Staying Fit + Running

I ended up intentionally and unintentionally taking two and a half weeks off from running.  My body was telling me I needed a break and I was hoping whatever was going on with my left ankle would go away with some time off.  I don't really know how the ankle problem began.  I do know over the winter, especially when I was following a half marathon training plan, it was acting odd.  When I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, those first few steps were painful.  I would stop and crack my ankle and then it would be fine.  Here and there running, it would bother me and I would have to stop and crack it.

Somehow (possibly during jump/shuffles at tap) that escalated to this weirdness where it doesn't bother me at all during the day to day, but when I get about five minutes into a run, it's so painful, I have to stop and walk.  And then when I'm walking, it's fine.  When I start running again, it typically works itself out and goes away.  So by the end of my run, it's not bothering me at all.  At the beginning of June, it was so bad that I had to stop and walk multiple times, and there was one run, I didn't think I would be able to finish.

After two and a half weeks off, I was feeling energized and ready to go.  I ran three miles last Sunday and my ankle felt great.  I didn't have to stop at all.  I walked for an hour the next night (about three miles) and then, due to time constraints, ran only two miles on Tuesday.  I went out for a three mile run the other day and five minutes in, my ankle was burning.  It did go away after walking, but what a hassle.  A quick check-in with Dr. Google tells me that it's probably tendinitis.  I should note that I did switch to new running shoes at the beginning of June hoping that would help.

Update (I wrote the above on Friday) - stretching before and after running seems to help.  Tripping over the edge of a rug and stepping on toys on the stairs do not.

For the first half of 2019, I've accumulated 293 running miles.  I don't keep track of how many miles I walk.  (In 2018, I ran a total of 555 miles.)  I can be obsessive over these things and I keep telling myself that running alone isn't important, but staying active is.  I can bike and walk and lift weights.  I feel I accomplish more physically when I run, but that's just a mindset I need to get out of.

What we don't obsess over in our house is food.  We eat healthy but we also have ice cream and chips and brownies.  Rich and I believe moderation is key.  Also, stop eating when you're full.  We also typically don't eat out more than once a week except for vacations and sometimes down at the cottage.  My kids actually cannot tolerate large amounts of greasy food.  Personally, I think social media is out of control with disordered eating and I want my kids to have a healthy relationship with food before they hit social media.

Back over the winter, my mom went to see a nutritionist through the Cancer Center.  I had gone with her and sort of jumped to attention when the nutritionist mentioned grains.  "What would be the grains in that meal?"  The night before I had read a blog post in which the author stated "You guys know you shouldn't be eating grains, right?"  I read it in the voice of someone telling me I shouldn't be eating Tide Pods.  "You guys know you shouldn't be eating Tide Pods, right?"  Teens are impressionable and while some people legitimately cannot tolerate grains, throwing out a blanket statement like that, especially when you have no formal nutritional training, is just wrong.

I don't want to count calories or macros, or have low carb days.  I don't want to feel guilty over eating pizza or a slice of pie.  Life is too short.  Yes, there are days I need to carve out time to exercise.  It's not exactly organic, but that's life as a mom.  That's life for most people with responsibilities.    

I'll end with a little bit of shopping for running/exercise clothes.  I had several tops that needed to be replaced but I couldn't stand to spend $$$ on items that are going to get stinky.  Most of my running and walking takes place in the streets around town or on the treadmill in my basement.  Ninety percent of the time I really don't care what my running clothes look like.  I'm more concerned with fit and comfort.  So I started shopping the clearance racks at Target and Old Navy.  You'd be surprised at what you can find for less than $10.  I actually found a tank top at Old Navy for super cheap but the girls wrinkled their noses because it has HEROIC written across it.  Hey, for $2.97, I can be a hero.  I've also picked up a couple pairs of high waisted pants and capris from the sale racks at Old Navy and I love how those fit.