Poetry: Barefoot

Here is poem # 21 for the poetry pledge drive, which was inspired by an article that a friend posted earlier today.


Barefoot

They say expensive sneakers
Cause more injuries and don't

Help us to be better

Runners, say we're better
Off running with nothing on

Our feet like our ancestors; our toes
Give us more control.

To read other poems or poetry-related posts on this blog, click here.

Fitness File: Perspective

Yes, it's been a while since I wrote about fitness. Truth be told, I've been rather fickle about my fitness routine over the past several months and didn't think it worth documenting my slovenly downward spiral. But, as of late, I'm back on the horse (again), so I thought I'd share the latest in my fitness musings.

I'm back to running, but I need to make time to do it more frequently. Right now, I'm only fitting in 1-2 runs a week, and that's just not enough to convince my body this is going to be a regularly occurring thing, so I'm going to try to go at least 3 times a week going forward. It's just been kind of difficult because I struggle so much with my breathing.

I brought my breathing problem up to my doctor at my recent annual check-up. The problem: after about a mile, I get severe side stitches and have so much trouble getting enough air, I feel like I'm drowning. Every time, it literally feels like a miracle that I'm able to go an additional mile before stopping. The doctor had me take a breathing test and concluded that I have exercise-induced asthma. I kind of suspected, but, of course, my husband thinks I'm just a hypochondriac. Half the time he's right, so who knows. I've got a prescription for an inhalant now and will see if it helps at all.
I've also been trying to cut myself some slack and put things in perspective. I may not be marathon-ready (or even 5k-ready, at this point, to be honest), I could probably never withstand the 'bootcamp' exercise classes some brave folks I know endure, and I might be pretty inconsistent with my exercise routine, but I'm making sincere efforts and it does feel good when I do get out there (well, after I stop really, but you know what I mean). It's all in your perspective, and a couple of encounters I had while out running recently gave me even more of that.

Earlier this month, I was on the last leg of my run (you know, the part where I feel like I'm drowning but still throwing one sneakered foot in front of the other nevertheless) and feeling pretty crappy about still not being in better form, when I turned a corner and came upon a woman walking briskly on the sidewalk ahead of me. She looked pretty old, was wearing long pants and a sweater on a warm day, . . . and had clearly suffered a stroke in the past. One entire side of her body was almost wet-noodle limp, . . . yet she was keeping a pretty decent clip.

Then, after a run last week, I was cooling down and walking home when a man in his fifties sidled up next to me to introduce himself as a neighbor from across the cul-de-sac community walkway. He told me he exercises twice a day . . . and that he's had 10 strokes. This was evident from his speech and the fact that he was steering his mobility scooter awkwardly with one arm. We chatted briefly and then parted ways as our paths diverged.

Dude, if these folks can get out there and exercise regularly, there is absolutely zero excuse for me not to. The measure of success need not be in mileage or minutes. The fact that we're out there at all and doing something positive for our health should be incentive and reward enough. It's not always easy to remember or internalize that, but I'm going to try a little harder to do just that.

Fitness File: My Health '401K' & the Holiday Crisis

It's been a while since I wrote a "Fitness File" post because, well, to be honest, I've been a shiftless slug the past couple of months. What's caused this? Crazy work load? Lack of motivation? Yes and, um, yes . . . because it certainly isn't because I love the complete lack of energy I seem to have all the time, and it definitely isn't a desire to see the squishiness around my midsection morph into a belt-camouflaging muffin top - the former being the current result and the latter being the imminent future result of my not exercising.

I've still been fencing off and on, and that's really great exercise . . . but doing it for a couple of hours on the occasional weekend isn't exactly going to counteract making short order of an entire 16-oz. bag of Trader Joe's Tempting Trail Mix over the course of just three days. People! It said "Tempting" right on the package! How was I to resist?

In all honesty, I'm not that upset with myself though. Why? Because, this time around, I think I started out with the right attitude. I acknowledged upfront that there would be ups and downs, progress and setbacks. Just because I've stumbled doesn't mean I'm down for the count. Granted, it's going to be quite the challenge with heavyweight hitters like Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner ready to land their TKOs, but I think I'll be okay if I continue to think about my investment in my health like an investment in a 401K and the upcoming holidays like the current financial crisis. Just because I don't see immediate results, doesn't mean I should stop investing. Just because the numbers don't seem to be going in the right direction at this very moment doesn't mean they won't. Things may improve slowly, but they will with time, and I'll be happy later in life that I weathered the setbacks and continued to invest when I could, even if it's not always a lot.

Other Fitness File Posts

Fitness File: Back on the Horse

There's nothing like a vacation to thwart efforts to get back in shape. There was a gym in one of the hotels in which we stayed, and I even packed work-out clothes, . . . but, somehow, I never ended up taking advantage of this convenience and forethought. This isn't to say there wasn't any exercise happening on our trip. We did a fair amount of walking around and went on a few short hikes. Just nothing that could be considered aerobic.

When we returned, I knew it was going to be difficult to start up again. I had been making slow progress for about a month and I knew that two weeks off had likely set me back to square one. (Of course, it doesn't help when you also spend those two weeks doing things like polishing off bottles of wine, taking a Ben and Jerry's factory tour, stuffing your face with Italian pastries, and eating your weight in fried seafood and homemade eggplant parmesan.) But, when you fall off the horse, there's really no other option but to just get back on again, so, with reluctance, I laced up my sneakers, did my requisite stretches, and threw myself out there.

The key factor in making that first post-vacation run a success was to set the bar low [said in a baritone voice for effect]. I decided my goal would be to either 1) run as far as I had before but not care how long it took me to do so, or 2) run for the same amount of time as I had before but not care how far I went. As expected, I felt like crap. Let's make that royal crap (side stitches, muscle fatigue, trouble setting a consistent pace, problems syncing my breathing with my running). But I'm happy to report that I accomplished goal version #1. And, you know what? After all the low bar-setting, my time wasn't that far off from my pre-vacation pace! Not bad.

I could pat myself on the back for picking up where I left off, but I know that's not the end of the challenges that lie ahead. I haven't yet hit the stage where I'm getting a "runner's high," which has worked nicely in the past as a motivator. Right now, my motivation is simply 'the sooner I go for a run, the sooner it will be over' (i.e., "The good thing about hitting yourself in the head with a hammer is that it feels so good when you stop.").

I'd like to think my knowledge of operant conditioning will fair me well in this pursuit of behavior modification, but, honestly? Despite learning and motivation, it almost always comes down to willpower - and I have to expect that will fluctuate. So, for now, I've decided to adopt the Alcoholics Anonymous strategy of taking it "one day at a time." Not to make light of alcoholism; I realize it's a serious addiction/habit - a terrible disease. My point is just that, if this strategy can work to help stop such a bad habit, it should certainly be effective to help start a good one.

Fitness File: Flat Foot Floogie

I fancy myself a rather logical, practical gal, so it is with deep shame that I must admit that I have often purchased running shoes in the past . . . based on their appearance - "Mmm, I love the orange accents on these Nike Reax!" (That's them there to the left, my last pair of sneakers.) I mean, I would try them on, jog around in them a bit, and make sure they fit, but their appearance would still play an integral role in my decision-making process. The funny thing is that, despite this decidedly "girlie" tendency, I've actually found the majority of women's running shoes hideous - the pinks, lilacs, and teals looking like something straight out of Barbie's closet. Those orange Nikes were actually out of the men's department! But, still. In sports, choosing fashion over function? Foolish.

With my recent foray back into running, I decided to finally do the right thing and get a proper assessement of my feet and the way I run. I'd heard they do that at Road Runner Sports, so I headed over to the one in Newbury Park Saturday afternoon. They had me walk across a sensor pad to record where I was exerting the most pressure on the soles of my feet and then videotaped me running on a treadmill to analyze my gait (see image to the left - not me, but what it actually looks like). (Note: seeing my calves in slow-motion from behind afterwards? Kind of cruel.) They told me something I already knew - I'm pretty flat-footed - but I also found out that I pronate pretty badly too (see image to right here, not my actual feet - I'll spare you that).

They also measured my feet properly, which I haven't had done since I was a kid. Shoe stores have become so self-serve these days that there are hardly any that do this anymore! I've always had big feet, so I came to terms a long time ago with the fact that I would always have trouble finding shoes in my size, nevermind shoes in my size that were cute ("cute" and "size 10" just sort of never go together), but I was still a little bummed to hear the clerk say I should really wear a 10 1/2 when I'm running (because you need room for expansion when your feet get hot and swell). I thought about asking if paddles and life vests came free with the purchase of these canoes, but, again, this trip was about growing up and doing the right thing by my feet, so I saved the self-deprecating humor for another time.

The clerk showed me three shoes they had that were best-suited for overpronators, in the "stability plus" category, (by New Balance, Asics, and a running shoe brand I'd never heard of before - Brooks) and introduced me to Superfeet inserts with a modest level of arch support (a different brand of inserts I'd used in the past were brutally painful). I jogged around a little in each pair, with the inserts in place, and, in the end, I chose the pair that felt the most supportive and comfortable - a pair of women's Gel-Kayano 14s by Asics. Correction - a pair of TURQUOISE Gel-Kayano 14s. (*sigh* The things I'll do in the name or practicality.) Asics served me well when I ran track in high school, so that gave me added assurance that I was making a good choice.

The clerk warned me to take it easy the first few times I run in the new shoes because my muscles and tendons will have to adjust to being aligned properly, and I have to say it does feel a little weird. Because overpronating feels normal to me, when I run properly aligned, I feel pigeon-toed! But I think I can get over that quickly enough if I can get some relief from the chronic shin splints to which I'm prone (a problem resulting from the flat feet and overpronating). Here's hoping!

Fitness File: Log Your Run

Well, here I am 2 weeks later and happy to say I'm still giving this fitness thing a fair go of it. Am I making remarkable progress? No. I'm still plodding along at a labored 10-minute/mile-ish pace and I max out at just over the 1 1/2-mile mark. But, you know what? I feel good. I've noticed immediate improvements in my energy level, mood, and food cravings. I'm building stamina; feeling positive and motivated throughout the day; and finding myself genuinely wanting lighter, healthier meals and snacks.

I've also stumbled upon a neat little online application called Log Your Run which allows you not only to do, well, what it obviously suggests but also log other types of exercise activity too, such as walking, cycling, swimming, strength training, and cross-training. It has endless features (e.g., articles, a blog, a calendar, etc.) that make it ideal for someone training seriously for a race or event, but it's also simple enough for someone such as myself who's just interested in keeping track of my progress and routes. I would highly recommend it. If you're put off by the thought of adding yet another site to your list of those that you need to check in with on a regular basis, you'll be happy to hear that you can also sync it up with your Google home page or Facebook.

Fitness File: 1st Steps

I'm happy with my life and myself. I'm not obsessed with scales, dress sizes, the mirror, or counting calories (despite my tongue-in-cheek April post), but I decided I'd had one too many consecutive days (months?!) of feeling lethargic, out-of-shape, and unhappy about how my clothes were fitting me, . . . so I strapped on a sports bra, laced up my sneakers, and went for a run today.

OMG . . . There's nothing more defeating than that first foray back into the world of fitness. You've finally scraped together enough motivation to actually do something about your sad situation only to find out Things Are Worse Than You Thought! I ran. Slowly. For barely 20 minutes. When I finished, I was completely out of breath, my face was flush with every ounce of blood in my body, I had to fight the urge to regurgitate breakfast, and there wasn't a muscle in my body that wasn't screaming (even though, yes, I did stretch).

The obvious challenge I have ahead of me is whipping my butt back into healthier shape. What I need to admit to myself, though, is that the mental component of that challenge is going to be just as difficult as the physical component. I was bean-pole skinny throughout my childhood, adolescence, and much of my young adult life, and I ran track all through high school, so there's a part of my brain that has this notion that running and getting back into shape should be easy for me. This, of course, is the same part of my brain that has conveniently forgotten that my high school track-running days were 16 years ago.

I had done a good job back in 2006 of learning how to eat better (thanks to Weight Watchers), but I fell off the wagon and never got back on. Now, my plan is to combine the good eating habits I learned at WW with a much more regular exercise routine. And to keep myself accountable to this new mission I've set for myself, I'm going to try to keep track of how I'm doing on this blog.

I'm starting out from the standpoint that this should be a life change, something ongoing, so I'm not going to set a weight or dress size goal like I did with WW. I'm just going to judge my success by how I feel and work at maintaining good habits indefinitely. So, you can expect "Fitness File" to be a regularly occurring post from here on out.