2012 2x12 Treats Challenge, Update 1

After surviving 3 30-day no treats challenges (and 1 26-day challenge in December), I felt like I could tackle something bigger. So for 2012, I decided to choose 2 days a month for a sugary splurge & stay treat-free the remaining days. I always encourage others to take on these challenges, too, but I always make it clear: it's up to you how you define "treats". So allow me to provide my own definition for myself:

treat (n.)- a rarely partaken food item consisting of a fair amount of sugar, preferably raw/organic but possibly refined, and totally not beneficial for one's body at all. ideally includes some chocolate. examples: cookies, cake, donuts, sugary beverages, candy, cheesecake, muffins, cupcakes, brownies, fudge, ice cream, most frozen yogurt, Nutella, peanut M&Ms, Lindt dark chocolate, & the like.

Because I include all refined sugar, I also do not eat cereal, granola bars, sweetened nuts, juice, protein bars (full of junk), etc. It sounds extreme, but I've gradually weaned from these items over the past year, and I feel so good now, it's actually not a big deal. I don't miss much. Now when I try to eat cereal, even Kashi, I immediately bloat and get stomach cramps-- bleh. Ice cream, same story. I've never felt healthier. I can't remember the last time I was sick. I do know I haven't vomited in 6 years & before that 17 years (phobia). But I can't even remember my last cold . . . I know it's from cutting refined sugars & eating clean. I would commit to never eating any of it again ever, except for sometimes I miss the emotions attached. Like cake. Reminds me of 30-some odd years of birthdays, of my wedding, of celebration. A good chocolate chip cookie is as warm and comforting as a blanket and a hug from mom. And dark chocolate. Well, that's just heaven on earth. For this reason, I've opted for the 2 times a month splurge.

One must be very wise when choosing these special 2 days. You don't want to have them too close together. And you want to make sure it's really worth it. So when looking at my January calendar, I was torn. Book group (always a decadent evening with the girls) was the 12th. My birthday the 17th. Ryan's work party the 27th. Birthday dinner the 29th. My son's birthday the 31st. Of course, as a woman, you have to consider PMS days. And MS days. And post-MS days. Shoot.

Luckily, I've done this before. Twice in one month is basically every two weeks, nothing compared to 30 days straight. I almost feel wussy. I've gotten through Halloween. I've survived every week in December, except the last. I know I can survive social occasions & celebrations just fine-- as long as I've already made up my mind beforehand. So I can definitely get through all of these occasions without sugar. So the question becomes . . . which ones?

I ended up choosing the 12th. The hubby had been out of town; I'd been doing the single-mom thing for a few days; and the 12th seemed fairly close to mid-month. But I wasn't quite positive. So I waited until 7:30 pm before digging into the 90% dark choc Lindt bar in my pantry. 2 squares. Only 2.5 grams of sugar. It almost shouldn't count. It's practically a health food, like blueberries. But I had already put it on my treats list, so there it was. I was excited to dig into more delectables at book group.

Fast forward an hour. Book group. Mmmm, what will it be, what will it be-- chocolate cake? Apple crisp? Peanut butter bars? Pie? Wrong, no, incorrect, nope.

Salad. And homemade rolls, with cinnamon butter. Okay, so it wasn't chocolate, but I smothered those delicious warm rolls with enough cinnamon butter to call it a treat. The salad was amazing, too, and I was grateful that I eased myself into this first treat day rather than smother myself in sugar from dawn to dusk. I didn't feel sick, physically or with guilt, and I did splurge (I never eat white bread. Or cinnamon butter. And I'm a huge fan of cinnamon!) It was a good, non-gluttonous treat day. It set the standard for what I hope most of my treat days look like: restraint. order. moderation.

I'm guessing there may be some days that get a little ugly. But this first one did NOT.

Now I just have to decide when my next one is. My birthday is tomorrow, but that is just too soon after my first treat day. So I have decided that this year, 2012, on my 36th (OMG!!!!) birthday, I will NOT eat cake. Or ice cream. Or chocolate. I think this will be the first year of my life, with the exception of my actual birth day, that I am not having cake.

Hey, that's one way to make it special . . .

Spinal Touch, part 2

As always, I approach new things with a little skepticism. I think this is a wise protective mechanism. So today, I was deliberately testing the waters after my first spinal touch treatment. I taught my one-hour spin class, then lifted for 30 minutes, then stretched for 10 minutes. I made little mental notes of how everything felt, tucked them away in that region of my brain labeled, "For Blog Post."

Cycling felt great. My lower back felt a bit tight as usual, but better than expected after Wednesday's mishap. I avoided the kettle bells, naturally, and stuck to a routine I knew wouldn't bother my sacral spine. The workout felt great-- and by "great", I mean, I lunged till I couldn't breathe, push-upped till near-collapse, and repped till I felt the burn. Love the burn. I stuck to 2 rounds of my routine instead of 3-4 for the sake of time & for the sake of my healing body. Stretching was where I felt the difference. My spinal twists felt free-er; my straddle stretch felt wider & easier; my chest stretch-- wow, could hardly feel a stretch! I hung through the doorway as usual, but instead of that pulling, resistive tug in the pecs & anterior delts, I felt . . . almost nothing. It wasn't enough of a stretch. This gave me great hope that certain yoga poses I have felt just aren't built for my body (like forearm backbends & cowface arms) may actually become a possibility. (I'll keep you posted . . .)

Almost 48 hours post-treatment, and I'm feeling great. Not 100%, but better than I've felt in a good long time. This is timely, for the hubby returns from a work trip tonight-- I'm sure he'll appreciate my, ahem, good mood and flexibility ;)

Some other interesting observations:

1.) When Judy instructed the hot bath post-treatment for 17.5 minutes, she explained that 17.5 minutes is half of 35 minutes, which is the duration of the tide rising and falling. She said 17.5 minutes releases the toxins, but after that, you start absorbing it back in. This is why, according to her, you are pruny when you get out of the bath around 15 minutes, but not pruny if you get out between 20-30 minutes. I had never noticed this phenomena, so today I tested it (without meaning to). I got in my hot tub this morning (granted, she explained the epsom salt makes the release more effective; chlorine, not so much. Still, the pruniness factor shouldn't be affected I presume.) The jets stopped at 15 minutes; I lingered for a minute, then got out & quickly went up to shower. Upon entering the shower, I realized that, yes, indeed, my fingers were pruny. I tried to recall if they're always pruny when I get out of the hot tub, & I decided they usually are NOT. This is because I typically stay in much longer. As with any experiment, you must test several subjects & perform multiple tries, so I will keep assessing this. Try it yourself & let me know you're discoveries ;)

2.) Because I still have 3 chiropractic treatments left on my account, I asked Judy if I should still do regular adjustments. She smiled before she responded, said she treats a lot of chiropractors. I, too, have been leery of chiropractic. Only because I've used it in the past with the result that my body returns to status quo after treatments. As a student of the human body, I one day had the aha moment that muscles are to bones what braces are to teeth-- you can't put braces on teeth for a day and expect them to stay put. But keep them on for years, and adjust as you go, and wear a retainer for life, and they may stay put. If a chiropractor pops your bones into place, but your muscles are decidedly against the adjustment, of course they will return where the muscles want them to go. So I quit the chiro for years & focused on strength training, stretching, and yoga alignment classes to try to get results. It partially worked. As soon as Judy said, "Well, muscles control the bones," I knew she was the real thing! She also explained that after more treatments of spinal touch, chiropractic doesn't even really work. She explained that the cracking noise they make isn't actually the bones but rather the rigidness of the spaces in between, & that with spinal touch, which works with soft tissue, those spaces become too mobile and soft, as they should be. A chiropractor will try to crack you & nothing will happen. It's scary to think of how rigid my intervertebral spaces are, especially in my cervical spine-- my neck is CRUNCHY! So this will be another aspect I plan to test. I want to go through a few treatments of spinal touch, then return to the chiropractor and . . . listen. I would love if the crunch was gone.

3.) Most importantly to me, she said I may even notice my metabolism improve, because as the soft tissue relaxes, and the bones & joints settle where they should be, it creates plentiful space for the organs & they function better. Blood flows better, allowing everything to function better. Time will tell if this is true. Some of you may know, I've been battling my metabolism since my first bodybuilding comp. I'm not sure if it was the extreme diet, too much cardio, post-comp binging, turning 35-- who knows-- but my metabolism has been sluggish, weight loss painfully & impossibly difficult. I wanted to get bloodwork done to test everything, but when I heard the cost was over $6000, I declined to follow through. On my own, I decided to supplement with more iron, but I'm wondering if my T3 levels (thyroid) are too low. I'm researching ways to test this on my own, such as quit steady-state cardio for 2 weeks & see if I can actually shed a pound or two. I already know the calories in, calories out is not mathematically working for me. Sadly, marathon training may have contributed to my metabolic woes, according to an article I just read. Goes back to steady-state cardio. So we'll see . . . The metabolism claim stands to be tested. I can say, for the past 2 days my appetite has not been as ravenous as usual, despite my normal activity levels. Not sure if this is a result of the spinal touch or just me being off sugar for 2 weeks straight.

Is it just me, or is it fascinating to use your own body for science experiments? Had a chat with a friend today whose wife does brain research using MRI; he said they often need test subjects & I said, sign me up! I think it's healthy to want to know everything about the inside and outside workings of your body-- it's all yours & the only one you've got! Stay educated.

Spinal Touch: Hullabaloo or Healing Happiness?

I blame most of my physical ailments to birthing children-- from the obvious varicose veins and stretch marks to the subtle skewed pelvis, neck & back pain. Nothing is ever quite the same. But we love those little buggers & would do it all again, despite the everlasting repercussions.

With yoga, strength training, foam rolling, massage, & chiropractic, I've been able to alleviate neck and back pain whenever it flares up, but it has yet to ever permanently go away. As someone who's so active, these recurring issues can be more than just annoying-- they can be depressing, devastating, and defeating. When you fuel your body properly, exercise it properly, you want & demand 100% performance capacity.

So yesterday was interesting. My lower back has been tight and achy for several months now. It wasn't the marathon training, or the bodybuilding, or the Costco shopping that did me in. It was giving myself a pedicure, of all things! So, yeah, spend the $30 at Royal Nails-- it's WORTH it! But I digress . . .

Back to yesterday. My back was tight and achy as usual, but nothing strong enough to stop me from most exercise. I got a great 3 mile run done on the track-- 23:45. I was inwardly celebrating! My 2012 goal is to get down to a 7:30 pace at 5K distance, & already I felt like I was off to a solid start. I wanted to really hit it hard yesterday, so my plan was to follow up my running appetizer with a meal of weights & a dessert of stairmill-- delish! I decided to change it up a bit & try kettle bell again, which I've avoided since my umbilical hernia surgery in October.

So there I am, glistening with sweat, pumping out kettle bell squats into a one-arm overhead press, when suddenly, BAM, my lower back seizes. Right there in my sacral area that I've been working on so diligently with the chiro for the past month. It was bound to happen, and yet, I was upset. I mouthed an expletive. Yeah, it was almost as bad as the close-up shots on a ball game where the coach is more than a little pissed. I tried to loosen it up, see if it went away if I just rearranged my body a bit. Nope. Not happenin'. I scratched my workout plan & hit the mats for some restorative stretching. Child's pose, spinal twist, straddles up the wall, knee hugs, happy baby pose-- everything I knew that would hit the spot. But I still hurt & began moving like a robot.

In the car, I googled "Ideal Bodyworks" on my phone-- a dear friend had JUST mentioned this place to me. Destiny, I'm sure. I had no idea what they did exactly, but I knew it helped with back problems. I dialed the number & asked for an appt. I was in luck-- someone had just cancelled their 4:30, would that work for me, why yes. (Later I read a testimonial by a guy who said he had been put on a wait list when he called for an appt & got in 6 weeks later. Very lucky I got in yesterday!)

Once home, I extricated myself from my car, retrieved an ice pack from the freezer, and positioned myself on top of it lying supine on the floor. I checked the time. And then lay there for a solid 20 minutes, perusing facebook on my iphone & yelling at the dog to stop barking-- I couldn't get up to let her in yet & I knew all she'd do is lick my face while I was down.

Then I hit the hot tub-- ah, the gift that keeps giving! I'm so glad I convinced the hubby that this would be the best Christmas gift to our family-- it's already seen much use! I got in, fully dressed in my workout clothes, closed my eyes, & tried to meditate my way to healing. After 20 minutes, I mentally planned how in the world I would get out of the hot tub without straining my back even more. Once I had the technique in mind, I went for it & came out okay.

After my shower, I massaged some essential oils into the spot. Mmmm, it heated up and smelled delightful and eased the pain a little. But I was still hurtin'. So despite my efforts to avoid pharmaceuticals, I popped 2 ibuprofen. A little more relief, enough to get through my To Do list for the day until my 4:30 appt.

Finally, appointment time. I was shocked to discover the location was so close to my house, my kids' school, the same complex where my son used to take guitar lessons. How many times had I driven past this place & never knew it to exist? Like any other facility, I had to first fill out medical info forms. Then Judy introduced herself. To be honest, I had originally assumed she was the receptionist, as she had been the one to answer my call, was seated at the desk, & handled my paperwork. But when she led me back, I realized this was a one-man band today. Was it always like this? Seemed sketchy . . .

She began selling me on Spinal Touch therapy, showing me before & after pics, telling me how people get immediate results, bla bla bla. I thought, "Save the schpiel. I'm already buying the product, so why are you trying to sell me on it?" I wanted to get to work and she wanted to talk, talk, talk. Later I realized this is probably due to her passion for her work-- she's excited & knowledgeable, & wants to share what she knows. I get it. But in the moment, I wanted pain relief, and if it was so great, just hurry and show me!

First, I had to get in a gown, undressed to my scivvies. Umm, did not realize this or maybe would've worn more than a thong. Luckily, bodybuilding competitions taught me to be comfortable with my naked body, & I didn't mind showing the lovely Judy my chunky cheeks. I'm actually glad I was so underdressed-- the biggest visible before and after was in my right and left gluteals! I will spare you those pics :)

I stood facing the wall with my heels flush to wooden supports. I stood naturally as she took a rear and side photo. Now she knew better what she was working with. She had me lie face down on the massage table, which had nice arm rests, and she began her technique. It reminded me of when my sister and I as little girls shared a bed and entertained ourselves at night playing what we so aptly called, "Little Man on the Back"-- the massage was rather wussy compared to the deep tissue I usually request, as Judy just caressed lightly with her fingers in circular motions, tracing a pattern along my back. It was nice. But surely this couldn't be doing anything! She got excited as she worked, how my muscles were "superior" and responding so well. In about 15 minutes or less, she was done.

She had me sit up and warned me I might be dizzy & a little drunken-like. She was right. Walking back to the wall was funny. As I assumed the same position as before, she took new pictures. She was excited about the difference. I felt off, but in a good way. Like my imbalances were shifting, righting themselves, and my body was trying to adjust. As a personal trainer & yoga instructor, I was eager to look at the photos, too. She left the room so I could dress, then we huddled around her computer and studied the results, each of us squealing with glee at the changes that had occurred in just one session! My doubts were dissipating.

She instructed me to drink plenty of water, take a hot bath for 17.5 minutes with epsom salt, and return on Monday. She told me I might feel weird pains in other areas as my body re-adjusts itself. The soft tissues are relaxing, causing bones, joints, muscles to shift where they belong. She was right. I felt weird tinges in my right ankle bone and glutes. I obeyed all her orders. Today, I taught an hour of Zumba & 30 minutes Pilates & felt great! This to me, is a miracle. She said I would progressively feel better, and I have throughout the day.

Yeah, I'm a believer. I might even get religious. Can't wait for my next session! I'll keep you posted . . .

Facebook Follies

So I've been meaning to write this blog post ever since this incident went down, but it occurred on Christmas Eve, if you can believe it, & I've been busy enjoying the holidays. Now that my schedule is settling down, I'd like to explain said incident & finally offer my full response.

I believe Facebook to be a fantastic networking tool to foster friendships, professional relationships, and family relationships, & that's how I choose to use it, with an emphasis on my profession as a fitness instructor & trainer, with a few Mommy anecdotes here and there. I will friend almost anyone who requests me, as I see it as a possible bridge or opportunity to reach more people. So when an old high school friend's sister asked to friend me, despite the fact that I had zero relationship with her in school, I said yes. No big deal.

Fast forward several months, I think. I don't know-- one of those friends you forget you have because you don't follow them at all. I receive a text on Christmas Eve morning from my sister: "Were u friends w/ X on FB?? I think she may have just blasted you out . . ."

Me: "What? I'll look . . ." A few minutes later  "Huh, we were friends but I guess she unfriended me, ha! Whatever for? What did she say??"

Sis: "I'll send it to you . . ."

Forwarded fb email:

At first I thought it was funny, and then I thought--she's talking about my sister...

I had to de-friend someone because I was sick of seeing her post about how many miles she ran or come workout with me or look I'll post photos of my self because I work out every minute of everyday. Well first off if you have that much time in the day good for you but some people have to much stuff going on that we cant spend all our time at the gym and look as anorexic as you. I know it's Xmas and you JUST had a great workout but hey stay home with your family it won't hurt a bit and I don't think you'll get fat because you had an egg roll!! Ok re focusing back into the Xmas spirit...I'm just saying GET OVER YOURSELF!!

I actually laughed out loud when I read X's status. My sis & I both knew I was the apparent subject of X's rant because my post that morning was, "30 min cycle, 60 min Zumba, 30 min lifting. Bring on the lumpia ;) woot woot!" Lumpia is the filipino egg roll, FYI.


My response at the time was just this:

Lol, just got unfriended by someone because I work out too much! 1) it's my job. Lucky for me I only have to do it 1-2 hrs a day-- doesn't get much better than that. 2) I'm a happier, more energetic mom & wife because of it & am able to give more to my family & friends & be of greater service to others because of it.

If I have to be unfriended, I'm glad that's the reason ;) cheers! And to each his own...

My sis did the loyal thing and dumped X off her friends list. Neither of us will miss her. Truly, I think she was trying to be humorous. I know I laughed. But unfriending, or defriending, whatever the proper term may be, is, in my opinion, an unnecessary harsh act. With the option of hiding people's posts, the only reason to actually physically delete someone from your list is to make a point, to say, "I am 100% willing to burn this bridge as it serves me no purpose socially, professionally, or personally." Indeed, if that is the case, unfriend away! If that is not the case, it may bite you in the buttocks later. 

But I digress . . .  Had I actually posted something offensive, I would have felt terrible. As it was, I was Christy being Christy, and that is one thing I cannot change, nor would I apologize for it or feel bad about it. I have a passion for health & fitness & try to motivate & inspire others. I can only guess at how many other "friends" find my posts utterly annoying. Hide them! Wallow in your unhealthy eating & couch-loving ways. Like I said, to each his own.

 

I do want to address a couple issues X brought up. First, the posting of photos because I work out everyday. I think it's a shame how many clients I speak with who hate themselves in the mirror, who hide from the camera, who have no photos of themselves because they are ashamed of how they look. How is that a life well-lived if you are not happy with yourself? How is that OKAY? Many women feel like that is acceptable, the norm even. I challenge that! No matter what your age, no matter how many babies you've birthed, no matter what injuries you've sustained or horrors you've seen or traumas you've lived through, it is not okay to hide from yourself. This is why my job is so important. As a trainer, I get to help women change their habits, improve their health & fitness & self-perception & gain confidence. It's not vain to take a good look at yourself in the mirror & say, "I am beautiful, inside & out. I am strong, inside & out. I am worth the effort I put into myself. I am here for others because I am here first for myself. I am ready to conquer the world." This is what I want my daughters to know. So go ahead, post those photos! 

Second, she implied that she somehow has fewer hours in the day than I do. I have a lot of clients who make the same claim. This really, really irks me. Granted, if you work a full-time job, much of your time is already obligated out. But guess what? We all have 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week. I am not that special that I am granted more hours in a day. One of my clients so aptly hit the nail on the head when she showed up to a workout totally bubbling with excitement & said, "I cannot believe how much more energy I have now that I'm eating better & exercising more! I can play with my kids! I get things done so much faster! I just can't believe it! I feel like I have so much more time!" 

That's the beautiful thing about making healthier choices & living a very active life-- the fitter, the stronger, the better your cardio health, the more flexible and mobile you are, the faster you move in everything you do! The more energy you have to knock out that To Do list! The happier you feel! I know it seems counterintuitive. If you're too busy right now, how in the world are you going to squeeze in an hour of exercise 6 days a week like trainer Christy is crazily suggesting??

 

Do it. Try it. It is an amazing phenomenon. I like to call it the Wonder Woman phenomenon. It is how I manage to get 3 kids out the door to school on time everyday, teach a class or 2 or 3 a day, do 2 loads of laundry, write a blog post, volunteer at the school, vacuum the house, play with the dog, taxi the kids to gymnastics, piano, & playdates, tackle Costco twice a week, meet with clients, play Words with Friends, whip up dinner, & manage to look clean & presentable by the time the hubby walks in the door at 7 pm every night. Guess what? I'm nothing special. I know hundreds of other women who do the same exact thing. It's because they're strong, healthy, & fit. Luckily, in my industry, I am surrounded by the greatest examples of health & fitness. It is why my fb stream is nothing but status updates of people's workouts, healthy recipes, sore muscles, running mileage, etc. To me, this is NOT weird. Or annoying. It's AWESOME! It's motivating and inspiring and exciting.

Third, she implied that I look anorexic. Um, yeah, my entire family got a good laugh at that one! Obviously, I don't post unflattering pics of myself (who does?), but if she saw my thighs in real life, she would eat those words guaranteed. Plus, anorexia is a severe disorder & a term I wouldn't toss around lightly. It is a horrible mental disorder. It makes me sad for those who truly suffer from it, so I will leave it at that.

Fourth, she stated that I spend all my time at the gym instead of with my family. Let me start by saying, I am extremely fortunate to be married to an intelligent, educated, hardworking man who is able to fully provide for our family. (I say fortunate, but I take partial credit for his success-- he was a ski bum who skipped all his classes when I met him in college; I was a Phi Kappa Phi-Magna Cum Laude type whom he had to impress . . . He kicked it in gear!) This allows me to work because I LOVE it, not because I have no choice. Not everyone is so lucky. It also allows me to choose my own work hours. This is why I teach classes 8-11 am when my kids are in school; why I train clients while my girls are in gymnastics class; why I only teach 1 evening class a week. I LOVE to be home with my family. My job takes very little away from my family. As far as wifely duties, I'd give myself an A-- the hubby has a healthy dinner ready when he gets home, a clean house, clean & folded clothes, kids who are happy to see him, and a wife who loves him and looks hotter than the day we met! What husband could complain about them apples?

 

When my kids get home from school, I'm here to greet them everyday, usually with snacks and a chore list ;) Our home is an open one, where friends are always welcome, and it is often full of rowdy boys and squealing girls, as well as a cat, a dog, two fish, and some hibernating moths (we thought they were butterflies).  I have been PTA President, Alpine School District Volunteer of the Year, Volunteer Chorus Director at my kids' school, kindergarten helper, Field Day coordinator, just to name a few-- because I just love my kids, love being where they are, and value education. I can't think of a better way to serve that most directly impacts my kids and the kids of our community. 

I think I'm performing fairly well in the mom department. I will say, I'm a better mom after I've worked out-- more patient, more easy-going, more energetic, more interested. But why should I even have to defend myself? Why are women so critical of other women? Aren't we all just trying to do the best we can with what we've got? Well, no love lost. And it gave me a juicy blog post at least ;)

My Review of Minimal Running Shoes

So as the new year begins, I'm approached by many clients who want to run a 5K, run a relay, run a marathon-- whatever, they want to RUN. Should be easy enough-- mankind has been doing it for thousands of years. I'm more of a cross-trainer myself, but I have completed 3 marathons, 3 half marathons, 4 Ragnar relays, a few 5Ks. I love to run, but it's not the only thing I do. Because my body is my job security, the most important element of running to me is doing so as injury-free as possible. I think most people would agree-- even if you aren't a fitness instructor or trainer, you NEED your body to perform the most mundane of everyday tasks. Why take up a hobby/exercise regimen that leaves you broken half the time?

I had a friend recommend the Chi Running book to me a few years back, & I have been a believer in the method ever since. As a yoga instructor, the principles of alignment make perfect sense. As a Pilates instructor, the idea of running with the core-- YES! As a Zumba instructor, the tip to use the hips and keep them loose is right up my alley. And as an intelligent person, which I like to think I am, the idea of running efficiently to conserve energy just seems logical. Yeah, I'm fairly adamant that this is the best way to run!

Once I got the method, I began my experimentation with shoes. The Chi Running emphasizes the mid-foot strike rather than a heel strike, so I purchased a New Balance brand shoe that was built with the greatest support at the mid-foot. I read reviews, watched YouTube videos, & took the plunge by ordering a pair. I was so brave that my first run in them EVER was a half marathon. Yep, 13.1 in brand new shoes. I can't remember the version of the shoe, but here's the updated version:

I actually did well in that half & the shoes felt great. A bit loud on every landing of the foot-- I felt like the tap dancing runner-- but other than that, I liked them. So naturally, I ordered another pair when those wore out.

My second pair of the SAME brand & make shoe did not work as well for me. I went out on a training run, and my foot began hurting, a sharp pain in the midfoot. The pain got worse over the next few days; it was difficult to bear weight on that foot. NOT GOOD. I had to teach classes! Obviously, it wouldn't heal because I kept working out on it, even though I had stopped running & stopped wearing those shoes. I decided I had either a minor stress fracture or a bruised bone, either of which required me to stay off my foot for a few days. So . . . I got a Zumba sub & stayed off. It healed!

But I sent that pair of shoes back & demanded a refund. I got one :)

I look back now & realize that shoe is way too much shoe for a minimal runner-- bulky, stiff, hard-bottomed. But that left me stumped. What shoe then??

After reading some blogs & reviews, I decided I'd try just an inexpensive casual athletic shoe. I found just the pair at Kohl's made by Adidas. They looked something like this . . .

adidas arianna

These shoes were great at first-- lighter than normal running shoes, a cute fit, a little cushion, not too much heel, just enough heel lift for a transitioner like myself. I ran Las Vegas Ragnar in these puppies & felt great till the final 10-miler-- got some blisters. I have narrow feet that tend to slide around in shoes, but I'm usually good about not getting blisters. This was a first. They were fine on my shorter training runs, & I somehow forgot about the Vegas blisters & wore these same shoes for FL Keys Ragnar. BAD IDEA. Blisters returned with a vengeance. I ran a 9-miler, an 8-miler, took them off, swore to never wear them again, then put them back on with much trepidation to end with luckily a 2-miler. Every step was excruciating (it didn't help that I had biffed it on the sidewalk during my first leg & it hurt to bend my bloody knees!). I have never been happier to finish a race-- we ended at the beach & I kicked those shoes off. And then, never ran in them again.

Back to the drawing board . . . I decided I was ready to really go minimal. I tried on the Vibram 5 Fingers-- my toes were too long. Bummer. The only body part I have that's long & skinny. Went to the local 26.2 Running store & tried on several pairs of shoes. In the end, I went home with some track shoes, Saucony Kilkenny without spikes of course, not because the store worker recommended them for endurance running, but because I liked how light and minimal they were.

Looked like those, only with red. I really loved these shoes. But they wore out fast. I bought another pair, in lime green. It was poorly constructed & defective so I had to send them back. I ordered another pair, a boring white pair. These, too, were poorly constructed and did not last long. I wore them in a marathon, & they died. The fabric became too loose and felt funny but not in the pleasant funny. The annoying funny. Back to the running store I went.

I decided to really go minimal and cut the heel. The store had the brand new Altras-- the new "it" shoe for minimal runners. In the store, I immediately loved them. They felt like slippers, so comfy to walk in. I tested them out on the treadmill in the store. They seemed okay. But I was tentative. I was also unsure on the size, if I should go up a half size, but they didn't have that size on hand for me to try on. By now, I'm buddy-buddy with the store owner, he's seen me so often. He can also tell I know what I'm talking about & I'm picky. He wants my review of the shoe & sends me home with the pair to try for a run. He said I can take them for a full-on spin (aka 3-5 miles) and still return them if I don't like them. Sounds good to me.

So that weekend, I embarked on my run. I wanted these shoes to be it. They were pricey, but it would be worth it if they were the answer I'd been searching for. I wanted to love them, I wanted to love them, I wanted to love them-- that's what I thought with each stride. But they felt off. They were heavy for one thing & minimal shoes should be weightless. At mile 2, my ankle got a weird sharp pain. I hobbled a bit, rolled it out, tried to keep going. But it didn't go away-- the annoying, zapping pain only worsened. I had never had any ankle issues before this shoe (and yet now, I still have to crack my ankles before a run-- I think it comes back to this moment). Ugh!! I had thought this shoe was the one. I had spent over $100 on them. Luckily, my buddy at the store was true to his word & I got my $$ back.

What now? I researched online & was tempted to buy the Newtons, but I hated the fact that I couldn't try them on first. And they were pricey, pricier than the Altras. The reviews were raving, but said they wore out fast, which meant I'd have to drop $150 every month. Nope, not happening. Back to the store I went.

This time I went for the New Balance Minimus Trail, with the sole built by Vibram & the upper made by New Balance. Yay, I could still get the Vibram experience, despite my freakishly long toes! Despite these being designated as trail, they're good for road, too. I've raced in them for both. In fact, I wore them in my most recent marathon & felt great. The bottoms of my feet do get a bit tender after lengthy mileage, but my muscles are okay; no Achilles tendonitis like I got with regular running shoes years ago. They were also great because my marathon (2011 Top of Utah) was rain-drenched! These shoes repelled water & stayed light the entire time, whereas people in regular shoes looked and sounded miserable-- like their feet were strapped to bricks.

Finally, I found a shoe I love. I also ordered & have been running in Saucony Hattori & so far, I'm loving those as well. I have not put a ton of mileage on them, but they are weightless. They look like pool shoes & are truly minimal without going totally barefoot. So far, these 2 are my shoes of choice for a positive minimal running experience! I will say I have yet to run a marathon with 0 injury/strain. But I'm not sure that's possible when logging that much mileage at a time. By running minimally, I'm able to take shoes out of the equation & try to figure out what I'm doing, alignment and form-wise, that leads to the tendonitis in my goosefoot area (where the hamstrings connect behind the inner knee) & only flares up after I've hit 16 miles in my training. I'm sure just an overuse injury, but I finally feel good about my shoes. That's one less thing to worry about . . .

I hope this post inspires new runners to try the minimal style-- you have no bad habits yet, so it's a perfect time! And I hope this helps other minimal runners find their perfect shoe!