my weekly “outside of the house” plan.

    I will dig deep to find the fear behind the anxiety.

  • Starting Over…Again

    So, if you’ve been following along lately, you have been witness to my roller coaster, love/hate relationship with my fitness.

    Having multiple injuries and running through them made my body go full stop.

    Reality Check: I needed to stop.

    I needed to reassess my body.

    I needed a break.

    Running through my injuries hell bent on finishing up a season took its toll on me not only physically, but mentally as well.

    Not taking time to seriously work on the muscle weakness in my body just made it harder.

    What I loved doing became something I was beginning to despise. I was associating it with pain.

    It was becoming mentally exhausting to get myself motivated to run. To move. So different from the feelings I associated with my running. There was no more joy.

    After taking a little break from everything, I took some time this weekend to think about what this year would look like for me.

    It’s still a little up in the air right now, but I took the first step today. One minute plank.

    Tomorrow will be step 2. I will decide whatever step that is when I wake up, lol.

    Baby steps.

    Baby.

    Steps.

    @crazymamaruns

  • Where Things Sit

    A very happy me (a sick me, lol) after a wonderful 5k at the Valley Harvest Marathon Weekend in Wolfville.

    As I sit here and type this post, it is Thanksgiving Monday in Canada.

    We had a great turkey feast yesterday, after a very early morning traveling so I could run a 5k at the 25th Anniversary of the Valley Harvest Marathon.

    I have a lingering head cold, and was thankful I felt well enough to run this beautiful course.

    I have one more run this season, the Food Run to support Feed Nova Scotia next weekend here in my neighbourhood.

    After having a great run yesterday in Wolfville, part of me started to question my decision to take a break from racing next year (I say this as I think…”well, maybe a few 5ks wouldn’t be so bad”, or “well, maybe some trail running would be better for me”, lol).  As runners we push ourselves to our physical and mental limits.  We question why we do this to ourselves as we run, but then bask in the afterglow.

    Running has always been cathartic for me.  I see things differently after a run.  It gives me a fresh perspective on things.  It connects me to my inner peace.

    The reality of the situation is this:  my body is out of balance.  My weak muscles are the ones that need to be strong, and my strong muscles are making up for the weak.  This is why I need to dial back and work on the imbalances.

    Mentally I need the break from the constant pressure I put myself under.  No one is harder on me, than me.  Trust me on that.

    The running community is a great source of support for me.  I can draw strength and ask for advice.  They do not judge.  They seek to understand and offer advice. I am grateful for that.  They see my back and forth as a struggle to do what’s right for me and my need to lace up and head out.

    I am truly looking forward to working on myself, taking the time to figure out my body at 45 years old, and find out what it is truly capable of.

    So, you’ll still see me out on the road, but you’ll also see me in the gym.  It’s part of the mind/body relationship I’ve ignored for too long.

    This is where things sit, and I’m really okay with it 🙂

    Hoping you’ll continue to come along with me to see where my running will take me down this fork in the road.

    @crazymamaruns

     

  • Running and the Seesaw of Depression

    See this girl here?  This is a happy runner.

    Sun, snow, and a happy 5k.
    Sun, snow, and a happy 5k.

    I am not always like this when I run.  Some of my solo runs are hard sloggy messes.  This is where running becomes more than a physical game.  Mentally a hard run is rough for any runner.  For me a hard run feels like complete failure and no matter what I tell myself, I agree with the voice that is whispering in my ear.   Lanni Marchant herself could sit beside me and say “It’s just one run”.  I still hear the voice.  The one that says “Why bother, you suck”.

    If I don’t get enough sleep, any run can turn into a soul sucking event.  This is why I love my sleep.  It is one of the most important parts of my half marathon training.  It is a big help mentally as well.

    I cherish my good runs.  A LOT.  These make my sloggy messes melt away and I am charged for my next run.  If I am having a good stretch of happies then I can pick myself up, dust myself off, and live to run another day.  🙂

    But if my next run is not so good, and I am not at my best, the seesaw stops being a regular flow and I crash to the ground.

    The equation varies, which creates so many possible outcomes.   I struggle with this every time I train.

    Sunshine can make a bad run not so bad.
    Sunshine can make a bad run not so bad when I am feeling okay.

    When I have a couple of sloggy messes that I need to remember that: #1 I am a human being, #2 I am not getting paid to do this, #3 That means it is not the end of my running, #4 Everyone has bad runs, even elite athletes, and #5 I am lucky to be able to lace up and do something I love.

    Running doesn’t always lift me to where I want to be, but it is something that I love to do.  Giving out big sweaty hugs post run can be quite enjoyable 😉

    Running bonus:  Long run celebratory treats 🙂

    My fav: Coffee and Chocolate Croissant!
    My fav: Coffee and Chocolate Croissant!

    Keep fighting for happy my friends, even on your darker days.

    @crazymamaruns

  • Races, Brain Melts, and the Return of the FitBit

     

    Began 2017 on the right foot. Let's hope I don't injure anything, lol.
    Began 2017 on the right foot. Let’s hope I don’t injure anything, lol.

    Okay,

    So over the holidays I decided that I seriously needed to keep moving this year.  Not just for my physical health, but for my mental health.  I sat and muddled about a fall half marathon.  I wanted something close to home (because I am without my own vehicle, and would need to acquire one for long distance travel) and fun.

    I ended up choosing the Half at Maritime Race Weekend.

    Here is the elevation for MRW Half :)
    Here is the elevation for MRW Half 🙂

    I did the Tartan Twosome there last year (5ks) and really enjoyed the atmosphere and all the goodies offered post race.  Also, the views in Eastern Passage are amazing!

    Also, I purchased a Believe Journal over the holidays.  SUPER EXCITED.

    Plan Amy, plan.
    Plan Amy, plan.

    I am ramping up to start training for the BlueNose Half Marathon shortly and have been writing in my journal daily.  I should be receiving my plan soon and am looking forward to getting back on the training train 😉

    You said Brain Melts?

    Oh yes, brain melts.

    Once I had registered and started to plan out my races, I had a brain melt.

    Then panic.

    What had I done?!?!?

    I am usually a one big race and then all the smaller distances to keep me moving.

    I did not get the kms in that I wanted my first week and by the weekend, it caught up with me:  work, life, running, KERSMASH.

    I had an anxiety moment.  A brain melting, bugs crawling on my skin, flight (not fight), moment.

    I’m good now, but it was yuck.

    And now, let’s talk about the FitBit.

    I Thought You Divorced Your FitBit?

    I did.

    We recently made up, for now.  I put my step goal down to 8,000 and joined a challenge.

    Results from first full week:  I can’t do challenges.  It still ramps up my brain and makes me super anxious.

    But I decided to still wear it.  If anything I can see my sleep patterns and make sure I do get up and move around (she says as she sits and types, lol).

    It gives me some motivation to be active, and see lovely sights such as this on my lunch hour:

    Halifax Waterfront
    Halifax Waterfront

    That is what’s been happening here in the land of Amy so far in 2017.  Come back around soon, as we get ready to document the Odyssey that is my life and how I am going to manage 2 Half Marathons and my brain!

    @crazymamaruns

  • Looking Back….Looking Ahead

    Christmas at Mom and Dad's
    Christmas at Mom and Dad’s

    So here we are.

    2016 is slowly coming to a close.

    2017 is on the doorstep, patiently waiting.

    I decided a year or so ago that I would not do resolutions.  It’s just not me.  It sets me up to self sabotage my well thought out plans.

    This month has been hard mentally.  Deciding what to hold onto and what to let go of was a big thing.  Like taking out my mental garbage.  It’s surprising how much we can hold onto.  Some of it drags us down and some lifts us up.  This week I have been trying to take out my mental garbage.  That has not been an easy task.  I’m doing it.  I. Am. Doing. It.

    I am also thinking about the year ahead and what I want to do when it comes to running.  I won my registration to the BlueNose Marathon this year and I will be gearing up for the half marathon again.  My desire is that I finish it in under 2 hours 10 minutes, as that is my current personal best.

    I’d like to do a fall half marathon as well.  This means I REALLY need to train and run smart in 2017.  It also means I have to take care of myself mentally as well.  Not being on top of my illness and letting it take over my body can throw a big wrench into my plans.  Depression can shut your body down.  If you don’t pay attention it will show up as aches, pains and then injury.  Total body shut down means it hurts to move all the time:   getting out of bed, walking down the stairs, breathing, etc.  Not good.

    I have started weight lifting again (as I type this I have some major DOMS going on in my upper body, and the typing struggle is real, hahaha) and will make an effort to schedule in my yoga daily.  I bought new gloves for weights, a yoga strap (I had been using an old scarf), and a block (again, using something other than a block, read:  my travel foam roller) today to keep me in the groove.

    I am hoping that I can keep this train rolling into 2017 and focus on good food as fuel, proper hydration, and a smart plan when it comes to training.

    I will be thoroughly documenting my ups and downs this year.  My trials and tribulations 😉  Weekly posts will give you an idea where my body and brain are, I promise!

    My train derailed early last year, and I plan to keep it on the rails for 2017.

    I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season so far, and I wish you all the best for the New Year! xo

    @crazymamaruns

     

     

  • Week 1 With a Coach and a Plan – Not Dead Yet!

    Holy Crap I Am Still Alive…

    Also, still able to walk.  Hahaha.

    I received my workouts for the week late last Sunday eve.

    HIIT workouts with running workouts, a rest day, and a cross training day.

    What I loved about the HIIT workouts is that I could adjust to my level of fitness.  I chose to do modified push-ups on the floor.

    My speed workout was a killer.  I live where there are hills EVERYWHERE.  Some of my sprints were UPHILL, lol.

    I tried to do my HIIT workouts in the morning as our weather has been hot and humid. 

    I slept in Friday.  Hot sweaty mess after supper workout.  Blargh.  No more sleeping in 😉

    Being accountable to a coach and a group of people works well for me.  I made sure my workouts were done each day.
    I took my rest day on Thursday (it was supposed to be Saturday) as my muscles were sore.  Carey was glad that I was listening to my body and totally endorsed the rest day on Thursday.  I am feeling the muscles I was definitely neglecting, even with my gym workouts.
    Saturday’s workout was a pyramid (5 min warmup – then x2 of each one fast and one regular pace -> 1 minute , 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute).  This is what I was supposed to do on Thursday.  I really enjoyed this run.  It was hard, but I felt really good and aware of my running, my form, etc.
    I was asked to track my food for a couple of days.  I used My Fitness Pal for this, which I used during my half marathon training earlier this year.  I learned then that I was not eating enough during my training.  This time I also made note of what made me feel good and what made me feel not so good.  (I still ate my feelings a couple of times, lol.)
    Today was cross training day.  After I watched the Olympic Women’s Marathon I did some yoga for 30 minutes.  I was tight for sure, lol.  Felt really good afterwards though.
    I was given a meal plan for the week ahead.  Can’t wait to see how I feel after this week is over with different fuel for my run 🙂
    Being aware of my body and being told every day to be aware of my body is really making a difference.  I don’t ignore pain, I am noticing the muscle groups I am neglecting and focusing on my plan.
    I am currently awaiting my workout plan for next week and I am super exicted!
    If I am still alive next week, you’ll be seeing another post, lol.
    If you went from doing your own thing to a coach, what differences did you notice?  Let me know!

  • The Chronicles of Half Marathon Training – Checkin In and Some TMI

    So Here We Are…

    20 days out.

    2 long runs left.

    During my 16k on the BLT
    It has to be said:  I was feeling SUPER NERVOUS after the plague and the calf strain about my runs.  I was even considering pulling down to a 10k because I wasn’t sure what my body could handle.
    After yesterday, I am feeling SUPER PUMPED about this half.  I felt great yesterday at the end of my long run with my BRF Kara.  I wore my compression socks, I had Nuun in my water bottle and took a Clif Bar for my energy.
    WINNING FUEL COMBO.  
    We also both commented on how great we felt coming back as opposed to heading out.  This bodes well, as usually it is the opposite for me and I want to either nap or die at 16k.

    Also, fueling up with a PB Parfait from DQ the night before – WIN 😉
    We made pretty good time for our long run, considering we felt like we slogged through the first half.  I also had to pee 3kms in on the trail, in the woods.  So that was my walk break, hahaha. (Note to Self:  Always take Kleenex in your pack.)  So no more orange juice AFTER my coffee and oatmeal.
    My legs are doing okay today.  I have my compression sleeves on and eating all the foods 😉
    Next weekend is 18k, then we are down to 13k the weekend before the race.
    Keeping my fingers crossed for decent weather!
    So, now I am going to ride this wave of feeling awesome.  Look out 21.1kms!
    Crazy Mama out 😉

    @crazymamaruns

  • Post Plague, Burger Week, and a Pulled Calf

    Running


    Post Plague Amy had a couple of runs during the week with some gym time. Easing back into it.  I am loving my new Brooks Glycerin 13s 🙂


    The weather has been dicey here, but I lucked in with my timing.  Lots of core work and some legs/glute work (deadlifts anyone?).

    Ahhhhhh Burger Week



    The week when restaurants in Halifax, Nova Scotia, make some delicious burger offerings for us food lovers.  There are also burger combos with a portion of the combo donated to the local food bank!  TeenThing and I have had 3 so far.  I’ve been posting them in Instagram.  So good. Sooooo gooooood.


    Pulled Calf??


    Yes, at the end of my 5km run on Sunday I felt a pull.  By the time I got out of the bath I was limping *insert large sad face emoticon here*.  I pulled on my compression socks and put that calf on ice. Good thing:  no bruising.

    Today I can walk without limping, but I am getting this looked at.  Still a good amount of time out from my race, so I am not freaking out.  Yet 😉

    (Note:  When I saw the Doc last week, she gave me a note for physio.  Just in case.  Blargh!)

    So, March and I aren’t getting along right now, lol.