Beginning Meditation Free Link

In these uncertain times anxiety is at an all time high.  While social distancing and staying at home, I decided I wanted to resurrect my blog and give wellness tips once again.  Quite a bit has happened since I last wrote here, but suffice it to say; through all the struggle and strife I could not be happier.  My mindset is the key.  As Buddha once said, "Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most".

I am keeping my distance, yet continuing to do things I love like running, teaching group exercise and imparting my (well seasoned) healthy lifestyle tips.

Many people do not know that I am a certified Life Coach.  I have used the knowledge in my every day existence but never went into practice.  I may be delving deeper in this arena as I have retired from full-time work and am doing small projects to enhance my life and those around me.  I still aspire to inspire.

Let's start with a beginning meditation. This is only 6 minutes long, yet will help you set the tone for the day.  I welcome any and all feedback.  Please let me know what you want more of, less of, etc.  There are some workouts on the @shred415greensboro instagram site you can participate in for free.

Click here for Meditation

I may not be on the Appalachian Trail right now, but my mind is.  Please subscribe and tell your friends so I can share more, free wellness ideas.

The 2014 Road to Crooked Road, a year in quick review

Well....I finally did it.  I completed 100.7 miles within 24 hours. Actually, due to my poor math skills, I  completed it in 22 hours 27 minutes. I thought I was in the 23rd hour so I was actually running quite a bit those last couple of hours thinking I was going to be racing the clock.  Seeing as I have not had time to blog in the last YEAR, I thought I should give  a quick recap of the year and the race and then go into more specifics of the race in a separate post.

2014.  What a year it has been thus far.  To be honest, it has flown by not just because I am getting old  seasoned, but also because I returned to the full-time work force in February.  I am back in the wellness industry at Starmount Forest Country Club which is 3.5 miles from my house.  I have the privilege of imparting my passion for wellness to a great group of members.  Besides loving my job, I have the most incredible view from my desk.  Most who know me know I don't sit well, but if you have to sit to get paperwork done, a great view of the golf course helps!

A couple of days before I started my job, I paced the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon.  I LOVE pacing races.  I get out of my own head and focus on helping my group achieve their goal.  I paced the 1:45 group and I take my job seriously!  I always forewarn my pace group that I will indeed talk the whole time.  I also tell them I will sing, joke and get the crowd involved.  I am enjoying some high success rates because they are relaxed and laughing. There is no better compliment than to have someone come to me after it's over telling/hugging me that I helped them achieve a personal best.  If I could, I would pace every weekend.  Here is one of the only photos I have from that day, my friend Melanie and I picking up our pacing shirts.

March brought me participating in the Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon.  I was with awesome friends, but I was food poisoned the day before the race and didn't have anything in my system for over 24 hours.  I ran the race because I signed up for the race.  I pulled back every time I felt dizzy, and just enjoyed the run.  This is a theme this year......I've been running    h   a   p   p  y  .  I know I don't look very happy in this photo, but I had had zero food for over 28 hours and ran this race and somehow kept everything together.  I was indeed happy!

April brought  another pacing job.  This time it was the Raleigh Rock & Roll Marathon.  I was entrusted with the 4 hour pace group....and as you can see by the picture I took my job seriously had an incredible time getting my group in on time.  In fact, with the exception of only a few I had most of my group ahead of me.  This day was hot, hot, hot.  I was carrying 6 extra Gu's in my pocket and begged my group to stay hydrated.  This was probably the hardest pacing job I ever encountered because of the humidity and the sun.  Two people lost their lives in the half marathon this day, and my prayers still remain with these 2 families.  Rock & Roll events are incredible because they are well organized and  hearing the bands throughout the course make it even more fun!  

Due to a last minute phone call from a dear running friend, Rebecca Byerly, of Women of the Mountain, I was invited to pace her in Lake Tahoe during her Tahoe 200 race (may I just say it is REALLY 202 miles) in September.  It was a whirlwind trip I will never forget.  I flew and drove to Tahoe getting there somewhere around 2am with a Greensboro high school student named Wilder Person.  Wilder and I became fast friends even with the decades between us because we were there to get Rebecca across the finish line at all cost.  Wilder is not a seasoned runner and did over 40 miles with Rebecca.  Amazing!  I ended up pacing somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 miles and collectively we helped get Rebecca to the finish line as the 4th overall female.  It was easy being her friend and mentor, it was hard getting tough with her a few times as she battled fatigue.  I was so happy to help her, this picture is one of my favorites......

I ran a few other races, but by far my biggest race this year was the Denver Rock N Roll Marathon.  My hubby and I flew out to Colorado on a Friday, explored downtown Denver that afternoon and spent the next day hiking up near Boulder.  I knew I was going to have fun at Denver and not try to race it, so hiking for many hours in the mountains seemed normal to me.  I fell in love with Colorado and hope to return one day soon.  I encountered some altitude issues during the race on Sunday, but I ran happy.  I ended up 17th woman overall but the most interesting note is that I was the first female NOT from Colorado on the results list.  In my crazy world, I consider that a win!  I look too fresh for just running a marathon, but my time was pretty (relatively) slow for me.

Now we come to Crooked Road 24 Hour Ultra.  This race is a true test of your will and determination.  It gets dark by 5:15pm and doesn't get light again till almost 7am.  That is a LONG time to be running with a headlamp.  Crooked Road is set in a park near Rocky Mount, VA and is a certified .95 mile loop.  Notice I said .95, not 9.5!  May I just say I LOVE this loop.  It gave me 106 times to say hello to the great volunteers and more opportunity to run into people.  I love people!  Especially during a 24 hour race.  Here is a photo of my Greensboro Sole Sister, Dena, who was with me when I started running Crooked Road 4 years ago.  If you haven't read any of my previous posts from Crooked, I invite you to because this year's experience was NOTHING like the previous years.  I will explain that in more detail in an upcoming post.

I wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving and thank you for reading. I hope to write a full race report by the weekend!  I leave you with a few things I am thankful for:

1.  I am thankful I have the most wonderful husband, family and friends who support, lift, and encourage me.  More importantly, they accept me the way I am.
2.  I am thankful I have remained a healthy runner thanks to cross training and actually listening to my body.
3.  I am thankful I love running everything from the 800m to 100 miles.
4.  I am thankful that I surround myself with women who empower me and not try to tear me down.
5.  I am thankful I was born with endless energy which probably drives many people crazy :)
6.  I am thankful I have met so many incredible people through a sport I love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Piriformis What? As Sweet Brown would say, "Ain't nobody got time for that"!

I finally have the diagnosis to my excruciating leg/foot pain......Piriformis Syndrome.  Here is what WebMD says about this condition and then I'll add my 2 cents worth of what I'm feeling:

Piriformis syndrome is an uncommon neuromuscular disorder that is caused when the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve. The piriformis muscle is a flat, band-like muscle located in the buttocks near the top of the hip joint. This muscle is important in lower body movement because it stabilizes the hip joint and lifts and rotates the thigh away from the body. This enables us to walk, shift our weight from one foot to another, and maintain balance. It is also used in sports that involve lifting and rotating the thighs -- in short, in almost every motion of the hips and legs.

The sciatic nerve is a thick and long nerve in the body. It passes alongside or goes through the piriformis muscle, goes down the back of the leg, and eventually branches off into smaller nerves that end in the feet. Nerve compression can be caused by spasm of the piriformis muscle.

 

Okay...so, there was your short lesson in this uncommon neuromuscular disorder.  Here is what I was feeling:  Getting out of bed in the morning I feel great until my right foot touched the floor.  Then, I couldn't walk to the bathroom, I was hobbling and stumbling.  After some brief stretching, I was able to walk almost normally.  I was walking as if there was a large stone under my heel (not the arch, the heel).  The muscles of my lower leg would tighten and tense.  The muscles in my upper leg would feel as if they were being pulled into my hip socket.  My inner thigh muscle, part of the adductor group would periodically spasm and cramp.  I kept a good secret for days (although my hubby knew I was hurt) because I was so excited to be racing in the Wrightsville Beach half marathon.  My leg would actually feel better periodically throughout the day and felt great once I was warm.  Hence why I didn't see anyone about it.

 

This wasn't an overnight thing.  There was no defining moment.  There have been moments for the last 3 months that I have ignored.  I think I thought if I just pampered my leg all would be good.  I hung upside down on my inversion table. I rolled my leg & butt with my foam roller. I used my marathon stick on it.  I have been teaching yoga consistently at least once a week.  Why am I telling you this?  Because at 47, I thought I was better at listening to my body but now I realize I need to be not only better at listening but also obeying my body.  My livelihood has depended upon me being in relatively good shape.  I am not in my 20's or 30's anymore.  Am I still trying to be faster than women in those age brackets?  Yes.  Do I need to do more than the average runner to stay healthy?  Yes.  I tend to overload my schedule with teaching classes, running, and tennis.  No more.   I am mortal (although it pains me to say it) so I have started to scale back a little (notice I said little.  Hey, at least I'm trying!)

 

There is a reason I have been running for 35 years now.  I have always taken care of myself.  I have been blessed with virtually no ailments (solid knees and good hips).  This is a short term setback to my training, but a long term wake up call to be a better steward to my body.

 

Dr. Jeremy Phillips has not only fixed my leg, but I feel pretty confident I could audition for the Rockettes.  Just kidding.  He has helped tremendously and a week and a half later I am now running a little each day.  Yesterday I ran 2 miles.  Today 3.  I'm going for the big 5-6 tomorrow.  I have a little over a month till my Diva Half Marathon in Myrtle Beach.  I realize I may not be able to PR (1:27), but I feel good about flirting with 1:30:00 again. 

 

So....I'm excited to unveil my new slogan:

 

Get Real.

Get Moving.

 

I can't wait to blog about my new adventures in the making!

Stay healthy!

I Want to Flirt With Pain, Not Dance With It

I've been rather silent in the blogging world.  That is usually a good thing or a bad thing.  Right now it is a good thing.  I've been busy doing/living and haven't had much time to sit down and write about it.

Since the day after New Year's Day, my hubby Dan has been on a clean eating path.  Well.  Maybe not completely clean, but pretty darn close.  He's lost over 12 pounds thus far and I couldn't be prouder of this commitment.  He's been working out regularly as well, so some of the bodyfat he's lost has been replaced with lean muscle tissue.  Congrats to him.  The only downside is that I've had to be super organized and plan lunches and dinners on a daily basis.  We ate out twice in the month of January.  That's a new record for us as we like to dine out approximately 1-2 times a week.  Dan has been good about eliminating beer (for the most part) and indulging in an occasional glass of wine.

My daughter, Mandi, also moved back in the house the beginning of the year.  It has been fun to see her mature into this beautiful, young woman who I adore so much.  With her, came my favorite grand doggy, Skittles.  She has been a delight to have around and keeps Cameron and Louie on their toes.  Here is me cuddling with Skittles on the couch.



The New Year also seems to have inspired me to purge/organize the house.  I have been milling about cleaning drawers/closets here and there with no real direction, but I am enjoying the 'feeling' of getting organized.  I guess it is similar to planning, training and then racing in running.  There is no better feeling than knowing you trained adequately and you left nothing out there on the course.  Which, by the way, brings me to the real jist of my blog today:  I want to flirt with pain, not dance with it.

I seem to be at a crossroads and sometimes being too knowledgeable about something can make a mere hill feel like a mountain.  I used to revel in the craziness of feeling like I couldn't take another step.  I used to drink in the feeling of knowing I gave it my all.  For goodness sake, I was so focused on the finish line during a race (in high school) that I gave it everything I had and lost a little control of my bladder. Yuck!  But it is true. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm training hard these days.  This week I've had a good mix of tempo runs, recovery runs and cross training.  I am doing hill workouts again, but have yet to step on the track.  I did a couple of speed workouts on the treadmill.  Here is my little workout room that I love to occupy in the privacy of my own home.  See that little piece of equipment on the far left of the photo?  That's one of my most prized possessions:  Back inversion table.  That is what has saved me from spending countless dollars on back, IT band,  and hip rehabililtation issues.  I don't know what I ever did without one, but then again I was 40 when my hubby bought it for me. Anyhow, back to flirting with pain.  I am a motivational speaker....why can't I light a fire under my butt and as the saying goes, 'Just Do It'  (which, by the way, is trademarked, so I'm going to make sure I give Nike all the credit-why can't I come up with something inspirational that ensures our financial future?).  I will address this issue further when I return from my pacing duties at the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon next weekend.  I am going with a great group of Ladies from the Woohoo Crew and the Sole Sisters.  I will certainly have lots of photos to post from the race!  Here is Skittles wishing she had a matching pair of Kinvaras, and a walk.

Rebirth of the Phoenix....I'm Back!

Like a phoenix, I've risen from the ashes.  Literally.  My lungs still feel like I've been a smoker (not that I would exactly know, but I have a good imagination) most of my life.

Exactly 2 weeks since my last run.  I dreamed about running but that is not the same.  I was too sick to even try to run and I am happy that I waited the full 2 weeks.  It could have been a freezing downpour this morning and I would have been jovial.  Luckily it was a perfect running morning.  Temperatures were in the high 40's and I had company to boot.

Christie (one of my Sole Sisters), Marty and Bill were there for my running debut, so to speak.  We ran into Charlie Engle in the parking lot and as famous as he is, he agreed to take our photo.  Thanks, Charlie! 

I giggled throughout the whole first mile.  It felt so good to be running again.  It felt so good to be among people again.  Running friends have the best conversations.  No judgements, no biases, no worries!  If you never run with other people, you do not know what you are missing.  Don't get me wrong, I cherish solo runs, but only sometimes.  Friends make the miles fly by fast.

We briefly stopped at mile 5 for 20-30 seconds to stretch and that was a big mistake for me.  The coughing commenced.  Starting to run while not being able to take a deep breath was tiring for me, but I kept feeling my friends' eyes bore through me.  I know they were just worried, but it was kind of funny.  I'm the rough 'em, tough 'em girl and they were treating me like a princess.

I finally got in a good groove around mile 8 and was itching to open up the legs a little.  We had been hovering right under a 9 minute per mile pace which was good for 'easing' back into running.  Around the 9 mile mark, Marty took off with me and I exercised my legs.  We finished with a 7:20 last mile.  Yes, it was slower than my marathon pace, but it felt like flying.  Baby steps.  Baby steps.  I keep telling myself it will take time to heal completely.

I joined the local running group at Panera for a bagel afterwards and even picked up a partner for track workouts starting in January.  Pat has no idea what I have planned...I think I should keep it that way. 

My 2013 race calendar is starting to take some shape.  I am not the best planner in the world, but here's what is on tap thus far:  Myrtle Beach Half Marathon in February, with my sole sisters.  Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon in March , with some tennis buddies.  Diva Half Marathon in April at Myrtle Beach with my sole sisters.  I plan on doing some track meets as I will starting preparing for the 2014 US Masters Track Meet in Winston-Salem, NC.

Do you map out your races a full year ahead of time or do you pick a race a day or two before?  I'm trying to become a better planner.  Speaking of planning, I must get back to the task of Christmas because it is coming whether I'm ready or not....I'm going to treat it like a race :)

In health and wellness,  Cindy

How Far the Mighty Hath Fallen

When I started this blog after dragging my feet for years while my mind simultaneously addressing 15,000 health/running/tennis issues I wanted to discuss I NEVER in a million years thought I would succumb to being sick.  Sure I've had my share of allergy related inconveniences, but I haven't been sick, sick in YEARS.  I eat healthy, I exercise like a crazy person, and I am well balanced when it comes to work and fun.  I have always been the go-to person when someone is not feeling well or is a little down, etc.  I exude positivity.  I exude energy and willing to share it with whomever needs it.  This week I created my own EPIC FAIL.  I failed because I was feeling off my game and pushed past the warning signs.  I felt sluggish and attributed it to a 75 mile race, relatives coming to our house for Thanksgiving, multiple daily group exercise classes, etc.

Life came to a screeching halt on Wednesday.  I started my day with a client and we were both excited to be in New York City at the same time.  I didn't feel great, but I was feeling better than I did the previous day.  After Debby's house, I went to a fun indoor tennis clinic.  I could sense I wasn't as fast to the ball and I wasn't hitting the ball as hard and had to think to move my feet when usually I'm like a jitter bug on the court.  90 minutes later and a few coughing battles, I drove home.  I could barely get out the car.  I thought I was just tight from pounding my body on hard courts.  I made my way to the couch and that was all she wrote.

I felt feverish and every bone, hair, eyelash, etc. felt achy. Most importantly I felt like there was an elephant sitting on my chest.  I began to try and get off the couch and most of the muscles in my legs revolted with cramps.  I couldn't believe I possibly feel this bad this quickly.  I called my favorite doctor, who also happens to be a client of mine and he heard my pitiful voice and agreed to see me in his office ASAP.  Dan had to come home and drive me there because I was pretty out of it by then. Dr. Gene took one look at me and told me I needed to go to the hospital right now did I want an ambulance.  Even in my sickly stupor I barely said yes to Dan driving me to the hospital.  I think I felt compelled to go so I could get better so I could go see my Dad and Sandy in NYC to celebrate his 81st birthday.  You see, Hurricane Sandy decided to ruin our plans last month so this was the amended travel schedule.

By the time we got into the emergency room much that happened was a blur.  I remember going back very quickly, but I remember begging for them just to stick an IV bag in my arm so we could start this fluid thing so I could have my miraculous recovery.  What felt like 3 hours waiting for that bag was probably more like an hour and half.  2 1/2 bags of fluid, 6 prescriptions later and 7 hours later I can safely say I was finally allowed to go home.  I never got a room, just a hallway gurney, so I'm hoping that maybe they lower the price since (insert sarcastic laugh here) I had the first gurney position next to the cold door where the influx of ambulances seemed like a revolving door at a busy shopping center.  Dan was a trooper keeping me company while the doctor explained that I had a bad case of bronchitis and the flu.  I think at that point that I told the doctor that I've had the flu before when I was younger and it wasn't anything like this.  I also told him I had a very high threshold of pain and I felt like a helpless baby.  I had to clamp my mouth shut when they put the IV needle in my arm because usually I barely feel a needle and this felt like they used a butcher knife the whole length of my arm.  At this point my eye balls felt like they were falling out of my head.  I held my fingers over them for at least an hour to make sure I wouldn't go blind.  I didn't feel well.....at all.

I was starting to feel a little better in the hospital, so I had Dan take a photo that I titled:  Cocktail hour...Cheers!

I never thought I would be highlighting an illness on my blog because I am the  healthy girl.  But, please do not ignore the warning signs.  Listen to your body.  I can't wait to tell more stories about the 24 hour Crooked Road Ultra and the Richmond Half Marathon.  I had an amazing 10 mile recovery run last Saturday too.  All of that will have to wait.  Because I'm watching National Lampoon's Family Vacation and staring at our beautiful Christmas tree while I completely recuperate from this scary ordeal.

I need to report here that all was not well when I returned home from the hospital.  Turns out Tamiflu makes me throw up.  6 times in 48 hours that is.  I didn't realize it till the 3rd day because I hadn't been able to read or listen/watch tv because my eyes were hurting so much.  Saw a commercial during the Dr. Oz show yesterday for Tamiflu and rashes and vomiting were the most frequent side effects.  I have kept liquids and some solids down ever since.  Thanks to Melissa, Trish and Christie for checking in on me everyday and keeping me well.  I kept thinking I was looking better and better each day and every day their faces summed it up:  You look very sick.  It's a good thing I have great friends because I'd probably be trying to start exercising today because I feel more human.  But I'm NOT.

Crooked Road 24 Hour Ultra

I was afraid to tell anyone my goal.  I didn't want to disappoint anyone, most of all myself.  I envisioned me accomplishing my goal but I had reservation because I wasn't sure if I would be recovered enough from racing in a half marathon the weekend before.  I finished in 1:30:42 and won my 45-49 age group at the Richmond American Family Fitness Half.  It wasn't a PR, but I felt like I ran pretty hard. After the half I had a full week with classes and clients and continually thought about my goal:  75 miles.  Seemed incredibly lofty since I quit after 56 laps last year.  Only a few friends knew the details because I was experiencing some fear of failure issues.  The more the week progressed the more I decided I was being silly and needed to articulate my race intentions.  I announced it to my noon class at the Yafter a vigorous BodyPump class on Thursday.  There...I said it, even explained how I was going to accomplish it.  I was going to walk more than I did the previous year.  My nervousness began to kick in.  I hate to disappoint people, especially myself.  To make matters worse, I intentionally started this blogsite the night before the event so I would have my intentions immortalized on the internet.  After writing the first entry I tried to go to sleep.  Sleep eluded me until almost midnight.  I woke up before my alarm at 6 and nervously gathered my belongings and got into my car.

I arrived and unloaded all my bags I thought I would need for the 24 hours.  Dena, my friend, and I brought way too much stuff last year when we participated in this race.  I am sheepishly admitting I brought just as much stuff, if not more.  This year I brought in addition to 2 big bags of clothes 2 yoga mats, sleeping bag, pillow etc.  I also brought tons of food that I did not eat because the organizers had a bountiful table filled with  pretzels, M&M's, grapes, raisins, bananas, cookies, burgers, soup, etc.  I was able to make it to the starting line with 10 seconds to spare and we all took off.

It was great running into several runners that I competed with last year.  Runners in ultra events are extremely friendly. There is nothing like a small loop and 24 hours to really get to know some of the people around you.  I was known as the smiling lady because even in the cold of night, I was thrilled to be where I was.

I'm sure I will blog about specific memories from this race, but for now...here are some photos taken by the race director, Ricky Scott.  Who, may I add, was very inspirational to me and helpful when I started doubting myself.  Here are some photos

This is the one and only hill on the course.  This is early in the race....although I smile throughout the rest of the photos, I can assure you I truly  f e l t  the smile in this photo.  I felt great.  I felt great until about mile 31.  More on that later.
The temperatures were in the 30's to begin with and warmed up to 50 something and then got very, very cold at night.

It warmed up nicely in the afternoon, so I was able to take off layers.  Yes, I'm still smiling.  Let me leave you with 2 more photos.  First one is taken around 1am and I was freezing, shivering and trying to keep warm by the fire with help from Johnny and Gloria who bundled me up and brought me soup.  They thought I was done. 

I'm smiling, but this was because I was finally getting warm.  I had 4 layers of clothes on, 2 scarves, hat, and gloves with hot hands in them and I was still cold!  Here is the end of today's story:

The photo says 23 hours, 17 minutes and 26 seconds.  I can now say I'm an ultra runner, but I still feel like a miler :)

In health and wellness,
Cindy

Starting at the very beginning

Well..hi there.  Welcome to health and wellness on the run.  Literally.  On the Run.  I'm a runner.  We are a diverse, interesting bunch of people.  I hope you will sit down and read a little, laugh a little and want to share some of your experiences here on this blog.
I am going to start by saying tomorrow I'm embarking on a physically grueling challenge.  I am participating in the Crooked Road 24 Hour Ultra.  I cannot say this is my first because I attempted this last year and when it got cold and dark I left after 10 hours and 53 miles.  I am excited about this endeavor because this year I am going solo.  Yup.  My incredibly patient and understanding husband, Dan, is away on a golf outing with some fraternity brothers in Pinehurst, NC.  Last year he never uttered any complaints, but I felt guilty about him sitting (freezing) there watching me go around and around (did I mention around) a .95 mile loop in a park in Rocky Mount, VA.  With him gone I am excited to push myself farther than I thought possible last year. 
Last year I did not use my Ipod at all.  This year I have charged up 3 Ipods and even downloaded an audiobook.  I packed my sleeping bag, pillow, foam roller, marathon stick and more simple carbs than you can imagine. 
Running has been my life since 7th grade when we had to do a mile for the Presidential Physical Fitness Award.  I knew I was an athletic soccer and basketball player but didn't know the world of running till I finished my first mile in 6:02.  I still don't know if running was an instantaneous love, or if beating the boys was more compelling.  30+ years later and I'm still running. 
Well...I am going to stop rambling and try to rest for my big event tomorrow.  I am lucky enough to have a great friend allow me to stay at her lakehouse to shorten my drive to the starting line.  I will definitely keep you posted!
In health and wellness,  Cindy