Leaving Footprints in the Snow

And the storm rolled in covering the ground in a heavy snow, perfect to build a snowman but awful to shovel.

I was very excited to get up and run. We have only had one other snow and it was great run. It was peaceful and I got cheered on by cops and plowers. This run was not that. Since it was a work day, everyone was up early and clearing their driveways. The sound of snowblowers echoed thru the early morning air.

Getting ready was interesting because I had to plan for the wet but balance that with mild 30’s. I wore fleece leggings, tall socks (from Christmas), a light shirt and light jacket, my hat with lights (from Christmas), buff (from Christmas), reflective vest (from Christmas), and headband. And of course, I brought my phone and headphones because music is motivating, especially the Lady Sovereign or HyperCrush IHeart stations.

With all the snow, I figured street running would be the way to go. Last winter, I discovered that many of my neighbors are not good about cleaning their sidewalks. It was generally a good idea except for the roads that weren’t touched by a plow. I ended up running in the narrow tracks of tires, hurdling sometimes thigh high piles of snow left by plows going the on other streets. The dog loved the snow; snow blowers, less so.

It felt like I was running through deep sand. My legs tired quickly as I had to high step much of the run and manage to stay in a narrow tire track which is much harder than it sounds. I did manage to stay upright for the whole run. I cut my run short since I knew that I was slow today. The snow slowed me down and I only got in 5.37 miles.

I had used Gu because I figured I could use the extra boost for this run. Iheart decided to quit just a ½ mile in but I didn’t want to stop and futz with the phone. I just prayed that Runkeeper kept going. And it did. Sometimes, the pace announcements were rather depressing (snowbound) but other times it was very encouraging (clear roads). I’m not sure what sort of running exercise this might be considered but I know my legs are stronger because of this run.

While it wasn’t the same feeling as my last snow run, I had a different feelings. Determination, persistence comes to mind. There was some serenity as I listened to my breath, watching clouds form in front of me. 

Waiting for the Dark and Stormy Run

And we’re back! Holidays are over and it’s time to get you all an update.

Wednesday was nice. Aerial yoga is great to get centered when you feel stretched in too many directions. I imagine this is true for any yoga. The regulars were there and we had a visitor from the Thursday class as it was cancelled due to the holidays. We worked on heart openers. We also aired grievances getting things off our chest. Heart openers are great for those of us who are at desks and are hunched over for the better part of the day. The chest gets stretched, as well as the shoulders and quads. I felt much more prepared for the holidays after class.

Thursday I went for a run. I had the day off and planned on doing ALL my Christmas shopping afterwards. The winds were rotten. It didn’t seem to matter which way I ran, I just got buffeted by the winds. The Hank Aaron Trail is a nice place to run. It’s never been very busy on days I run it. South Eastern Wisconsin has some very nice trails and eventually I need to explore them. Some of them even have beer gardens nearby for the beer drinkers. The dog stayed home for this run as I didn't want to leave her in the car while I poked around for the perfect Christmas gifts. Maybe I need her for motivation. It was just a suck run. I tried to be positive by reminding myself that I’ve come far and how great I was doing despite the wind. I did feel pretty awesome and accomplished afterward but it was a hard one 5.67 miles.

Christmas was a great win for me. Yes, Christmas is more than presents and food but I had some wonderful food and received some much needed and wanted running stuffs. I got a slightly heavier running jacket and a nice puffer vest, a runner world cookbook, glowing shoelaces, buff, running tank, a new running belt, some nice tall running socks, earbuds that hook on my ears so they won’t slide out and are waterproof, reflective vest, and a hat with lights on the brim. I think there was more but they are escaping me at the moment. I also received a harry potter cookbook which I’m excited about. I feel ready for some good runs.

Saturday I ran 13.17 miles. I felt good. With all the stress of the holidays, running soothes me. My anxiety is always high this time of year and that leads to flares from the autoimmune. There were some hard parts as there usually is, but the running itself felt right. 

And I should have known better. Whenever it feels easy, I’m going slow. And I was. I was 15 min slower than my last thirteen miles. I also had a couple of phone calls which put me off my pace. Despite this, I enjoyed the run. There were a few hills that were a pain but I went back to the route I did last week only added a run on the Hank Aaron. The scenery is nice. And when you are running long distances, I find good music and good scenery makes it all so much more gratifying. The dog was less than thrilled about the run, but she got in her groove around mile 6. I took my blueberry pomegranate Gu with me and that sat easy. Two packs seem about right for a recreational run. I got to take my new headphones and running belt with me. I appreciated the water I could now carry hands free a lot, though I did need to pee by the time I got back home. The headphones stayed put and let enough ambient sound come thru that I could have both in.

A storm is rolling in today. People came into work early today in hopes of getting home early. The snow is starting to stick to the ground. We have a storm warning for snow and ice. The roads are supposed to be treacherous. Then there is me. I am watching the snow come down and praying for more snow than ice. I’m hoping that the snow continues to fall into the morning. I’m hoping to be able to use some of my new clothes and gear. I’m hoping for good traction tomorrow. I can’t wait for the morning!

Introductions Are In Order

Twas a dark and stormy night....

Not really but it seemed like a good way to start my blog as it has served so many writers before me.

When I turned 30, I realized I didn't really know who I was. Somewhere along the way to adulthood, I lost myself. Friends helped me and supported me thru this process of feeling my emotions, not being a people pleaser, realizing I can't fix everything, and discovering myself. In Runaway Bride, Julia Roberts' character didn't know how she liked her eggs. I was the same way.

So this is what I've found:

I live with depression and anxiety. They live in my head and try to get me to be the old me. I won't say that I suffer with them. It gives them too much power, but the truth is that they are there. I don't talk about them much as I don't want to give them too much power over my life. One of the biggest and most important things I learned is that feelings are not facts. The other thing is that it is ok for me to have emotions, feel them and let them go.

I used to spin poi, sometimes I spun fire poi. I wasn't sure what to do with them after awhile and set them aside, but I told a friend at work about them. One day, she was on Living Social and found a special for aerial yoga. She told me I should try it. I was suspicious about this whole concept. It seemed a little crazy. And, of course, I fell in love with it and now teach it part-time. Aerial yoga uses a hammock of 40 tricot denier to assist in regular yoga poses. It acts like a partner and a bolster. It uses gravity to deepen some asanas and, at the same time, takes the pressure of gravity off of other asanas. Regular yoga was difficult for me due to a form of myalgia I live with, but aerial yoga was a blessing.

Here is an album of aerial yoga

And here is me in one of my favorite poses.

As I mentioned, I do have myalgia which takes many forms including burning skin and joint pain. Because of this, I moved less. And with the depression, I ate more food. My weight skyrocketed. I decided I needed to do something about it and I started walking. The dog and I would go for hour long walks. It didn't work. I was still gaining weight and I didn't know why. While reading an article on Buzzfeed, I came across MyFitnessPal. The website helps you reach your weight goals with calorie counting and exercise tracking. It also has an active forum that has a wealth of information. You can find me here. And I started to lose weight very slowly. Very slowly. Too slowly. So slow, I started to feel defeated. I asked myself what I could do to increase my exercise level. 

The answer was running. I rejected the idea. I was not a runner. I was not built for running. I have short stubby legs. Turtles passed me when I walked. But the calorie burn! I love food but food loves my waist line. So I tried it. It was not love at first jog. I despised it. I could barely jog a mile. Then, someone on the MFP forums suggested Couch to 5k by Zen Labs. You run in intervals, eventually running for a full 30 minutes. And I did it. And I enjoyed it. So I moved on to Bridge to 10k and I completed that too. I am now training for half marathon distances. I ran 9.56 miles without stopping on Saturday.

I am on Runkeeper. 

I know that this has all been a little dry but now you know a little bit about me. 

So a few quick things.

I have a fiance. I love him dearly and we both have grown so much together. I wouldn't be the me I am now if it hadn't been for him.

I have a corn snake. 

I have a livebearer freshwater tank, a cichlid tank with a killifish, a saltwater tank, and a betta in an awesome fish bowl with a koi carved bottom.

I have a rough coated/border collie mix. I love all things with fur but I love dogs the most

I also love the Bristol Renaissance Fair

Lastly, I enjoy shooting photography. I do it for fun. My Flickr