The Midlife Reframe

Category: runner

  • 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

     

     

  • 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
     

     



     

  • It’s Almost Here.

    My date with the surgeon.

    And I have my nervous face on.

    I mean, I pretty much have a good idea about what is going to happen.  It’s just hearing him say it, and I can ask detailed questions about recovery.

    I’ll be fine going into surgery.  I just know it won’t be pretty when I am done.

    So, as of tomorrow it’s one week.  Let the finger chewing….BEGIN!

    It was turkey weekend here.

    Canadian Thanksgiving.  Food, Family and what we are all thankful for…..TURKEY!  I had my share, both Sunday and the holiday Monday.  Some say our Thanksgiving coincides with the start of hockey season….and that is why we celebrate in October, lol.  Who am I to debate THAT!

    Today was my turkey hangover.  It involved A LOT of coffee and water.  Bad combo for my Tuesday-Monday.

    What’s on my mind now??

    Races.  When can I run them?  Will I ever do a full marathon? I have so many races that I want to do.  I’ll have to sit down and make a plan once I have full details of surgery and recovery.

    So I am continuing with my yoga practice at home.  I will be volunteering the first weekend of November at the Lucky 7 Relay here in Haliwood, NS, and getting some runs in where I can.  (As long as my knee behaves!)

    I was lucky on my Sunday run to tweak my stride a little and lead with my hips.  What a big difference that made!  I am learning more and more about my body and it’s mechanics as the years go by.  It is definitely an adventure, especially getting older and having injuries 😉

     

    So, what does everyone do during their downtime?  Do you cross train more? Lift? Cycle? Swim?

    I’d love to hear from you out there.  Drop me a comment!

     

  • 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.

       

  • 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 🙂