Get Wordled... Be Happy!

I found this fun little web site after reading Katy's post yesterday so decided to have a try... you can put in your blog's URL and see what kind of word collage is produced for you... and if you don't like it, keep hitting the RANDOMIZE button till ya do!   Fun.  Get wordled!

Get Your Runner's Feet Get Ready For Sandal Season

I have never liked my feet. There. I said it. And don't worry - I am not going to shock you with photographs of them... not one, so don't be afraid to read this post.

When I was a child they seemed to be too big and I spent way too many years stuffing them into shoes that were too small.  I seem to have sorta curled my toes under, permanently.

When I began running, I made sure to get running shoes that fit me properly, but for more than these past 20 running years, I have continued to have issues with my toes.  The ones next to the little piggies... that would be toe #4 on both feet, somehow want to curl under when I am running, and unless I make a point of stretching my toes in my running shoes once in a while, they tend to get blood blisters under the nails, and then the nails fall off.  Lovely.

And while I was training for that half marathon I ran in May (did ya notice I am no longer saying "my first half marathon") the #3 toe on my right foot also suffered a nail loss.

These things, compounded by the facts that the house we stayed in all winter had a cat who would attack your feet for no apparent reason at any unknown time,  and it had ceramic tile floors and was cold... this meant wearing socks and shoes all the time... I was never barefoot any place but in the tub or shower from September through May and even wore socks to bed!  Lovely.

That tends to dry out the skin, believe me, and when my feet aren't showing, they are easy to forget about.  Socks hide a lot of ugly sins.  Thankfully.

But hey, it is now June; it is sailing and beach season, and I am not running 20+ miles a week right now.  How do I get these neglected, abused, and sad-looking feet sandal-ready?  I cannot hide them all summer long.

Since we moved into this warm and cozy apartment, with its oak hardwood floors, I have been going barefoot as much as possible.  Not only is being in the open air good for my skin, but when I see my feet, I tend to look after them better.

I have been using lots of lotions and creams after bathing and showering, and I have been babying and manicuring my toenails... and yes, they are growing back.  I like to use a good emery board and file to keep them the proper length as I find clippers or nail scissors make them want to split.

And I like to use a buffer on the top. This stimulates blood flow and therefore, growth.

To keep the skin soft, and the calluses and dry skin at bay, about once or twice a week I have been using a pumice stone to massage my feet with a mixture of olive oil and sea salt.   After rinsing that off and towelling dry really well, my feet feet feel very soft and pampered.

I do like to polish my nails, but I think I will hold off on that this year till the nails have all grown back.  I think that polishing them while some are still missing would only draw attention to the 'naked' toes. 

I am probably too sensitive to all of this because I do feel self-conscious of my own feet, but I do hate to see other people's bare ugly feet, too.  I just wanna tell them to put some socks on!

And I am not a fan of salon pedicures. I read an article years ago in a Seattle newspaper about all the infections one can contract if the salon operators are not extremely skilled and careful and sterilizing their equipment properly. Makes me shudder just thinking about it!

Do you give much thought to your feet?

If you are a runner, or dancer or gymnast, do your feet get ugly?  Do you worry about exposing them?

Do you have any foot care tips to offer?

Do you polish your toenails?  What is your favorite color?



What do you think of designs and jewels... yea or nay?

Focussed

I have been focussing on my my fitness goals this week and am so happy to be doing strength workouts again.... I am never going to love this kind of Core work, but I am doing it anyway.

At one time I was a huge fan of Pilates. I have a couple of DVDs and a few years ago I did them faithfully about 3 times a week... for some reason now, my ears bother me when I change the position of my head by moving up and down too quickly so I don't do them anymore.

For example, if I am laying down on my back and sit up to do a ROLLUP and then lay back down, after 2 or 3 times, I am a bit dizzy.  Or if I am on the floor and stand up too quickly, I get that dizziness too.  I did experience postional vertigo some time ago and had some manipulations done by an ENT so I guess this is likely a holdover from that, and I just try to avoid/manage it.

If I do the movements more slowly, it is better.  So, perhaps what I should do is try my Pilates workout again, and just not try to keep up with the leader, and stop or take a rest if the dizziness occurs.  It is not debilitating, just annoying.

But I am so happy to have a nice roomy area in the apartment to workout in, and the floor is hardwood so I can do aerobics and then just lay out my yoga mat to do floor work... and yes, I can jump up and down if I like cause their is nothing but storage lockers underneath us.  It is a bright cheery room and I love it.
 
I have scheduled a run for Thursday, and it supposed to rain, but I think I will go out and do it anyway... running in the rain when it is warm is not a problem for me.  And 5km will go very quickly anyway. 

I am also doing very well with my food choices this week.  I have reduced my starchy carb in take by a lot, and the only sweets I am eating are fresh fruit, and a few dark chocolate-covered almonds.  I have even turned up my nose at Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Oh Henry Bars so I am very proud of my little self for that.

I have been loving Chobani yogurt with fresh strawberries and sliced almonds...

and have been slicing strawberries and adding them to my lunchtime salads, too.

and today I did a new Sludge... mixed a ripe banana with crunchy salted peanut butter and a couple of spoonfuls of fat free plain yogurt.  Mmmmm.  Who needs bread?



I have been reading about The Metabolic Effect and find that I am what is called carb-sensitive.  If I don't eat protein every few hours I get light headed and hangry (that means very cranky and likely to stuff the first edible thing I find into my mouth, or just chew your arm off, whichever comes first).  It is not pretty, ask The Captain.

I am going to do some more research   The book, I read is dated and I know there are newer ones around.  I have to thank Tamara, who writes FitKnitChick for posting a vlog about her own struggles with starchy processed carbs and naming some books to read on the subject.  I have them on reserve at my library.

And one more tidbit to share... for those of you who were asking about the swelling in my legs since running my first half marathon on May 13th... I had ultrasounds done on both legs and there are no blood clots!  Which is great news but now to continue searching for the cause of the swellling.  Since I have been drinking the hot lemon water faithfully first thing every morning since the beginning of the month, it has gone down a bit.

Have you read about the metabolic effect?

Are you carb-sensitive?

Hot Lemon Water - Easy and Healthful

I have decided to start my day off with a cup of hot lemon water... I used to do this quite regularly, and for some unkown reason, just quit doing it several months ago. 

Aside from just tasting good, hot lemon water is a great way to take advantage of some of the health benefits that eating lemons and lemon juice afford us.

Lemon is a purifier that helps boost our immune systems.  It is a natural antiseptic and plays the role of blood purifier, thereby fighting infection.  The high Vitamin C content enhances the skin from within and helps bring a healthy glow to the face.  And, last but not least, lemon aids in digestion and helps the body eliminate waste more easily.

I like to wash and cut a fresh lemon in half... and remove the seeds.  Then I fill a mug about 3/4 full of hot to boiling water and squeeze the juice from the lemon into it and then drop the lemon into the cup too.  If the lemon is small, I use the whole thing, otherwise I cover and refriegerate half for another serving.



This morning after a light breakfast, The Captain and I went out for a lovely 5km run around our new FLAT neighborhood.  It is a lovely day here so there were lots of other runners out and I am always energized when I see other people running.

W2 R38 @ 9/1 W4
stretch 15 minutes

I know it is only the 3rd of June, but I am happy to report that I am keeping to my first weeks' workout schedule... actually doing a bit more than planned so far.

I am on the hunt for some yoga stretches.  I really need to work on my flexibility... especially my legs.  I have a copy of Yoga Journal from the library and it has some poses that are recommended for runners so I will be giving them a try this week.

Do you practice Yoga?  Can you point me to some easy beginner's flows?

Are you a fan of hot lemon water?

Shooting For the Moon in June

When I finished running my first half marathon on May 13th I was dehydrated and salt depleted in spite of having taken water at each fuel station and also drinking about 20 oz. of water with nuun during the race.

It was amazing to me how I could actually feel the water and electrolyte drink and salty chips I ate after the race working to restore my depleted reserves.  Over the several hours I was experiencing cramping and discomfort, I could feel myself getting better.  (Thank Goodness or I don't know how I would have been able to bear it.)

Since then I have become so much more interested in how what I am eating and drinking affects my body andI am paying much closer attention to the signals it is sending me and the way I am feeling. 

I am also making an effort to improve to the quality and nutrient content of the food I am eating.  I am eating less processed food and more whole foods, and I am drinking much more plain water.

So, for June, it is my intention to combine my new eating habits with some new workout commitments and monitor how I am feeling along the way.

I have decided that I am going to be running just for fun for a while, so I have no real goals to set there.. just want to get out and stretch the legs out once or twice a week. 


I am feeling a real need to focus on my strength training and core work as I pretty much let that all go during the last several weeks of  my half marathon training.

I cannot afford to do that!  I am tall and thin and really need to keep up with my resistance workouts to keep some muscle on my arms and to keep my butt and tummy toned.  The older I get the more work it takes.

Here is the calendar for the first week in June:

The Bellyblaster circuit on June 1st,  4th, and 6th is from Samantha who posts at Running Cupcakes.

Samantha offers a great explanation of each move on the original blog post  if you are interested in the details.  And you should be.  It is a tough core workout and I know it is going to do the job for me if I keep doing it because I am going to keep doing it.

My own strength workout on June 2 looks like this:



So there you have it...  the first week of June in my commitment to do a workout every day this month. 

Do you have any fitness goals for June?

Did you meet your May goals?

Any new activities on the horizon?