Friday 5 2.0

Sleep Shopping?: Runfessions November 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 28 Comments

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Or Senior Moment?

I runfess that I had almost completely written another post for today, and then I realized it was runfession time! D’oh. Of course I can’t miss out on that.

I runfess . . .
My misplacing things has become a “running” runfessional. This time it was one of my heavier running jackets. I spent 20 minutes looking for the darn thing a few weeks ago. Before a run. No exaggeration. Then I didn’t even wear it! I have worn it several times since then.

Every time I try to organize things I can’t find anything — what’s up with that?

I guess I have good taste & a terrible memory

I runfess . . .
Leggings from Fabletics arrived in the mail last week. I have zero memory of ordering them. But I did. Luckily I love them! Not for running though, but they’ll make appearances in Yoga videos. They would have been perfect for my Moon Salutations (which you’ll find here — good to practice anytime from 11/29 – 12/2).

Would you disturb this cutie?

I runfess . . .
The dust bunnies were getting scary around here. It sounds like a cop-out, but Lola hated the vacuum (Bandit doesn’t mind it). Since we had to shut her out of the bedroom to protect her, and she wasn’t supposed to use the stairs for a long time, I felt really badly trying to vacuum and disturb her. So I didn’t.

The things we do for our furkids!

Sometimes it just takes me a while. Or years!

I runfess . . .
We have had the InstantPot for two years. It gets a lot of use, but it’s not used every day. For the past two years it has lived on our counter.

I finally found a spot for it in a cabinet. It’s easier to keep it on the counter, gotta admit, but it frees up a lot of counter space when it’s not there.

I runfess . . .
Remember my October running break? I runfess I had trouble figuring out when I ought to shower when I wasn’t running. I don’t get nearly as sweaty when I’m not running!

Have you ever looked at the Intensity Minutes on the Garminconnect App?

Recommended guidelines state that 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week is the key to a healthy life. Luckily anything above a brisk walk counts, and your Garmin will track this from step and heart rate data, if available.

I don’t think I’d ever make this goal without running. With running I go way over the goal! I’m not super active like some, but I’m not a couch potato either. Of course I don’t walk fast. I still don’t know what to make of this stat.

Do you lose things after you reorganize things, or is it just me? 

Do your furkids ever stop you from cleaning?

Every receive things you have zero recollection of buying?

What do you have to runfess from November? Come join us

All kidding aside, despite the trials and tribulations of 2020, I have much to be grateful for, not the least is with a healthy family so far, knock on wood. I know for many, myself included, Thanksgiving wasn’t what we expected or wanted, but I hope you found it in your heart to be grateful for what you have.

Runfessions

I am also linking up with:

Recovery Hot Chocolate

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 13 Comments

I actually do drink hot chocolate year round. Hello, Chocolaterunsjudy! It definitely hits the spot even more when it’s colder out. Some like it hot, what can I say?

Fairytales and Fitness

What makes hot chocolate a recovery drink?
Protein, of course! I get mine from Vital Proteins, which you can buy on Amazon here (Amazon Affiliate link). I use a variety of healthier hot chocolate mixes, rather than making it from scratch.

Cocoa mix + collagen = Recovery Hot Chocolate

I use home made almond or chocolate cashew milk. On running days I throw in some extra chocolate chips because you can never have enough chocolate in your life — at least I think so.

  • Scoop of Vital Proteins in my mug
  • Scoop of hot chocolate mix in a small dish mixed with water — and sweetener, if needed
  • Some chocolate chips in a glass measuring cup
  • 2/3 milk cup of your choice milk in that same measuring cup
  • Microwave the milk in the measuring cup on the beverage setting
  • Pour the hot chocolate mix into the hot milk; add sweetener if desired; stir to combine
  • Pour the hot chocolate over the Vital Proteins in your mug and stir to dissolve — enjoy!
Hits the spot after cold runs

I sometimes like to make Mexican hot chocolate by adding some cinnamon and just a tiny pinch of chili powder.

Healthy hot chocolate mixes I use
If you use a coca mix, just take a look at the sugar content. It can really add up! Chocolate on its own is bitter so it needs some type of sweetener. I prefer to use a mix with minimal or no sugar, and just add some honey.

Don’t heat the hot chocolate with the honey, add it afterwards — it’s actually not a great idea to cook with honey, something I learned in the last few years. See this link here for more information. You can heat maple syrup, though.

Here are some of the hot chocolate mixes I use:

  • Elements Truffle Ashwaganda Dark Hot Chocolate Mix. You can buy it here. Although this mix does have coconut sugar in it, I still add a little bit of honey to it. The ingredients are fantastic.
  • Pukka Herbal Maca Chocolate Latte. Buy it here (Amazon Affiliate Link). Another great list of ingredients! Yes, I add a little honey to this one too.
  • Golde. You can buy it here. It took me a while to warm up to this one (get what I did there?). The ingredients are fantastic in this mix too, but I needed to add honey to enjoy this mix.
  • Matcha Bliss by Amoda. You can buy it here (Amazon Affiliate Link). Matcha + Chocolate? Yes, please! Yes, this one also needs a little honey. Unless you’re really hard core.
  • Earth Echo Cacao Bliss. This is the mix I use most days. I add some home made turmeric paste to it, and then I find I don’t need to add any sweetener. That’s me, though. Even though it’s sweetened with Monk Fruit, I need a little more sweetness. I have tried it with Earth Golden Superfood Bliss, too — I love the tasted of the Golden milk and that doesn’t need extra sweetener for me. Yes, this is unfortunately very expensive — but then again, I never go to Starbucks. it’s far less than those Starbucks drinks! You can buy it here or on Amazon, but it’s more expensive on Amazon.

Cacao Bliss Testomonial

Final thoughts: I think healthy hot chocolate + collagen makes a perfect recovery drink when it’s colder, although I’m happy to drink this first thing in the morning whether or not I’m running! I have actually posted a mini review of Earth Echo’s Cacao Bliss on my YouTube channel; you can find it here.

Because it’s so pricey, and people pretty much love it (yes!) or hate it, I’d suggest trying the single serving packets first, if you’re curious. I wouldn’t want you to waste money on something you don’t like. I am not kidding when I say that I drink this pretty much on the daily, though!

Can you tolerate cold recovery drinks after cold runs?

Do you have a favorite hot chocolate mix?

Can you live without Starbucks (or Dunkin, if that’s your thing)?

Will I Run Another Half?

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 24 Comments

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Last week I ran the longest I’ve run in about a month: 5 miles. And it felt hard. I got to wondering will I ever run another half marathon?

Fairytales and Fitness

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There are still roughly 30 states to visit
Yes, I’ve done about 20 states in my quest to run a half marathon in every state. That leaves 30 states. In a bit over a year, I’ll turn 60. I know there are amazing folks that run halfs into their 80s, but will I be one of them? Do I want to be one of them? Only time will tell.

I know why 5 miles felt hard
Because I haven’t been running a lot. Because of SADD. Because of all the stress lately. Because of cumulative stress from the last eight years (ill furkids, losing furkids, moving my parents, my dad’s battle with demetia and passing, the election . . . the list seems to go on and on)

I know that that 5 miles can quickly be turned into 6, then 8, then 10 and so on. But do I want to?

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Is the fire still burning?
I am not sure. I know when I tried to keep up with a longer long run this year, I felt run down. A lot. Thankfully not sick, but just as though I wasn’t recovering well from my runs.

I’ve spent most of 2020 running only 3 x week, never double digits, and not much more than 6 or 7 miles in a long time. There are lots of other things I want to do with my time.

Have I lost fitness?
I wonder about that a lot. Not much mileage. No real races. No really long long runs. Not enough strength training most of the time. Plenty of Yoga, though, LOL!

Do those miles feel so hard now because of stress? Because of reduced mileage? Because of all the time I spent with nasal breathing, running so slowly, even though that’s supposed to improve fitness? Or have I just lost running fitness because I don’t run as much?

Final Thoughts
I don’t have any answers right now, obviously. I’ve embraced the lesser mileage, the reduced days running, and tried to be kind to my body. I think most of us need to push less, not more, in these stressful times, but we’re all different.

The fire might return when times are more normal. Or not. I’m pretty sure I’ll continue to run, even if I don’t race, even if I never run another double digit run or half marathon. The call of a beautiful day and a new place to explore are hard to resist! There might also be other quests to conquer. Because life is boring without a challenge (although some challenges I can certainly do without!).

Final final thought: when times are more normal — yes, someday we’ll have a better new normal — the fire might return. All I have to do is look at that photo at top. That was taken during my second to last half marathon, almost three years ago. Let’s just say the race was hard (suspected mild food poisoning) but I still remember that satisfying feeling of conquering a mountain (literally, but downhill, not up) and crossing the finish line.

Can’t wait for your next live race?

Do you feel as though you’ve lost running fitness during the Pandemic?

What thing about running do you miss the most right now?

Sourdough Fail: Tea/coffee Date November 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 36 Comments

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Pull up a chair and mug with Coco and Deborah and me and a bunch of bloggers for the ultimate coffee tea date: How do sourdough pancakes with that coffee/tea sound?

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If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you that they had just opened up inside visitation where my mom lives. Then a staff member in the assisted living there (my mom does not live in assisted living) tested positive. So much for that. I had planned to bring her her Echo Show (before Lola got so sick) and set it up for her.

It’s just a matter of plugging it in and putting in her Wifi password so hopefully I can talk her through it (I set up the device already at our house). In fact, I’m off to see her today. She’s going to have questions and I will be already tired from the visit! Lord give me strength.

Well one is ripening

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I have some green tomatoes I picked right before our snowfall. I am not a fan of fried green tomatoes. I’m not sure they’ll actually ripen inside since they were still green? I guess it’s a wait & see. Like if the potatoes & carrots survived the snow (we did cover them). Obviously at least one tomato is ripening.

It’s large enough for a frozen pizza (yes, that’s the first thing we cooked in it)

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you we did buy our toaster oven/air fryer (as I talked about in last month’s Tea/Coffee date, and in last week’s Weekly Run Down here). Mr. Judy had found a great deal on the model I decided on on Prime Day, but I was asleep and by the morning that deal was gone.

I took it as a sign that we were meant to get the other, more expensive model we’d been thinking about. Mr. Judy was not thrilled, but he did buy it and so far we’re really happy with it.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I did a search to link up last week’s post. I searched on “RIP”. It came up with Lola, my Dad (both in 2020), and Chester. I wrote about Gizmo, too, who passed in 2019, but I titled it something different. Cause you know I’m always going to write about the furkids, even if right now it’s only furkid.

Sorry for the graphic photo

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I tried my hand at sourdough starter and was successful. Sort of. Wouldn’t you know I did it the week Lola got sick? So it was bubbly and doubling and I successfully made sourdough pancakes with it.

We did get sourdough pancakes out of it a couple of times before it got moldy. They were definitely sour!

Then I forgot to feed it and it got just a little moldy. My research tells me I probably could have started new starter with just a little bit of it (it was just a little mold) and that that rarely that happens. But it is 2020, #amiright?

What you don’t know is that I used to bake bread from scratch all the time. Back when we were first married and I lived in VT. Kneading is really therapeutic! Then eventually we got a bread machine, and I used it so much it eventually broke.

I will try sourdough again, but right now I’m still recovering from the past month or so.

Where are my sourdough bakers?

Ever tried to save some veggies from a frost? 

Does it bother you when you miss a good deal? 

I am also linking up with:

I am also linking up with the  Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness from Fairytales & Fitness.

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Finding Rainbows in Nature: Runfessions October 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 25 Comments

Between all the colorful leaves, the lakes/ponds, and grasses, it’s been easy to find my rainbows out in nature these days. Hopefully these memories will help sustain me through the long, cold, dark, dreary Winter. Or maybe I’ll find more beauty in nature this Winter; who knows?

I runfess . . .
During our 3 day power outage our generator powers a lot, but not all, of our house. The microwave, refrigerator, and toaster oven (if you move it to another plug) for instance, but not the stove.

We use a portable light for the bathroom. Because we thought those lights weren’t powered (just like the bedroom lights aren’t). We almost died laughing the day I walked into the bathroom and turned on the lights without thinking about it, and sure enough they went on. One switch. There’s another switch that powers a different light as you walk in that isn’t powered by the generator.

I runfess . . .
I actually think a mostly extended break from hard running this year actually has done my body a lot of good. It’s given me time to try to figure out what the right amount of running for me is. Still not sure, but it has helped me mostly move from “I have to run” to “I get to run“. Most days.

Move more, exercise less

I runfess . . .
I think that you’re really not going to lose a lot of fitness in 2 weeks (if you’re not laid up injured or sick). I didn’t have any DOMs when I started to run again — or lift. I’m sure all the walking/hiking I did instead of running helped, too. Don’t be so afraid to stop running every once in a while — just keep moving!

Bandit: hey, what about me?

I dogfess . . .
Last Sunday I had the dogs in the office with me while Mr. Judy made dinner. All by his lonesome. After dinner he fed Lola and Bandit some leftover steak, as he always does, and we were so happy Lola ate some. Then we sat down to watch some TV. After the first show I realized I had never actually fed poor Bandit dinner!

I runfess . . .
Apparently our hot, humid Summer was good for one thing: colorful Fall leaves. At least that’s what someone commented on a post on FB. Or maybe it was the great Fall weather we enjoyed (until now) — according to this PDF here:

The best weather for brilliant fall foliage is a growing season with ample
moisture followed by a dry, cool and sunny autumn with warm days and cool but frostless nights.

I know we’re still actually in a drought, but we haven’t had a frost — yet — and it’s been relatively sunny and dry this Fall. No matter what, all the colorful leaves makes for some happy walking, hiking, and running.

Do you think Fall has been particularly colorful this year? 

Ever felt a little running break actually helped?

Have you been finding new trails/paths to enjoy?

What do you have to runfess from October? Come join us

Runfessions

I am also linking up with:

Just Respect & Compassion

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 12 Comments

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Have you seen the memes? The ones about not living your life in fear because of Coronavirus?

This is a highly personal post, and one I put a great deal of thought into. It would be much easier to not to write this post, but in the end, I felt it was important for me to share my feelings.

Fairytales and Fitness

I am not saying you should live your life in fear; of course you should not.

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.– Marie Curie

How ironic is the above quote from Marie Curie, who died from her work and her quest to understand more. In fact, her body is actually still considered to be radioactive — but I digress.

Being cautious is not the same as being afraid
Some people equate changing your life because of a virus as living in fear. Everyone has different circumstances, and everyone has different comfort levels. Don’t ever assume you know what is going on in someone else’s life unless they tell you or you ask.

Do you have loved ones with high blood pressure? Diabetes? Cancer? Maybe a combination of several of these illnesses? Ones that are also very elderly? I do. Am I afraid of infecting them? Damn right I am. It is my sincere wish that when my mom passes, it’s not after months of being in and out of the hospital/rehab like my dad, or alone because of a virus.

I am not telling you to stop living your life, but please don’t judge me because I changed my life to protect the people I love. It isn’t easy. I’d like life to be normal, too. I’d like to go on vacation, too. I would love to eat inside a restaurant and be served. I’d like to be running with a group. I’d love to go to the movies.

I’ll tell you what else I’d lovee: to see my mom enjoy the years she has left. To see my other loved ones at higher risk be healthy and have many more years ahead of them. We won’t have to live like this forever. We will, as Marie Curie said, learn more. We already have. There are already better treatments.

Like so many diseases before this, such as pneumonia, polio, and AIDs, there will eventually be vaccines or even better treatments that allow us to get back to more normal living. Until that time, though, I remain cautiously optimistic and just plain cautious.

Final Thoughts
I am not telling you how to live your life, and I appreciate you not telling me how to live mine. All I ask is that you respect my feelings, and show me (and those like me) compassion. Reach out to your friends that don’t feel comfortable getting together in groups, whatever their reasons are. It isn’t easy and it can get lonely, too.

Please, please, please show respect and compassion to those have lost loved ones to this virus. Don’t know anyone who has? I do. I know others that do, as well. I am happy that so far, knock on wood, my loved ones are safe, but there are many people who can’t say the same.

No questions today. It’s all food for thought.

1 Reason I Took a Running Break

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 17 Comments

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When should you take a break from running? I do think it does a body good once in a while. Any repetitive activity leaves you open to injury. Switching it up and giving your body a break is one way to stay injury free.

Fairytales and Fitness

Pay attention to your RHR (resting heart rate)
The line between pushing yourself and injuring yourself or burning out is so thin it’s almost invisible. This decision was easy for me, because I made it a while ago. Better to be proactive than reactive — I always tell Mr. Judy that about walking the dogs!

When it came time to actually take that break, I had already noticed an upward tick in my RHR. As far as I can deduce, Garmin averages your RHR throughout the day. So sometimes it will autocorrect the lower value a day or two later for me, when I’ve synced that day. That just means that much like a false positive test, sometimes a high RHR turns out to be a bit lower.

In my case, even allowing for time, there was a steady uptick. I actually started my running break a few days earlier than I’d planned to. I felt okay, but my body seemed to be indicating that I wasn’t recovering well. I am not a slave to data — but it’s one hint when something is coming off the rails.

In normal times, if I’d been training for a race or racing a lot as I often do in the Fall, I might have just pushed through it. Sometimes not having running goals can actually be a good thing!

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What I gained
I gained time. Running is time consuming. Making sure I fuel right, have my outfit laid out, making sure I have hydration, foam rolling, pre- and post-stretching: it all adds up. I used that time to walk more. Fall is the perfect time in the Northeast to explore and get out in nature.

Walking more allowed me to slow down. Slowing down allowed me to be more observant to everything around me. We see more on the run than we do driving in a car, right? You also see a lot more walking than you do running.

My RHR came back down into its normal range.

Final Thoughts
You may be able to run hard and many miles without taking breaks. As I wrote in You are an experiment of 1 here, every body is different. As I’ve so often mentioned, even elites take breaks from running. Sometimes long breaks. Yes, running is their job — but they are still wise enough to know that recovery is also their job.

Recovery may not be our job, but being kind to our body is.

Still struggling with whether or not it’s time for a break? Check out Embrace the Taper here for a list of my many posts on rest and recovery.

Are you afraid of losing running fitness if you stop running?

When was the last time you voluntarily took a break from running?

When was the last time you were forced to take a break from running due to illness or injury?

The one with dogs, rabbits, & cows: Tea/coffee Date October 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 25 Comments

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Pull up a chair and mug with Coco and Deborah and me and a bunch of bloggers for the ultimate coffee tea date: I’ll be talking mostly about animals. Wild and domestic!

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If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I’m happy that the two stroller gals I often see on the sidewalk can get together, but at the same time, they take up the entire sidewalk. Sometimes more than the entire sidewalk as one will angle her stroller towards the street as they’re chatting and wrapping up their stroll.

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If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
Then there was the guy (same sidewalk) walking a Doberman. I have absolutely nothing against Dobermans — any dog, really — it’s all about the training — and this dog clearly had none. His owner’s “he won’t bother you” was so far from the truth as the dog was lunging toward me.

Then recently one of our neighbors was walking her small dog on a flexi leash (the ones that can extend — I hate those things!). The owner was engrossed in her phone. The dog had almost tripped me up before the owner noticed that she’d extended the leash like 6 feet and gotten underfoot. At least she was extremely apologetic.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell we’ve been enjoying the West Wing again on Netflix, and I had pretty much forgotten the long list of celebrities who made guest appearances on it:

  • Laura Dern
  • Christain Slater
  • Mark Harmon
  • Marlee Maitlin
  • Mary Louise Parker
  • Matthew Modine

And many more. You can always tell a popular show by the quality of its guest stars!

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I saw a recommendation for the Almond Cow (you can buy it here — no affiliation!), which led me down the rabbit hole of looking at nut milk makers. I was leaning towards asking for one for our anniversary, even though we’re planning to buy a toaster oven/air fryer.

I like to do my due diligence, though. As I was looking at cheaper models, and reading reviews, I came across one that said that she thought making it in her Vitamix actually made a creamier almond milk. I guess I’m finally going to try to make nut milk in my Vitamix!

These are actually still standing (front yard) but you can see they were nibbled on before we moved them

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
. . . remember those black eyed susans I was worried about on our last coffee/tea date? Oh, the rabbits took care of that problem. Well, Mr. Judy thinks it was the rabbits. He moved one of the plants, which seems to be hanging on, but the other two were completely taken out.

He did research that says rabbits love black eyed susans. My research had the same results as my research on whether or not they were toxic to dogs: some places said rabbits will eat them, others said rabbits won’t. All I know is something ate them.

Have any dog friendly garden flowers you love (that rabbits don’t eat)?

Do you ever rewatch older shows? We actually don’t much (well, Mr. Judy does all the time), but we had come to an impasse on what to watch. I’m really enjoying being able to watch the West Wing without having to wait a week (or weeks) between episodes).

Ever have a “run-in” with a neighborhood dog? 

I am also linking up with:

I am also linking up with the  Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness from Fairytales & Fitness.

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Summer of Hamilton: Runfessions September 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 36 Comments
Philip Schuyler’s summer home (yup, the Hamiltons spent time there)

Sometimes when I fall, I fall hard! It was all Hamilton, all the time this Summer. Watching the movie like five times. Listening to the soundtrack. Visiting the Schuyler Summer home. Reading Hamilton: The Revolution. Then rereading Gore Vidal’s Burr, which I read a lot as a kid — which is surprising, it was kind of dry reading it as an adult! Interesting, though. Then starting to reread My Dear Hamilton, which I read a couple of Summers ago.

I runfess . . .
We are rewatching the West Wing at the moment. We’re into season three (well, four, now). I’d been watching for the episode with the “mind at work” quote. Lin Manuel Miranda wrote an entire song based on that quote from the show. I thought I’d missed it early on but no! It’s season 3, episode 18 (if you’re curious). I was so excited when I finally heard it. Mr. Judy didn’t quite catch my excitement.

Then the next episode they talked about the Vice President being the craziest VP since Aaron Burr, who shot Hamilton, obviously. We were both highly amused by that. We seem to find Hamilton references everywhere now.

It lasts so much longer in some water!

I runfess . . .
I know that sticking asparagus into water is supposed to keep it fresher longer (did you?), but I never did it. Until this Summer. Guess what? Yup, it stays fresh much longer that way! Why do we resist things?

I runfess . . .
About a month or so I had a very small stye on my eye. They’re usually created from stress. I didn’t feel overly stressed (the last one I had was right about the time Chester passed, and then for sure I was stressed).

There really is no treatment. You can use hot compresses. You shouldn’t wear contacts. Which is why I’m wearing my glasses in one of my Yoga videos (that & the fact that I couldn’t see my whiteboard wearing nothing).

I runfess that I did wear my contacts when I went to visit my mom — then I didn’t want to have to wear glasses all day. And I ran a time or two with just one contact in . . .probably would’ve cleared if more quickly if I hadn’t worn contacts (oh vanity!).

I runfess . . .
Right about the time I had the stye I ordered new contacts. I ordered about 6 months worth. Then the next day I ordered another 6 months worth, mainly because I didn’t want to go to the eye doctor and if I waited too long I would’ve had to. I’m good on contacts for at least a year now.

I runfess . . .
I finally broke up with nasal breathing. A month or so ago. At least temporarily. I actually have someone to contact about it . . . but after months of giving it my best, in the heat I found it almost impossible to do without slowing down to a crawl.

I don’t really care about the pace, but that means longer runs — not at all what I wanted in high heat & humidity.

The other reason was that one of the purposes was to get you into the flow state, only it actually made me feel worse. So we’ll see, maybe I’ll do a consultation, or maybe I’ll revisit it when it’s consistently cooler. I’m enjoying my runs much more. Or maybe that’s just the Fall weather!

What was the last movie/show/book that really caught your interest? 

Discovered any kitchen hacks with being home more?

What have you been resisting lately?

What do you have to runfess from September? Come join us

Runfessions

I am also linking up with:

I Started It: a 40 Day Kriya

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 11 Comments

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Kriya is a Sanskrit term. Essentially it’s a set of exercises to help move energy throughout the body. Although there is some resemblance to “normal” Yoga asana, it’s quite different too.

Fairytales and Fitness

I am definitely no expert in either Kriyas or Kundalini Yoga, which is the type of Yoga Kriyas are often associated with. I have dabbled a bit, though, taken a course here and there and read a few books. So I am not doing a deep dive here — if your interest is piqued, I will point you to my teacher, Brett Larkin. She has a YouTube channel here (just search Kundalini), and also an app which is amazing, but not free.

Often when you start a Kriya, you do the same set of exercises for 40 days. The exact same exercises in the the exact same order. I did one last December I think. I haven’t done another one since then . . . until the other day when on a whim I picked up one of my books and just did one. I did it the next day, and the next . . .

According to the “rules”, if you skip a day, you have to go back and start from day one until you complete forty days straight. Many Kundalini practitioners practice in the morning — for the same reason many runners run in the morning. Get it done before the day gets away from you!

So it’s sort of like a run streak, except that there are consequences if you skip a day — unlike a run streak, which you can break at any time. Of course you could just stop doing your Kriya; I don’t think you’d be struck down by lightning or anything.

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That’s all my AM Yoga that you see on my weekly run downs!

Kundalini is different
There are many different types of Yoga. Kundalini was shrouded in mystery for centuries. There were few books, and of course way back when no Internet. Generally it was passed down from Guru (teacher) to student. In fact, for thousands of years that’s how all Yoga was taught.

Now we do have Internet, and the veils have been pulled aside. In Kundalini Yoga asana, pranayama, and meditation are all bundled up together. “Regular” Yoga, for instance, has you practice asana, then pranayama, then meditation. Kundalini may have you do asana, pranayama, and meditation all in one pose.

Many poses have movement in them, or involve holding your legs or arms up for fairly long periods of time. It can be very challenging physically, and sometimes triggering mentally. It can also help tone your body all over — especially in areas we don’t get to as much as we should, like our core, lower back, and hamstrings.

Why am I doing a 40 day Kriya?
I didn’t really have that intention when I picked up my book. I guess my intuition guided me to try something different. You can practice Kundalini Yoga without doing a 40 Day Kriya.

I settled on a Kriya for energy. Because I feel as though I’m always lacking energy. You know what? I definitely felt better after I practiced that particular Kriya! That’s why I decided to just keep going with it.

My teacher advises not judging a Kundalini pose/Kriya on how you feel during, but how you feel after (sound familiar, runners?).

Final Thoughts
I don’t really recommend that you just search YouTube for Kundalini videos. You can trust Brett’s videos.

Committing to something — much like running a long distance race — can give you such a sense of accomplishment when you finish. Some days you’ll be excited and some days you really won’t want to do it, but in the end, you just know that you’re going to come away a changed person — in a good way.

Does this just sound really bizarre to you or interesting?

When have you committed to doing something for some amount of time (not running!)?

What did you gain from that commitment?