It was my rest day today. Also known as: working like a maniac, helping with homework, taking a quick grocery run, and so on. 
A good day.
Tomorrow is Friday, and day twenty-six.
What workout should I do?
Blessings to you all…
{May 16, 2013}
Day Twenty-Five…
{May 16, 2013}
Remission photo journal…
I began remission on May 16, 2011, when I had my bilateral mastectomy.
All medicated and happy after surgery.
I found out I needed chemo and went short:
And then, of course, we shaved it once chemo began.
Slowly, but surely, the hair came back. I remember my first Mohawk:
I was just so happy to have hair.
Fast forward to now, the second anniversary of cancers eviction notice, and I have so much hair it’s crazy:
Cancer journal through hair. Just thought I’d share a sillier trip down memory lane!
Blessings to you all…
{May 15, 2013}
Running Shoe Review…
I wanted to take the time today to write a review of an amazing shoe: the Vibram FiveFingers.
I had been curious about this shoe for a long time, but didn’t really have access to people I KNOW who had worn them. Then, I was fortunate enough to meet Coach Smith. She wears these shoes religiously, and told me I would absolutely LOVE them. Coach Smith has a blog at palmvalleycrossfit.com. Each day she posts workout instructions, or instructions for a day of rest.
Anyway, after much reading and ogling of shoes, I finally took the plunge. This can also be restated as: for Mother’s Day, my Lara and Maddie and Moses bought me my first pair of Vibram running shoes.
Mother’s Day Shoes!
The point of the Vibram shoes is to approximate a barefoot experience as much as possible, without being actually barefoot. In other words, you won’t tear up your feet on the ground when you run outdoors, or walk outdoors, in them. They have an entire line of shoes, geared towards a range of activity. I needed shoes specifically for a runner. I may not be running the mileage I used to run (yet haha), but I do need the extra support in the sole of the shoe.
Geared for running…
So, I have been working out for nearly one week in these. Not a single twinge from “breaking in” a new pair of shoes. For me, that alone is a life saver. Also, the general problems I had had with my arches in traditional running shoes are entirely gone. I would highly recommend them! The sizing charts are European, so if you need help translating your shoe size you can consult their website or get assistance in a shoe store.
A word of advice: it is very important to pay attention to HOW you plant your foot in Vibram FiveFingers. You cannot heel down with great force, without pain.
Also, the shoes are highly visible, even in the dark:
Glowing!!!
If you have the chance to buy a pair, go for it.
Blessings and health to you all…
{May 15, 2013}
Day Twenty-four and a New Acquaintance…
I went and sought out my old nemesis, the stadium stairs, today. I needed the hard workout, and I needed to blow off some steam.
You can see my already frazzled shadow here…
I wrote a blog pitch for The Huffington Post last night, I am attempting to work out the glitches with this new health insurance plan my former employer switched his company to, I am writing, working, parenting, and dealing with a poor dog who is in heat.
I blasted my way through those stairs this morning: running them, doing squats, lunges, pausing for push ups and tricep dips.
Most of the way through my workout I met Odelia. She was carefully travelling the stadium stairs at the opposite end.
She introduced herself and asked if she could have me explain the types of squats I was doing and their associated benefits, etc. I haven’t been a trainer since my daughter was about three years old, and I had almost forgotten how very satisfying and exciting it is to teach someone a new exercise and watch them get excited about working out. It was a happy offset to the stresses of paperwork.
Happy Wednesday, my friends. I’m working on a review today, and should have it ready to share later.
Blessings to you all…
{May 14, 2013}
Days Fifteen Through Twenty-Three…
Since the workload was lighter over the past week and change, I was able to settle into a bit more of a structured routine with my fitness again.
Day fifteen was an absolute rest day: I was completely exhausted.
Day sixteen was a walk: Lara and I took our small fuzzball for an hour long walk, while the weather was still good. Just for your reference, it is now in the 100s here (108 yesterday, 106 today), so outdoor walks are not likely to happen too often for the remainder of the summer.
Day seventeen was a stationery bike ride. Thirty minutes of burning thighs later, I was happy to hobble my way back home.
At this point, I was excited to realize I was another two pounds up in weight. It’s a slow journey back to my health, but it’s all moving in the right direction.
Day eighteen was a full work day, and a rest day from exercise as I was running around most of the day. I try to time those rest days well.
Day nineteen was the start of a few day video fitness run. Lara and I did an advanced cardio sculpt workout, which involved quite a bit of shadow boxing at the end. My arms were wiped out by the time the near hour was up.
Day twenty was where it became CRAZY! Lara has the Tae Bo video. I’ve never done Tae Bo before, although I do maintain that my daughter performed every Tae Bo workout known to man while she was still in utero. We made it through about twenty minutes of the one hour workout before we had to tap out. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard in my life. By the time I would put together all of the steps and moves for one exercise, Billy Blank was either moving us into the next routine, or asking us to perform the steps double-time. At one point, Lara and I accidentally punched each other’s arms. It was totally my fault. I zigged when I should have zagged, in a manner of speaking.
On Day twenty-one, I opted for a yoga relaxation and meditation session. It was much needed after the frenetic pace set by Billy Blank the night before.
Day twenty-two, rest.
Today is day twenty-three. I’m thinking of a light run on the treadmill, now that the errands, work, and homework of the day have passed.
I hope you are all well and healthy, and sending blessings…
{May 14, 2013}
In My Opinion…Angelina Jolie rocks!
I am sure that most of you have heard the celebrity news about Angelina Jolie by now.
She has been sharing her personal journey to PREVENT cancer. Angelina Jolie’s mother died at a young age (56) of ovarian cancer. Cancer does not pick favorites, or pass over anyone based on social strata or power or wealth. However, being a celebrity does give you options: upon finding that she was positive for the BRCA1 mutation, Angelina Jolie was able to have a double mastectomy.
Now, she is sharing her story with the world, because she wants women to be informed and proactive about their health.
I am so thrilled that, as women in general, and as a cancer survivor, there is a spokeswoman who is in a unique position to humanize what so many consider to be an extreme method of prevention.
As I have shared before, after I gave birth to my son, I asked my doctor to perform a prophylactic mastectomy. No dice. Way too extreme, I was told. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I really wanted to go look my doctor up and ask him how extreme he thought it was at that point. I resisted that temptation. 
So I have to say, even though I have no personal connection with Angelina Jolie, I am totally impressed by the courage of her choice this year. Brava!
My friends, get your cancer screenings! Even if you are a young man, if your mother had breast cancer or has the BRCA1 genetic mutation, you need to make sure your prostate exams start early. The risks for us all are so high, and with enough monitoring, detection, and information, we may all be so fortunate as to make choices about our cancer risks BEFORE battling through cancer itself.
Blessings, blessings, blessings to you all!
{May 14, 2013}
Tuesday Thoughts…
| obviously missed the Friday Philosophy this past week. I am chalking it up to Mother’s Day mayhem, as I was completely tangled up with my kiddos.
I have been thinking of transformation, and redemption, and forgiveness…quite a lot lately.
I feel like it’s an Audrey Hepburn type of day.
“I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.”
“Why change? Everyone has his own style. When you have found it, you should stick to it.”
“…people, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone…”
Just some thoughts to share today on what I am referring to as “world domination Tuesday.” I am so busy, I feel as though I am trying to stage a coup!
Blessings to you all…
{May 5, 2013}
Days Seven through Fourteen, inclusive…
Day Six was my last physical fitness update. I will have to be brief here, as I am truly ready for sleep. It’s only 9:00 p.m. I know, I have a thrilling nightlife.
Instead of traditional workouts, days 7 through 14 consisted of extremely long work days. I walked an average of nearly 20,000 steps each day (I love my pedometer). I moved light objects (five pounds) hundreds of times, and heavy cases of paper (forty five pounds) anywhere from 20 to 50 times each day.
The first couple of days, I felt like I should be “working out” according to my schedule. By the third day of this hectic schedule, my hamstrings were tied up in absolute knots, and I had muscles making their existence very well known.
By Friday of this week, I was doing yoga poses while I waited for machines to warm up or sort documents. My workouts were actually non-stop. Not non-existent.
This week, I get to return to a more traditional method of exercise. I managed to gain another two pounds throughout this past week, so YAY ME! I am coming back to some solid muscle. I can’t even begin to express to you all how happy I am about that.
Goodnight, and blessings to you all…
{May 5, 2013}
Friday Philosophy, at last…
What a week! I pulled ten and eleven hour work shifts, transitioned into super-mom gear, somehow managed to eat and sleep in the middle of it all. Whew! I am a tired woman. Happy, but tired.
So, our Friday Philosophy arrives on a Sunday this week, as the days have all blurred together. This New Normal of mine is crazy: busier and more action-packed than my life ever really seemed to be before.
The quotes for this week are coming from a place of feeling empowered, strengthened, and ready to continue my momentum. So, I guess that espresso kicked in and I am feeling fired up!
“For a gallant spirit, there can never be defeat.” ~ Wallis Simpson
“Man is not made for defeat.” ~ Ernest Hemingway (Okay, I LOVE this quote, I just wish someone other than Hemingway had said it, all things considered.)
“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” ~ Ayn Rand (Another colorful figure, but a fantastic quote.)
“You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.” ~ Marianne Williamson
Blessings to you all, and remember: Never Give Up!
{April 27, 2013}
Day Six, and Deep Thoughts…
Day Six was my second day of rest. Sort of. I mean, we played basketball at the park, I planted an aloe plant (our first), and I had to carry the twenty pound furball known as our younger dog through the clinic line for her shots today. Twenty pounds starts to feel a lot more like forty after ten minutes. I think that may have counted as strength training for today.
In exchange for the veterinary horror I was forced to inflict as a good dog mom today, I have sacrificed my side of the bed. She may be small, but that little dog can take up half of a California King with minimal effort.
The remainder of the day has been spent in quiet reflection, and occasional tears. Lara, Maddie, Moses and I have been through a lot of huge changes and transitions in the past six weeks. Somehow, cancer almost looks simpler in retrospect: there was one focus, and we lived in a bubble. This life after cancer has come with multiple layers, and believe me, they have reduced us to tears as easily as an onion.
Six weeks ago, I said goodbye to a friend. Through multiple circumstances, sad circumstances, it turned out to be a more final goodbye than I would normally be comfortable with. Sometimes, we have to let go of people, not just for self-preservation, but for them too. That loss was offset by many positive things, and wonderful, loving, positive people. Still, it was a loss. And I grieve. We all grieve. I have had two women I considered to be close friends, who are virtually lost to me at this point. Our lives diverged, WILDLY, circumstances were far too complicated, just…life. Looking back at this paragraph, I realize it sounds as though a friend of mine died. It sort of feels that way.
In the midst of that, our Zoe had to be put to sleep. Active grieving ensued.
Today came with more transitions, more losses for us, coming faster than I can really process. Tears are carthartic, but they seem so insufficient.
Our hearts are at peace. Sad, but at peace. We are moving forward, trusting that all is well, all will be well… As the movie said, “In the end, everything will be alright. If it’s not alright, it’s not the end.”
Anyway, a strange, sad, rambling post. Just where things are, where we are at this tiny moment in time. So, I lie in bed, crammed in with a small, stressed out dog.
Blessings to you all…and some Robert Frost to ponder — “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
And some music to add…
