The Midlife Reframe

Category: fitness

  • 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
     

  • Back to the GYM!!!

    I know, Super Pumped RIGHT???


    Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve actually been to gym before.  Worked in one even.  Trained people too 😉

    This is a nice small gym at my workplace (big bonus points – it’s RIGHT THERE) and I know the guy who runs it very well.  I always feel welcome and he knows that I was a trainer in the past.  So he lets me do my thing and we chat about my injury and what I am thinking of doing in the future with my fitness.  It’s nice and chill.

    There is only one other gym I would frequent in the HRM – and that is 360 Fit

    Devin and the gang at 360 Fit are wicked awesome.  If they were closer to me in Halifax, I would be kickin’ it there 😉  But  they’re in Burnside…and it would take me forever to get there at lunch.  If you are over the bridge and are looking for some killer bootcamps and trainers…GO TO THIS GYM!

    As I sit here typing, my legs are nice and sore (legs on the elliptical day yesterday).  I chose the elliptical because cardio…and it gave me something to hold onto while I worked the legs.  I am not a “bouncer” on the elliptical.  I want to work my muscles, not jiggle my junk…lol.  It felt great and I am once again hooked!

    I went for a walk with my friend T today on the waterfront, and we climbed the Danger Wave 😉  

    Danger Wave….beware



    Tomorrow is yoga at the gym , which is good because these legs need a good stretch and my inner peace needs some major peace (and there is a nice spot for me to hang where I can keep my balance, not fall over and hurt others!).  This is also in addition to my yoga challenge – Day 29 tomorrow!!!!

    I do miss my hot yoga….maybe after surgery, and recovery, and physio….

    So, stay tuned for some workouts and gym selfies!  Woooooo!

    And Christmas stuff…because it’s December, and I love Christmas!!

    But my next post is my review of my 30 Day Yoga Challenge.

    #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

     

     

  • Working it out…..

    The whole “not running” thing

    I know it’s not FOREVER, but the thought of not even having my surgery for another 6 months is very disheartening.  But that is how free health care works.  Unless I get worse, I wait.

    Can I do other things?  Yes.

    Problem being, it will become a robotic motion.  Working out will become about counting reps and coming up with something that will spark my interest.

    Biggest problem, it was my job when I was first diagnosed with depression.  I was a zombie – not remembering what exercise was next, not counting reps.  It was a whole bunch of bad.

    It’s hard to separate the event from the time in my life.

    Running was my way to reconnect.  To run was to be free.  To decompress.

    Is yoga good?  Yes, I love yoga.  Yoga does help me reconnect. It helps me sleep.

    Am I drowning in my own pity party?  Most would think so.

    But for me, I can’t just turn it off.  Then I get angry.

    Angry that I feel like this.  Angry at those who love me for suggesting other options.  Options I know, but don’t want to hear right now.

    Then – Stubborn Amy rises and says all the things she will do after the knee is operated on – because depression/anxiety = irritation and defensive.

    So, I am pulling out my old workout cards

    Hoping that there are some workouts that spark my interest.  Workouts I can do at home.  Doing them at home is safe for me right now.

    Having a piece of bone/cartilage floating around makes your stability difficult.  If I am home and fall, I can adjust and move on – there is no one around me.

    Do you find that weird?  It may be to the regular gym going person.

    I just don’t want to talk about it I guess.  I am afraid that if I go somewhere and have my knee give out or lock, someone will try to help me.  Then I will get mad, not at them, but at my knee.  Then they may wear my anger.

    I don’t want anyone to wear my anger.

    It’s the reason why I get quiet, or change the subject.

    I’m not mad at anyone.

    I’m mad at the situation.

    I’m mad at my knee.

    I just keep reminding myself….better days are coming.  Even when I don’t feel like they are.

    #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
     

     



     

  • Total October Randomness

    Here we go!

     This is what I am doing right now….running while I can!

    I see the surgeon in 20 days.  So as long as it is not torrential downpour or hurricane force winds, I am going to try and get as much running time in as is humanly possible.

    I’m not going gangbusters mind you, but with the thought of being laid up for possibly 6-8 weeks and then recovery…well I am going to get it all in.

    Same with my yoga.  Home and at the studio.  I will practice every day!

    I want to be in great condition so I can kickass in recovery.

    The better shape I am in, the quicker my recovery time.

    And now…..other ramblings….

    So, as some of you know, I am a single mom.  This is both challenging and rewarding.  Challenging when the other parent is not involved, but rewarding because I see the awesome human I am raising on my own.  

    There have been times when I have doubted the job I am doing, just like every other parent.  Parenting is hard, period.  Even with both parents.  There are times you doubt every decision you make. 

    As parents, we are always hard on ourselves.  Harder than anyone else would be on US.  We keep our doubts and inner criticisms to ourselves.  No parent is perfect, no matter people may think or say.  We’ve all made mistakes and we learn from that.  We need to help each other out.  Give each other some pats on the back.  This is one hard gig!

    And then more randomness today because sometimes….

    I get the schlumpies.

    That’s what I call my bad days with depression.  The days I want to hibernate.  

    I find it gets worse when I don’t see the sun for more than 2 days.  

    No matter how much I run, how much I yoga, sometimes they just come along and pull the rug out from beneath me.

    Rude, yes.  I just find ways to get through them.  Whether it’s medidation, chocolate or some downtime with Netflix, I make it.  If it is really bad, I reach out, because sometimes the schlumpies leak out my eyes.

    In the end…

    I am still here.  Grateful for everything I have.  Grateful for everyone in my life.  Grateful for those who didn’t hang around.  I try to learn from every experience, good or bad.  There is a lesson in everything if you step back and look.

    Am I stubborn? Yes.  Will I make decisions that suck?  Yes.  But I get up the next day and start over.  Every day is a new beginning.  Yesterday is gone.  Put your feet on the ground and start over.

    It’s the best part, starting over.

    I’ve done it a lot.  You can too 🙂

    Sending out high fives and hugs!  We are all doing the best we can to get through this life.
     

     


  • When Life Gets in the Way….

    Like this past week.

     

    Yep, that was my look when last Tuesday hit.

     I’ve had an EVIL cold.  Not just a regular old head cold.  It is accompanied by this lovely hacking cough.

    And of course it’s that really random cough that happens at the most inappropriate times:  on a long bus ride, laying down, sitting up, during regular breathing, when you are trying to have a regular conversation…..you get the idea.  I sound like seal.

    I only wish I looked this cute!

    Fluids, rest, get what fitness I can in during my day, and rest some more.  This has been my agenda since last Tuesday.

    Now I know some folks would think…

    Hey fitness chick, sweat that puppy out!

    If it was a head cold and a week later, I would agree.  I would have been moving and grooving once the head cleared up.  A cough is a different story. Especially with running.  I need the lungs in good shape!! (even with my gimpy short runs right now) This has, of course put a stop to my hot yoga classes and any other group oriented fitness.  I don’t want to spread that love around.  Besides, I’d scare the living crap out of everyone in Savasana!!

    Since I am older, wiser and not AS stubborn

     

    I am taking the time I NEED to get better.  I am walking, I am moving and I am RESTING.  I am no good to anyone else, especially me, if I don’t take the time I need to get better.  

    That last statement goes for any situation that life throws at you.  Take the time YOU need to deal with it.  Not what anyone else (outside of the medical profession of course) tells you is the appropriate amount of time.  AND DON’T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT EITHER!

    I remember when I was diagnosed with depression, asking the doc how long would it take for me to “feel better”.  She told me not to worry about “how long”.  Everyone is different.

    So, I am hoping my cough makes it exit and I can get back to it sooner rather than later.  If it gets worse, off to the doc.  If it doesn’t and disappears soon – all good.  Just have to patient, and take care of me 🙂




     

     

  • September, Surgeon, and Looking Towards Late Fall…

    Friday – Awesome Cookie Delivery

    This weekend was awesomeness!

    There were many celebrations this weekend, as yours truly turned yet another year older!

    The awesomeness started on Friday with a delivery to my office…COOKIES!  My “Greg” is super duper fantastic.  These are from Halifax Cookie Cravings. Handmade, with locally sourced ingredients.  She delivers on her bicycle 🙂  MUCH LOVE to this lovely woman!

    Had a great hike on Saturday in Victoria Park (the bottom pics in my mega pic).  It has Jacob’s Ladder, which are the stairs I am walking up…all 175 of them.

    Media preview
    Saturday – Hiking, Luau, and Fire!

    This park is awesome.  We haven’t had much rain lately, so the waterfalls were waterdribbles 😦  But still a great day for a trail hiking adventure!

    Then…..we came home, refuelled and got ready for an evening of Luau BBQ Party Time! Was a ton of fun!  Games, food and great people.  Definitely a great day 🙂 

    Surgeon Appointment!!!  Yahoooo!

    Love love love hot yoga!

    Since I had not heard from anyone for about six weeks, I made a call to Dr. S as he told me to if I had not heard about a referral by this time.  Thank goodness the super awesome receptionist was able to find the info and hand me off to the surgeon who will be doing my knee surgery.  I meet with him in October 😀   Since it will be day surgery, I am hoping I get in BEFORE Christmas.  I would love to be able to run some races next summer/fall!

    For now, I am to stick to my yoga and my short runs.  No racing.

    So, What’s Going on Now?

    Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

    The winning shirt arrived from Runalicious!  Soft, comfortable and fit me perfectly.  It is definitely in my rotation of super fantastic weekend shirts 😀  They have some really great t shirts and running singlets.  Give them a look see!

    Been looking to get some new smoothie recipies.  I’ve gone through Pinterest, but if any of you out there have some quick and easies, please comment below!  I love trying new smoothies 🙂

    For now, I am trying to keep myself healthy and not cause further damage to the knee.  With this condition, where there are already mini fractures and floatie pieces in my knee, sometimes just taking a step can cause it to lock or let go.  Argh.  So my running is spotty, my walking questionable and my yoga full of adjustments.

    So keeping the knee “good” is hard, because I am clumsy.  Really clumsy.  I once sprained my ankle running across the street to a Dairy Queen and I’ve been known to walk into door jambs, while walking towards the door.

    Is anyone else clumsy like me?  lol