Running... barefoot

So, most of you know, if you've been here in the past year, that I'm a bit of a running addict.  I have used running as therapy for so long now that I literally cannot live without it.  I'm not overstating it.  Case in point... I just ran the Music City 1/2 Marathon a couple of weeks ago (my time was underwhelming and I was very disappointed with the run overall, but that's a whole other topic.)  Anyway, I trained for this half with a stress fracture in my right hip and I can honestly say I've NEVER experienced the kind of pain I was in while running for the last three weeks of training.  Child birth was a walk in the park compared to running on a fractured hip bone.  Aye-aye-aye.

So, I was told that I need to rest the hip for 6 to TWELVE (that's right, I said, 12!!!) weeks.  Gulp!  I can't run?  At ALL?????  You say what?  So, here I sat for the past 2 weeks, getting more and more depressed.  When your body is used to a certain level of adrenaline and exercise induced endorphins, it's very difficult to go cold turkey.  SO... I have filled my sad time with a book, Born to Run (which I highly recommend to ANYONE who has even the tiniest interest in running... it's not a book about how to run, but rather a book about lots of different people who run, these "running people" come from every single country and culture, but they are very interesting characters.)  In reading the book, I have become CONVINCED that my injuries are primarily from wearing running shoes.

There's tons of science and explanation behind it, you'll just have to read the book if you want to know all the data, etc.  Or Google "train to run barefoot" and you'll get an overload of information.  But basically, what I've realized is that God created our feet to be the perfect running platform.  He put the arch in the middle of our foot.... ever wonder why?  Because the arch is the strongest structure and can bare the most load in architecture.  That's right!  The more weight you put on an arch, the stronger it gets because it presses in on itself.  But what happens when you put a support beam under an arch?  You destroy it's strength because you put the weight on the support beam... eventually the arch will collapse.  Helllllooooooo!?!?!  Isn't that exactly what we've done to our feet?  God's design, of course, is perfect and ingenious.  So, I'm going back to the basics.

Before you chastise me about glass and sharp objects, I bought some VERY flimsy, flat, minimalist running sneakers.  I am wearing them all but 1/2 mile on very short runs right now.  I did 2.5 yesterday, 2 in the flimsy shoes, .5 totally barefoot.  I'm building up my thick soles, I'm trying to do this the right way (for once.)

So, if you're not a runner, this blog post has probably been the most boring ever... but if you want a fascinating read about people who can run up to 300 (yes, I said three HUNDRED) miles at a time... pick up Born to Run... it's great and very interesting!

Wide awake at 2:00 AM

So, I'm awake at 2 AM... I shouldn't be.  I have two kids who are likely going to be home tomorrow with the same thing I was home sick with last week.  I should be in bed.  Dangit!  And I certainly SHOULD be doing something else if, in fact, I insist on being awake... I should at least be folding laundry or something else reasonably productive.

Instead, here I sit with a jar of almost completely consumed nutella, a long list of new pins on Pinterest, and the song Breathe by Anna Nalick stuck in my head!  :)  (I think it's stuck because, well, it's 2 AM... and that's how the song starts....



Two am, and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake 
Can you help me unravel my latest mistake? 
I don't love him, winter just wasn't my season 
Yeah, we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes 
Like they have any right at all to criticize 
Hypocrites, you're all here for the very same reason 

'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable 
And life's like an hourglass glued to the table 
No one can find the rewind button, girl 
So cradle your head in your hands 
And breathe, just breathe 
Oh, breathe, just breathe 

May he turn twenty-one on the base at Fort Bliss 
Just today he sat down to the flask in his fist 
Ain't been sober since maybe October of last year 
Here in town you can tell he's been down for a while 
But, my God, it's so beautiful when the boy smiles 
Want to hold him, maybe I'll just sing about it 

'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable 
And life's like an hourglass glued to the table 
No one can find the rewind button, boys 
So cradle your head in your hands 
And breathe, just breathe 
Oh, breathe, just breathe 

There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout 
'Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out 
And these mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again 
If you only try turning around 

Two am, and I'm still awake, writing a song 
If I get it all down on paper, it's no longer 
Inside of me, threatening the life it belongs to 
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd 
'Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud 
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to 

But you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable 
And life's like an hourglass glued to the table 
No one can find the rewind button now 
Yeah, sing it if you'll understand 
And breathe, just breathe 
Oh, breathe, just breathe 
Oh, breathe, just breathe 
Oh, breathe, just breathe

Seems like I've said this alot....

But is anyone still out there?  It's weird to me how much I think about my blog buddies... I wonder what y'all are up to.  I wonder if anyone wonders what I'm up to! :)

Anyway, what I'm up to is this...

Running... I'm training for a half marathon in April and not feeling too confident about it either.  I am just not feeling it the way I once did.  A knee injury in my right knee has produced hip pain and joint pain on the left side, most likely from over compensation... ugh.  Getting old sucks but it certainly beats the alternative I suppose.  :)

Living... I am not certain about the future at all.  I'm scared alot about practical matters now... money, insurance, health, etc. etc.  Where I once focused on happiness and would I ever survive, now all that is falling into place, but I start to worry about the stuff that I don't have answers for.  But I know that God has provided for me EVERY single day of my life.  I know that He is faithful.  And I know that when I leap, the net will appear.  So that's what I'm focused on now... just focusing on the dream and ultimate goal (raise successful and compassionate kids, glorify my God while doing it, and have as much fun as possible along the way.)  I think if I keep my eyes on the prize, so to speak, the rest of the stuff will reveal itself in time.

So... that's me.  What have YOU been up to lately?

Some days...

Since the holidays, I've felt so much better about my life.  It's weird, I've always heard about people being sad that they are alone during the holidays, but I always thought you could rationalize it and think your way through it.  Of course, that's not the case in matters of the heart.  But anyway, I woke up on January 3 and WOW, I felt so much better.

So, I move along at a normal pace of life, not feeling so desperate and down as I did a month ago.  But then it hits me, out of the blue.  Something as simple as having to haul the 5,000 pound bulk laundry box up to the laundry room can smack me in the face and just piss me off.  But then I realize that I'm just feeling sorry for myself and.....