Reflections: Hiatus

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It was a timely post I wrote last week about Unforeseen Circumstances because another curve ball has been thrown my way.

My husband's father has been fighting bone marrow cancer for 7 1/2 years. He was diagnosed in 2003 and had been in remission until May this year.

His kidneys all but shut down. He was told that he had to start dialysis treatments at first. However, his doctors thought it over and felt that chemotherapy was a better option.

So he's been on different medications since then. Two weeks on the chemo, which made him hyperactive. He would only be able to sleep an hour a night. The one week he wasn't on the medication he was sluggish. He didn't even have enough energy to get out of bed.

My husband's father was going through a lot as well as the rest of the family.

He passed away in his sleep Saturday, July 30th 2011.

His funeral was the following day.

Life will always try to put an obstacle in your way. That's why it's so important to fight in whatever you do.

My personal motto:   

"Life only demands from you the strength you possess. Only one feat is possible--not to have run away." --Dag Hammarskjold

 

It has given us both comfort throughout this difficult time. 

I write this post simply to let you all know why I haven't been around for a few days. It is understandable that parts of my life will have to be put on hiatus. 

I don't know when I will be back. Even my training has been put on hold. 

"Normalcy" will return, slowly but surely, so hang in there with me.

Debate/Discussion: Child bodybuilding

I think I have to agree with the doctor on this one: he must be taking some sort of hormones to get that "ripped." Or maybe because most people don't think about their children becoming bodybuilders it is shocking to see? Perhaps children's bodies CAN look like that if they really try?

Then again, adult, professional bodybuilders often take enhancements to look like they do. Why should this child be any different?

This child in this video is in the Guinness Book of World Records, according to one article. 

 (Do click on the link to watch the video. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to bias anyone. I think everyone should make up their own minds. But I must say that the child scares me. A LOT.)

The article also states that child bodybuilding is becoming increasingly popular these days. There are boot camps to get children to look like this. There are even gyms specifically designed for children. Parents have to pay more because most ordinary gyms don't let anyone younger than 16 years old into the weight room.

(Be sure to read the article as well)

My opinion is this: A child's body hasn't finished developing at this stage in life. Who knows what the repercussions on their bodies may be once they hit puberty? I think it is wonderful for children to be more active. Especially nowadays and the problems with obesity and eating too much junk food. 

However, there is excess in everything: 

• Eating too much is excess
• Playing too many video games is excess
• Having a 6-year-old look like Arnold Schwarzenegger is excess.

I can't think of even one benefit this kind of training has for a child and their family. Ok, I can think of one: MONEY. The children above are famous because of the bodies they have. 

It just doesn't sit well with me.

What do other people think? Is it more harmful than helpful?

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

1-15oz can pumpkin

120 ml (or 1/2 cup) olive oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

dash of salt

2 Tbsp. flaxseeds, ground

Preheat oven to 365 degrees (180C). Stir together flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and flaxseeds. Mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, and spices together in another bowl. Then combine the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Don't mix it too much. Bake for 50 minutes or until done.

I didn't have any whole wheat flour but if I did I would definitely use it! I recommend it for this recipe. Just use half whole wheat flour and half regular flour so your bread is not too dense. Delicious!

Unforeseen Circumstances

WARNING:

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This will be a short post, hopefully, on some (unforeseen) circumstances coming up that I hope won't hinder my marathon training progress.

NEGATIVES

 

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1) Moving to another country

So it's not exactly what you may think. I've been living abroad (meaning outside the United States) for the last four years. I previously lived in England and currently live in Spain. I was studying while In England (where I got married) and then my husband and I left and came to his country (he's Spanish). 

We are leaving Spain in September because the crisis has hit the country bad. The unemployment rate is at 20%: so 1 in 5 Spaniards are unemployed. He has been out of work for more than a year now and so we decided to leave. 

The silly thing is that I'm more concerned about having to change my running routes than the move! I know the move will work out with some effort and hard work. 

But it's hard for me to leave my tried and true routes! I mean now I have to re-map everything, kind of start from zero, and so I'm a little worried. That will take some time and I don't want it to disrupt my training.

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 2) Jobs

I've been lucky in that my work in Spain has allowed me to be flexible. I worked for myself and so could schedule my workouts in whenever I pleased. Now I will most likely have a 9-5 job, working for "The Man," who won't let me come in late or leave early because I need to get a run in. 

So my schedule will be a lot more restrictive. I'm worried that I won't have the energy after a 9-5 to do my runs or the time. Again, it will just take some adapting to it (time) but I hope it won't disrupt my training.

POSITIVES

1) Documentation

Something I am really excited about with this move is that I am motivating myself to be a lot more proactive about documenting my journey. There will be a lot more videos and pictures to come on the blog, so stay tuned! 

2) Running Team

I've already done some research about the area where I'm moving (North Carolina) and there are a couple of running teams near me! This is going to be the push I need to stay motivated. As well as make some new friends and connections to the running community in my area. I've always wanted a running buddy so I'm thrilled with the possibilities!

3) Half Marathon       

The day before yesterday I signed up for a half marathon race in North Carolina! It will be my second one and will be held on November 6th. I am super excited! My plan is to also run some 5ks and 10ks leading up to that race. I want to get a few more races under my belt before I run the marathon in 2012.

4) Marathon   

I also found a marathon in 2012 in the area! It is a qualifying race, which is perfect. It is in Myrtle Beach (technically South Carolina) and takes place February 18th. Registration begins in August.

 5) Odds and Ends

One last positive is since I will be in the States again I can try/do some research on a ton of things I couldn't find abroad (future posts on these products coming soon):

• Kettlebell
• P90X
• Insanity
• Bikram Yoga (aka hot yoga)
• Bosu ball
• The 4-Hour Body (controversial, I know)
• Barefoot Running and the Complete Idiots Guide to Barefoot Running
• Tons of fruits, veggies, nut butters, and grains (ie. millet, jicama, almond/cashew butter...) for much more inspired recipes

 

Moving is always stressful. It is only heightened when you have to pick up and move to another country. But I (and my husband) look at it as another adventure. I'm cool with that...as long as it doesn't screw up my training!

Fitness Tip: Lackluster Energy

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER (My first half marathon)

Yes, lackluster energy affects the best of us. After taking a look at my embarassing, lazy, pictures above you know it's true. So how do I get the job done when I just want to sit on the couch staring into space or catch up on my youtube videos? 

Honestly, sometimes I don't know how I do it either.

Typically, working out the first thing in the morning is the best option. For me, it helps me get it out of the way so that I don't have to worry about making excuses later. 

Sure, I still have crust in my eyes and it takes me a minute to get oriented, but after that I'm good. Plus, I have added energy for the rest of the day and have a sounder sleep at night. 

When I don't get up early I feel lazier as the day goes on. At the end of the day I make up some excuse why I can't go run:

• It's too late
• I have to get up early tomorrow
• I'm too tired
• I'm hungry
• It's too dark
• I have no clean clothes...

On the weekends I have no reason to get up early. So how do I handle it? I get a buddy! 

Now, I am not one of those lucky people who has a running buddy or are part of a running club. There is no one who wants to run with me! 

However, I can oftentimes beg my husband to come with me on his bike on days I truly feel energy-less. He holds my water, tracks my miles, and sometimes provides witty conversation (sometimes).

Of course I can't always count on my husband or getting up early. So instead I try to stay on my feet. I find that if I get up and then plop right down on the couch, it will be harder to muster up energy later. 

When I get up I wake up with a plan. I will eat breakfast, check my email and in an hour I need to be doing something active. If not, I'd better have a real good reason.

Or I can just look at the pictures above and see what happens when I DON'T. Not cute.

What do YOU do when you feel a case of lackluster energy starting to materialize?

Week 9 Hair

So here is my hair wet before starting my hair process. 

I took my hair down Friday and but them in big, chunky ones to sleep in. I also exercised in them on Friday, packed in them on Saturday, and ran in them today --13 miles. That's why they look rough!

Today I'm doing my caramel treatment.

Here's what it looks like

So I left the twists in because it's easier to apply in sections.

Typically I undo each one individually

Apply the mixture and then twist it back up.

I do this over all over my head and then put on a plastic cap for 1-2 hours. I ran out of plastic caps and had to improvise with a grocery bag. No, I did NOT take a picture of that!

The hair is heavier and shinier.

I then undid all the twists so that I could shampoo the mixture out well. I didn't want any residue left over.

I had to take the pic myself!

So I washed my hair and then detangled in the shower in sections with my Trader Jo's conditioner. I applied my deep conditioner in the same manner as the caramel treatment.

I rinsed out the deep conditioner and then followed that with my herbal rinse.

BEFORE

AFTER

Once that is done I apply my leave in conditioner.

Kimmaytube Leave in

As you can see the pH is 4.5. Anything from 4.5-5.5 is perfect for the hair.

Then I twisted my hair up using the Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque. I don't like it as a deep conditioner so I am going to try it as a styling agent. It says on the container that you can leave it in "for a frizz free moisturizing styling creme". So we'll see.

This is how my hair looks most of the week when I put my twists in. It's easy to do, maintain and stays neat.

It's flat twisted in the front and pulled back with a clip.

At the end of the week I take out my twists and do some sort of an updo. For example:

 

Week 10 Hair

• Shampoo
• Detangle with conditioner
• Deep condition
• Kimmaytube leave in
• Twists

Reflections: Injury and Recovery

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I've been reflecting lately on my injury last year. Not for any particular reason except that is was an important obstacle in my life. I have always been able to exercise when I wanted and how long I wanted; but not then. 

Sure there were times when I chose not to exercise but this injury made it impossible. I was physically unable to engage in physical activity. 

This was a crucial moment for me. 

I have learned a lot from that experience and work everyday not to commit the same mistakes. I want to share the process I went through from injury to recovery to running again.

Understanding the Ailment

Once I was past the denial stage, meaning I accepted that I was injured, I researched all I could about my particular injury. This was partly to make sure I did not aggravate it and slow down recovery and partly to see how long this recovery would take. 

Most of my research was online. Based on my particular symptoms I realized I was suffering from a common, overuse injury called illiotibial band syndrome (IT band syndrome). I read up on what that meant to my body, how it was caused and how to treat it.

Coping

This was a two-part process because I had to learn how to cope with my injury mentally and physically. As I said above, I researched how to treat it. The best "medicine" for this type of injury is rest. I had to stop running altogether for at least 3 months. I incoporated useful stretches for the IT band into my routine. When I was able I also incorporated leg exercises. 

For a full month I did no exercise, nothing. This was hard for me to deal with mentally because just a week ago I was training for a marathon! I was running 4 times a week and weight training twice a week. I went from a highly active lifestyle to a non active lifestyle in a span of days. I didn't stop running gradually because I wanted to get better fast and because I was in serious pain. 

I realized that I had hurt myself a week before but I was in denial. Instead of resting, maybe taking a couple of days off, I ran 18 miles. I had to stop at mile 16 because I was limping from the pain. 

The next morning I could barely walk. I mean with every step I was in excruciating pain. This lasted for a week and then the pain subsided. However, I knew I had to be smart. So I just stopped cold turkey. This was the best thing for me to do physically but mentally I was a mess. 

I had incredible mood swings. I would restrict my diet because I was afraid that I would gain weight. I thought, if I gained weight, it would be even harder for me to get back into shape once my 3 month hiatus was over. 

I would see people running in the street and get incredibly jealous. I was mad, depressed, and overall disappointed in myself. How could I have gotten injured? What was wrong with me? Did I know anything? 

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A friend of mine is a psychologist. One day, talking casually, she introduced me to visualization. She told me to visualize my route. To think about the smells when I run, the sounds, the sights and how my body feels during a run. 

She encouraged me to run in my mind. It may sound strange but it was helpful. I would sit outside, or sometimes in my room and just close my eyes. Sometimes I would think about a particuarly satisfying run that I'd done in the past. Or invent an entirely new one.

It was great becasue I was able to satisfy my mind while protecting my body. 

After that tumultuous month was over I slowly started getting in shape again. Nothing too taxing on my body though. I would stretch everyday, do some leg exercises to strengthen my IT band and also abs. I also rode my static bike. Soon my 3 months were over.

When To Go Back Out There

As I said the normal recovery time for this type of injury is 3 months. Of course I listened to my body. I was itching to go back out there and run but I was afraid to run. I was afraid that I would start running and that pain in my IT band would resurface and then the entire cycle would start up again. 

I was deathly afraid of this. I almost didn't go out there and run, almost but not quite. 

I started with running 15 minutes the first day. I warmed up on the static bike for 10 minutes first. Then I stretched for 10 minutes paying extra attention to my injured area. 

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Instead of running right away, I walked for about 10 minutes or so then started running. I ran at a leisurely pace. I ran even slower than my long run pace.

I ran the slowest I have ever run. 

After my 15 minutes I cooled down by walking 10 minutes and then repeated my stretching routine. 

I made sure to run on dirt roads at first and to avoid hills until I felt strong enough. I ran a total of twice a week at the beginning and would increase my time by 5 minutes each week. 

Not until I reached 30 minutes of running without stopping did I increase to 3 times a week. When I reached 45 minutes I incorporated hill work and started running on asphalt surfaces. 

The question: When to go back out there? Is a complicated one. All I can say is to take it slow. You don't want setbacks. You want to get injury free as soon as possible and stay that way.

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Self-treatment vs. Hospital Care

Throughout my injury and recovery process I pretty much self-treated. Based on my pain and the nature of my injury I did not feel like I needed to go to the hospital right away. 

I gave myself until the 3 month recovery was over to see the doctor. If I wasn't fine by then, and if my leg acted up again while running, I would see the doctor in case I had a more serious injury. 

Luckily, in my case, I just needed to rest and to take care of myself and not push myself too hard. I was a beginner runner acting like I wanted to qualify for the Olympics! Of course I was going to hurt myself. So I say self-treatment is good up to a point. 

Obviously you know your body better than any doctor. You know if an injury requires more than homecare or not. 

If you are in extreme pain and normal anti-inflammatory/pain medication does nothing than maybe you need to see a doctor. 

Some injuries do require surgery so keep that in mind as well. Be smart and don't be afraid to get help if you find you need it.

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Writing this it seems like the time went by in a flash. 

But it was super long! 

Okay, it was only 3 months. However, I didn't start training again until June. 

So from December 2010 to June 2011 I was MIA. 

The amount I ran after those 3 months was nothing compared to my training. 

Three weeks into my training now I can tell how out of shape I am! 

Yet, I'm wiser for the experience and determined to run my first marathon more than ever!

Stay tuned for a future post on my 1-month marathon training update.