60 Minutes

My goal this year wasn't to lose 15lbs or fit a certain clothing size. It was to make healthy choices and hopefully automate them to the point where they become life-long habits...stress on the "long life" part. Using Dr. Don Colbert's "Seven Pillars of Health" as a guideline, I have definitely paid tribute to many healthful practises over the past 9 months.

Some of these practises were definite like the decision to abstain from coffee and processed sugars, but others are more touch and go. Some days I got it and some days I don't.

My running clinic had a registered dietitian come in and give a talk. Near the end she talked about hydration and how important it is to sip water consistently throughout the day and how that helps not only with running performance but health as well. I needed to hear this because although we spent the money to install a reverse osmosis unit, I have been lax in this department and really want to develop more automated positive behaviour.

My challenge is that every day I decide that this is going to be the day I consume 8 cups of water. I religiously fill my stainless steel thermos and it is my only source of hydration throughout the day so I'm scoring big points and have high hopes. Unfortunately, my desk job doesn't stimulate the desire to drink and I'm rather focused on my tasks so hours go by and I finish my workday realizing that I only reached for my water a couple times.

Today I tried something different and it worked beautifully so I'm going to share it with you. This method is conducive to me since I rarely leave my desk. If you are mobile during the day, you may need to vary this a bit.

I found a website that acts as a timer. http://timer.onlineclock.net/ You specify how many minutes from 1-60 that you want to time and then forget about it. I decided that an hourly cue would be a huge improvement so I set it for 60 minutes.

Sure enough, I was thoroughly engrossed in my work when I heard a strange noise coming from my computer. At first, I was concerned that my computer was failing but then I remembered, it was time to drink my water.

Very effective. I took a deep drink and reset the timer to 60 minutes. This went on all day and every time it was like having someone shake me by the shoulders and remind me that I need to take a quick break and pay attention to my body for a couple seconds.

Maybe now I need a timer. I will definitely use this method until the habit of hydrating regularly through the day is second nature.

Cheers!

Shoe-In

This week marks the passage into the second half of my Running Factory Learn to Run clinic. I want to say that running has become easy and that I'm actually enjoying the measured minutes I spend outside pounding the pavement but I'd be lying. Not that I really despise it. It's one of those love/hate scenarios that keeps me guessing.

I relish the idea of being a runner, but if it wasn't for this structured program that includes weekly jogs with group leaders and other participants, I wouldn't be pushing myself this hard. I missed one homework sessionn due to a crazy weekend and paid dearly for it. The group sets an unrelenting pace, every week adding minutes to our run time. I think I'm improving because I stay in motion and haven't collapsed, but it's hard to tell when the bar is constantly raised!

Sometimes I enjoy it. Once I warm up and become oblivious, if not grateful, for the chill outside, when the discomfort in my legs numbs to a faint ache and my ragged breathing takes on a rhythmic pace resembling life -sustaining oxygen intake. Somewhere in the midst of it all there is a moment or two where my body is in perfect harmony and I can take a look around me and think, "This isn't so bad, I can do this". It's a brief feeling that is soon overridden by muscle and joint complaints as I begin to fatigue.

I like the feeling when the run is over. Knowing I got an intense workout in and it is done for a couple days. The tired, spent feeling that says it's okay to relax a little now.

That's the poetic side.

Last week, our clinic began with a talk about the importance of footwear and Joe, the owner of the Running Factory, did a great job. Good timing too. I have blogged about my knee hurting but on this particular night I could barely finish because the bottoms of my feet started to burn and cramp. Ouch! I started to panic when the pain began. Maybe I had bitten off more than I could handle with Level 4 and was going to sustain an injury that would force me to stop running entirely.

Fortunately, I decided to retire my favorite running shoes, which I have worn for almost every workout over a 2-3 year period. Joe said that running shoes should only be for running because even standing or walking in them lowers the compression life of the sole. My fav sneakers still look great but the sole was dead and buried in terms of compression.

I had another pair of runners that I bought at the same time as my preferred pair but had worn them very little due to the style. Next time I went for a run, I laced those ones up instead. What do you know? Joe is smart. My knee pain eased up a little and that nasty cramping and burning on the bottoms of my feet has completely disappeared. Imagine if I bought a really good pair of new sneakers...I might actually experience some pleasure in this activity!

One Year Mark

Today is a significant day for me. October 17th marks one full year of coffee & pop sobriety.

Wow! This is an accomplishment for me. Never in my 13 years of addiction has this been done. I think my previous record was somewhere around 3 months where I would be lost in the futility of my decision and go eagerly back to the comfort of my favorite beverages.

I'd love to say that I'm completely cured after 365 days of saying "no" and that I am in no danger of slipping back to old habits but this is not a truthful statement. Most days I don't even think about Tim Hortons, Starbucks or Diet Coke and I'm okay, but as recently as yesterday, I struggled with the temptation to indulge.

The desire is not constant or I don't think I could be strong enough to avoid it. No, it comes occasionally but as intense as the first couple days of deprivation.

See, my husband is still a coffee drinker and most of my friends are too. When I quit brewing our choice coffee at home, Shawn lost his enabler. He now gets his daily dose at work and goes through the Timmies drive-thru on the weekend. Inevitably, I am with him as he pulls into the drive-thru line en route to our destination and my longing for coffee or an ice caps is wakened. I have avoided trying to convert Shawn to my way of thinking and he has lowered his consumption on his own, but these weekend tributes to Tim Hortons continue. I remind myself that this is my choice and I am choosing not to drink these beverages for my own reasons. The internal reasoning is loud and so far, my best intentions have won out.

The diet soda cravings are very much the same. I'm okay most of the time unless we visit a fast-food restaurant and everyone is sipping their pop. I carry my stainless steel thermos with ice-cold purified water and that is what I drink. It's not the same but it works. I am constantly amazed at the response of my mind and body when I hear the crack and zip of someone opening a can of soda. I could be across the room, engaged in a conversation and the sound would get my full attention.

This weekend was a powerful reminder. We attended a conference and a wedding in a 2 day procession that involved early mornings, late nights and suspended downtime. I watched conference goers cradling their paper cups of java and my own hands felt strangely empty. A stainless steel thermos doesn't have the same warmth. Between the wedding & reception, I wished for the sustainment of a Starbucks but no such bliss for me. I watched Shawn enjoy.

So why? That's what I ask myself over and over during these moments. We gave away our coffee maker last month and just yesterday, our stash of Tim Horton's grinds. A year seems like it should be long enough but after yesterday, I'm still asking these questions. This was my answer:

1) Less frequent bathroom visits. I could drink more water and create the need to eliminate more often but with coffee or diet soda, I was in the washroom incessantly. During this busy weekend, I watched women almost running out of the conference sessions in an attempt to get to the ladies room on time and I felt no such discomfort. This is a small thing but for the girl who had to sit on the isle most of her life, it's a great benefit!

2) The ability to sleep in. While coffee may make waking up during the week a little easier, it never failed that on the one day I could sleep longer, my caffeine need would wake me at my regular time. If I tried to stay in bed, I would wake with a headache that spoiled the beginning of what is supposed to be a relieving day of rest. Not anymore. Now, I can sleep in occasionally with unspoiled indulgence and when I wake, I feel great!

3) More money. Those comforting visits to Timmies or Starbucks cost a lot. Even keeping our home stocked with grinds, filters, and cream was an added expense. Now, our grocery budget is trimmed and my personal spending money is saved for tangible purchases. This is a great benefit!

4) Less upset stomach. During the height of my caffeine consumption, my stomach would tighten up like a rock. Nothing I did could relax the ball of tension I felt in the pit of my belly. Over the past couple years I have come to realize that I am constantly working to manage anxiety. Caffeine-laden beverages tend to contribute negatively to this effort.

5) Irritability. I haven't suddenly turned into a relaxed, sweet individual. In fact, this year I have seen all sorts of negativity come out of me as I faced interpersonal conflict without the benefit of some basic comforts in my diet. What I have noticed however, is that I no longer experience the agitation that comes with being deprived of my addictive substance. Power outages, lack of access to coffee shops, or other delays in receiving my caffinated beverages would inevitably make me edgy and demanding due to the unwavering, protest of my body. It's hard to put a value on not experiencing this and behaving so primitively.

There are probably more benefits, but I think you get the point. Although, it may seem like a small thing to some, it does make a difference. Whatever I feel that I have lost in this process, I have gained a lot too.

Here's to another year!

Stretching

My latest addition to this year's healthy lifestyle choices was by necessity.

The closest I have suffered to an acute injury was a minor incident that strained my right knee when I went skiing almost 20 years ago. Since then, it was the first place to complain about exercise of any kind but it wasn't debilitating. Even during my fitness instructor years, that knee was nothing more than a warning sign to rest.

Over the past couple years however, the knee has begun to protest a little louder. It flares up when I try to do leg exercises, is the first place I feel discomfort during bike rides and runs, and aches constantly. I even have to be careful how I get up or down from the floor or how I bend it. This would be defined as a chronic injury. An injury that has happened to a joint, tendon, or muscle over time from repetitive use or abuse.

In our running class they had a physical therapist speak about stretching properly and although I know all this stuff, I paid close attention. She spoke about stretches that are specific to running and even addressed why "Runner's Knee" happens and how to stretch to help avoid it.

Shawn is good about doing some token stretches before bed but I admit that by the time I think about going to bed, I'm too exhausted to do more than my usual bedtime routine. I fall into bed and listen to Shawn doing his 2 minute stretch with a grunt here and a crack there knowing I should be doing it too, but well...maybe tomorrow night.

I don't know why as humans we wait until it's almost too late before we make a healthful change but the pain in my knee and my desire to continue vigorous physical activity has finally motivated me to stretch regularly before bed.

Last week I finally put a calming Enya CD in the player and went through a series of stretches that I could practically do in my sleep (which may be necessary at some point). It's not lack of know-how that has prevented me--just plain laziness. I decided that I would stretch to two songs every evening before my head hit the pillow.

It felt good and I slept better. No noticeable improvement in my knee as of yet but there are other things I can do like icing it and getting a new pair of running shoes. The point is, I'm doing something important to my long-term health & mobility by stretching my body every night. We lose flexibility as we age and often, that is how reduced movement and injuries occur.

I'm really good about washing my face, brushing my teeth and over the 1 1/2 years, I've even gotten extremely good at rubber-tipping. All these habits have helped me tremendously. I don't really need or want another thing on my to-do list before bed but this latest 5-10 minute stretch ritual is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Miracle Apples

My annual pilgrimage to Leamington for apple-picking was delayed this year. Typically I find myself at Thiessen's too early in the season and my favorite apple, Mutsu, is not ready to be picked so I try to wait til later before making the 45 minute drive. I guess I waited almost too long this time.

I was advised by a good friend that when she went earlier this week, the trees were bare except for several varieties that I (and apparently the general public at large) are not fond of. She said the only options were to pick apples up off the ground (yuk) or from the barrels (where's the fun in that?). Duly warned, I decided to make the drive out there in hopes that it wasn't as bad as she had reported.

It was. After the wagon ride past a whole row of fruit-laden golden delicious apple trees I was optimistic that somewhere there would be a pocket of unpicked Mutsu apples just waiting to be found. When my two children & I trekked into the Mutsu isle we were speechless. Not only were the trees completely bare of fruit but there weren't even piles of apples laying on the ground around them. It was as if professional pickers had gone through and taken everything.

Somewhat disheartened, we decided to go down one isle right to the very end. I looked one way and Paris looked the other. Mutsu apples are green and the trees were very leafy so we scanned carefully in hopes of distinguishing the orbs of the apples from the foliage. Nothing. I was shocked. How could every apple be gone? At the end of the row we discussed our options.

Paris suggested that we pray that God would help us find some Mutsu apples and try another isle. I had been thinking the same thing but had hesitated suggesting it because it was our fault for being so late to arrive and what did we expect God to do, miraculously grow us some apples?

Thrilled that my daughter has adopted our faith in God's mercy and provision and that she initiated prayer as a response to a problem, we joined hands and both took turns asking the Lord out loud to help us find any apples that were hidden so that we could fill at least one bag and go home with something. We then returned to our careful searching of every tree.

I shouldn't have been surprised when we suddenly came across solitary apples hidden behind leaves or branches. Only a few of them were up high enough to require Paris to get on my shoulders to get them. Most were within easy reach for both of us. We hadn't seen one until after our prayer!

"I found one!" was a call of delight that would stop us both from our search so we could admire and inspect the fruit. As our two bags filled up slowing over the next hour, we chatted excitedly about how generous God was to us and we literally thanked Him after every discovery. Trysten wasn't as interested in our project but even he joined in near the end and found three all by himself.

There weren't any people picking in our rows for obvious reasons but occasionally pickers would happen by us staring incredulously at the bulging bags we were carrying.

"Where did you get those?" they would ask every time.

"From these trees," we would answer with a smile and a quick glance at each other.

At one point we heard a child say, "Grandma, there's no apples on these trees!" It was true but you wouldn't know it from the bags we were carrying.

Finally, we decided we had looked enough and we were getting chilled. Trysten had already bailed on us, taken the wagon ride back to the main area so he could play in their playground. Paris & I decided to walk back to the weigh station and shared an apple on the way. It was crisp, juicy and tasted like the best apple we had ever eaten. Gifts from God are always perfect.

My arms burned from the weight of the apple bags on the way back but it was a good pain. We had come to an empty orchard and we were going home with plenty. Our cheeks were rosy and Paris was enjoying herself as much as I was.

"Mom, it's like expecting to find a treasure only to find out that it's gone but finding a trail of jewels one by one."

I felt the same way.

Technology Dreams

As much as the writer in me enjoys the written page as I mentioned in "Paper Versus Digital", there is a "techie nerd" in me that also loves the intricacies of technology. Like I said before, I did have a favorite diet/exercise program that I used up until I switched to Blackberry. My recent running adventures and aspirations for triathaloning next year have reawakened the desire to use technology to my advantage.

My recent switch from Palm OS to Blackberry has been a dismal disappointment. Blackberry is great for some people but for me and my favorite applications, it was like leaving Windows and returning to DOS programming. You know the black screen with the original computer font and little, if any, clip art? Even the favorite programs that did offer a cross-over to the Blackberry format lost their appeal. I've been living with this I have dared to dream of something better.

You see, as a runner I want the capability to record my heart rate, speed and distance. I have an old Timex heart rate monitor & watch set that has been used much and has decided to die after many battery changes. It only recorded heart rate anyways so I'm not too sad to let it go. I have set my sights a little higher and would like to invest in a watch & chest strap that will not only give me the desired feedback but will allow me to upload that feedback to my favoured diet/exercise application.

As a cyclist, I want that same gadget to record my cycling cadence, speed, distance, and heart-rate. Usually this requires an additional mounting device that attaches to your bike.

As a swimmer, I want this gadget to record my heart rate...not sure if it is able to calculate anything else like speed or distance but that would be nice!

My dilemma is that newer technology like the IPhone or Android phones are very expensive and to utilize the GPS and applications that would help make my aspirations possible, I would need to get into a data plan. This is foreboding, not because I wouldn't want to go this route but because of our financial goals, my husband & I have chosen not to designate our money in this way. We prefer to pay off our mortgage instead of throw our money into the atmosphere!

After careful research into my wants & needs I have decided to go backwards in technology instead. If I return to a Palm OS Smartphone I can regain my favorite program and acquire a Polar heart rate monitor system that communicates with it via infrared. It's not cutting edge but I can access it and utilize it without committing to a three year contract and spending a hefty amount monthly for a data plan.

It's not free, however. I can purchase a "new" Treo 680 (in RED) for around $140 and sell my Blackberry Curve online to help offset the cost. Although the models of Polar heart rate monitors that I can select from (the ones that work with Palm OS) are now discontinued, they're still available from a few retailers and run in the range of $350 not including some of the accessories I would need to add to get the full usage that I dream about. Things like a foot pod, bike attachment, cadence monitor, etc. Add it all up and it's a rather large investment for aging equipment.

I was ready to go for this. I had my plan laid out and found some worthy candidates online. Even a deal on a used Polar monitor with all the accessories. I even had Shawn's blessing to spend my future Christmas gift and spending money ahead of time and pay it back later (all courtesy of our household savings). This is where another important discipline in my life kicked in. I have a history of getting my sights on something I want to achieve and then purchasing whatever I think I need to get there...before I really have the money in my possession.

I could do this--it's not morally wrong, but it goes against something more important that I believe God is working out in me. First, I need to learn patience when it comes to purchasing. Sometimes the wait seems painfully long but if the desire is lasting, a person will make the sacrifices and save for something they truly want. It's important to remember that stuff is stuff and it will be there when we are ready to purchase. If it isn't, something else will be.

Secondly, as exciting as the capability to accurately measure my progress is to me, it will never replace the actual activities that I am performing. It's more important that I have the $ to go for a swim and actually DO the swim than it is to have the fancy stuff needed to measure my swimming performance. Same with the running and the cycling.  I can tend to get so caught up in the technology & measurement aspects  (they do have their value) but it's important to remember that it's not absolutely necessary for success.

So, I have decided to do the old-fashioned thing which is to save, wait and purchase as I have the resources. I can train for my triathlon and even complete the event without any gadgets at all. Maybe this kind of training is just important, if not more so, than the physical kind that I will be doing in the upcoming months!