My mom ended up contacting Running Warehouse and returned her shoes because they started falling apart so quickly.  I kind of wonder if there is something slightly wrong with the construction of these shoes.  Or maybe it’s something weird in both of our biomechanics that we break the shoes on both the left and the right sides of the shoes, just where the forefoot bends.

And despite this flaw, I still can’t help but want new pairs of Kinvaras.  I mean… look at these lovely colors available in the Kinvara 2!

And there is the Kinvara 3, set to be released in May.  Taking a look at the photos, the upper looks like it has been reinforced some, so I am curious if the problem would be alleviated.  They’re still pretty attractive!

1. Don’t eat breakfast and lunch at my desk anymore.

Since I telecommute, I have developed the bad habit of getting up around 5:30 each morning, grabbing my breakfast and taking it into my office. I don’t have to start working until 7:00 AM… but there I am, no later than 6 most days eating oatmeal or cereal at the keyboard.

And then come lunch time, I would put together my food and haul that right back in to my desk.

So I stretched an 8 hour work day into about 10… and if I’m going to do that, I should have just dropped a day I worked each week, huh?

Last week I decided to stop this. And I find I’m more productive and I enter my work day less frazzled when I take the time to eat at the kitchen table.  I can read blogs on my iPad or browse Facebook if I want.  I can even take the time to put a little salt on my hardboiled egg (because who wants to dump salt over an egg when they’re holding it at the keyboard? I don’t need salt in my keyboard!)

Source: incredibleegg.org via Margi on Pinterest

This needs to continue… so no more meals at my desk unless there are extenuating circumstances that require it.  And breakfast shouldn’t ever be required there.

2. Pick a word for the year: Acceptance

Honestly, it pisses me off to no end when things aren’t going “to plan” – whatever my plan may be.  I want to plan every second of my life and I want to know how it’s all going to turn out, when it’s going to happen and I want to know all of this for the next year, 5 years, 10 years, etc.

But I guess that’s not how life works.  There are other people in my life and they all have their own intentions/goals/paths.  Shit happens… you gotta deal with it.

That’s where ACCEPTANCE is going to come in.  My first reaction was to be far more negative and just say “Give up” – meaning face it, you have no control over what happens in your life Jill.  Pretty negative approach.

I mean, I do have a little bit of control over things.  And what I can’t control, I need to learn to accept that’s how life goes and not let it get to me.

Source: google.com via Jill on Pinterest

And this one is really hard for me!

This was a race morning…

I contemplated for a moment bailing on the race.  But I had paid and I kind of felt like I needed the boost from a race.  I knew I wouldn’t run my best race, but just getting out into the environment with other runners is invigorating.

So after eating breakfast, I got myself ready to go.  This nice thing was that the race started at 9:00 AM… that’s totally sleeping in!  I could sleep in, eat breakfast, laze around a bit and still get ready to go to the race! (When you start work at 7 AM each day, I imagine the term “sleeping in” takes on a different meaning than it may to others! Of course, I’ve always been a morning person.)

Instead of a race t-shirt, participants got a chef’s jacket and a paper chef’s hat.

When I picked up my race packet the day before, I was informed that the jackets were $45 each (or something like that.) They’re actually pretty decent. And since the race advertisements were about having a large group of “running chefs” I decided, alright… I’ll wear it. I never wear the race t-shirt in the race… but this seemed different.

In addition to the chef’s apparel, the goodie bag contained a bunch of snack-y items.

I got dressed for the race, putting on my chef’s jacket:

I didn’t wear the hat. No matter what direction I put that thing on my head it was incredibly awkward. And ugly. And it would have blown off in the high winds anyway.  I chose not to wear a cap during the run, since hats with bills always seem to catch in the wind and I didn’t want to have to hold it on my head all race.  But hairspraying the hair around my face didn’t hold it in… I should have worn a headband or something.

I got in my car and drove to the park where the race was held. Then I hung out in my car for about 10 minutes before braving the wind, but the wind wasn’t that bad when I got out of my car. “Okay, I can deal with this.”

As I approached the area where everyone was gathered, they announced that all runners needed to start walking toward the start line. So I just followed the herd. They described the course, told us we were just 5K away from a pancake breakfast, shot the gun and we were off.

Very shortly into the race, the winds kicked into high gear once again and didn’t relent for the rest of the race. Since we were running in loops, that meant we had moments where we ran straight into the wind, times with the wind at our side and times with the wind at our back… then repeat. Which meant that I ran hunched forward to power into the wind, I ran leaning sideways as strong winds were attempting to blow me over and I ran with a pretty good gusto with the wind pushing me forward.

My heart started pounding very quickly into the race and didn’t relax. My breathing felt very labored the whole time too. That’s just part of my life lately… generally feeling like crap! I’m proud of myself for getting out there and doing a race!

There were a few of my past Team Challenge participants out there on the course. Team Vegas represents!

On the course I passed a couple running together.  The guy was holding two bottles of Gatorade.  The woman next to him all the sudden yelled, “DRINK!” He handed her a bottle, she took a swing and then screamed “HOLD IT!” He quietly took the bottle back from her.  I wonder if they did that the whole race.

As I saw the finish line ahead and spotted the clock with a 29:XX on it… I pushed harder. My only goal at this point was to come in under 30 minutes at the point. And I did it!  Not my best 5K performance… not even in-line with my “average” 5K performance… but it still made me happy.

The race was not chip timed, so after crossing the finish line we all kind of shuffled into a line to tear off the bottom of our bib number for the race organizer to put on a big ring. About 10 seconds after I got in the line, a girl walked up behind me and then shoved her bib number tag right in front of me to hand it in and said, “I’m before you.” Then she patted me on the back rather patronizingly and said, “Good race.”

Uh… what was that? Weird.

I made my way over to get some water and then decided that I would eat a pancake. And I have to say, all those chefs flipping pancakes at the griddles, they mangled a good amount of them too. I feel far better about my pancake flipping (lack of) skills now!  They had pancakes with butter (Smart Balance actually) and syrup, oranges, bananas, juice and coffee.

I knew my friend Charlene was at the race, but I never saw her before or during the race. I kept looking around for her, finally I spotted one of her boys. I walked over to him, “Where’s your mom?!” He pointed me out so I finally spotted her. Charlene and I have run together for fun, we chat with each other often… yet this was the first race that we’ve run in together! FINALLY!!! (And it won’t be the last… Mardi Gras, Charlene?)

And Charlene kicked butt, like always. She won the Masters division.

Right after I got back to my car to drive home, rain started coming down harder. I’m glad that held off for the race. It would have been particularly miserable to have the rain in the driving wind.

I had fun, I’ll do this race again next year. It’s for a good cause and it was just enjoyable.

Weight loss.

I am NOT a weight loss blogger. I have been fairly open about being a recovering anorexic on here. And note… I say recovering… I don’t know if I will ever be fully recovered. Those thoughts linger, even when you are in a healthier place. But to keep myself in a healthier place, I need to avoid the temptation of being sucked into diet and weight loss trends.

• I will never ever ever discuss specific weights on here, pounds gained or loss. (Although I will say, I’ve gained over the years I’ve been writing this site. It’s hard for me to deal with emotionally sometimes, even though that gain is healthy. Nature of the eating disorder beast. Even the right thing is so hard at times.)
• I will never ever ever promote a quick weight loss solution. This means fad diets, cleanses and meal plans that consist of eating tons of strange pre-packaged food-like substances.
• I will never ever ever encourage anyone to exercise for the sole purpose of losing weight. Undertaking a healthy eating and exercise plan should always come from the place of wanting to feel better and live longer. If someone who needs to drop weight loses some due to this, okay… but they’ll be more likely to continue those habits if they’re focused on benefits other than size/weight/shape.
• I will never ever ever promote contraptions that promise to change a person’s body, especially if it’s a method that “doesn’t require any work on your part.”

Source: moreconfidenceplease.tumblr.com via Jill on Pinterest

Here’s what I am:

• I am a gal who discovered that she really loves running, yet still struggles with motivation from time-to-time like anyone else.
• I am an advocate for positive body image messages.
• I am tired of hearing women’s (and men’s) bodies being berated in the media and held to unrealistic standards of what “beauty” has become.
• I like to encourage the concept of whole health, meaning that you have to focus on your physical AND mental/emotional well-being to be truly healthy.
• I started doing yoga in 1996 and love the way it makes me feel, but I prefer to do it for mental benefits and have decided I don’t like to count it as a “workout.”
• I am a certified running coach, I love helping beginners start to run – seeing them progress and reach their goals fills me with warm fuzzy feelings.
• I can’t coach as much as I would like, I do have a full-time job that has nothing to do with running or this site.
• I am a techie, I love playing with new gadgets and apps that apply to running and fitness, as long as they don’t venture into what I feel is disordered territory.
• I like writing reviews… I started doing this completely organically, I purchased something, used it and wrote about it. It’s nice to receive some things for free in exchange for review so I can review more things than I could purchase, but I’m not going to take a product just because it’s been offered. (I’m looking at you e-cigarettes… why me?)
• This site isn’t my job, I just do it for enjoyment.

Just needed to get that off my chest.

One winner will get to pick a pair of compression socks or compression calf sleeves from SportsCompression.com.

You have lots of ways to gain entry, all of which are outlined in the Rafflecopter widget below. But to recap:
- Comment on this post
- Follow me and Sports Compression on Twitter
- Follow me and Sports Compression on Facebook
- Tweet about the giveaway
- Post on SportsCompression’s Facebook page

The giveaway is open today (January 16) until February 6.
Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

But the trials… this was different.  I actually cared about the athletes and the outcomes.

On the men’s side, I wasn’t sure who was going to take it… although I suspected it would be Ryan Hall.  I wasn’t right on that, he came in second.

1. Meb Keflezighi
2. Ryan Hall
3. Abdi Abdirahman

On the women’s side, I had predicted Desiree Davila to take it, but she came in second.  But I had the final 3 pegged correctly.

1. Shalane Flanagan
2. Desiree Davila
3. Kara Goucher

I admit to tearing up at the finish lines.  The winners making the team was pretty awesome, but I also felt for the 4th place finisher in each race: Dathan Ritzenhein and Amy Hastings.  Both of them pushed so hard, it must really ache to be so close to the team.

And to all the people who don’t even get any coverage on TV in the event but trained hard to qualify and then to compete in the trials… that takes a lot and I applaud all of you!

Lastly, this picture of the Olympic team members just made me chuckle:

Couldn't they let the girls put some pants on too? And it seems pretty obvious that these people aren't cowboys in their day-to-day life! Funny, but cute, pic.

Cindy Sites, founder of The Figure Method and owner of Go Figure Fitness Studios has provided this workout to Jill Will Run readers that will work at strengthening and toning your thighs from the front (quadriceps), rear (hamstrings) and outer (gluteus minimus) to make sure you are keeping things balanced, without requiring any equipment!

Forward Leg Lift: This move, a variation on the ballet battement, tones quads and adductors (the inner thigh area–one of the weakest muscles in a woman’s body). It creates muscles that are toned and lengthened, not big and bulky.

Instructions: Stand with your back against the ballet barre (or chair, stairway bannister, kitchen counter…anywhere you can find balance!). Extend one leg out and lift and lower in a challenging range of motion, toes pointed, 20 times. Then, un-point the toes, flex the foot, and do 20 more reps. Switch to the opposite leg and repeat.

Reverse Leg Lift (ballet arabesque): The reverse leg lift uses the same principle as the forward lift, but works the back of the leg rather than the front. You should feel a contraction in the entire back of the leg, from the glute to the ankle.

Instructions: Stand next to your point of balance, holding on with your right hand. Bend your left knee slightly and raise the right leg in a challenging range of motion, toes pointed, 20 times. Then, un-point the toes, flex the foot, and do 20 more reps. Switch positions, putting your left hand on the barre/point of balance, bend your right knee slightly, and repeat the leg lift with the left leg.

Ballet First Position/Plié: The plié is arguably the most famous ballet position for a reason: it’s a fantastic work out for the entire leg, targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glute muscles. Note: Those with knee sensitivity should opt out of first position and proceed to second position.

Instructions: Squat, heels lifted and touching, knees spread to create a diamond shape between your heels and your pelvis. Lift up one inch, down one inch, never moving your seat below your knees. Repeat 20 times. Break for a moment and repeat.

Ballet Second Position/Plié: This variation on the plié is a very effective, total leg workout. Make sure your heels are lifted (ballet term: relevé) the entire time to feel the full effect.

Instructions: Squat, knees facing out, facing your barre or point of balance. Lift your heels and adjust your position until you feel that your leg muscles are fully engaged. Hold the position for 60 seconds, or lift yourself up one inch, down one inch, never moving your seat below your knees. Repeat 20 times. Break for a moment and repeat.

Hamstring Press (ballet attitude position): This move is excellent for toning and strengthening the back of the thigh (hamstring).

Instructions: Stand with arms lifted in front of you, one knee slightly bent and the other leg behind you at a 90 degree angle. With your toes pointed, lower the leg so that your toe touches the floor, then come back to the 90 degree angle. Repeat 20 times. Break momentarily and repeat 20 more times, with un-pointed toes and the foot flexed. Then repeat on the opposite leg.

Runner’s Lunge: After contracting the thigh muscles with the above exercises, it’s important to give yourself a great stretch to lengthen the muscle. This position stretches out the back of the leg and thigh and is a perfect way to end a rigorous workout.

Instructions: With your right leg at a 90 degree angle and right foot firmly planted, extend the left leg behind you, being sure to keep your left heel lifted. Fold your arms into a prayer position and hold. Repeat on the opposite leg.

Disclaimer: I am not a fan of exercise programs that promise to make you “drop inches” or to change your body shape completely.  What I am a fan of is exercises that promise functional gains.  We can’t all look the same and we’re not all cut from the same mold, so any exercise programs that promise to change your fundamental structure, well… that’s just a bunch of bull****.

Yikes…

So short answer is, no… I did not go back.

Longer answer:
At first I thought I could go back with an investigative reporter mindset. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn’t enjoy the environment all that much. The energy levels of the staff were all over the place, some of them seemed almost crazed they were so energetic and others seemed like they were pissed off at the world.

If it truly does have a cult tie (and I’m not saying that it definitely does or does not) I’d like to avoid that. I would want to assume that I’m strong enough to avoid a “cult” but who knows… most people who get caught up in those probably feel like they should have been strong enough to avoid that!

I didn’t like the way the class spent time at the start beating the abdomen. It wasn’t hard punching, just drumming on the abs… but it doesn’t seem useful or normal to me.

So… how about some other options for some REAL yoga, not weird-chanting-martial-artsish-pseudo-yoga?

Of course, there is always the option of finding a yoga studio. But how do you find the right one? Well, if you live in certain cities, you could buy a Passport to Prana pass. Once purchased, this card grants you access to one class at each of the participating studios in your town. So you get a little “passport” to tour the yoga in your world.

Sadly, they don’t have this available in Las Vegas yet, but they are in the following US cities as of this writing:
ATLANTA, BOSTON, CHICAGO, DALLAS, DENVER, LOS ANGELES, MIAMI, NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, PORTLAND, SAN DIEGO, SAN FRANCISCO, SEATTLE, TAMPA BAY
And the following Canadian cities:
CALGARY, EDMONTON, MONTREAL, OTTAWA, TORONTO, VANCOUVER, VICTORIA, WINNIPEG

Another option, that only requires a computer and internet access is Gaiam TV. I signed up for a 30-day free trial for this site at the end of 2011. (They offered 30-days free immediately upon launch to people who had purchased from Gaiam before. The standard for anyone right now is 10-days free.) There are a wide variety of videos available, not just yoga but ones from Jillian Michaels, Walk Away the Pounds series, Tai Chi, Kickboxing, etc.

I tried Kathryn Budig’s Aim True yoga class on there and was really impressed. So if you get on Gaiam TV or if you just find this DVD available, give it a try. She has a very clear manner for instruction and her voice is calming without sounding like she’s trying too hard to be new-agey.

In addition to fitness/yoga workouts, they have movies/tv shows/interviews with a wide range of authorities on a wide range of health-related topics. From environment, spirtuality, metaphysics, etc.

They have an iPhone app too, but when I used it the class offerings via the app were extremely limited and that annoyed me. Upon first launch, the app didn’t seem to offer much, but perhaps they’ve improved now. I’ve let my Gaiam TV trial lapse, but I’d consider signing up as a paying member at some point.

(I just didn’t earlier, because I had my Groupon to Dahn Yoga to use… and that really panned out for me!)

That’s how I’ve been feeling for almost a month now.
Dazed, confused, bewildered and angry at the curve-ball that  hit me pretty hard.

Those feelings aren’t that healthy, especially considering I’m just keeping them trapped inside and stewing.  I’ll probably schedule an appointment with my therapist (whom I haven’t been seeing as frequently lately) just to process all of this.  I’m not sure I’m ready to discuss all this with anyone other than my therapist. I feel like I need the safety that her couch brings and the non-judgment that she offers.  (It’s not like the stereotype where I lay on a couch… I just sit on a couch in her office while talking to her.  FYI.)

But I need to do some things on my own to improve my outlook.  So right now my plan is:

1. A walk or run of at least 1 mile each day, mid-day in the sunshine.  Take special note of how lucky I am that I can do that and other good things in my life.
2. Daily meditation.  At least 10 minutes, sitting or laying still while using the Simply Being app in my iPhone.

It’s not a cure-all… but it’s a start.  I do feel a little less like I’m drowning after these activities.

I am also planning on putting together some artwork in my office.  I haven’t done much with my office since moving to the new house. (There’s even a big box of stuff sitting in the corner. Occasionally I rummage through it to find something. I’m really lacking storage in the room now that I’m down a closet and a desk.)  Now that the new year has started, I’m back to sitting in that lonely room for long hours each day.  I need stuff to cheer me up on the walls.  I think I’m going to do a couple of things:

Buy this:

Source: etsy.com via Jill on Pinterest

Print this:

Source: balancingeverything.com via Jill on Pinterest

I need to find some inexpensive white frames for these. I understand IKEA has a ton of those things… but we don’t have an IKEA. Got any suggestions?

*I got hit in the head with a baseball at one of my brother’s little league games when I was a kid. That’s exactly the feeling… Dazed, confused, bewildered and angry. My analogy is spot-on… for those of you who don’t know.

Compression has been a popular part of sports recovery for a long time, it is part of the standard RICE formula.
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate

Lately there are more and more options on the market to aid in compression as opposed to the old school methods of wrapping an ace bandage around your body.  Compression has also moved beyond the realm of recovery… athletes are using it during training as well.

SportsCompression.com has the goal of providing top quality compression products to athletes, because they themselves are athletes too! They have a variety of products (socks, sleeves, apparel, braces) that they have tested and deem to be of top quality. They offer a 30-day money back guarantee as well, so if you’re not happy you have a chance to get your money back (as long as you keep the original packaging) and they also have a price-match guarantee. [source]

They were kind enough to send me a pair of pink CEP compression socks, which was fun to get my first pair of compression socks.  Here’s the official marketing speak:

For all Runners and Endurance Athletes: The scientifically optimized pressure flow provides muscles with the maximum amount of oxygen and energy during performance and recovery.

The times when the sole purpose of socks and stockings was to protect feet from blistering, are over. CEP provides the first functional sport sock with a unique compression profile, scientifically proven to increase blood circulation, and consequently, increase performance.

Achilles Tendon Support: Additional support of the Achilles tendon protects and prevents irritable tendons.

Padded Foot Soles: Special support of the foot sole prevents irritations caused by pressure spots.

Ventilation Channels: For a pleasant foot climate and reduced friction.

3-D Fit: The socks adjust to the anatomy of the leg and foot for a perfect fit, thanks to the three-dimensional manufacturing process.

And the “official” Jill speak:

Awesome! They come with instructions on how to put them on! For some reason I get a kick out of clothes that come with instructions, because it seems like clothes should be fairly self-explanatory!  The instructions say to turn them inside out and then place your foot on the foot spot and unfurl the sock up your leg.  That seemed ridiculous to me, so I just scrunched them down to fit my foot inside and then pulled them up my leg.  That worked fine.  They were comfy, I wore them on a run but I also think they would be a nice option to wear for recovery from a long run.

Not only does SportsCompression.com sell compression products, they have links to information on the science behind compression and medical studies on the subject.  They also have info on using compression for travel benefits, helping to avoid DVT from sitting for long periods of time. Their site is easy to navigate, loads quickly. This isn’t a web-technology blog, so I won’t dissect how their site holds up against various validations… but I did check!

So here’s my only dilemma…  SportsCompression.com has offered me the opportunity to hold a giveaway on here.  But I honestly feel like giveaways don’t receive the kind of interaction that I’d like.  People seem to gloss over them.  So if you are interested in the possibility of a compression giveaway, chime in via the comments.  If there seems to be interest, I’ll have another post for a giveaway.

Legalese: SportsCompression.com did provide me with a pair of socks for free in exchange for spreading the word about their business. Everything posted here is based on what I wanted to say though.