Foot Test Went Well

On Saturday as I rolled out of bed I noticed that there was no pain in my foot. Normally I'd feel a bit of pain as I put some pressure on it. But not on Saturday. That was a good sign and lifted my spirits. Yay!

On Sunday, the same thing happened - no pain. Yay!

Come Monday, again no pain. Yay!

So today I decided to walk on the treadmill and see how the foot felt. I've been walking around barefoot in the house, walking in my chucks and sandals outside, so I hope I maintained some of my foot muscles during this recovery period.

I just walked slow and it felt alright. After a few minutes I could feel a tiny bit of soreness so I didn't push it. I continued to walk. Then I started to lift my feet to simulate my running form. Gosh, it was hard to hold back and not run.

Got off the treadmill and did some arm workouts with weights. I'll continue with the 10min walks for the rest of the week to evaluate my foot. Then maybe speed up the walking and get into running. But the rule that keeps kicking me in the 'B' double-O 'T' 'Y' is something I must listen to now.

Start s-l-o-w-l-y.

Oh man, it's been a long time. What? 3 weeks now? Yikes! Yeah, I DO NOT want to go through that again.

At night I am super cautious about walking slow. Many times I do turn on the light because I have this fear of stubbing my toe again. I miss running and I want to get back into the groove. While on the treadmill I can tell that my calves missed their workout too.

I did do a tiny run in my chucks this morning as I was dropping my son off at school. Hey, he made me chase him. What's a mom to do? It felt alright. I considered the act as a baby step.

10 Year Cancer Survivor - Join the fight!

Last month, October, was Cancer Awareness month. I celebrated LIVESTRONG Day by wearing my yellow LIVESTRONG shirt during my first 5k. I also wear my yellow band everyday. I donated to Lee Denim Day at work. I also promoted #beatcancer on Facebook and Twitter. And Team Lagade walked in the ACS Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in San Francisco. I do what I can to help spread the word. Not only in November, but throughout the year.

me before the walk

I H8 CANCER!

I really do. So many people I know are affected by this horrible dreadful disease. So may people I know, know others who are dealing with it. My cousin's friend's husband just passed recently. Why? My father in law lost a toe due to an infection that wouldn't heal. Why? Why does this have to happen?
Unfortunately, your medical professionals won't help you prevent this. Yes, the check ups are a good starting point, and they'll tell you eat right and exercise, but that's all they'll do for you. DON'T just count on your medical professionals. They see a great number of patients daily, so they can't keep track of you or check up on you unless you're in a hospital bed.

I spoke to my primary physician about my concern about getting breast cancer. 

Why?

My cousin had it, along with brain cancer, and she passed this year. RIP coz. She was in her early 40's. My aunt had breast cancer and is now a 10 year survivor. How remarkable is that?! Woot! Woot! I just had to share this info and express how I feel about this disease.

 Susan G. Komen Walk 2009

 Susan G. Komen Walk 2010

 

So what are the chances I'd get it? According to my doctor, she wants to start breast exams when I'm 35. Ok, cool. She told me about the BRCAI and BRCAII tests. Ok, cool. Let's do it! Doesn't it make sense to take the tests to see if I'm a carrier of a breast cancer gene? You know...try to be preventative here. But get this, if I am a carrier then it's noted in my medical record. AND if I do get cancer, guess what!

I would be UNINSURABLE. 

Yup! Can you freakin believe it?! UNINSURABLE. Say it with me...

un-in-sur-able

Yeah, so I'd pretty much get a big freakin EFF YOU from the insurance companies. What would you do at this point? Give it a think. It's pretty hard to swallow. Because of this, I opted not to take the tests and do all I can to be preventative.

Note: I have heard that there was an act that would make the insurance companies cover you even if you are a carrier. If it's true, it would be a great start. If you have info, please contact me.

YOU need to take care of yourself. I've said it before and I'll say it again - YOUR body is YOUR temple. Yes, eat right and exercise. Include cancer fighting food in your diet. Get enough sleep. One of the best sources of info is by Dr. David Servan-Scheriber. He had brain cancer. After conventional treatment, he beat it. But his doctors told him to go back to living his life as he did before cancer. You know what happened? His cancer came back. You see, even doctors don't have all the answers, so you must do your own research. If you've gone to his website and want more info, he has written a book called, Anticancer: A New Way of Life.


So what am I doing to be preventative?

• I exercise daily. I keep moving.
• I buy mostly organic food.
• I eat lots of fruits and vegetables daily.
• I limit red meat.
• I eat clean.
• I limit intake of high fructose corn syrup.
• I do not smoke.
• I do not drink alcohol.
• I drink lots of water and green tea.
• I even limit items I apply to my skin in order to be a natural as possible.
• I examine my body.
• I try to get 7 hours of sleep a night. (this one is difficult for me)

As you can tell, I'm very passionate about spreading the word about cancer. Life is WAY too short and precious. I was a teen once, and thought I was invincible. Even in my 20's, I figured I had lots of time. But in all honesty, you don't. More and more kids are dying of cancer. More and more adults are dying of cancer. It does not discriminate.

What are you doing to prevent cancer?

How are you spreading the word?

Join the fight. Lets #beatcancer!

Turkey Lunch, Dinner and the Aftermath

Hello to all the full bellied shoppers out there. I am avoiding Black Friday by hiding out at home. I'm not one for standing in long lines and crowds. But most of all, I'm not one for spending money as I am quite frugal.

How was everyone's Thanksgiving yesterday?

Did you over eat?

Did you fit in a workout?

Did you watch some football?

Thanksgiving Lunch
As mentioned, the hubby did quite a bit of smoking yesterday. He slept a few hours and then got up at midnight to place the turkeys in the smoker. We got up at 6:30am and he put the tri-tip and ribs in the other smoker. By 1:30 it was time to get our grub on. 

The turkeys came out quite moist, the ribs were falling off the bone and the tri-tip was full of flavor. The sweet potato casserole was as yummie as always. The sweet potato pie from my mother in law got rave reviews as always.  The dressing was a hit. And my dripping-less gravy turned out alright. I used the broth in place of water which I think really helped with the flavor. I'd say it was a success.

 fall of the bone ribs

 moist smoked turkey

 flavorful tri-tip

 group pic

 my lunch plate

Thanksgiving Dinner
As the hubby took the Coasties back to base, me and the little man headed over to my grandparents for a small Turkey Dinner. It had a bit of a filipino twist to it since we had 2 types of rice, stir-fry and lumpia. Mmmmm.

During our dinner conversation, the topic of fitness came up. My son was showing my dad pics from my iPhone4. (yes, this gadget is my 5th limb) It started with a pic from my first 5k. Then a pic of me in my Vibrams in Yosemite. Yeah, my dad is one of those people who does not want to feel anything but cushion under his feet. And, like many, question why I prefer to feel the ground.

I am happy to say that I did squeeze in a bike workout in the morning, and did not over eat. As soon as I felt full, I quit eating. I'm definitely listening to my body more nowadays.


Unfortunately I came down with a cold. Yes, I blame the hubby as most wives normally do. It started to progress throughout the night and I went to bed early on a vacation day. Ugh. I tried to stay in bed as long as possible, but I was home alone with the little man and I knew I couldn't leave him alone for long. Although he's pretty self sufficient, he's just 4. I plan to hop on the recumbent in a bit here, and spend the rest of the day nursing this cold.


I'd love to hear about your holiday feasts. 
My one friend Andy had 35 people over. Yikes! Brave man.
My sis and her boyfriend headed to Sin City.
One of my cousins had a quaint dinner for two.

Giving Thanks

In a few minutes, it will officially be turkey day. I am sad to say that I won't be waking up early to attend the Turkey Trot 5k I signed up for. I am super bummed about that. But in order for me to run again, I must continue to let my foot heal. This experience has taught me patience, and I can't wait to reap the rewards.

On a plus side, Turkey Day will be quite eventful for me this year. We are hosting a lunch at home since my brother in law is in California for Coast Guard training. We're smoking some ribs to feast on, as well as smoking TWO turkeys. I am bringing the other turkey to my grandparents for a Thanksgiving dinner.

DOUBLE the turkeys

2 different homes

TWO gatherings

I have never had a smoked turkey before, so this will definitely be interesting. Dan will be waking up in a few in order to start smoking them. About 30  to 40 minutes per pound. And we have a 18lb and a 19lb turkey. I am SUPER excited to try them out. Only downside is that I won't have the drippings for my gravy. I hope the broth from the neck provides enough flavor.

I know this will be a cheat day for most people. It may even be a cheat weekend. No matter what happens, be sure to get back to the grind come Monday. We've worked SO hard in our fitness journey, that we must continue on that path. So have your dark meat, gravy, potatoes and pie...but just remember that this is just a time to cheat and not to revert to our old unhealthy eating habits.

What's Thanksgiving Day without a word of thanks?

I would like to give thanks to those who motivate me. I read your comments on this blog and on twitter. It helps me stay focused on my goal to a healthier me.

I am thankful for my supportive husband. He doesn't understand the whole barefoot thing, but seems to accept it.

I am thankful for my son who understands that running and exercising is important to me.

I am thankful for the Lord. He has blessed me with this awesome experience we call life.

What are you thankful for?

And how did your turkey come out?

The Barefoot Running Book second edition Book Review

I have wanted to read this book for quite some time, and now there's a second edition. Where have I been? Thanks to Jason, I got the opportunity to read it. I spent my lunch hours at work reading this book. I have a cubical job which does not help with being active during the workday. But reading Jason's book kept me in the running spirits. Yay!

physical aspects of the book
Although the cover of the book is in color, the rest of it is in black and white. I felt that eliminating the use of color in the pictures kept a minimalist tone throughout the book. I believe that minimalism and barefeet definitely go hand in hand.

what I liked about the book
I enjoyed reading about his screw-ups when it came to barefoot running because I think many of us experience them and get disappointed. But it really is a learning experience. Although I did my research, I still pushed myself too hard and ended up with TOFP. There is WAY more to it than just taking your shoes off and going for a run as you normally would. Jason provides a multitude of tips on how to get started right. But the detailed descriptions really helped reveal whether my technique was correct or not. His experiences gave the book a human voice. It definitely was not a scientific article which made the reading enjoyable.

Something else that reminded me that this book was written by a human were the spelling mistakes. OH MY GOSH! Those stuck out like a sore thumb. I would find myself focusing on that misspelled word. I asked myself if this book was even reviewed before being published. Having experience as a software tester and a document reviewer, they caught my eye immediately. After the third misspelling, I did find it humorous and reminded myself that that was just Jason's humor. (which he did mention the book would be full of)

Jason added muscle to this book by including articles from doctors, professors, and other barefoot runners. He definitely bled the social theme of his websites into his book. He doesn't take credit for all of the information, but pulls in resources in addition to his knowledge.

who should read this book
If you want to read about history and a story about barefoot running then you should read Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. I've read it and it is a good read. But if you're ready to begin your journey to becoming a barefoot runner, then get a copy of THIS book. It will provide you with the right steps to running free.

Jake Gyllenhaal - A Minimalist Runner

I just had to share. It's a pretty entertaining video.

Gyllenhaal likes running barefoot. Read the article here.

Yes, This Is Still A Running Blog

I know I haven't been posting my runs lately. Well if you've been reading, that's because I haven't been running at all. It's been over a week since my last (and very short) run. It's annoying and I REALLY miss it. I'll have to start off slowly once again, but I think come after Thanksgiving I'll be able to start.

Current status of my foot is that it's better, but not in running condition. For some reason I have some TOFP on the same foot. The toe no longer seems to be an issue, but now TOFP. Gosh, will this never end? I know Lindsay Knake knows what I'm feeling. Hey, it's happens. I really think it's some delayed onset from running on it that Saturday. I was trying to land on different parts of my foot in order to keep running.

Right now I feel a little squishiness on top here, so something is a bit irritated and swollen. Similar to the feeling I got when I had TOFP on my right foot a couple of months ago. So all I can do is wait it out.

I have been trying to keep my legs in shape by biking outside and using the recumbent bike at home. I keep my foot muscles strong by walking barefoot inside the house, and picking stuff up with my toes. To remain active I am doing cross training. Hopefully all of this will make my transition back to running smooth.

But what's disappointing is that it looks like I won't be able to run my last 5k of the year. It would have been a fun one too. A Turkey Trot. I was even going to dress up.

Has anyone had to miss a race due to an injury? Please share because I'm feeling pretty down about ending my racing calendar this year by not showing up to a race.

My Weekend

I had a crazy busy weekend. But then again, most of my weekends are pretty crazy busy even if they're just filled with chores.

Saturday
Went out for a nice and easy bike ride in my neighborhood. It was pretty chilly. I was in shorts and a shirt and my Vibrams. It was nice to get out of the house for some activity. Foot is feeling better. It actually feels like it did last Saturday before I ran on it. Yeah, um, I'm not running on it now. I'll let it continue to heal.
Cleaned like crazy. Shopped for some stuff for Thanksgiving and our Yosemite trip. Got us an 18.31lb turkey at Safeway for $9. Turkey Day is at my place this year again. My brother in law is in town doing some training at the USCG station in Petaluma.

Sunday
Rode the recumbent bike for a bit. Yeah, I focused on legs this weekend.

Headed out to Petaluma to visit with my brother in law. Went out to eat at Black Bear Diner and went to a couple of sports stores. And look who I found at Sports Authority?

I had to take a pic because I was with both of my sister in law's men that day. Paulie and her hubby. She got a kick out of it. I also bought a stability ball....finally.

Then we headed to the beach near Bodega Bay. Hiked down a muddy path to the beach. It was super nice out. It didn't feel like November. Even the fog decided to take a break and let us enjoy the day. We hiked back up and realized there was an easier path which wasn't muddy. Oh well.  My foot was feeling pretty good. I have been putting more weight on it and it hasn't complained....at least not yet.

After dropping off my brother in law we went to Big-5 to buy some gloves. Apparently it's going to snow in Yosemite this weekend. Yeah, it's going to be rainy/snowy and cold for just the 4 days we're going to be there. What can I say? We're just lucky like that I suppose. While we were there, I saw this ginormous camping chair. It was so funny that I had to take a pic.

I also bought my pull up bar. YES! I can't wait until I can actually do a pull up. My gym is coming together nicely.

I'd say this was a pretty productive weekend. But I've been so tired lately and not getting my 8hrs of sleep. (I know, so bad. And I really enjoy my sleep.) I went to bed at 7:15pm. I got a good 10hrs of sleep that was well needed. I wish I could've stayed in bed longer, but duty calls.

I Joined The 365 Workout Crew, and You Should Too

Yes and today I logged in my third day. So far, so good.

So what is this 365 Workout thing?

Are you on twitter? Do you see #365workout from time to time? Well they're part of the crew. Or as Daman Lovett would say, 'Da Crew'. Read about how he came up of with this program. 

So far I am enjoying it! It helps keep me motivated to do some sort of activity each day. Even on my rest days, I do a little something to keep up my activity level. And like Daman, I hope it just becomes second nature to me.

I find it easy to incorporate because I have the freedom to choose what I want to do. I could run, do a strength program, bike, hike, kayak, climb steps...anything I want. This way you can easily do different workouts so you don't get bored with the same routine. Keep it FUN and you're more likely to stick to your fitness goals.

Come aboard and join 'Da Crew'.

Splint, Cross Training and Veteran's Day

Last Night
As soon as I got home I took off my shoes as usual. I was feeling a bit warm so I changed into some shorts and a tank top and walked around barefoot. Mind you, we have pergo and tile at home. My hubby thought I was crazy walking barefoot and dressed in summer clothes since it was cold. It was cold, but it felt great for me.

While at work I continued to prop my leg up. I even massaged my foot using my itty bitty basketball which is the size of a golf ball. I was hoping that the cushioning from my shoes would help, but as I walked around barefoot it felt SO much better than walking in shoes. Darn, did I screw up this healing process? I searched online and found a couple of videos stating that the foot/toes should stay flat. And well, walking barefoot at home, my feet do stay pretty flat.

I found another video of woman who broke her pinky toe hitting it against the bricks surrounding her fireplace. She said there is no need to go see a doctor since they won't do anything anyway. Maybe prescribe some drug for pain, which I personally hate. So she just taped her pinky toe to the toe next to it and just let it heal on its own. Other articles mentioned the same method.

Well my toe isn't broken.

• I can move and wiggle it.
• I can pick things up with my toes.
• And I've felt it and nothing seems out of place.

I think it's still bruised. So I figured I'd try the taping to the next toe and see how that works today. So here it is, taped up with a cardboard splint underneath. Hey, I figured I'd try anything at this point.

This Morning

I woke up early, at 5am. I got on our recumbent bike, picked a workout and did it. I biked 3.5miles. Yesterday I read on John Romaniello's blog that using a recumbent bike can help firm up the glutes. Sweet! I'll let you know if it works for me.

Then I did the last intro phase Turbulence Training workout. Again I incorporated a tip from John Romaniello's blog. He said that during squats, go WIDER. Spread the legs wider. Makes sense, so I did just that while doing prisoner squats. Oh yeah, now I'm psyched to start on the beginner workout this weekend.

And lastly, Happy Veteran's Day! Please take a moment and thank those who have served, or are currently serving. On my mother's side, someone is/was enlisted in every branch of the military except for the Coast Guard. That was complete when I married Dan, as his brother, and his brother's wife have served for 20 years now. And their kids are also in the service. On my father's side, my uncle has served and currently my cousin is serving. I thank them all.

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!!!

When Sidelined, Cross Train!

C-Dog said I was slacking on my blog posts. Hey, I gotta listen to my readers and motivators....so here ya go.

I have been RICE'ing my foot throughout this ordeal. Yeah, I'm still disappointed. I'm going crazy not being able to run. (I've been reading RunMeter updates from C-Dog and Andrew on their runs. So jealous!) And when I can start running again, I'll have to start off slow ONCE again. It's a bit frustrating, but I'm sure I'm not the only runner who has gone through this. Grrrr.... this is NOT looking good for my last 5k of the year. As of now, I'm not even thinking of beating my already slow PR.

Today I noticed that my foot's feeling a little better as I walk on it. I'm receiving this as a sign of progress and healing. Normally having a cube job (sitting in a cubical for 8hrs a day) makes it difficult to stay in shape. As I sit I imagine, and I swear I can feel, my booty expanding. Not the bodacious J-Lo or Kim Kardashian expansion, but like a wide load on a semi. But during these times of recovery, I can prop up my foot for most of the day.

I am glad I started Turbulence Training because it is helping me stay sane while I'm sidelined. I feel great after a workout. I started with the introductory workout which is aimed for those who haven't exercised in a while, or EVER. I could have started with the beginner workout, but figured I would ease into it slowly. Starting slow. Just like barefoot running, you need to start slow. I think the whole 'starting slow' thing is finally clicking with me. Plus, this intro phase of my cross training only lasts for 2wks for a total of 4 sessions. The rest of the time you are doing light activity. For me, it's running...when I could.

And since I'm doing the short intro phase, I didn't feel the need to announce or log them on here. I logged my c25k runs because each run was a little different and I was completely new to running. I'm not sure how different these workouts will be, so I'll be updating my progress sporadically. But if you want to know what workout I've done, you could always check out my status on dailymile (feel free to add me as a friend) or follow me on twitter, as I usually announce my completed workouts on there.

A Missing Workout Revealed

Today was a day full of joy and learning. I met up with a good friend for breakfast. She has a very demanding job so it's really difficult for us to get together. Sadly our visits are too few and far between, but always enjoyable. Since I haven't seen her in a while due to working crazy hours, she doesn't have time to read my blog, let alone respond to emails. It's hard on a friendship, but we make do with what we have. I finally saw her smiling face sitting at a booth, so I walked on over. And then it happened.

Highlight #1

Friend: "Did you lose some weight?"

Me: "Can you really tell? I see myself everyday and am not sure what others see."

Friend: "Yes, you look slimmer." (motioning with her hands)

I was extremely delighted when she noticed the fruits of my labor. It was a true and genuine compliment which made my day. I mean, someone could have said anything rude to me today and I would have brushed it off because of this very compliment.

This compliment couldn't have come at a better time. Here I am disappointed because I can't run due to stubbing my toe. And then today I was not able to ride my bike due to the rain. I guess you can say I was in a funk. But the simple words from a dear friend made it all better. It felt like my mom was kissing my boo-boo after a fall.


We caught up during our yummie breakfast at Country Waffles. The California Omelet is my favorite. When we finished our meal I accompanied her to her church. I am a saved Christian, but have not found a church in my area where I felt comfortable. Nothing has called out to me. Sadly I have drifted away from His word. The guilt began to set in as I walked into church. We sat, and the service started.

I enjoyed the simplicity of the church. I'm not a huge fan of mega-churches, and this definitely was not one. The congregation was small, people wore casual clothing, and the pastor was FUNNY! It was actually easy to pay attention to his sermon since he was full of energy. He didn't just stand there like many other pastors or priests I've witnessed. Having been to many different churches, this was actually one of the best. I felt comfortable there, and it was a pleasant experience. 


Highlight #2
As I sat there listening to the pastor, it dawned on me. I am on this journey to a healthier me. 

(1) I'm eating healthier and watching my portion control which takes care of my internal organs and assists muscles. 

(2) I'm staying active by running and cross training which takes care of my muscles and helps organs do what they need to do. 

But there is another part of me that I'm not taking care of - my soul, my spirituality. I have been so busy taking care of other aspects in my life that I have neglected His word. I guess you can say that I fit it in when I have the time. I need to make the time, but I have lost sight of that. I about teared as I made that revelation since the guilt sunk in even deeper. It's not going to be an overnight transition to include more of this workout into my already active life, but it's important for me and will be done.

Who knew that having breakfast with a friend would make me feel this good, and help reveal what was missing in my life? 
Her beauty not only resides on the outside, but more importantly, on the inside - her heart and soul. Which, in my eyes, makes her a true angel.

Thank you dear friend.

What To Do When You Can't Run?

Ah, the weekend is finally here. When I was younger I looked forward to the weekend to party. (I enjoy rockin' out to Loverboy's 80's hit Working For The Weekend) I look forward to the weekend because I have more time to run, workout, and focus on my health. Seeing that I have my last 5k coming up on Thanksgiving morning I was really looking forward to upping my distance by running longer. But as some of you have read on twitter, that wasn't a go today.

Why?
I go to bed later than the rest of my household. Before I go to bed I made it a habit to check on my son and plant a little kiss on his forehead. I did just that one night, but as I was walking out of his room I stubbed my 2nd and/or 3rd toe on his step stool. I hit it quite hard and it stung for a bit. 

Man, that hurt like a ___________ (you fill in the blank)!

I did a quick 10min run on the treadmill on Thursday night, and after the run it did feel a little sore. I wore shoes to work on Friday hoping that some cushioning would help it feel better.

I woke up this morning eager to run. I still felt a little soreness in my foot, but it wasn't bad. I warmed up with some drills at home, slipped on my Vibrams, and took off. There was a bit of dull pain so I continued on. Then the pain started to spread so I tried shifting my weight off the foot as much as possible, and even tried landing more on either side of the foot. Yeah, neither position was working. Darn it! I learned that instead of pushing through the pain I had to stop before it got worse. I ran for about .92 of a mile, then hobbled home with a huge frown of disappointment.

 Have you ever gone biking barefoot?

I was super bummed, but knew I couldn't go any further. After sulking, I decided I would continue with my workout plans today and switched gears to strength training. That did help me feel better. And since I didn't get to run much I went on a bike ride with the fam. That gave me the idea of riding tomorrow since I won't be able to run. I'll still get some activity in, which is better than moping around feeling bad about not running.

So for a good portion of the day I've been RICE'ing my foot. I went grocery shopping and my foot wasn't happy. I was so happy to get home, wrap up my foot with some Arctic Ease and elevate it. Let the RICE'ing continue.

ah - much better now.

What is RICE?
Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation
Read more about it here.


Good thing is that I can actually walk on it. But I am still a bit disappointed that I can't run. Anyone up for biking with me tomorrow?


Note to self: Be sure there is a safe path to walk through at night.

Is It Possible To Be ADDICTED To Fruit?

Do you think it's possible to be addicted to fruit? Because I think I am. Please don't call FA on me (fruit-a-holics anonymous). If you know me, then you know I really ENJOY the act of eating.

Chow Mein 

Lumpia 

Tri-Tip

Butter Chicken 

Adobo

Baby Back Ribs

Pasta

Papusas

Crab Legs

Shrimp

French Toast

Vegetables

Corn Bread

.....ok, I'm getting hungry listing all this food. It could be a buffet, or a single serving sit down meal, a drive thru, or what have you....and I can easily over eat to the point where it looks like an alien plans to come out of my stomach like on that tv show V. And even after being completely stuffed, I won't feel complete without some fruit. I'll have a piece of fruit less than an hour of that meal.

I love my fruit. I can say that I even CRAVE fruit. Between 1/4 and 1/3 of our weekly grocery list is fruit. Me and my family eat several servings daily. I pack it in our lunches, and it makes a great dessert after dinner. I love all sorts of fruit. Right now I've been munching on a lot of persimmons because my grandparents have this ginormous tree in their backyard. My hubby really enjoys his Granny Smith apples. My son enjoys bananas. I feel so blessed that my family enjoys fruit. Maybe not to the extent that I do, but enough to assist in healthy living.

Did you have your fruit today?

Running the LA Marathon Barefoot

Not me, this guy in the video. Heck, I'll be in the 5k world until I can run faster and further. Nothing wrong with that since I'm having fun and getting fit.

Just thought I'd share the video.

I Officially Started Cross Training

I have always enjoyed weight training, but learned how to run this year because my endurance SUCKED big time. Now I enjoy running. I'm not trying to the be the fastest person, (I am quite s-s-s-s-low) but I want to have fun with it. Plus, I find it a good way to reach my goal of reducing body fat and creating lean muscle. My clothes fit better now! (pats self on back) 

You've probably heard the term, but what is cross training?
Per the Encarta(R) World English Dictionary

NOUN
cross train-ing
training in different sports: fitness training in different sports, e.g. running and weightlifting, usually undertake to enhance performance in one of these sports.

I have been following the Turbulence Training creator Craig Ballantyne on twitter, reading his newsletters, visiting his site and watching his videos on youtube. I really like his attitude, techniques and simplicity of his workouts. I was first introduced to interval traing with one of his videos. It just made sense. I don't want to spend 2hrs working out as I have in the past. I used to to enjoy going to the gym, but that's before I had a family. Now I want to be home more. As you have probably read on here, I am slowly putting my home gym together. And with Craig, it doesn't take much at all. You can still get fit in a small space.

Having watched Craig's youtube videos and such, I started doing some of the workouts. But I never stuck to the workouts. I would do planks here and there, do some bicep curls every now and then, bird dogs on occassion...blah blah blah. I realized that I needed some structure - a plan to follow. And I think that's why Couch-to-5k worked really well for me. There was a detailed schedule to follow.

Finally I decided enough was enough. I needed to start cross training in order to work on the rest of my body, and possibly improve my running. I've been reading that a strong core helps runners. Running does work your whole body, but it works some parts more than others. My other body parts are feeling a bit jealous. I purchased Turbulence Training and started the program early this morning.

This morning's workout went as follows....

Treadmill:  
(barefoot of course, duh)

     2min walk

     10min run  (2% incline @ 3.5)

     2min walk

Then I jumped into the first workout.

It felt GREAT to do a full body workout. Gosh, what the heck took me so long? Scheduling. I already run 3 times a week.

How the heck was I going to fit in another 3 days of working out?

Well I decided that I had to mesh my running with my workouts. First I'll run and then I'll do my Turbulence Training workouts right after. That's what I kind of did when I was younger. Cardio first, then weight training after. So far that's the plan Stan (gosh I've been watching too much Spongebob with my son)

So there you have it. This is day1 of my cross training journey. I know there are other cross training programs, but so far this is the program that called out to me.

Do you cross train?

If so, what program are you using?

Do you recommend your current program?

Did Someone Say GIANTS and World Series?!

I'll be frank. I'm not a baseball fan. Been to a couple of games, watched a little on TV, but don't have a team I root for. Unless you're at a game, or playing the game, I find baseball quite boring. Yes, I know some of you are boo'ing me right now. Plus, I actually don't even have to watch the game. My friends and relatives give me a play by play on Facebook. They literally do!

I am a Bay Area gal and yes, the San Francisco Giants won the 2010 World Series. But I'm not gonna say I'm a fan just because of that. I still find baseball boring. But what I do love is the energy of the fans. I think that's the part of sports I enjoy most. The Bay is celebrating and lovin' life right now. I think even some stayed up late last night and decided to take the day off. There were more empty spots in the parking garage this morning. I'm afraid to check out #BayArea on twitter today. I may not be able to get through all of it during my lunch break - ha!

So congrats to the Giants. And if honor of all the supporters, my son dressed up in his jersey today.

Am I Starting Over?

If you've been following my runs lately (via this blog or dailymile) you've probably noticed that I haven't been running as far, or as fast. My runs lately have been under 2miles and under 20min. 

So what the heck is going on? 

Am I slacking?

Have I just lost the urge to run?

Am I injured?

No, no, and no.

There is a reason for this.

In previous posts I've mentioned having some TOFP (top of foot pain) which is common when one transitions from shoes to no shoes, or minimalist shoes. Since I was running in my sandals I thought I was ready for Vibrams. The first time I put them on they felt so good that I just kept running. I realized that I pushed myself too much, too early.

I've been reading that one should take it slow, which is what I didn't do. So I am kind of starting all over. My runs are shorter and I am slowly increasing my distance and time. I have been incorporating barefoot running as much as possible, and running in my Vibrams when I'm not barefoot. I am running on both the treadmill and the asphalt outside. 

It's a totally different feeling on asphalt. You really have to pay attention and sometimes you have to adjust where you're going to place your feet. I think running outside is more of a workout due to the different terrain, surprising little obstacles in your path from pebbles to CARS that don't see you, etc etc etc - you get the drift.

So yes, the distance I run will gradually get back up to 5k. Slowly. I want to do this right this time around. Who knows, I may even run my first barefoot 5k next year. You'll have to continue reading to check out my progress.