Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Day 1! (again...)

Here's to Day 1 of being a runner again! Today's run was 3.15 miles at 10:15/mile. Not bad! I dropped my son off at school and was really looking forward to hitting the pavement after quite a while. My last runs were in Oregon so...yeah it's been a while. I hit the ground running in 73 degrees and sunny conditions and after just a few minutes I realized my weather app lied! It was a smokin' 80 degrees out! I did a walk/run combo and more than once during my walk portion I threw my hands up and moaned, " Too HOOOOOT!" I had my earbuds in so if I was loud I didn't know. It actually made me very thankful I skipped the AFC Half Marathon because in such poor shape with 90+ degree weather I would have seriously suffered for that medal. (Ok it still stings a little)

I finished today though and can finally say I've started back again. I have so little time these days but running is such an easy way to get a workout in. The weather is bound to get cooler eventually too.

Here's the Skinny

Football season is back in full swing, and with it my son's nightly practices. I've been seeing faces I don't see all year until football starts. One face in particular that I haven't seen all year got much, much skinnier.

A mom of one of the boys on Aaron's football team lost a bunch of weight, a shocking amount actually. Not the, hey-good-for-you amount of weight but the.woah-is-she-sick? amount. And it's weird because I specifically remember admiring how lovely she looked last year...a very attractive build, very pretty hair, low-key fashion that she made look effortless (with her 4 kids!). I remember thinking, wow, she looks very nicely put together.

This year I was shocked to see that she has lost like 20 lbs which for someone of 5'6" or 5'7" stature really shows. I can't help but wonder, did she do it on purpose? This woman was gorgeous now many of the things that stood out as attractive last year have shrunk, and not in a good way. Perhaps she is ill (hopefully not). But otherwise I wonder, why women do this? I don't understand how to so many women ultra-skinny is still considered attractive!

Listen up ladies. We need to understand that we are amazing. We are beautiful, we are feminine and strong, we are creative and sporty, we are loving and powerful. We have so many wonderful traits as our true selves, especially our mom-selves. I don't understand why so many try to fix what isn't broken.

Here's the thing...if you are overweight, then definitely make some healthy changes. But if you are at a healthy weight, your blood lab draws are in range at the Dr's office, you see the dentist regularly, get your annual Pap smears and mammograms and you're good, don't try to fix what isn't broken! I'm not trying to criticize women who are naturally thin, thinness as a goal does not equal beautiful or attractive. In fact I have never once heard a man say that they loved putting their arms around a boney-thin woman. Most say they like having a woman with areas they can squeeze-LOL.

I don't mention things like this often because I always receive "well you couldn't possibly understand" messages. And let me tell you this...I live in the same appearance-obsessed, airbrushed society as you do. I have grown, birthed and breastfed 3 babies. I have plenty of flaws...PLENTY. I see the pressure to get Botox, a boob job, weekly mani-pedis, etc. And here's a bomb for you...I weigh 145 lbs with my 5'4" stature...I'm not skinny! And that's ok because who says it's not?!?

Anyway, I'm not an eloquent blogger or anything I just thought I would throw this out into cyberspace. We all need to hear this. It makes me sad that the woman at my son's football practice either hasn't heard this or doesn't believe it. But I'm going to say it...Whatever you are naturally, ladies be proud of who you are...you don't need to be skinny to be beautiful! Who you are, is enough.



Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Who's the Flakiest Runner?

Me!

So after planning all year, and finishing the first two races, I flaked on the AFC Half Marathon. I know...for shame! I have not trained at all this summer, unless you count marathon surfing sessions (which I totally think count...). The weather was unseasonably hot this week and last weekend I came down with a mysterious case of plantar fasciitis. What? What's that you say? I REAL runner would have just gone and done it anyway? Well I guess a medal plus another medal wasn't enough motivation for me to hobble on a hurt foot through 85-degree weather over 13.1 miles. It just wasn't. I still love running, but I just didn't care enough for some reason. And I'm ok with that.

So what did we do instead? We went surfing of course! It was a million degrees! We went to the ocean...and I spent 3 1/2 glorious hours in the beautiful waters of Cardiff Pipes attempting (and mostly failing) to surf and succeeding at teaching my 15-year-old and 12-year-old sons to surf. That last part, teaching the boys was reason enough. I've never been so proud. Only I didn't think it through, because now I have to share my board...Hmmm.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

I love being home on a nice day after surfing and being able to take the time to wash off the boards and my car in the process. It's a refreshing way to enjoy the sunshine.