Fallon's Healthy Life

Making the switch...

2010-09-01T23:18:00.001+10:00

I'm currently making the switch from blogspot to my own domain. Check out my new stuff at http://www.fallonshealthylife.com, and please update your bookmarks! :)

<3<3<3 Thanks for reading :).

OOh, and BTW.

2010-08-30T22:59:00.000+10:00

I'm seriously baffled by people who write long posts with pictures and such once or twice a day. How the hell do they do that?

And this weekend I made TWO zucchini recipes. They were both really delicious. I will post them later, after I have a chance to do them justice with at least one picture of the finished product.

August Running Recap

2010-08-30T22:48:00.000+10:00

I've been slack with my blogging--but NOT, I'm happy to say, with my running! I have been so on with my running and I feel incredible. I am literally in the best shape of my adult life. Probably the best shape of my non-adult life, too. Life is good!

So, I won't be running again in August. My next run is on Thursday, and that means I can post my August run stats...I have to say, I'm pretty proud.

In August, I ran 71.14 miles in 13:27:09. My average pace was 11:21/mile (no, I'm not very fast...but I'm okay with it for now as I'm working on building distance more than speed) and I burned 8,931 calories. My fastest average pace for a run was 9:48/mile over 2.25 miles (incidentally, that was in my Vibrams...and man did I hurt the next day!) and my longest run was 9.93 miles last Wednesday.

I did my first runs in my Vibrams in August. I definitely experienced serious pain in my calves from pushing it too far a few times, but I'm happy to report that after my VFF run on Saturday, there was no pain at all. I'm hoping to be able to run 5K in them within a couple more weeks without any unusual pain after.

And, my first half-marathon is on September 19th--less than three weeks away! Since my longest run yet has been nearly 10 miles, I think I'm gonna be ready :).

Photo of the Day: Monday

2010-08-30T10:00:00.010+10:00

February 14, 2009 in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Casio EX-Z700

This may be one my favorite pictures of all time. The rickety old bicycle I rented for a dollar to ride out to the temples of Angkor.

Photo of the Day: Friday

2010-08-27T10:00:00.011+10:00

August 9, 2009 in Gwangju, South Korea

Canon SX10IS

I loved the late night fruit stands everywhere...it's much more comfortable at night in Korea and the amount of activity that goes on between nine to midnight is astounding. This picture needs some editing, but...I'm lazy.

Photo of the Day: Monday

2010-08-23T10:00:00.008+10:00

August 13, 2008 in Harrison, Idaho

Casio EX-Z700

This picture needs to not have a van and a pole in the middle of it. But, I just love the ad on the side of the building.

I'm so grateful for...

2010-08-22T12:35:00.001+10:00

Truthfully, I'm grateful for many things. I am such a fortunate person. But in particular, in this instance, I am so grateful for true and enduring friendships.

I've made friends from all over the world in the last few years, and I will always love knowing that when I finally make it to Ireland, Scotland, Burma, many parts of Canada and the US, and other places...I will probably have someone to visit there.

But I'm also so lucky to have friends that I made years and years ago... Friends I've known since day one (literally, since I was born!) and spent years living with, friends I've traveled across the world with, and friends I've kept in close contact with regardless of location. So many people have touched my life in positive ways.

The thing that really amazes me is the friends who, despite years spent without communication, show up back in my life unexpectedly. I guess it's just really gratifying to know that someone who had a real impact on your life feels the same way.

I had a friend in high school, a guy a couple years older than me who'd moved from Montana to go to NIC, the local community college. I met him and a friend of his at a party that was held at the waterpark I worked at during the summer. Then one day in the Student Union building (I took classes at NIC while I was in high school), I heard my name called out. It turned out to be Scott.

I don't really remember how it was that we became so close, but it wasn't long before we were hanging out a couple times a week. He was far from home and his family, and my family loved him, so he'd come up to our place for dinner regularly. I helped him frost his hair (haha, remember when all the guys frosted their hair??) and he came to visit me at work when I was bored. He was my date to the winter prom that year, and I went with him to his company dinner since everyone else was married and bringing their partner.

We drifted apart in the winter and spring of the next year; he got a girlfriend and I began hanging out more with other people, as you do when you're young, but he still made the effort to ride his road bike the six or seven hours back to Coeur d'Alene from his hometown in Montana for my high school graduation barbecue in July.

After that it was a couple years before I spoke to him again. I'm not quite sure how it happened; I think I did a bit of searching and found his phone number on the internet. Anyhow, I ended up giving him a call one night and we chatted for at least an hour. It turned out he was engaged to be married in only a couple months, so I gave him my address and got an invitation a few weeks later and made the trip out to Montana for the wedding. That was the last time I saw him, in 2005.

He was divorced less than a year later, but I didn't talk to him again until 2008. My parents were in Portland at the time, helping me to move my belongings back to Idaho (I was moving to Korea later that year and my parents were storing my things at their home while I was gone). My little brother called, saying that Scott had stopped by to see if we still lived in the same house, and Jake had given him my phone number. He called the next day and we had another great long chat.

I moved to Korea; I think I called him once. And I always meant to call again, but it's so easy to just get distracted, and the time difference makes it even easier. When I moved home for four months, and then to Australia...again, I meant to call at some point, and didn't.

But the other day I had a Facebook friend request from a girl I didn't recognize. And a message... It turned out that she was Scott's fiancee, and they had found me on FB despite the fact that Scott couldn't remember my last name. So I messaged back, and had a few interactions with his fiancee April. She seems great, and a very non-jealous kind of girl with whom I actually have a lot in common. She verified Scott's phone number and I gave him a call the other night. We could only chat for a bit as he was working when I called, but it never fails to amaze me how with some people, it only takes that first "Hello" and time and distance fall away, and that ease of conversation and feeling of instant companionship return. We'll talk again sometime, and I hope to visit Scott and April's home when I get back to the US. They live on a huge, beautiful ranch in Montana, only about four hours from where I'll be going to school.

So now I'm just left with this feeling of profound gratitude. To have a very true friend who values our friendship, or at least the memory of our friendship, enough to seek me out from time to time. And for all my friends, new and old, all over the world.

Photo of the Day: Friday

2010-08-20T10:00:00.003+10:00

September 12, 2008 on Bigeum-do, Jeollanamdo, South Korea

Casio EX-Z700

This beautiful little island is a must-see spot in the ROK. It has a gorgeous heart shaped beach with lovely sand and hiking.

Working in a Workout

2010-08-18T22:23:00.001+10:00

Super awesome run tonight!

I love it when I can assign purpose to my exercise. I often run to the grocery store on the weekends. It's a short run if I run directly, but lately I've been taking roundabout ways to lengthen the distance. Since Chris and I are running a half marathon next month, longer runs are in the cards and I really want to get in some good mileage during the week. It's hard right now though; it's winter down here and it's dark by 6.

So how can a girl get in a long run on a weekday? Easy! Transform my evening commute into my evening run!

I took a short lunch today so that I could leave half an hour early, took my stuff to work, changed and was out the door by 4:25pm.

I started out on some busy streets heading over to Lane Cove National Park, where I ran through the park on a mostly empty road. Rolling hills through thickly treed parkland, a beautiful river glinting between the trees, the occasional cry of a kookaburra...it was gorgeous and peaceful. Every once in awhile a biker sped through, but other than that I saw only one other runner.

I came out of the park at about 4.25 miles and hit the HILL OF DOOM.

Do you SEE that hill? It was painful! I walked the first, worst bit and then did short jog/walk intervals for the rest.

And, finally finished out my 7.64 run with a quick two miles. My total time was 1:24:11, giving me a pace of 11:01/mile. Not too bad I think, especially with the hill of doom! As for my splits, the first 4.31 miles were at a 10:38 pace, the hill was 1.31 miles at a 13:46 pace, and I finished the last two miles at a 10:00 pace.

NOT BAD! I feel great! A little sore, but nothing too serious. I'm planning to do this run once a week on Wednesdays.

On a side note: I tried a foam roller yesterday for my calves after I had some major muscle soreness from my barefoot runs. It was incredible how much better I felt! I definitely need to invest in one for myself.

Minties: The Cure for What Ails You

2010-08-17T10:00:00.001+10:00

When you're riding your skateboard down a rail, and it snaps in half and you have that split second before your balls are completely crushed, possibly destroying any chance you ever have of having children or maybe even an erection ever again...it's definitely a moment in which you need a Mintie.

Photo of the Day: Monday

2010-08-16T10:00:00.003+10:00

October 28th, 2008 in Damyang, Jeollanamdo, South Korea

Casio EX-Z700

I love the autumn colors here. This was at an International Friendship Camp, or something like that.

Sydney Weather is Bipolar

2010-08-15T13:22:00.000+10:00

12:36pm on Sunday August 15.

1:09pm on Sunday August 15.

Sydney Weather, you are bipolar as shit. But thanks for clearing up so I can go on my run. I really appreciate it. Please try to maintain your sunny blue skies for the next three hours, and after that you can do whatever you want.

Cheers!

My Blog Crushes

2010-08-15T12:53:00.000+10:00

Do you remember your first crush? I do.

Aside from my best friend Adam, whom I don't really consider a crush since we both thought we would be married someday (haha), my first crush was in second grade. I liked a boy named Peter Gonzalez. The girls in Mrs. Byington's second grade class liked to play kiss tag at recess, and when I ran from Peter, you can bet I never ran very fast...

Well, now it's years later. I've had many unrequited crushes on various boys I've known in school, and some of the professors of my university classes. I've had celebrity crushes (helloooooo Nathan Fillion!).

I've had gym crushes (mainly on girls I wanted to emulate, and on hot guys), girl crushes (on girls I admired and wanted to be friends with), and couple crushes (like a girl crush, but as a couple on a couple, haha).

My most common type of crush these days? Blog crushes. Or more accurately, crushes on the writers of some of the healthy living blogs I love to read.

Some people out there have the most wonderful way with words--they write beautifully or have a great sense of humor or a real insight into themselves. They have such interesting things to talk about. They take the most lovely, artistic pictures of all their delicious foods. We have common interests. And to top it all off, they are kind, funny, interesting, smart, focused on positive change, and just generally good people. When I see they've written a new blog, I'm excited to read it. I think if we had a chance, we could be such good friends.

In fact, since most of these bloggers tend to be women, I suppose my blog crushes are really more of a girl crush, just on someone I've never actually met. I have a few right now:

Jess at Half of Jess
Miss Morgan Melim at For the Love of Skinny
Julia at JewliaGoulia
Renee at Low-Fat Pie

Ladies...

I've got one. I hope this doesn't change things between us...maybe we can be friends? :o)

FOOD Food food...

2010-08-14T15:19:00.001+10:00

Here are some pics of food I've made in the last few months. I'm not nearly as good at food photography as some bloggers out there, but practice makes perfect, right?

My attempt at stuffed zucchini, ala Low Fat Kat. Not so pretty. But pretty tasty.

his is my new Sweet Potato and Whole Wheat Gnocchi recipe. I'm noticing how much I really need to start editing my photos. These pictures would both be a lot better if I was less lazy and just touched them up.

This was breakfast this morning...yum. Eggs with tons of roasted veggies topped with homemade pico de gallo and toast (one with almond/cashew/brazil nut spread & jam, the other with olive spread & Nutella).

Pizza on my homemade Whole Wheat Crust.

Coconut macaroons before they were chocolate dipped.

Quiche Lorraine Scones from Brown Eyed Baker. This photo was edited. That's why it looks much nicer than the other pictures, haha.

Yum, Butter-Free Whole Wheat Oatmeal Muffins.

Now I'm hungry. Think it's time to bake!

Photo of the Day: Friday

2010-08-13T10:00:00.000+10:00

November 26th, 2009 in Potlatch, ID USA

Canon SX10IS

A very cool old gas pump. Loved the reflection of the old truck in the background.

My First Real Vibrams Run

2010-08-12T22:37:00.000+10:00

I've been reeeeeeally struggling to get myself out and exercising this week. Since the City2Surf I have been systematically eating my way through our kitchen (seriously, it's been ugly) and avoiding the gym each night. As of Wednesday night--no longer. I needed to exercise. It was time. For me to run in my Vibrams!

Let me preface by saying, I don't recommend doing what I did last night. According to the experts out there and the many accounts I've read from bloggers, it's important to really ease into running in your Vibrams. Let's face it--years and years of basically putting our feet in casts (running shoes) has caused certain muscles to atrophy. It takes time for those muscles to gain strength. It takes time for the bottoms of our feet to build up fat deposits to protect us from the hard ground. For some of us, it's very difficult to fix our running stride from a heel-strike to lightly running on our mid-foot or the balls of our feet.

So, you're supposed to break your body in slooowly. Start by doing walking/running combos, you know...the same way you're supposed to break your body into running. I thought I'd do the Couch to 5K in them, so I did W1D1 last Tuesday. But, I'm impatient and I didn't want to wait so long to get up to a decent distance in my VFFs. I'm running a half marathon (!) in about six weeks and I really, really want to "barefoot" run it if possible. I decided every person is different and maybe I don't need to ease into it as slowly as other people do.

So last night [I just noticed how many of my paragraphs/sentences begin with "so..." I should probably work on that.] I threw caution and the advice of others who know more to me to the wind, and went for a real run in my Vibrams.

It. Was. AWESOME.

I had to make the words bold and red to express just how awesome it truly was.

How was it better than a run in my Brooks? At the risk of sounding like someone in the honeymoon phase (which I am), I'll just say in almost every way. I hope this honeymoon phase never ends.

I was faster, naturally. It was much, much easier for me to keep a pace almost a minute per mile faster than my normal average. Granted, this was only a two mile run. But I found myself moving much more quickly while breathing evenly. And I finished my fastest two consecutive miles ever, at a little over 18:00.

I was wearing my headphones, but when my feet hit the ground, it was so light and natural I felt like I was gliding along the ground, not pounding it with my feet. As a result, I didn't have any of the soreness in my hips and knees that I often have after a run (although...this could be because it was a short run). In face, the only soreness I've experienced was tight calves. And they weren't even too bad.

Most of all, it was FUN. Something about running and really feeling the ground beneath my feet, it just...felt good. Natural (haha). It reminded me why it used to be fun to be a kid running around outside with friends, just for the sake of running around.

Obviously it's still early in my VFF running experiments, and I hope that my experience continues to be positive as it has been thus far. I don't think it will be any surprise to anyone when they hear that I highly, highly, highly recommend barefoot running and Vibrams. If you're interested in finding out more, here are some great resources. Enjoy!

MizFit talks about her Vibram experience
AbbyNormally's Barefoot Essentials posts
Chris McDougall's Blog
Barefootrunner.com
The Complete Beginners Guide to Barefoot Running

Songs that just make me feel good.

2010-08-12T18:00:00.013+10:00

Don't you have those songs that just always, without fail, bring a smile to your face? YES, you do. I know everyone does. Here are the top ten songs that never fail to bring a smile to my face (as of today! Betcha it's gonna be different in six months...).

Currently on top!

"Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes (above)
"Hey" by Train
"Move Your Feet" by Junior Senior
"I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz
"I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
"Daughter" by Loudon Wainwright III
"Keep on Loving You" by Steel Magnolia
"Why Don't We Just Dance" by Josh Turner
"Lillian, Egypt" by Josh Ritter
"All Night Long" by Lionel Richie (seriously...doesn't Lionel Richie make your heart melt? He sings to my soul....)

Top Ten Guilty Pleasures

2010-08-11T20:41:00.003+10:00

Whilst roaming the internet this fine evening, I ran across the following blog entry: 100 Blog Topics I Hope You Write. What could be more fun than this sort of creative writing exercise?

Possibly many things...but there are even MORE things that would be LESS fun than picking a topic and writing about it. I chose #40: Ten Guilty Pleasures. Please note, these are in no particular order...they're all pleasures, all guilty...

Numero Uno: The Twilight Series.

The books, not the movies. I saw the first movie...unimpressed. Kristen Stewart has about as much personality and acting ability as a monkey turd. That said, I would be hard pressed to name a specific reason why I like...nay, love...the books and have read them 5+ times. The story isn't that original. The writing is pretty crap, more or less on par with The Da Vinci Code (don't try and tell me they're both brilliantly written--interesting and readable are not synonymous with well-written). Bella is not an interesting or likable character; her emotional development through the course of a four book series is pretty much nil. Edward is really kinda boring. So, yeah....no idea why I like it so much....and am a little embarrassed that I do.

Number Two: Buttered Toast dipped in Chocolate Milk

There are some pretty specific requirements for this to work. First, the toast must have both melty and non-melty butter/buttery substance on it, meaning it has to be partially cooled to the perfect moment before the butter/buttery substance is applied. Second, the chocolate milk must be REAL chocolate milk, not some crappy chocolate powder, and it cannot be diluted with white milk. Third, the bread must be cut in halves down the center vertically, not diagonally. Once these caveats are fulfilled, the toast can be consumed after being dipped in the milk.

I know it sounds weird, but this is seriously delicious and a major comfort food for me. My grandma used to give this to me when I was young and now it's something I only rarely let myself have, and it's always a really great treat. Try it sometime.

Number Three: Celebrity Gossip

I shouldn't care. I know I shouldn't care. I don't REALLY care, you know, I just...like it. I like judging celebrities is really the heart of it, I suppose, which is really kind of terrible. A lot of celebrities are seriously effed up and even as I feel bad for their situation and the pressures that are going on in their lives, there's always a small part of me that is smugly saying, "Ha! I am so much smarter/better looking/thinner/not a druggie/less effed up than him/her, and I'm not even famous!" These sort of comparisons aren't healthy, and they're not the mark of a kind and compassionate person, which is what I would prefer to be. So I don't let myself buy magazines like People except for on plane rides, and I try to avoid celebrity gossip online as well...although sometimes it's hard to do. I would say this is my guiltiest pleasure.

Number Four: Taking Hot hot hot Showers for Longer than I Should

Yeah, I know it's important not to waste water, especially here in Australia, so I try to keep this to a minimum. But I really, really love a hot shower. Super hot. If my skin isn't flushed red where the water's been hitting me, it's not hot enough. It should be hot enough to hurt just a bit. It's truly the most relaxing feeling to stand and feel the water beat down on my shoulders, neck, and back. And then to get out, and have the laziest, most languorous feeling in my muscles. So good.

Number Five: Making Cookies Just so I Can Eat Cookie Dough

'Nuff said here. I think just about anyone in the western world knows where I'm coming from.

Number Six: True Blood

If you don't like blood, sex, vampires, and gratuitous shots of Anna Paquin's boobs, this show is not for you. But oh my, if you do...it's so very very bad, and so very very good. I think Chris and I watched the entire first two seasons in about three days, huddled under a quilt in his parents' shed (long story; we were living there). Now we have to wait a week between episodes of Season Three like a couple plebians.

Number Seven: Buying 18 Zillion 6-pair Packs of Earrings

Sometimes (like right now) it's not obvious, but I have six holes pierced in each of my ears. I love earrings and I love having so many places in my ear to put them. So I buy crap loads of those cheap scrap metal earrings from Claire's and Target and anywhere...put them in my ears...and they turn green. Yuck. Then I just throw them away. I hate making trash but I justify it to myself by saying it's a SMALL amount of trash. I really should just spend the money on some nice gold studs and hoops to put in my ears, but...less variety = less fun.

Number Eight: Diet Coke

Yup, I know it causes cancer and it's got all kinds of artificial goodies (baddies?) in it. I'll jump on board every single movement that advocates a return to cleaner eating with as few artificial and processed foods and beverages in it...but I just won't give up my Diet Crack. I'll drink 100+ ounces of water every day (I do!)...but I won't give up my Diet Coke.

Some day I hope to break the hold that fizzy beverage has over me, but for now it's just one of those things that I allow myself. I rarely drink alcohol, don't smoke or use any other drugs, and I've cut a lot of unhealthy things out of my diet, so for the time being...the Diet Coke stays.

Number Nine: Staying Up Way Too Late Reading a Book I Can't Put Down

The Harry Potter books...anything by Jacqueline Carey...or Diana Gabaldon...or Tamora Pierce...or any other number of books that have caught my fancy and resulted in a morning coming too early. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to work and/or school after only three or four hours of sleep because of a book. I play games with myself..."Go to bed at the end of this chapter." The chapter ends, but the clock is at 1:47. "Okay, go to bed at 2:00. On the hour is best." At 2:00, I only have four more pages til the end of a chapter. "Okay, just finish the chapter..." And it goes on and on and on.

Number Ten: Staying Warm in Bed While Your Partner Has to Get Up and Go To Work

Unfortunately I almost never get to enjoy this one anymore. I have to be at work by 8:30 at the latest, and Chris rarely goes in before 11:00. So this is a pleasure I have been denied for quite some time. But, seriously...isn't there something so wonderful about watching someone else have to get up and get ready, while knowing that you get to stay in bed, warm and drowsy and comfortable? I definitely think so.

Book Review: Healthy at 100

2010-08-11T18:00:00.067+10:00

Healthy at 100. It's what everyone wants, right?

To live a life that is not only long, but HEALTHY. How many times have you heard someone say that they would prefer to die at 60 having lived a full healthy life, than to die at 100 having been sick for the last 30 years?

John Robbins says he has the answer. In his book Healthy at 100, John addresses what we can do now, today, to begin living a longer, healthier, happier, and more productive life. He begins by looking at three indigenous cultures who historically have lived to very significant old age, and what these cultures have in common, then goes on to discuss how we can incorporate these healthy living habits into our own lifestyles. His writing is easy to read and well supported with scientific studies, and I feel it's pretty persuasive (although I already agreed with what he said, so maybe I'm not the best person to critique his persuasion skills).

The biggest complaint I have about the book is that Robbins just can't stop beating a dead dog. At some points, it really reads as if he's writing a scholarly paper and has been set a word count he has to reach. Everything he has to say is good--well researched--but it just reaches a point when the reader thinks, "ANOTHER study proves your point? Oh, and you're stating your point AGAIN?" Robbins really could have cut the book in half and done the same amount of good.

I don't think it ruins the book for me to basically tell you the three main points he makes...as they are pretty obvious. Reading the book just gives you more depth behind them--the results you can have by starting at any time in your life and the research behind them are quite incredible.

So! To live a longer, healthier life:

Eat a diet as close to vegan as possible. Eat as few processed foods as you can. Robbins doesn't tell you to cut out all animal products or processed items--he really focuses on being realistic and functioning in the modern world--but be discerning in those you choose and choose them in moderation.
Exercise regularly. It's amazing what a little regular exercise can do for a person of any (and I do mean any, as some of the studies he references prove!) age.
Try not to think about aging as a terrible thing. It's hard in our culture, where we focus so strongly on youth and consider getting older akin to getting uglier, weaker, and useless. But aging isn't something to dread or consider the end of something better--it's another beautiful stage in life, with many different and wonderful rewards.

It's not ground breaking stuff. But it is interesting and has been helpful in motivating me to cut more processed foods out of my diet, and increasing my interest in growing my own foods once I get a little more settled down, maybe once I have my own place in Poky.

Some short and interesting bits from the book:

In another study, gerontologists at Tufts University put residents of a chronic-care hospital, almost all of whom were over the age of ninety, on a weight-training program. [...] Eight weeks later, wasted muscles had grown stronger by 300 percent, and both balance and coordination were improved. Subjects who had needed assistance to walk could now get up by themselves and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

[From the poem "Youth" by Samuel Ullman] Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind. It is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life. Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in an adult of 60 more than a child of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. (I LOVE this quote!)

[I]t's quite possible for even the most determined couch spud to become and remain active and vital well into old age, largely free of all those so-called diseases of civilization [...] If you become and remain active, you will not only live longer, you'll live better, look better, and feel better about yourself.

[According to Dr. T. Colin Campbell of the American Institute for Cancer Research] The vast majority of all cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other forms of degenerative illness can be prevented simply by adopting a plant-based diet.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a little more motivation to be healthy or who is interested in the body of research done about plant-based diets and exercise at any age.

4/5 stars.

Vibram Five Fingers!

2010-08-10T10:00:00.026+10:00

If you're at all into running...you've probably heard about Vibram Five Fingers. They're a type of shoe meant to simulate walking/running barefoot, but with a sole that will protect the foot.

When I first heard about the VFFs, I dismissed them as a fad. I understood the theory behind them--that they were a more "natural" way to run--but I felt that it was unlikely that it was healthy for a person to run barefoot on all the man-made surfaces out there. Sure, man was made to run barefoot on dirt..but what about on concrete? Surely the running shoes we'd designed for the purpose were safer for us on the harder surfaces most runners run on these days.

Then more and more people I knew began to buy, talk, and write about VFFs. My interest was piqued. Then I read Born to Run.

I'm not going to review Born to Run here...I want to write more about it than I'll write here. Let's just say that it convinced me to try out barefoot running. I went ahead and bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers KSO (keep stuff out).

So far, I absolutely love them.

They're a little odd to wear at first, and a little hard to get your foot into...but once you get used to them, they're pretty comfortable. I know some people have had issue with blisters and hot spots, but I haven't been one of them.

Most people recommend that you move really slowly into wearing them on runs, because the muscles of our lower legs are atrophied from wearing regular running shoes. I've decided to do the Couch to 5K in them and will write more about them as I get more accustomed. Let's just say at this point, I really like them. I feel a lot lighter when I run in them, and I feel a lot more connected with the ground beneath my feet when I wear them out and about.

Highly recommended!

Photo of the Day: Monday

2010-08-09T10:00:00.001+10:00

October 6th, 2009 somewhere along I86 near Massacre Rocks State Park in southeastern Idaho

Canon SX10IS

2010 Sydney Sun Herald City2Surf

2010-08-08T20:50:00.001+10:00

I woke at 6:00am this morning. No hitting the snooze; we needed to be out the door by 6:50. Got up, dressed in my new City2Surf sport tank, and pulled together snacks, water, clothes, and our race bibs.

We made our way downtown and got a clothing bag to transport our belongings to the finish line at Bondi Beach. Removed our sweatshirts and left them with our other things, and sat on a curb to wait...and wait...and wait...and freeze our asses off til 9am when the race began.

Our shoes on the train, equipped with our C2S timer tags.

Freezing our booties off in Hyde Park as we wait for the race to begin!

Finally we saw/heard some movement; the groups ahead of us (we were in Yellow) were off! We made our way to the Yellow staging area where we stood and froze some more... We were due to start at 9:00am. 9 rolled around, and fairly promptly our huge crowd of people began to move, slowly shuffling forward. People wearing sweatshirts to donate to charity when they were done with them threw them to the side of the road to be collected by Girl Scouts (or whatever they call them here, I can't remember). The crowd was unbelievable. C2S had 80,000 people registered this year; it's hard to believe that more people than live in my home town were gathered to run a race together!

Holy macaroles...look at that crowd! We could barely walk, just shuffled along with the other runners.

Finally we turned the corner and actually got to begin slowly running. The first five minutes characterized the whole race; a consistent slow run combined with a LOT of dodging slower runners or walkers. Despite having categories for people who wanted to run and/or walk in certain time frames, it didn't really seem as if any of the groups were being used in the way they were meant to be. There was a lot of walking--which was no big deal--but it certainly seemed as if walkers could have tried to walk along the edges of the road so that runners could pass through the middle, or vice versa. ANYWAY! Enough whinging--it was a bit frustrating, but it also kept our pace down so that we felt able to run most of the time...in fact, we only walked about 10 minutes of the entire race!

Chris caught me mid run, looking particularly aggressive, in our first kilometer.

The run was actually lots of fun. The vibe was incredible--really positive, lots of people running in costumes and bands and people cheering along the sides of the road.

These guys were my faves--a bunch of people drinking and cheering on the side

of the road as the City2Smurfs! Haha!

The race went by surprisingly quickly, and by shortly after the 5K point, I had to stop for a bathroom break in a DISGUSTING porta-potty (I know a porta-potty is disgusting by nature, but this was particularly awful) for ten minutes...

So excited to be ruining my official time with a stupid bathroom break!

After that we were off again, shortly hitting HEARTBREAK HILL just before 7K. HH gets a lot of attention, as it lasts 4K right smack in the middle of the race, but it wasn't actually as bad as I'd thought. Some parts were a bit steep and we did some walking on it, but it wasn't all uphill--some flats and even declines from time to time.

Around the 10K mark Chris began to really struggle with some awful cramps, but like the trooper he is, he continued running and pushed through the remaining 4K at a pace similar to what we'd been managing. Finally we hit the 13K mark, coming around a corner to a gorgeous view of famous Bondi Beach up ahead. I wanted so badly to push ahead and finish fast, but couldn't leave Chris after he'd kept his act together with some of the worst cramps he'd ever had so that we could keep moving at a decent pace. We still sped up a bit though.

Check out that beautiful surf up ahead! Only about a kilometer

or so to go...felt so good to know we were almost there!

So finally we saw the marker...only 400 meters to go, and it was all down hill! Chris gave me the okay to run on ahead so I sped up, feeling so strong as I opened my stride and raced to the finish line. When Chris saw the finish line he felt a bit better and sped up too, and we finished together at 1:41, according to my Garmin (official results will be released on Tuesday, but I anticipate our time won't be as good since we had the bathroom break).

So we got our medals, met with some of Chris' friends, and got a few pics.

Wow, what a gorgeous day on the beach! And in the middle of winter...yeah,

Sydney's got it easy.

Check us out! Just finished our first race over 5K and our longest run so far!

So, after that, we made our way home, showered, ate a delicious Counter burger for lunch, napped, and then....

I registered us for the Sydney Running Festival Half Marathon on September 19th!

Guess we caught the bug...we can't wait.

Photo of the Day: Friday

2010-08-06T10:00:00.003+10:00

November 26th, 2009 in Potlatch, ID USA

Canon SX10IS

It's amazing how picturesque an old barn is. Any old building, really.

I had such big plans...

2010-08-03T21:28:00.000+10:00

I had such big plans for tonight. My computer's been in the shop since last Wednesday, meaning that my multiple fitness and calorie tracking methods (I use four different systems; I'm slightly obsessed with statistics) are diminished to one. I don't know how many miles I ran or calories I burned in July, and it's very distressing to me. I need to know these things.

Also, I really wanted to blog. I wanted to post about July's progress. I wanted to post about some delicious foods I made and took pictures of. I wanted to write about my new VIBRAM FIVE FINGERS! With photo, of course. Unfortunately, I have no way to remove pictures from my cameras without my laptop, as I use the card reader for this purpose. Obviously I can blog from Chris' computer, but...it's just not the same. I miss my computer. It understands me.

Today, I was so excited. I left work early to pick up my trusty Toshiba. The new keyboard was so shiny and covered in plastic, and I was so excited to turn it on and not have to use the on-screen keyboard for y, j, and k, and sometimes m and g. The new memory was sure to do...something...I guess make it faster. More memory is always better, right?

To my dismay, I returned home and underwent a cycle of blue screening, attempts to start up in repair mode, and finally a screen that demands I insert my system disc (lost somewhere between Ben Lomond and Sydney) as my only option of salvation. I cannot find out how many calories I burned in July. I cannot get pictures off my camera.

As a result...this lame blog is all I can give. Because I want to write the blog I was imagining, with pictures and happiness. And instead all I have is this pathetic mass of words without a picture break. I'll be taking my poor laptop back to Lapy King tomorrow in hopes that they can easily remedy my problem, and am thanking my lucky stars that I backed up my full hard drive before taking the computer in last week.

Boo.

Photo of the Day: Monday

2010-08-02T10:00:00.001+10:00

September 14th, 2009 at Avondale Lake, Hayden Lake, ID USA
Canon SX10IS
This little lake is a short walk from my parents' house and is always very smooth as motorized vehicles are not allowed on it.

Photo of the Day: Friday

2010-07-30T10:00:00.004+10:00

August 4th, 2009 at Daewonsa Temple, in Boseong, Jeollanamdo, South Korea

Canon SX10IS

I believe the story behind the little red hats on the Buddhas was that each one represented the soul of a dead child. But, it's always hard to tell in Korea, so that could be completely wrong.

Tonight...

2010-07-26T22:10:00.000+10:00

Tonight...I love running.

Tonight I ran farther than I've ever run, for longer than I've ever run.

Tonight I couldn't feel my legs anymore, my breathing was controlled and smooth. My feet felt like they were gliding, rather than hitting a rubber belt as it spun round.

Tonight I beat myself at mind games. I wanted to give in at twenty minutes. Ninety minutes was too long. My legs hurt, my heart was pounding, and I was struggling to breathe properly.

I told myself to hold on for ten more minutes. I couldn't come here, planning on ninety minutes, and do less than thirty. I made thirty.

Why not forty-five minutes? At least that's half of what I meant to finish. I should at least finish half. It hurts, but sometimes you just gotta deal.

Fine, an hour. I came here to run ninety minutes. The least I can do is finish an hour.

And at an hour.....it became easy. It felt good. It felt GREAT. I was strong. I sped up. I finished 13.4k/8.33 miles in ninety minutes. Not the fastest pace ever; about a 10:49mi. Still felt awesome.

I started running to lose weight. Nothing helped me shed pounds as quickly, even if I hated every step.

I kept running for nights like tonight. The first time I felt that high, the feeling of flying--I finally understood what would drive someone to run 26.2 miles and beyond. It's the connection of all parts of your being. Listening to your body and knowing what's too much and what it can handle. Convincing yourself to keep going when really, it would just be easier to stop. Just...feeling so completely inside your body and so aware and thankful for everything it can and does do for you.

I've never had that feeling with anything but running and I'll keep slogging through mile after mile in search of it. I'm never going to be the fastest, thinnest, longest, strongest runner...but I am a runner and I continually surprise myself with what I can do. Guess that's what matters.

Photo of the Day: Monday

2010-07-26T10:00:00.014+10:00

November 26, 2009 in Potlatch, Idaho USA

Canon SX10IS

This beautiful boy is Dax, my cousins' kitty. He was a little wild and hard to hold onto, but he sat still long enough to get a nice photo.

Photo of the Day

2010-07-23T23:52:00.000+10:00

I'm guilty of having too many hobbies--I'm a jack of all trades and a master of none. Photography is a hobby I'm really starting to enjoy, and I want to improve my skills. Improving takes practice. When I was writing Living Fit, Loving Food, I had a Photo of the Day blog entry once a week. I'm gonna take that one step further on my Healthy Life blog and post one each Monday and Friday--one to start the week and one to end it.

So, here we go!

March 23, 2010 in Ben Lomond, New South Wales, Australia

Canon SX10IS

Book Review: Confessions of a Carb Queen

2010-07-23T13:53:00.000+10:00

I've always been a big reader. As an eight year old kid, I remember preferring to sit on the couch with one of the Babysitters Club books or maybe just a few of Dr. Seuss' longer books rather than go outside and play. I inhaled fiction of all kinds, and traditionally as adult I've continued that trend. I love historical fiction, fantasy, certain kinds of sci-fi, post-apocalyptic fiction...I will read just about anything once, and some things I'll read over and over and over.

Recently though, I've been trying to incorporate more non-fiction into my literary diet. Most of the non-fiction tends to be memoirs, essay collections, and books on healthy living; books that help keep me motivated to exercise and eat right by teaching me things I didn't know, reiterating things I do, and showing me what I do or don't want to be.

Confessions of a Carb Queen falls into the third category.

Basic synopsis: Susan Blech was a former bodybuilder with complex emotional issues. The third child of four with an absent father and a mother paralyzed by a stroke when Susan was less than two years old, Susan turned to food for consolation in her early thirties and over the course of only a few years ballooned up to 468.1 pounds. Through the course of the book, Susan describes in sometimes excruciating detail exactly what her thought patterns and emotions were that led her to gain so much weight, and then her struggle to lose the weight and gain her life back.

So, I really enjoyed Confessions. Susan (with her sister Caroline co-writing) tells her story candidly and with a great sense of humor. She has an amazing gift for helping the reader to feel what like he/she weighs over 450 pounds. That said, I spent a LOT of time cringing. Susan really doesn't hold back--details on what "fat sex" is like, reminiscing about her fast food loops and the amount of food she ate in one two-hour period--it's just a little overwhelming at times.

However, Susan's addiction to food was based on her emotions, and reading as she works her way through that and learns to think differently and deal with emotions in a more positive way was helpful in identifying some of my own issues with food. I'm not an emotional eater as much as I am a boredom eater, but there is still the occasional time when I feel as if a big cookie really WILL make everything all better.

Susan also includes a few low-sodium, low-fat recipes in the book that sound pretty tasty.

All in all, I recommend it. It's a quick read and a fun one that will have you on all ends of the emotional spectrum at one time or another.

4.0/5.0

Intuitive Eating

2010-07-17T23:02:00.000+10:00

Recently I finally gave in and purchased an iPod nano. I have been anti-iPod for years--I hate all the proprietary BS that Apple does with their music formats and such, I've never liked iTunes, and most non-Apple players with comparable features are much cheaper. But, my old Sansa Clip died out of the blue one day and I decided to go ahead and give iPod a shot--mostly because I wanted Nike+ (which is great fun) and because there are just too many cool accessories for iPods and not enough for all the other ones I considered.

One thing that's come with the iPod is the introduction to podcasts, and I am loving them. Spanish language podcasts, the Savage Lovecast, This American Life, and Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone are the main ones I've gotten into so far. So, the other day I listened to TFC Episode 14 on Intuitive Eating, and it really got me thinking--why do I struggle so much with portion control? Why do I eat when I'm not hungry? And a lot of other questions.

Intuitive eating is basically the concept that if we truly pay attention to our bodies and only eat when we are actually hungry, and only as much as we actually need, without restrictions, we will naturally reach and maintain the ideal healthy weight without counting calories, etc. It's not really groundbreaking, but it's something that many people struggle with. Food is so constantly available that it's really easy to forget that it is FUEL. I enjoy food too much to ever completely equate it as such, but at the heart of it, that is its function.

The TFC advocate a sort of system in which you begin intuitive eating by stopping all calorie counting and food restrictions, and begin a journal. In that journal, you will write everything about the food you eat during the day--what time you eat, why you ate it, and how it made you feel afterwards. The theory is that this will help you to recognize what triggers you to eat if you're not hungry, which foods will help you maintain satiety, which foods make you feel like crap, what foods make you want to eat more, and so on and so forth. They do say that in the beginning, you may gain weight--after all, you are no longer restricting yourself and you're allowing your body to dictate when and what you eat. But the idea is that after that initial spike, you'll begin to lose until you reach your "natural" weight, and it will help you to develop a healthy relationship with food.

Well, I don't quite trust myself to go completely without counting calories, and also it's a bit of a security blanket--I like knowing the calorie total for the day, and I like knowing how it compares to my calories burned for the day. But it can't hurt to give something new a try, so I adapted the plan a bit to suit my own purposes. Basically, I ate all day without counting and then tracked my food at the day's end. In a sense, since I bring most of my food to work with me each day, I wasn't doing much as I had an idea of what calories I had with me. But I did take notes, and did pay attention to how food made me feel, and why I ate when I did. Here are some of the notes I took:

Yes, they're all on pastel colored post-its. I never ended up picking up a notebook for the purpose. What did I discover from taking these notes?

I am, above all, a boredom eater. If I'm not busy at work, and I have to sit in one place and do repetitive and non-challenging tasks...I reach for something to put in my mouth. If I'm not very occupied and I think about food, I begin to feel as if I need it--even if my thought to begin with was how I still felt satisfied and not hungry! Here is a quote directly from my notes, and it's not the only time I said something along these lines:

10:30: Finished B&S [Bite & Suck; this is what I call my water bottle, it's about 28-30oz water] I. Still feel comfortable [from breakfast]--not hungry. Have felt tempted to eat for the sake of eating. Boredom maybe? Or just thinking about food?

Five minutes later, I ate my morning snack, hahaha.

Another thing the TFC mention is mindful eating--paying attention and eating slowly, being aware of what you're eating, not inhaling it. A lot of people (not the TFC) recommend not reading/surfing the net/watching TV/etc. while eating, but you know what--I refuse to only eat. I can focus on mindfully eating while doing something else. As I said on another note:

12:10: ate lunch. About 2cups spinach, 1/4cup cottage cheese, 1 serve chic breast (pkg), salsa. Ate slowly & mindfully. 25 min! Also roll. Then 2 butternut snaps for dessert. I'm feeling good. Satisfied at 1:20, healthy, just strong & well nourished. Love it!

Normally I really feel as if I almost inhale my food without thinking, so taking nearly half an hour to eat was a big triumph for me.

Intuitive, mindful eating--I'm convinced that it is what will ultimately keep me in a healthy place with a healthy relationship with food...as soon as I reach a more acceptable weight for me. I don't really believe that I will be able to lose the weight I want to lose using it as my only tool. My plan is to continue paying attention to how food makes me feel and why I eat, and to continue counting my calories and aiming to eat between 1400-1700 calories a day. Once I reach the weight that I feel is ideal for my body, I will begin to move away from calorie counting.

In other health related news, I ran for 70 minutes straight on the treadmill the other day...finished 10.6k/6.58mi. And, Chris and I are registered for the City2Surf 14K on August 8th. Exciting!

Rewind

2010-07-10T17:23:00.001+10:00

In the last seven weeks:

We started Spanish lessons. It's really fun to get back in a learning mode and I just like languages. I think one of my most sincere life aspirations is to become bilingual. However my class is full of a bunch of douche-y people who act like they're sophomores in high school--doing homework and participating in class is like, so uncool. Our classes end soon and unfortunately I don't even care that we aren't going to continue, as I don't want to be around these people anymore. Ah well, it has been fun and will maybe help keep us on track in self-study.
We ran our 5k in under 28 minutes each--it wasn't actually 5k, though it was billed as such...I think it was about 4.79k. Still a good pace, and we managed it slogging through very heavy rain. We are not sweaty in the picture below folks, just poured upon.

Joined ClimbFit--it is awesome! We've been climbing about once a week and working out as well, really enjoying having a place close to home where I can exercise regardless of weather. I cannot wait to try some real outdoor climbing now.
We finally went on our kayaking adventure in Bundeena and we couldn't have picked a more gorgeous day. The weather was absolutely perfect and while we were both sore at the end of it, we got in a great workout and explored a lovely area close to Sydney that most people never even hear about.

I have a(nother) new job at Macquarie University. I started at the end of May and within a couple weeks was asked to stay as long as I could--so I have a job til I leave in December. Love the job security, my coworkers are great, and I'm very happy with it.
Chris and I made a big decision about our future a couple of weeks ago and decided that what is best for both of us is to part at the end of this year. It's been a hard decision, but one that we both know is right. In light of that, we're planning a killer trip through New Zealand and Fiji over Christmas and the New Year that I'm really looking forward to. And our relationship now feels stronger because we've both been honest with each other and ourselves about what we individually want for our future. Regardless of whether our paths cross romantically again or not, I know I will always have a true friend in him.
SO, with that decision made, and have received an offer for graduate housing, I can say that I'll be moving to Pocatello in January for grad school. I'm pretty psyched. It's been over ten years since I've lived in the area, but I still have lots of friends and family down there whom I'm looking forward to seeing more often. Southeastern Idaho also has lots to offer in the way of outdoor pursuits, and I'm hoping to become active in ISU's outdoors program. Excite!

Yah, that's about it. Planning to write a post on intuitive eating later this week. Peace!

Here we go again...

2010-06-30T22:05:00.000+10:00

So, maintaining two blogs = not for me. I'm no Bitchcakes, to write regularly in three separate blogs.

This is my renewed attempt at a regular chronicle of my life--all parts of it, mostly for myself but also for anyone else who cares to read. I'm not ashamed of my continued attempts at maintaining a higher level of physical fitness, and I've decided I don't care if my family and friends know my highest weight (220 pounds) or what I weigh now (around 172-174, depending on the time of day). There's no reason to separate my fitness and nutrition from what goes on in the rest of my life, especially since I want them to be a fully integrated part of my life forever.

At the same time, I want to focus on being a balanced person in all aspects of my life and put less emphasis on just what I eat and how much I exercise. Being healthy is so much more than just being physically in shape (although I definitely want to get there, and to lose some more weight too). It involves emotional and mental health as well, and all three tie in together and fuel each other.

SO! This is my new blog, Fallon's Healthy Life. I won't be blogging on Adventures in Oz or Living Fit, Loving Food anymore, so if you bookmarked, followed, or RSS'ed either one, you'll need to change to http://fallonshealthylife.blogspot.com. Over the next couple days I plan to catch up with what's been going on here in beautiful (and cold, now!) Sydney, Australia. Cheers!