Two peas in a pod!

So I went to join my Saturday morning running group today for our speed work.  There has been a new chickie coming that seems really cool.  She is a yoga instructor and loves running and cycling!  Today we got to talking and I found out that she is VEGAN also!  When she told me that, I actually asked her if I could hug her!! Some people may read that and be like "so what?" but when a vegan athlete finds another vegan (athlete or not) it is like the universe has shifted a little!  It's just a wonderful feeling!

As a vegan, non-vegans have no idea how hard it can be sometimes to relate to them.  How you will find yourself bitting your tongue over and over again because you don't want to seem pushy or a know-it-all.  And then all of a sudden the overweight, Coke drinking, burger munching, non-vegan, will become an expert on your health.  They will start asking questions like, "where do you get your protein?", "how can you not eat cheese?", "aren't plants alive too, how can you eat them?" and on and on.   So when you find a like vegan, it is like an instant kinship!  You know that you can just talk, and they will get you!  No need to explain why you don't eat this or that, or argue about how animal products are bad for you and not to mention bad for the environment.  You can talk about books and documentaries and chances are you both have seen them and then can compare notes about them!

I really hope me and my new found vegan runner, cyclist, yogi, can become friends!  I mean who knows how long it will be until the universe will shift again for me?

I promise!

So last weekend I looked up where there was a CoDA meeting in my area.  There was one every Saturday, surprisingly close to where I live.  I pledged that I was going to start going and even put a reminder in my phone.  This Saturday came and went and I didn't go. *sigh*  I am getting married next weekend and then going out of town.  But I am promising myself that I will start attending meetings on Saturdays starting in February.

I can totally see how I depend on my partner to feel happy, especially on the weekends.   I really need to be able to feel happy with myself first. I know this, but sometimes its just so hard and scary. My very best friend moved about a year ago to a different state and another friend I had for a couple years got really flaky. So I feel super alone and when I turn to my partner, sometimes he can't deal with it. So I need to step up and learn how to deal with it. First step is going to group meetings!

I can and will be happy with myself.  I can and will be happy with other people.  But it is a process and if I don't take the initiative to do it, well no one else will.  So I am openly promising myself here, that starting in February, I will go to meetings and I will do things that make me happy, even if I am by myself.

What else can you do when your home sick and it's 38 degrees out? Get on Facebook of course!

So I have been home recovering from a nasty cough.  I've found myself spending a lot of time on Facebook!  I have recently become a member to some really great Facebook Group pages.  Now I am addicted to them!  All the posts are so interesting and I've found myself learning a lot.  Plus it's nice to hear about other peoples progressions, things they have tried, and things they dream to do.

One of the pages is called Minimalist Lifestyles.  Name kind of speaks for itself.  Just a bunch of people coming together and learning how to live with less and declutter their lives.  I love it!  People talk about what rooms in their homes that they have gone through and show before and after pictures.  They talk about different ways to cut down on things we want -vs- things we actually need.  I can say that I have already made several trips to the local donation centers and I feel lighter and a little more stress free already!

Another page is called Naturally-Crunchy Betty.  I haven't been on it long yet, but from what I can tell it is a place where people are all looking for different ways to use more natural products for everyday issues and more conscious living.  They refer to themselves as either "Betty's" (feminine), "Rhetty's" (masculine) or "Crunchies" (gender neutral).  A lot of the questions or posts seem to be from maybe first time mom's or people with children (which doesn't interest me all that much) but then there are a lot of other questions about how to heal certain ailments, or how to use certain products (example the Diva Cup) and so on.  Pretty interesting stuff and a fun group of people!  

Then I am also on several different pages about Tiny Homes.  These are fun and interesting.  People from all over talk about what their dream tiny homes would be like, some share where they are in the process of building their homes, and others share about how it is to live in a Tiny House.  It's quite the movement and very exciting to see others so excited about it.  A couple pages are Tiny House People, Tiny House Resource Group, and Tiny Homes & DYI.

All are worth checking out!  And all are very addictive!  Enjoy!

108 on 1-1-2015

I started off 2015 with 108 sun salutations, or to put it simply, 2 amazing hours of yoga.  I do yoga currently once a week at Lifetime Fitness.  I love being a member at Lifetime, but yoga is not their strong point unfortunately.  It's great for a beginner but for someone like myself (I've done yoga for over 7 years), it is very impersonally and corporate.  Before I was a member there I did yoga anywhere from 3-4 times a week with my "yoga guru" Veronica of Yoga For Everybody (see my earlier blog about my yoga before Lifetime).  I truly miss doing yoga with Veronica but Lifetime is within walking distance for me and for me to want to do anything at 5:30am, I better not have to travel far!  But never the less, it was so good to practice with her again.

Yoga makes me feel truly in touch with my inner self (not to mention it is a great practice to use for cross training if you are a runner or cyclist).  Even though there were about 20 people there today, I felt like I was the only one in the room.  I connected with my thoughts, my breath, and the music all at once.  Towards the last 27 sun salutations, I found myself going through the motions with my eyes closed and smiling, just because I was present there toady, the first day of the year, doing something good for my mind and body.

I'm currently thinking about doing my first half marathon in April (I know, I'm nuts).  Last year, around the same time, I did the Austin 10/20 race and every Saturday was my long run day for the 10 week training program.  And every Saturday, Veronica hosts a donation based yoga class at 8am at HK Taewondo.  So for 10 weeks, I would go to yoga at 8am and then immediately after, I would go for my long run.  Running and yoga go hand in hand in my book.  I always felt so great on my runs after yoga.  My muscles were warm and I was already stretched out and ready to go!  So, if I sign up for this half marathon (The Biggest Loser Half Marathon), I will probably being seeing a lot more of my guru!

I don't set "resolutions", I make life changes.... Monkey Toes welcomes 2015!

It's alright to be little bitty!

My last post was about learning how to live a more minimalist lifestyle.  I was so proud of myself for getting rid of a bunch of stuff that I didn't need.  Now, going forward, it will still be about letting go of things, as much as it will be about not buying things in the first place!  We are planning on retiring to Flagstaff, AZ in about ten years and "living tiny" out there.  So there is no better time to start downsizing then right now!  One way to start this is by agreeing not to buy actual book, books anymore and committing to eBooks only.  I have moved more time then I care to talk about. Each time the one thing I remember being a pain in the ass to move was all my books!  They are heavy and take up a lot of room.  If we are planning on living in a house smaller then 500 square feet, there won't be room for 2 full bookshelves! So that is just one way I plan on starting to downsizing my "stuff".  I'm still learning about other ways to live small so hopefully the things I learn will inspire me to.....

BLOG MORE!

I'm trying, I really am.  Now that we don't have cable anymore, I have more time to focus on the things that really matter to me.  I have always loved to write.  I can remember winning 1st place in the literature category (for a short story) in my 6th grade Art Fair.  I always loved learning about different writing styles and would rather write a book report then actually read the book!  I wrote tons of poetry throughout high school and was on the school News Paper my Junior year.  The few college courses I did take were English 101, 102 and Creative Writing.  I also journaled for years and years when I was younger.  So for the life of me, I have no idea why it has been so hard to keep up with this Blog!  I guess being an adult kind of gets in the way.  I go to the gym, go to work, come home, make dinner, and then just want to relax!  But writing has never been a chore to me, so I'm hoping this blog will become my way of slowing down at the end of the day.  Kind of an adulthood version of journaling.

Red Means STOP

I read an article the other day about how to have a better relationship with your partner (or I guess it could be really with anyone in your life).  It talked about being able to recognize when you are being reactive or defensive and then how to stop.  I know there have been a lot of times in the past that I have been in a heated argument with my husband and it gets to the point that I am just trying to get in my two cents and/or the last word.  Well neither of those, helps anything, period.  It just makes the other person become reactive or defensive as well and then the vicious cycle goes on and on.  Now as a woman, I know it is super hard to stop yourself when you feel like you are right about anything.  It's like we are pre-wired to always be right in our minds.  I mean hell, we take care of a lot of shit from day to day.  I know I do.  So it's easy to feel unappreciated or defensive or argumentative or reactive when things don't go our way.  But it doesn't help anything in the long run.  So a big goal for me next year will be to just stop myself from fueling hurtful and nonproductive fires.  To just stop, tell my husband (or whoever) "look, I'm being very defensive and/or reactive to what we are talking about, I need a second to stop and collect myself", and then just STOP.  Not another peep what so ever.  Nada. Zilch. Nothing. Period.

Time to listen more and talk less

At times, not even during an argument, you just need to stop yourself and listen.  Listening is a hard skill for myself.  Sometimes I get so excited about whatever it is someone is talking about that I find myself interrupting them just to throw in my two cents.  And by doing so, that person may lose their train of thought or feel unimportant because I have just stolen the spotlight from them.  Not cool.  Everyone wants to be heard and have a sense of validation, self worth and confidence.  And active listening, means really listening!  I know I have found myself trying to listen to someone tell a story and then they will mention something that I will feel passionate about. Then it happens, I become "stuck" on that thought.  Like I am waiting for the second they are done telling their story so that I can make my comment.  But in the time that I am waiting, I am so focused on what I want to say that I am not even listening to them any longer.  I am zoned out and waiting for my chance!  By doing that I could be missing key points or they may even continue to talk about what I wanted to bring up anyways.  Maybe that's why I enjoy writing so much, because it's my chance to get everything I want to say out, without anyone interrupting me (hey you, yeah, this is not the time to check your Facebook page, keep reading!!!!).

Be the best little vegan I can be!

I became a vegan back in May of 2013.  It started off as a choice for better health.  I watched some compelling documentaries about how animal products can negatively affect your health, as well as the over all well being of the planet.  I actually wrote a blog entry about it.  More recently I have watched a documentary call Earthlings and read a book called Beg.  Both touch on the mistreatment of animals for food production, leather, as well as animals in shelters, pets store and testing for science.  These were both very powerful sources of information.  I am a huge animal lover.  I have always lived with some kind of pet, mostly cats (both currently from shelters).  I have a love for all sorts of animals and I am crushed when I hear stories about animal abuse.  But I was what you would call a "dietary vegan".  I still bought leather shoes and purses.  Often I would feel like a hypocrite when I would tell someone I was a vegan with my leather purse slung over my shoulder.  Now, after watching/reading about all the other types of animal abuse there are in the world, I feel very compelled to be a better vegan.  I had already committed to not going to zoos, Seaworld (watch Blackfish to learn more about them), circuses and rodeos.  Now, going forward I am no longer going to buy leather products as well.  Plus, I already continue to urge as many people as I can to adopt their next fur babies from local animal shelters and not pet stores or breeders.  To me, being vegan is not about being perfect, it's about doing the best you can.  If I can even get close to 90% vegan, I will be proud of myself (I mean my car has a leather wrapped steering wheel, but I am not going to go buy a new car).  I will however be more conscious of non-food products I buy going forward.  And I will never eat anything that had a mom and a dad!

Happiness....the final frontier.

Seems simple enough.  Just to be happy.  Right?  Actually being genuinely happy with your self, your true inner self, is no small task.  Too many times we depend on other things to make us happy.  Whether it be buying something new, eating/drinking something yummy or having a good time with your partner.  Those are just short lived periods of what we think happiness is.  But those things are just generally filling a void for a short amount of time, sometimes for just minutes out of a day.  I know eating a vegan cupcake makes me feel happy for about the 5 minutes but now what about the other 23 hours and 55 minutes of the day?  Happiness is a state of being not just a smile on your face (or a cupcake in your tummy).  I think a person has to really learn about themselves on a very deep level to really and truly be happy in their life.

It's hard.  I know.  I can honestly say that I am not 100% happy.  I do a lot of things that momentarily make me feel happy but I find myself depending on too many outside forces to make me feel that way.  The biggest one being, depending on others to make me happy.  I think that is no-no number one!  No one else can make you happy, only you can make you happy.  Depending on others for approval and identity is being codependent and is not happiness.  I know because I am codependent and I am not truly happy because of it.  But, I am working on fixing this issue.  I go to therapy (along with my partner) and our therapist suggested we both read a book called, Codependent No More.  And after listening to it twice on CD, I can honestly agree with our therapist when she labeled us both as codependent.  I often find myself being upset, sad, angry, depressed, or stressed out because my partner did/didn't do something with/for me.  I find myself depending a lot on him when it comes to my happiness.  I am often fearful of doing things that I like on my own.  I always want him to come be with me.  Go shopping with me, go for a run with me, sit on the sofa with me, watch a movie with me, eat with me and so on.  But we have two very different personalities and come from two extremely different backgrounds.  So, even though we will do some of these things together, I do also get turned down a lot.  He will want to be alone or he is tired and I take those turn downs very personally and become upset, sad, angry depressed or stressed out.  Then he will get upset, sad, angry, depressed or stressed out because of my reaction to him.  And so the horrible cycle goes on and on.  But, if I would just take the time to do the things that make me happy, whether he wants to join me or not, I could break this cycle.  Doing things alone has been very hard for me.  Fear and insecurity step in and happiness steps further away.

So a work in progress will remain a work in progress for now.  I have made some new changes and choices in the past year that have started to help me.  I go the the gym, I joined a running group, I signed up for some cycling and running races and I am in a lot of groups on Facebook that share my same interest.  2014 was a great year but I hope to learn more about myself in 2015 and keep moving forward.

Wild Christmas

So, for Christmas day this year, we went and watched the movie Wild with Reese Witherspoon, inspired by Cheryl Strayed's memoir.  I read the book earlier this year and it was amazing.  It really touched me.  I felt like I could relate to it in away, even though I have yet to face the struggles that Cheryl had seen in her life.  I feel like if/when I do face anything similar, I would probably turn to wanderlust to heal as well.   I have not hiked such a trek in my life...yet.  It is definitely something that I would like to do one day, regardless of the circumstances.  Whether it be on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), the Appalachian Trail, or the grand daddy of all pilgrimages the Camino de Santiago in Spain.  To have hiked even a fraction of any of these trails would be amazing and gratifying on a level that nothing else could touch.  And to be brave enough to face one alone, as a woman, is something I hope to be strong enough to do one day (but I am also not apposed to having my husband or a good friend by my side either).

I actually have a friend who went on a vacation to France and surrounding areas of Europe for the past week or so.  She went alone and has been posting the most amazing stories and pictures to Facebook.  I feel like she is so brave, strong and inspiring.  She had faced a lot of personal anguish in the last few years of her own life.  A horrible divorce from an abusive husband.  Having to face being a single parent to two children.  One of whom, is so angry at her and everyone important in her life because he feels it is their fault that his parents divorced.  Not to mention her ex-husband continues to brain wash their own children against her.  And on top of it all, struggling to learn, all over again that it is ok for her to find happiness in her life.  I told her that her journey reminded me of my all time favorite book Eat, Pray, Love (which is also a movie).  Again, another memoir about a woman doing amazing things to find and heal herself.

Whether it be in books or from people I personally know, it is wonderful to be inspired by such amazing women.  It makes me feel like there is nothing I can't face in my own life.

Merry Christmas everyone.  Namaste.

Decisions, decisions.....

So I'm facing a personally dilemma.  I finally have the means to get myself a Garmin heart rate tracking and GPS watch.  I'm really excited about that.  I have taken my fitness level above and beyond what I thought was possible.  Now I need to be able to "tweak" a couple things to make sure I am at my very best.  To do that I need to be able to monitor my body and it's reaction to harder work outs.  But I don't know if I should go with an entry level model, the Forerunner 15  ($170) or go all out from the get go, with the Forerunner 920XT ($500).  Then there is the talks of the Apple watch (estimated $300-$500) set to come out early in 2015.  I love Apple products, and I have to be honest, when I watched the ten minute video about the watch, I almost cried!  But with anything new, I fear there will be "bugs", so I don't plan on buying the first version.  Sorry Apple.

If I do decide to go with one of the Garmin's, I will most likely buy it from REI.  They have a 100% satisfaction guarantee for one year.  And both watches are the same price no matter where I get them from (REI, Amazon, or Garmin).  But by buying it from REI I will have a year to make sure I am truly in love with it.

Now the only other issue I am facing, is that it is less then 10 days until Christmas, so quantities in the store are low.  I know I can wait a little longer if I have to, but I have been thinking about this for over two months now!  Ugh.  And winter is the prime running season for me, so I guess I need to get going with making a decision!

Let's get rid of some SH*T!

Well here I am again trying to restart, keeping up with my blog.  Ugh.  I love to write but I get off track so much with day to day life.  But that is kind of a segue into what this post is about.  Going into 2015 I am really going to be revamping somethings in my life.  I plan on living a more "minimalist" lifestyle.  Basically I plan on getting rid of sh*t so that I don't fill my life with "stuff'.

I kind of already started to do this by canceling my 300+ channel cable subscription.  We now have only 20 basic channels and a Roku box.  I love it.  I probably only watch TV once a week now.  I could drop it all together, but my poor, soon to be husband would probably change his mind about getting married!

But anyways, back to getting rid of "stuff".  Just today I went through my closet and my book shelves and donated/sold a good chunk of items.  It was a little hard to go through the books (I always dreamt I would have a nice "reading room"/library in my house).  But to reach future goals (one day to join the "Tiny House Movement") I would need to make more space.  I actually cleared off two entire shelves!  I still have a TON of new books to read, but going forward I will no longer be buying actual book, books.  Instead I will be broadening my e-Reader collection.  That way, all I will ever need is an internet connection (I mean come on, there are somethings that I really don't think I could live without) and my iWhatever device.

I think the hardest thing for me in this transformation will be with learning how to separate emotional connections from "things".  For an example, I save all the greeting cards that my parents and loved ones have ever given me.  I feel like if I throw them out, that I am throwing a "piece" of them away or secretly hurting their feelings.  But they are not that greeting card, that "thing", they are a living person, that no matter what, I can and will always carry in my mind and my heart.  It will be hard but I know I will get there.  I may not be throwing away the greeting cards yet, but starting with this upcoming Christmas, I won't be giving any cards to anyone but my parents (I will need to "wean" my mom off the not giving cards slowly).

Well, now that I have recharged, I want to keep going!!  But I really need to get to sleep and with so much more to say, cutting it short this time will hopefully *fingers crossed* keep me coming back to share again another day!  Namaste!

Carnivore Comforts

So I have been Vegan now for about 5 months.  At first, changing my eating habits was for health reason.  Then, as I have explained in earlier posts, it became about animal rights.  All and all, I am learning that it has been about breaking a bad habit.  But switching to Vegan isn't like remembering to take your shoes off at the front door, it's a total lifestyle change.  And with that there is a very BIG, bad, habit to break.

I mean I have spent the first 30 some years of my life eating whatever I've wanted and not having to think twice about it.  And I do believe that eating (certain foods at least) is an addiction.  Comfort foods are just that; meant for comfort.  Your having a bad day, what do you do?  Have some of grandma's recipe Mac and Cheese?  Or maybe you had a stressful day at work and you go out with some co-workers to grab a burger and fries?  Those kinds of high fat, greasy, foods trigger something in your brain that just calms you down and makes everything seem alright.  You don't think about how hard your body has to work to digest high fat, inflammation causing, foods.  And in my earlier years I didn't think about what the poor animal had to go through to get on my plate.  But now I think about both when it comes to what I eat.

So eating right has been awesome for me.  I've lost weight and feel great.  But sometimes there are things in everyday life that can trigger those old feelings of eating whatever I wanted.  Right now my boyfriend and I are buying our first Condo together.  It is super exciting!  It's a big step for us and we can't wait to move into our very own home!  But if you've ever bought a house you can understand all the stresses that come along with it.  Getting tons of paperwork together.  Waiting for your closing date.  Scheduling movers.  Packing, unpacking, forwarding mail and changing your address on everything!  UGH!

So lately I have been struggling with being such a new Vegan.  Days like today make me have huge cravings!  And having those cravings don't make me a bad person, but it is super hard not acting on them.  I mean I am only human, and I am a human that has spent 95% of my life never thinking twice about what I have eaten.  In the past, at times like this, I would so order a pizza or go out for a burger.  But now I know that, that is not an option.  But sometimes it's like I have a huge battle going on between my taste buds and my brain.

I know that in time, this will get easier and easier.  I will find new, Vegan, foods that will become my go-to comfort foods.  But being in the early stages of my transition has not always been easy.

Subliminal messages making you unhealthy?

Every now and then I will have the slightest craving for a food that I once used to eat before becoming vegan.  Maybe something like fried shrimp or a pizza with real cheese and pepperoni.  But they come and go and are now becoming fewer and farther between.  All I really have to do is remember why I chose to become vegan in the first place.  Starting as a vegetarian was a health choice.  Becoming vegan was because of my love and compassion for animals.

I think after you have been vegan for more then a couple months, you really start to notice just how often fast food companies and processed food products are flashed right before you face.  I mean I can sit down to watch an hour long TV show and see a commercial for just about every kind of fast food franchise out there.  Or I can hear about he newest miracle pill that helped the local radio DJ loose 30 pounds.  And while listening to that I will see billboard after billboard of more of the blah blah blah this diet or blah blah blah that pill driving into work.   It's no wonder it is so hard for someone to change their eating habits or to learn about proper nutrition.  Fast food equals obesity and that leads to the next weight loss gimmick and that all equals one thing:  money.  There are no quick fixes and if you have to spend a lot of money to get the results you are looking for, you are probably just wasting your time and money!  

There is no money in healthy people.  I mean genuinely healthy people.  I have lost 15 pounds by doing no more then just changing what I eat.  The amount of time I spend working out has not changed.  But, what I put in my mouth has!  And I wasn't even looking to loose any weight.  I thought I was right where I was supposed to be.  But your body knows where you should be and once you give it the proper fuel, it will take you there faster and easier then you ever thought possible!  You will reach a new level of healthy.  I sleep better, wake up ready to go, and I am rarely tired.  And I am "regular" beyond belief!  I actually get excited to be able to go to the bathroom at the same time everyday, like clock work.  And if I go two times a day, well that's just an added bonus!  But enough of the potty talk.  I will save that for its own blog one day!

I really feel changing what you consume is a very psychological choice.  It does take a lot of will power.  You have to want to change your eating habits.  And I do agree with what more and more research is showing, that food is an addiction.  Eating certain foods can have different affects on your mind and body.  If you eat foods high in fats, sugars, and salts, then your crave those foods more and more.  Likewise, I think if you eat nutrient rich foods more and more, you will begin to crave them.  And you will eventually be able to break your addiction with the wrong foods.  Your palate will change for good and the pounds will drop off before your eyes.  But you have to want to change.

I wanted to be healthy and then I also wanted to make a differences when it came to the animals that were suffering needlessly.  But it took time and I had to educated myself.  The key thing here is that I wanted to do it!  And you can too if it is your true desire.  So be patient with yourself.  Be kind to yourself.  And in return you will be happy with the results.  Namaste.

Yoga, Pilates, and Running oh my!

So I'm really excited about getting this blog up and running and gaining new readers.  I just have so much on my mind that I want to ramble on and on about that I don't know where to start!  I have totally enjoyed my transition over to being Vegan.  There have been so many positive things that have come from going down this path.  One, I have lost weight without even trying.  But I do have to give some of that credit to the fact that, besides eating a diet that is nutrient dense, I also work out anywhere from 3-4 times a week between yoga, Pilates, and my occasional run.

I've been doing yoga for about 6 years now.  Currently I attend class once a week.  (I used to go 3 times a week and I would like to get back to that.)  I have a wonderful yoga instructor that I have been with the whole time.  I would highly recommend her if you live in North Austin, Cedar Park, or Leander TX.  Her name is Veronica Armstrong and she currently works at the Cedar Park Recreation Center, as well as at Flow Yoga.  Veronica also offers a donation based class on Saturday mornings at HK Taekwondo.  The classes that I normally attend are a Hatha style with Vinyasa Flow.  For me yoga is like my religion.  It makes me feel at peace with my body and mind. 

I currently only go to yoga once a week because at the beginning of this year I discovered Pilates and currently attend those classes twice a week.  I am fortunate enough to work for a wonderful company that offers Pilates classes to it's employees free of charge, twice a week, right at work!  I love being able to get in an hour long workout without having to do anything but change my clothes.  Pilates has been a wonderful addition to my yoga and running.  Yoga, I feel keeps me flexible, and Pilates has helped me tone up through strength training and resistance.  I am still very new to it all but I hope to keep Pilates as a regular staple in my workout regimen.

I have been a runner for about 6 years now.  I have always been a believer in doing restorative exercise, like yoga (and now Pilates too), to improve your running.  Many different athletes would also agree with me there.  After four years of running and dealing with some of the pains associated with it (shin splints, hip pain, knee pain, and lower back pain) I started to learned about, and transitioned to, minimalist running or "barefoot" running.  I learned that if you let your foot act more like a foot, by not wearing traditional, coffin like, running shoes, you can perform at a different level.  A level that, for me, has rid me of any and all prior aliments.  I learned to allow my body to work the way it was designed and in turn improved my running.

Now imagine doing the same with your diet?  So the next thing I started to learn about was what you fuel your body with and how it affects your physical abilities.  Basically, if you put poor, over proceeded, chemically altered and animal based foods in, then you will have a less desirable out come in whatever physical activities you do.  Imagine only putting foods into your body that are in their purest forms and have not been shot full of chemicals.  When I started to do that, by switching to a vegan diet, I was worried at first how it would affect my running.  Would I be getting enough of the right "fuel" to still run 3 or 4 miles at a time?  The answer was a BIG yes!  I actually hadn't been focusing on my running at all since my last race in December of 2012.  I would run on and off but I wasn't on a schedule like I used to be.  So, when I went out for my first run after being a vegan for a month, I was worried that I wouldn't make it past a mile.  Boy was I surprised!  First run out I did 3 miles no issues and the next time I did 4 and it was like I had never stopped training.  And I felt so good!  I wasn't tired or thirsty or hungry.  I honestly felt like I could have even went another mile, but I didn't want to over do it.

So yes, I am a firm believer in, if you take care of your body it will take care of you.  You will recover faster, be able to push yourself longer, and over all just feel better.  I'm not a doctor but I have found that eating a healthy diet that is void of all animal products and in turn, nutrient dense, has greatly improved my physical activities and over all I just feel better.  I can't wait to share more of my discoveries and journeys with you.  Until then, Namaste!

  

Monkey Toes 2.0 back and better then ever!

This page started back in 2011 as a blog about my transition into Minimalist Running shoes, aka Vibram Five Fingers aka, My Monkey Toes.  My posts will still continue to touch on my running journeys as well as my love of Yoga and Pilates.  But for now I think the most important thing to open with, is how to get you body running on high octane fuel by changing the way you view the food at the end of your fork!

So, I've only been Vegan for a little over two months now.  I went Vegetarian back in March of 2013 after watching a couple different documenataries on Netflix.  One of which was Forks over Knives.  This is a wonderful gateway documentary that explains benefits of eating a better diet, consisting of nutrient rich foods, as opposed to what has become the "typical Western diet".  The other documentary that I watched about a month later was Vegucated.  This film touched on some of the same topics as FOK but also discussed the environmental aspect of eating an animal based diet.  Now I am a huge animal lover.  I don't have any human children but I do share my home with two, four legged, feline children.  And they are treated with the same care, love and respect.  Vegucated, educated me about how horribly animals that are seen as "food" are treated and it put me into tears.  I was appalled by what I had learned and felt very deceived.  Watching that, was my "ah ha" moment.  It was the moment that, as an animal lover, I could never look back and I could only call myself a hypocrite if I chose to just look the other way.  So I change my diet from that day forward.

So being Vegan for me, started mostly as a healthy life style change and then became a personal way to protest all and any animal cruelty.  Along with watching these films (as well as many others that will pop up as a recommendation on Netflix), I have also read many books on being Vegan, or what some people refer to as a "raw diet".  And let me say right now that I hate the word "diet".  I am not on a diet.  I have never really dieted in my life before.  I have alway been in decent shape and have never had any serious health concerns.  I chose to make a "lifestyle change" to better myself and my future.  So if you are looking for a quick fix or a way to lose a couple pounds for bikini season, then being Vegan, or eating raw, is not for you.  I think becoming a Vegan is more of a psychological choice and the health and environmental benefits are a nice addition.

So, as I was beginning to say, (before I had to take my stand about "diets") I have read many books on these types of lifestyle changes as well.  A great one that really backed up was the FOK documentary spoke about is Eat To Live by Joel Fuhrman.  Many others are,  The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefight's 28-day..... by Rip Esselstyn, who is also featured in the FOK documentary and a fellow Austinite.  Rip also has a new book out called "My Beef with Meat" but I have yet to read it.  Currently I am reading a book called Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to optimal Performance in Sports and Life by Brendan Brazier.   I will post and talk about some more titles on my page as I get this blog moving again.

I am very excited about this new journey I am on.  I hope to share those things here with you in the future. You only get one life and one body and I think everyone needs to learn more about how to embrace them, in a happy, healthy way.  Until later, Namaste.

A little set back, but hopefully not for long...

Well I'm currently on my 2 week break from work (it's so nice working for a school district) and I'm all ready to run!  I'm hoping to get in at least 3 good, longer, runs a week.   Currently I do about 2.5 to 4 miles 2 to 3 times a week, but with all this extra time I want to up my mileage a little.  I even found a new running partner to run with over the break (she is currently a shoed runner  but is considering switching over after next 1/2 marathon, thanks to yours truly)! 

But I have noticed some set backs (and improvements) during my last couple runs.  First thing is that, I am really learning what my body needs to run, and that is water!  I mean I drink a lot of water anyways, but I can tell when I haven't drank enough when I run.  If I am not hydrated enough, my left foot always reminds me by cramping up after about 2.5 miles.  It sucks because I can be going really well, at an awesome pace, and then all of a sudden my foot will cramp up in the arch.  When that happens I pretty much have to walk for sometime to work the cramp out.  Sometimes I can continue to run again but most of the times, its game over, which is really disappointing.  So listen to your body and take notes!  Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

The other thing that my body will tell me is if my gate gets a little to long.  To be a minimalist or barefoot runner, the first thing I had to say goodbye to was a long gate.  That was a hard thing to do, because with having a shorter gate, comes a slower pace until you adjust (and then, no pun intended, you will pick up the pace).  I have noticed that if my gate is too long, the outside of my right knee will begin to hurt (just like it used to when I was a shoed runner).  Before, when I was a shoed runner, that pain meant game over for my run.   Now I have realized that if I just shorten up my gate, the pain goes away and I can continue on.  Your body is an amazing thing and again, if you just listen to what it is trying to tell you (through aches and pains) you can adjust and then go further then you had ever thought possible.

Now on to something good!  I have been running in minimalist shoes since May 2011.  When I first started off, one of the first things I noticed, was that my pace was affected severally.  I have never been a record breaking time runner, but as a shoed runner, I had, what I considered a good pace of right around 10min miles.  When I started in my Pace Gloves my pace went into 12min mile area.  That was super disappointing.  But the more I researched  minimalist running, the more I learned that my pace would, in time, improve.  And low and behold, it has!  During my last couple runs, I have reached my 10min mile mark and even surpassed it a couple time by going into the 9min zone!  I couldn't have been more excited!  It was a great thing to get back to 10mins, but to get into the 9min zone was a PR!

I was runnnnning in the rain.....just runnnning in the rain!

Ok, so I have both of my holiday runs under my belt now.  I did the 5 mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  First time I ever ran that far in my VFF's.  It was an awesome run.  Over 20,000 people attended.  The amount of people made it hard for me to get my pace where I wanted it to be, but I still ran the whole thing and was very happy that I burned all those calories before I sat down to eat like there was no tomorrow that afternoon!  Finished in 1 hour, 5.2 miles, at a 11:40 overall pace.

(Thunder Cloud Subs T-Shirt Logo for 2011 Turkey Trot)

Now this morning I ran a 5k called the Jingle Bell 5k for MADD.  It was at The Domain, which is like a higher end, outdoor, shopping center.  I had done this race before, back in 2008 and really liked the course, so that's why I decided to make it my Christmas run again this year.  Unlike in 2008, I ran this year's run in my VFF's with jingle bells included!

This was a rain or shine race and boy oh boy did it rain!!  It has been raining here in Austin, TX for 2 days now and today the temps had dropped into the 40's with a breeze coming in from the north as well!  So it was an interesting race for me because I had never run in the rain before.  Let me say that I felt like running in the rain somehow brought me closer to a "Zen-like" feeling.  It felt great to have the rain on my face and even though my VFF's were totally soaked, they actually kept my feet warm, almost like wearing a wetsuit for my toes!  I absolutely loved this race.  There were maybe 500 people (I haven't checked the website yet for the actual sats, but that was a good guess), which made getting to my pace very easy.  Once over the starting line, it was easy to get out of the crowd and find an open space to run.  I only saw maybe 3 other people in VFF's and a handful in other minimalist shoes.  I was thankful that I didn't have to take every step in a soggy, squishy, "normal" running shoe.  Even though I could feel every puddle, I had great traction and I wasn't "retaining" any water.  My ending time was 34mins, for 3.2miles, at a 10:45 overall pace, and I jingled all the way!

Stem Survival Origins (Women) Personal Review

Ok, so I have to take a little break from my personal story and write a little review on my newest pair of minimalist shoes.  I recently bought a pair of  Stem Footwear, Survival Origins in a women's size 39, (US size 8-8.5).

(Color is Earth Brown)

I decided to by these shoes for daily wear.  I wanted a pair of minimalist shoes that looked more like a regular shoe (sometimes VFF's don't go with every outfit).  I wear these to go to the store and just to walk around town in.  So far they are very comfortable and have a great minimalist feel.  I still think my Vibram Five Fingers offer the best "virtual barefoot" feel, but these come in close second.  I would definitely rate them above my Merrell's; they are much more flexible and the toe box is just a slight bit roomier. 

I was a little concerned about what size to order.  Seeing that Stem is not available nationwide in retail stores (yet), I was worried that I wouldn't get the right size the first time without being able to try them on.  I followed their sizing guide on www.Stemfootwear.com and it was very accurate for me.  In a non-running shoe I wear from a 7.5 to an 8 and in a running shoe a 8 to 8.5.  I decided on the 39's which is the US size 8 to 8.5.  It fit just right.  Not too big, plenty of room in the toe box, and my heel stayed right in place, no slipping out.  The web site states that the shoes run small and to order them a 1/2 size bigger.  My mother was also planning on ordering a pair and wasn't too sure what size to order, so she called Stem and they were more then happy to help her decide on a size.  She wears a size 6 in her everyday shoes, and she was planning on wearing them with Smartwool socks, so the gentleman at Stem advised her to order a size 38, which is a US size 7 to 7.5.

I have worn them with and without socks.  Without socks, they felt ok.  The inside was a tad bit scratchy in a few places where the seams came together but other then that it felt fine.  When I do wear them with sock, I wear them with Injinji toe socks.  They feel wonderful with the toe socks.  My Injinji's are a very thin sock, so they don't take up a lot of room, but if you plan on wearing something like a Smartwool sock or a thicker sock, I would advise sizing up 1/2 on the shoe itself.  I think if I were to wear my Smartwool running socks with them, they would fit more snuggly, which then is defeating the barefoot, light, free, feel.

I really like them for their style.  They look great with jeans and I'm sure I will wear them with shorts as well.  The rich Earth Brown was my favorite color but they also come in a Frost Grey which is called the Primal Origins (the only difference between the two names is their color).  I also like that they came with a standard style shoe lace and not the tether pull style lace that was shown on their prototype pair.

All and all I really like my Stem Survival Origins shoes and would recommend them as a good minimalist shoe.  They are a great shoe for everyday use.  I have not run in them, and honestly don't plan on using them to run in.  I have read reviews from people who have run and hiked in them and loved it.  The website doesn't really state that they are for running and when my mother called them, customer service told her as well, that they are not really designed for running.  I guess it will be up to the individual to decide that.

Going from Pace Gloves to Vibram Five Fingers

Ok, so as I stated in my last post, I had bought a pair of Merrell's Pace Gloves as my first pair of minimalist running shoes.  The reason I went with them was one, I thought the VFF's just looked ridiculous and two, I had bought previous pairs of Merrell brand shoes before so it felt like a safe choice. 

All and all, I really liked them.  They were a great way to start into minimalist running.  They have a nice open toe box, breathable mesh upper, and were super flexible.  I thought when trying them on, that the sizing would be different, but the girl at REI suggested to get them in the same size as my current (Mizuno) running shoes.  After trying them on, and running around in the store a couple times, I was sold.  The girl at REI also suggested, that if I was going to wear socks with them, to purchase the Injinji brand of "toe socks".  She said by wearing the toe socks inside the open toe box of the Pace Gloves, it would help my toes to further spread apart.

(Injinji Original Mini-Crew Gray)

I was so excited to have my first pair of minimalist shoes and even more excited that my toes each had their very own little "blanket" to be in, inside of them!  I must say that wearing the Injinji's did help with acclimating my toes to the idea of being free to spread apart inside or out of a shoe.  What I have learned (especially 7 months later) is that, the more your toes have room to spread apart, the better balance you have and the better grip you have either running or walking.

I started off super slow learning (or should I say re-learning) how to run in minimalist shoes for the first time.  Amazingly there isn't too much to learn.  Your body will naturally want to correct its form and run with a more natural gate.  I found myself with better posture and a smaller stride right away without even thinking about it.  And heel striking will be a thing of the past as well!  Without that huge lump of foam under your heel your body will automatically want you to land on your mid-foot.  But you do have to start super, super slow!

I learned the hard way that if you try to push yourself too fast, you will experience pain.  I mean your foot has most likely been in a conforming, toe crunching, laced too tight, shoe for most of it's life.  Now you have given it space to expand and feel the ground beneath it.  So you will have awakened all the little bones and muscles (most of which you never even knew you had)!  Your legs will also need time to adjust.  Mainly my calves were sore right away.  Your mid-foot strike will allow your foot to work with your legs more naturally like a spring.  Therefore activating your calf muscles to work harder, the way they were intended to.  But you know what they say "no pain, no gain".

So, even though I started by only running .5 of a mile a day, I did experience pain.  I had top of the foot pain, ball of the foot pain, as well as heel pain.  Each area of pain came separately from the other.  I felt like it was just my foot's way of recalibrating itself.  So when you read in books or on other blogs or magazines, to take it slow, LISTEN!  You don't want to over due it and have to put yourself out by taking time to recover.

Of course, like I'm sure you won't either, I didn't listen!  I was frustrated that I went from running 3 miles at a time to only .5 of a mile.  So I pushed myself to a mile and 1.5 miles too soon and the foot gods came down and punished me for it.  I could barely walk for over two weeks because I had sever top of the foot pain.  I even went to my chiropractor and had an x-ray just to make sure I didn't have a stress fracture.  Luckily for me, the x-ray came back in my favor, no stress fracture, but I did have to take time off from running (or even walking) and then had to start all over again! Ugh.

After about three weeks off from running, I started over, vert slow, and made progress.  I also started to wear my Pace Gloves to work as well.  I work in a warehouse and am walking and getting in and out of trucks all day.  When I would wear normal gym shoes to work (with awful squishy heels and padding) I noticed my feet hurt even more!  They were searching for the nice feel of the hard, stable ground and all they felt was uneven squishiness.  Going back and forth from work shoes to my minimalist shoe was not working for me.  Once I started wearing the minimalist shoes all the time, whether at work or not, the pain eventually went away all together.  Which led me to buy my next pair of Merrell's, the Trane Contour Glove in Black.

(Merrell Barefoot Trane Contour Glove Black)

 

The Trane Contour Glove was a great work shoe for me.  Unlike the Pace Glove, which is made of an extremely breathable mesh, the Trane Contour Glove has a leather upper and allows for your feet to feel little more safe from the elements (cold temps and water).  They still have a wide toe box and the same fit as the running shoes.  Also, I forgot to mention that all of Merrell's Barefoot line has a very durable Vibram 4mm sole.

So now I had my running shoes and my work shoes.  But the best was yet to come.  Within a week of buying my Trane Contour's I decided that I wanted a shoe that I could wear on the weekends or just whenever I needed something to walk around town in.  Here enters in my first pair of Vibram Five Fingers  (one of the best footwear purchases I ever made)! 

Introducing my Vibram Five Finger KSO Trek's in Brown kangaroo leather.

Let's get started, one foot in front of the other.

I had been a shoed runner for about 4 years.  I have been a minimalist runner for 7 months, and I would never go back to running in "normal" shoes again. 

I'm sure my chiropractor will miss me.  Before I started minimalist running, I would go to my chiropractor at least twice a month and at my worst, twice a week!  I suffered from lower back pain and knee pain.  My chiropractor would tell me time and time again, "maybe you shouldn't be a runner".  Not be a runner?  What?  I had found something that I really loved and looked forward to doing (almost as a form of therapy) and now I was being told that I shouldn't do it?  Well I didn't listen.  I also continued running in my Mizuno Wave Inspires and therefore continued to have pain.

I was fitted with my Mizuno's at a local running store.  They had me run all around the store and then came to the conclusion that I "overpronated" when I ran.  They had me try on all different kinds of shoes that would help with the overpronation.  Well, I figured, if the guy that worked at the running store said that I needed a shoe for overpronation, then it must be true.  So, I took his advice and bought my first pair of expensive, fitted for me, running shoes.  These were my first pair of running shoes that I bought that weren't chosen for their style or color.  In fact, I thought they were ugly and I hated the sea foam green color that they were.  But running store guy said that they would help me run better, run more naturally. 

(Not actual sea foam green one's, but the same style just newer)

Run more naturally.  That's interesting.  How could I run more naturally in a shoe that gave my heel a 2 inch lift and lined my whole foot with a squishy platform??  Back then, that made perfect sense to me.  I mean if you're going to run, and be going from heel to toe, then of course you would want all that extra padding, right?  (Well not exactly but we'll get to that later.)

See part of the reason my chiropractor was trying to steer me away from running, was because running was hard on your joints.  Makes sense, I thought.  I mean running is a high impact  sport when you are going from heel to toe.  As soon as your heel hits the ground it sends a shock wave up your leg and into you knees, hips and lower back, sometimes even affecting your neck.

So I had my new shoes and I continued to run.  I got faster and started running in some local 5k's.  I was proud of myself.  I had found a sport that I could enjoy just about anywhere.  It was a good tool to use as a cross trainer for the Tang Soo Do I was also doing at the time.  And it made me feel good mentally.  When I ran, I could clear my mind and feel free.  Free from work, family, bills, and every thing else that came with everyday life.  But still not free from pain.  Ugh!

I eventually ran some more 5k's and even did my first 10k.  But the pain started to become more and more of a hassle and I started to cut back.  I kept going to see my chiropractor and after I had been fitted with a heel insert (for my anatomically shorter leg) I had just about stopped running all together.  I started to feel better.  Less pain, less visits to the chiropractor.  That was good I suppose, but I started to miss what I loved.

More time went by with less and less running.  One day, I had a co-worker, whom had just started running, start to ask me if I had ever thought about running barefoot or in those crazy looking toe shoes?  We got to talking and I told him I really didn't know a whole lot about barefoot running or toe shoes.  That day, he set a fire in me.  That afternoon I googled, "toe shoes" and learned all about Vibram Five Fingers and minimalist running for the first time. 

It was a lot to take in.  I mean just thinking about running without the padding of a traditional shoe made me think "ouch"!  But the more I read the more I learned that the effect of barefoot/minimal running was the exact opposite.  It was the natural way to run.  The "greener way of running" in a sense.  So I eventually drove myself to my local REI store and tried on a few different pairs of minimalist running shoes.  I tried on the Vibram Five Fingers as well as Merrell's Pace Glove.  Mentally, I couldn't get past how goofy the VFF's looked, so I settled with the Merrell's.  And so started my journey down the road (literally feeling every little rock and crack in that road) of minimalist running.

(Merrell Pace Glove's in Dark Shadow color)