Why I sometimes run and why I should run more often...

I was talking to a friend about running the other day and she like myself does not always enjoy the process of running. We have both run recreationally and competitively - me I mostly compete against myself because most people don't run as slowly as I do...
So why running? Why not practically anything else? For me it is measurable. When I do kickboxing or yoga or another form of exercise I don't notice the differences. I am sure I get better, stronger, more able, but when you run you can see it.
Each time out offers you the chance to go a little further. To go a little faster. To go a little longer. You can see it. Sometimes you can feel it.

The other reason I sometimes run and definitely should do it more often is it helps me feel better. I don't just mean physically, but mentally too.
There are times usually in the fall and more pronounced every couple of years that fall overwhelms me. Little things set me off and for no reason...a broken jar while canning...jelly that I forgot to turn over that set on the wrong end of the jar...not having enough hours in a day...anything.

For me running helps.

BooBoo keeps my running shoes warm and safe...

It get my blood flowing.
The wetness that runs down my face is sweat and not tears.
It gets the good juju moving through my body.
Endorphins.
Serotonin.
Testosterone.
It helps me purge the yuck floating around and makes me a much happier person.

I am also finding this measurableness and release in lifting. I started lifting a few months ago and have mostly focused on the squat. Just last week I hit my new personal best at a 5x5 at 170lbs. Not too shabby. I can't tell you how entertaining it is when I get in the rack and lift two or three times as much as the high school or college athlete next to me.

This week I added in the deadlift. Started at 5x5 at 130lbs. I am told that this number will go up quickly and soon I will be deadlifting more than I squat.

Lifting releases good feeling stuff too...

This is why I run and now why I lift. It hurt and makes you sore and it hard and heavy but it is measurable and it gives me happy, positive, awesome vibes...

I lift things up and put them down. Oh and we camp with corn fritters!

The beginning of a lifting journey.

Okay I do strange things. I use homemade soap and don't wash my hair. I make my own deodorant and wash clothes with homemade laundry soap. The dishes in the dishwasher are washed with homemade dish soap and I make most of the cleaners used in the house. 

I have run in road races: 5k, 10k, 15k, 13.1 miles and even a full 26.2 miles. I have even done sprint triathlons. I have done rides to raise money for diabetes research twice one 40 mile ride and one 100k metric century ride (62.5 miles). To look at me most people would never in a million years think that I am capable of doing these things. Why do I do these? Maybe to prove to myself that I can. Maybe to prove to others that I can. And sometimes just because I CAN.

Maybe these things aren't so strange.

Now one of my coworkers has convinced me to start lifting. I am really only focusing on two variations right now...bench press and squats.

I kind of like it. I am actually kinda strong. To date my highest squat is 140lbs, which I will match this week before going for 150lbs next week. I gotta say it is kinda fun out lifting the boys in the box beside me. :) Who knows where this will go. I like to try and put things in writing. I want to be accountable. Sometimes it works...sometimes not so much.

Next weekend is Winefest at Watkins Glen. Or as Mark has taken to calling it...The Liver Olympics. So this weekend we are trying to figure out what safe place we have put all our camping gear and getting a menu put together. This is definitely a camping trip where creativity should not be attempted. Today I made Arepas which are a Hispanic corn fritter. We usually have burritos of some nature while we are there and these are a tasty side for them. I am going to freeze them and then just warm them on the grill.
They were super easy to make:
1 can corn (drained)
1 can creamed corn
1 egg
1 tsp adobo (next time I think I will use more)
1/4 cup milk (next time I will use almond milk)
mix together
add enough Masa Harina to make it thick - kind of like a stiff cookie dough

Scoop out a handful and flatten between your hands and cook in a small amount of oil until browned on both sides. I let them cool on a paper towel lined cooling rack.
They are good and filling and mostly healthy-ish.
When our peppers ripen you could definitely chop up some jalapenos or habaneros and add them for some zing or even add a tablespoon of sugar/agave/honey for  a sweeter version or live dangerously and do both! Either way they are yummy.  

Getting the junk out. Soaps and shampoos and deodorants oh my!

I have seen a few posts float by on social media lately about suspicious chemicals in everyday products like deodorant and hair products. I have mentioned a few times about trying to get rid of the unneeded junk and use more natural products in cleaning the house, as well as, cleaning myself.
A few years back now I suppose we started being more aware and informed consumers and started educating ourselves on what goes into the products we use and where those products come from and some of them are quite scary. Even if science contradicts itself on whether these ingredients cause harm or not...why would I want to slather myself (and those I love) in parabins and aluminum and sulfates and a million things I can't pronounce that clearly are not naturally occurring in this universe.

At least a year ago I started experimenting with natural deodorants. You can buy some in the store, but most are no longer independently owned nor as healthy or socially/environmentally aware as they started out. So out come the internets and looking up some homemade recipes and have tried several with varying degrees of success.
A few that have been tried:
-Plain coconut oil
-Limes
-cornstarch and coconut oil
My go to now is bentonite clay, coconut oil, cornstarch and tea tree oil. It really works well. I haven't felt the need to refresh or try something new in quite a while. No on tells me I am stink and I don't notice any funk so I would say it is a success. It takes longer to get the ingredients together than it does to make.

I also ditched shampoo. And conditioner. And everything else too. Okay I still color my hair and I still use alcohol free gel, but I haven't washed my hair in probably 8 months. I shared this with one of my coworkers the other day and they asked, "how do you get your hair clean?" to which I replied' "does my hair look dirty?" Nope. Nor stinky. Nor greasy. Nor anything but awesome. I think I may try to ditch the gel too and just use a little bit of coconut oil.
On occasion I will use some baking soda or borax to get any buildup off and may add a drop or two of the conditioner that comes with hair color to my gel but other than that I just run water through it in the shower and we are good to go.
Not one person has a clue that I don't wash my hair unless I tell them.

I know. I am a total hippie chick...but I must say I am way happier and much healthier for it.

The I can do anything post

I did it.
I got my very first tattoo.

When I started running  the farthest I went was 5k. When I talked to people that had trained for and done a 10k I was amazed. That was twice as far as I had run. How could they do that and more importantly why? 6.2 miles? That's just crazy.

Then I registered for the Boilermaker. The Boilermaker is not a 10k but a 15k, so I was jumping from 3.1 miles to 9.3. Stupid I know...but I did it. I survived and I wasn't last. (I did do one 10k before the Boilermaker - the Swamp Rat just to make sure I wasn't going to die and I might as well do a 10 if I was going to do a 15 right?)

In 2012 I went a little crazy. I registered for a triathlon. And another Boilermaker. And a half Marathon. And a second half marathon. And a Full Marathon. The two halfs I did were kind of like the 10k. I registered for the full first and went backwards and registered for the halfs. Somehow I seem to skip over the smaller steps and just jump right in. Maybe it was if I do a half and realize the insanity of running 13.1 miles I will never go all in for the full...so in some messed up logic I registered for the full 26.2 first and then said well hell if I am doing a full I might as well do a half or two before just so I know I am going in the right direction.

Somewhere in my mind I made a deal with myself. Self, I said, if you can do a half marathon we are going to get a cicada tattooed on our foot. Why a cicada? Well there are two type of cicada brood...one has a 13 year life cycle and the other has a 17 year life cycle. So instead of getting a 13.1 I was going to get a cicada to represent my accomplishing a half marathon...and if I ever crossed that finish line on a full I would get him a friend. Two 13 year cicadas tattooed on my foot.

I finished my first marathon on Sunday,  November 11, 2012 I crossed the finish line in just under seven long hours and completed the full 26.2 miles.

Today, Saturday, January 25, 2014 I got my cicadas.

This is the sketch the artist sent to me.

Before I got the sketch I was a wee bit apprehensive, but as soon as I saw it I was in love. It was everything I had asked for.

I got my tattoo at Ascend Gallery in Cortland, NY. I could not have asked for a better experience. From beginning to end it was awesome. My artist was Adam Golden and he was beyond professional and I know I made the right choice. Thank you Adam!

So here is the final product. Something I can always look down and see and say I CAN DO ANYTHING!

Tomorrow I commemorate my marathon.

So tomorrow Saturday, January 25 I will in a very awesome and permanent way celebrate my becoming a marathoner.

While I do have my 13.1 and 26.2 stickers I proudly display on my Hedy (my VW) I wanted to be a little more subtle with something I will carry with me everyday. Something to look at and remind myself I am capable of anything...of greatness...of accomplishing something so few people even attempt.

So naturally I am getting a tattoo. Tomorrow. On my foot.
But I told this story already...about my mom getting me a gift certificate and surprising the hell out of me.

I am a little scared. And even more excited.

I wanted something original. Something just for me. So I met with the artist and told him what I wanted. And he sent me the sketch. And it is amazing.

Tomorrow I will post before and after photos.

Sorry Dad I am not going to chicken out.

Plotting a comeback

Don't call it a comeback.
I've been here for years.

So I am a resolutioner. Yep I said it. I said to myself...self we need to get back on track. So I went back to the Y and not just for work. I have done a few classes here and there (thank you Erin) but I am totally lacking in consistency. So now I am an accountability partner, and if this morning is any indication not a very good one, for Mark. The plan is to go to the Y before work and work out.
Monday I ran.
Tuesday I swam.
Wednesday (today) I slept.
Well, that is not entirely true. I did do bootcamp after work...which is probably way worse than anything I would have done on my own.
Tomorrow??? Who knows.

I still haven't decided if I want to enter any other races in 2014, but I am hoping to make 2015 a killer year which may mean some prep in 2014. We shall see.

Here is a tasty treat I have been making to satisfy my sweet tooth in this new year...
Black Bean Fudge.
Tasty and vegan and probably the healthiest chocolate thing I have had in probably forever.
1 - can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
6 - T of coconut oil (melted)
3/4 - Cup cocoa powder
5ish T of brown sugar (I may or may not have added a wee bit more)
Pinch of salt

Throw it all in the food processor and blend until smooth.
Spread into a pan (I used an 8x8) and throw it into the fridge until it sets up.
Enjoy!
Ridiculously easy and Tasty and Fibrous.

Sorry I don't have any pictures. Maybe next time. But try it anyway.

Saturday is my tattoo appointment. I am super excited and still a bit scared. This I will take pictures of!
Can't wait for my cicadas...I worked hard for those bad boys.

Until then...

Is 2014 the anti race year?

For the last several years I have set goals.
Most of these were race related goals.
Now it is a new year and now is the time to set those goals. Right?

Maybe this years goals should be something else.
I have one ride planned and I need to get ready for that, but maybe 2014 is about not racing against  a clock or for a new PR maybe 2014 is about setting goals to be a better me. To race toward a happier, healthier me.

Maybe I have been running from something...from someplace. Maybe I am running to something...someone. Maybe I am right where I need to be. I am right where I need to be.

Is 2014 the time for me to become who I know I can be? To finish what I started?

I am nearing the end to another trip around the sun and start the last 525,600 minutes before that next big milestone.

I am thinking big plans for 2015. How big? Who knows. I have been known to do wild and crazy things before. Maybe unexpected. Maybe not. Hopefully out of my comfort zone, because we all need to do things that make us uncomfortable and test our limits.

My first thing that makes me uncomfortable? I think tomorrow I shall get up early like way before I have to go to work early and swim. Yep in a pool. In a swimsuit. In front of people. Note to self set up coffee pot to auto brew. I am just curious how chlorine will work wit the no washing my hair thing.

Write it down. Say it out loud. Put it out there. Done.

Now what?

Let's try this again

It has been forever since I set pen to paper so to say and I quite honestly have missed it. Of course I miss running too, but I haven't actually done it in over a month and before that ummmm yeah well I blame it on needing new shoes. Yep I said it. I NEED new shoes. Doesn't every woman NEED new shoes?

So what has happened since I last blogged.

My Mom has had two amputations. Same leg. First one didn't heal so they took some more. We tried to explain there are easier ways to lose weight.
She is home now and doing quite well. Getting prepped for a prosthetic that has a bionic knee. We CAN rebuild her! We have the technology. She should get that sometime soon.
So we added a full bathroom downstairs, moved Mom and Dads bedroom downstairs purged and cleaned. The new bathroom looks great and everyone is happy.

I got a new job.

I am now the Membership Coordinator at the Manlius Y. It is good. I have a team that does my bidding...I mean...nope I mean does my bidding. They are a great group and I am totally enjoying my new position. I like the challenge. I like my boss. I like my coworkers. And I like wine.

Oh for Christmas I got the last thing in the world I would ever have expected from my Mom (Dad totally did not approve, but she has gotten all willy nilly since the amputation)...she gave me a gift certificate for a tattoo. Seriously? Who is this wild woman. I have had my consult and now I am waiting on the art and then the actual needle in the ink in the foot. Excited and a little apprehensive. Pictures and inspiration to come...

Need to find some goals for the year. Need something to work toward.

Oh I saw a bald eagle and a snowy owl with in 30 minutes of each other a couple of days ago. That was fantastic. One more for the life list. Hoping it sticks around. Hedwig is beautiful.

I think that is all I know for now. I really hope to keep this up and find something useful to say...maybe next time I will talk about how I stopped washing my hair. Which is just another fun thing on my list of ridding our little world of yucky stuff.