Monday Musings: Week 1

Like any blogger, there are a ton of blogs that I follow and many of these blogs have weekly reading recommendations that I look forward to above any other type of post.  These recommendations are where I hear about other fab blogs or where I find inspiration to try something new in the kitchen, take on a DIY project or try out that new exercise at the gym.

Now it is my turn to share my faves with you!  Stay tuned for a weekly list of awesome blogs and blog posts - posts will go up on Monday and capture the highlights of the previous week. I hope you will enjoy these as much as I do and that you will find inspiration in them as well.  In addition, please share any others with me in the comments section below.

Bite Size Wellness - Fave Things Friday: After Sun Care Products

This is an extremely timely post given that we are mid-summer and Halifax has been abnormally hot all season long.  This morning I had a meeting at a coffee shop, and, without thinking, I left the house without putting any sunscreen on.  Gasp!  I realize this may seem like no big deal, but, as a redhead, I have learned time and again how important it is to use this on a daily basis.  We sat outside because it was such a lovely, sunny morning; however, I stressed the whole time about how burnt I was likely becoming with each passing moment.  As soon as I came home I grabbed my Burt's Bees after sun with a sigh of relief.  Check out the link above for additional after sun recommendations.

Domestic Adventure - DIY Cornices

My husband and I have been picking away at decorating our new home.  We are not natural DIYers and are slowly figuring out how to do homeowner things - like patching holes in walls and installing light fixtures.  The post above is a couple of years old; however, my husband and I only recently had the opportunity to complete this project.  We did three valances and have a fourth one to complete.  It is shocking how something so simple can really spruce up a room.

Ambitious Kitchen - Flourless Chocolate Chip Zucchini Oat Brownies

Take one look at the photos of these brownies and you will immediately start to drool.  This is on my "must try" recipe list.  I am a chocoholic who is on a constant hunt to find a healthier way to consume it - I think this might do the trick!

Happy reading and don't forget to check me out on bloglovin'!

Me and my Tragically Hip

It has now been 22 days since I hurt my hip.  I have iced, I have heated, I have foam rolled, I have pill-popped, I have walked, I swam laps, I have rested, I have yoga-d.  I have been massaged, cracked, lasered and will soon have physio.  I have very little patience left.  In other words, I have not yet recovered from what we originally thought was bursitis, but what now appears to be a medical mystery.  I also regretfully acknowledge that it is unlikely that I will run or walk the Bluenose 10k on May 20.  I was given the go-ahead to attempt a run on Saturday; never in my life would I have expected to anticipate a run with such glee.  And instead of my usual “cursing out the run”, I cursed out my “tragically hip”.  (Tragically hip is the latest in a string of names that my husband uses to refer to me or my wide array of weird health issues.)  So, to say that the run was unsuccessful would be an understatement.  I started off sore and ended up far worse, to the point that I could no longer run, and barely walk to make it home.  And the total distance?  A whopping two kilometres.  My chiropractor suggested I rest this week, including no yoga.  I thought that yoga was resting!  I am going crazy here.  I negotiated with her and won the pleasure of riding the recumbent bike at the gym along with upper body weights.  Not the most exciting of prizes, but I will take it.

I realize that many runners face injuries, so, maybe this is just part of my path in learning how to run, however, I must say that I am pretty peeved about this whole affair.  I was not yet at the point where I enjoyed running, but, I was certainly noticing some progress, and that is pretty close to enjoyment.  I am extremely frustrated, however, I am trying to find some positives.  Running has actually been very rewarding thus far – I have slowly gained more control over my IBS.  It has been a long time since I mad-dashed to my apartment, or sounded like a band of trumpets while running down the street.  Running has introduced me to new communities both on and off-line and has helped me to bond with people in a way I did not expect.  It also fell upon my various running partners to get to know me in ways they never anticipated.  Few people can expect to “talk shit” quite literally with their running partner; they now have that claim to fame.  I have had responses from surprising corners regarding the blog and IBS in general.  It is very rewarding to hear that people can empathize with the situations that I encounter and that they are willing to connect with me to share their perspective.  Thanks to those who have been reading and thank you for connecting with me throughout this process.

I suppose the blog will have to focus a little less on the running part and more on the runs – much to your chagrin.  I will update you on the progress of my tragically hip; however, stay tuned as I begin to share some of my greatest moments as a girl with IBS.  Hopefully they will make you laugh; I can safely say they likely made me cry.  This is where you will really get to know about the glamorous life of poop-zilla.  So, get ready, because you will hear about my late arrival to my wedding, my close-call on my honeymoon while in Antibes, my very first camping trip, and of course, the Mexican hat incident of 2011. 

Getting up the gumption...

I have a confession, I was supposed to run yesterday and today, and was supposed to go to the gym at lunch on Thursday, but I did none of the above.   So, total runs this week?  Only one.  I ran 5.94 km at lunch on Tuesday.  I was actually very pleased with this result as it was my furthest distance to date and my first run in over a week.  I heaved and complained the whole way, but made it back in one piece, just in time to hit up the toilet.  

Now, as it is a long weekend I could feasibly run tonight and tomorrow at some point, but, honestly, my motivation levels have reached a new low.  The truth is that I have not felt motivated all week, whether it be to clean up the apartment, do the laundry or study for my accounting final.  For example, this morning I got up bright and early to go perform a wedding (I moonlight as a Justice of the Peace) and was home by 8:20 this morning.  Any normal person would have done something valuable with their time, but, not me.  I started off by eating breakfast and started my daily routine of email checking, blog checking, twitter checking and then suddenly it was noon-ish.  I must also acknowledge that I have discovered the magic of the internet; this has become a chronic problem since I began blogging.  I could have gone for a run this morning, but, my first excuse was that my ipod was not charged and today is a solo-run day.  I believe this is a very good excuse; running is still a cruel form of torture, so running in silence without Jon Bon helping me through it is absolutely, positively, out of the question.  However, without physically getting off my butt to check, I feel confident enough to say that the ipod is likely charged, so, running at this point would be within the realm of possibility.  What is my excuse now?  Writing this post.  So, with no additional runs to report, no bathroom emergencies shocking or funny enough to merit a post, what do I have to write about?  Nothing… and maybe everything.  For several months now I have been flip-flopping between highly-motivated and highly-unmotivated.  It is amazing how much you can get done when you have a little drive to peel your butt off the couch or out of bed, it is also just as amazing how much does not get done as soon as you make your couch your home.  I guess what I am saying is that sometimes I am just plain lazy and other times impressively motivated and efficient.  There are so many things I wanted to achieve this week:

• Unpack suitcases from last week’s trip (they were shoved in my closet to hide from party guests last weekend)
•  Fold my laundry (also a remnant from last weekend)
• Do the other piles of laundry that have accumulated
• Complete three additional runs this week
• Do two gym workouts
• Do one additional yoga workout (I did one, with a hilarious Irish woman leading the charge!)
• Do a couple sessions on the piano (the goal is to get back into playing again)
• Prepare to submit my applications for a couple of different Certificate in Public Relations programs (aiming for September 2013)
• Begin preparations to submit my writing to publications that people actually read
• Study for my accounting final (as you can see this is lower on the list than it should be)

The above is only the short-list of items to complete; I have a much longer list which essentially consists of organizing and purging my home.   I am hoping by writing this down I will feel more accountable and actually complete some, or maybe all, of these tasks.  But, what I am really looking for are ideas … 

• What motivates you?
• How do you stay motivated?
• What keeps you organized?

For those of you with children, I am in awe; I do not know how you do it.  I am looking to find a way out of my rut, I dream of my more efficient days, they did exist, I promise you they did, but I look back on those days as fond memories and fantasize about what my future could hold if I could only get up the gumption and get ‘er done. 

pretty. damn. fabulous.

Since beginning this blog I feel as though my creative self has finally woken up again.  Not since I completed my thesis have I felt so motivated to set goals, to achieve something, to produce.  Running and blogging seem to go hand-in-hand, partly because it is my subject matter, but also because running gives me an opportunity to reflect on what I plan to write and how to approach it.  So, every week it is with great excitement that I prepare for my next post.  

In terms of a running recap, on Sunday I was able to complete 3k with some difficulty.  I have been getting shin splints, so stopped about every 0.5k to stretch and was honestly overjoyed to hear the Nike+ announcer woman tell me that I had reached my goal and could finally hobble home to ice my shins; I have been in a semi-frozen state ever since.  So today, with great trepidation, I set out for a run.  I was anxious for the usual reasons (running is torture, just call me poop the magic dragon), because of the shin splints, but, most importantly because I was running with an experienced runner.  A friend of mine who has completed several marathons agreed to run with me, and quite frankly, I was petrified at the thought of it; I had no idea if I would be able to hack it or if I would just drag her down.  I have only ever ventured out by myself or with my regular running partner (henceforth known as Lorenzo).  Surprisingly, it was PDF: pretty. damn. fabulous.  The chances of me venturing off this couch tonight are approximately zero, je suis crevée!  We completed 5k, but here is the kicker – no poop breaks and I only stopped once and that was to stretch out my shins.  Can you believe this?  I feel like a machine!  What a treat to have someone to run with, it made the whole experience so much more enjoyable, we went on a completely different route than I am used to, and, I ran up a hill!  With tomorrow’s promise of 13C weather we are heading out again so as not to miss this spring-like interlude.

This is what my run looked like according to Nike+:

As the weeks pass I find myself feeling more and more motivated in terms of the running and the blogging.  I have received positive feedback in both regards from some pretty amazing people who have been encouraging and supportive throughout this process, and what a help that has been.  It is funny how life can still surprise you, I received an unexpected message from my brother, and aside from the obligatory brother-like digs, he imparted some profound words of wisdom that I have been carrying with me since I read (and re-read) his message:  keep up the hard work and the work won’t be so hard anymore.  What a true gem that one is! I have been repeating those words to myself when I feel like I cannot do it anymore, so thank you brother for the unexpected kindness, you are wise beyond your years! 

On Sunday, with that very wisdom in mind, I signed up for a 5k race scheduled for March 25^th, aptly titled, Practice What You Preach.  This will provide me with the perfect opportunity to test myself in a smaller event before I run the 10K in May.  After today’s success I now know I can definitely handle the 5k and if I keep up the hard work then the 10K won’t be so hard!