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Reaching My Peak at an Ohio Castle

February 16, 2016 by Sara- Words to Run By Blog

My husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to go away for Valentine’s Weekend to Ravenwood Castle in New Plymouth, Ohio, which is right in the Hocking Hills mecca of hiking, backpacking, camping and rustic relaxation. Ravenwood is a bed and breakfast and while I was excited to get away from the city and clear my mind, I was also worried about getting my Peak Challenge Prep workouts in. I was just getting over a bad head cold which took me out of the program for the first half of last week, and I didn’t want to miss any more workouts than I already had. I found myself in Hocking Hills and worried. I was unprepared for workouts and had no idea what nutrition would look like for the next three days.

Sometimes the universe gives you exactly what you ask for – even before you know to ask for it. So, I wasn’t entirely surprised when on our first night there while driving from our cabin to the castle for dinner, we felt our car slide backwards on the icy road, narrowly missing a deep ravine and semi-lodging itself in a sizeable ditch. My heart was pounding and I was secretly relieved beyond belief to get out of the car when it finally slid to a stop.

The snow kept falling as darkness descended around us in an area that is quite unlike the city – for one, it is heavily forested with what creatures I do not know (I think I saw about twelve Sasquatches and nine wolves), and I am terrified of the dark. No internet, no cell phone reception and no light except my car’s flashing hazard lights had me a little nervous. My other problems were solved, though. I wouldn’t be eating anytime soon (except for two Cadbury Crème eggs my Dad gave me for Valentine’s Day) and I would be walking – both up and down hills – a lot.

My husband decided to walk up to the castle to ask for help while I waited – unsuccessfully – by the car as the temperature dipped below zero. Shortly after my husband’s dark form disappeared into an even darker woods, I fell on the ice and was lying flat on my back in a snowbank when a thought besides, “Am I bleeding to death being on a blood thinner?” crossed my mind. It was, “Oh, for goodness sakes, what would Claire do right now?” Witty, intelligent and practical, Claire Fraser – the Outlander heroine who is unknowingly transported back through time to Scotland 1743 where she finds adventure, war and romance with the Scottish warrior Jamie Fraser – would not lay down in the snow without a plan, that’s for sure. It was while I was collecting my thoughts – and the strength to open a Crème Egg– that a truck drove by and its participants got out to help me to my feet.

Eventually and with the help of several other people who got stuck on the same hill, we were able to get my car out of the ditch and back it down the road to the cabin – where it remained parked for the rest of the weekend. It was then that I realized, I was having the time of my life, and I couldn’t be happier. I also realized my sudden opportunity to live my weekend as if I too were one of Diana Gabaldon’s characters without technology, vehicles or modern day luxuries at my disposal. There I was with the love of my life on my own private “Fraser’s Ridge,” with the rugged outdoors at my fingertips to complete my Peak Challenge workouts.

I made four total hikes up to the Castle – three on the road and one through the woods. It took about 25 minutes to walk up and about 15 minutes to walk back down. Walking up steep hills on snow and ice is not easy. I had to stop to catch my breath several times along the way. It is a little easier, though, when you have your own “Jamie” with you.

I met a horse-mule (I think) along the way who I lovingly called “Clarence.”

And you could not convince me that this is not “Castle Leoch.”

Saturday afternoon – before the Castle feast – I spent the afternoon by the fire in the pub reading and drinking Scotch Ale. I have never had Scotch Ale before and this was really good.

Now back from Ravenwood – we eventually got the car out – I stepped on the scale this morning and I was disappointed that not only had I not lost any weight, I gained weight since my last weigh-in a week ago. However, as the day has gone on, I realized maybe it isn’t always about losing weight.

I had a great weekend in a place that I have never been before where I could live, just for a little bit, in a fantasy world without the stress and worry of the real world (okay, I was slightly worried about getting my car out again). Staying in a bed and breakfast, I met and talked with a lot of fantastic people that I may not have met otherwise. I played board games, spent time reading and found my mind stimulated in new and exciting ways, being in a different environment. I was able to get some exercise in and eat sensibly through attention to portion size while still trying all the amazing food and drink a bed and breakfast has to offer.

Reflecting on my weekend, it was then that I realize this is exactly what Outlander star Sam Heughan’s My Peak Challenge is about – doing something new and different and stretching yourself out of your comfort zone – to reach your peak.

Tell me about you. What have you done lately that excites, scares or stimulates you? How do you make the most of your fitness and/or nutrition program when you’re away from your routine?

Until the next mile marker,

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Nutrition and Food, Weight Loss

To the Person Who Asked My Wife If She Was Pregnant

October 4, 2015 by Sara- Words to Run By Blog

This is an anonymous, open letter written by a fellow fitness blogger that I have known for a couple of years. He wrote this post in response to comments his wife has received and out of respect for her privacy, did not find it appropriate to post on his blog or social media, but asked that others do. I am sharing this post because I too have received these comments from time to time and can recall exactly how much it hurts and what negative impact it has on my self esteem.

To the Person Who Asked My Wife If She Was Pregnant,

The upshot of your inquiry, was to tell my wife she had the body of a pregnant woman – which is the same as being called fat, if you’re not pregnant. She’s not. She has, however given birth to our two sons, and you’re obviously familiar with the concept of pregnancy’s effect on the female body. My wife exercises regularly, and is an avid runner. She keeps the whole family’s diet on the healthy side, with whole grains, fish, vegetables, kefir, Greek yogurt and supplements for vitamins, probiotics,and DHAs in the mix too. She does enjoy red wine, and has a sweet tooth – we both do, in fact. She is healthy, beautiful and sexy.

So when someone seemingly innocently asks about a non-existent pregnancy, she questions her entire lifestyle and why she puts effort into maintaining her body. Her self-esteem is damaged – she doesn’t feel like the healthy, beautiful, sexy woman she is. Her day is ruined, and as her husband and someone who loves her dearly, my day gets ruined too. I wasn’t present when you decided to ask a personal, invasive question of a stranger, but if I had been this is what I would have liked to tell you, and all of your ilk.

I figure you’re one of two kinds of people. The first type, is simply ignorant of the kind of damage you’re doing by asking such a question. If the little pouch you observed would have been due to a pregnancy, it would probably be in the first trimester, when most expecting moms don’t widely release the news to due a fear of miscarriage which occur in those first 12 weeks; Personally, I never ask a woman about a pregnancy unless she looks like she’s smuggling a regulation size basketball, or if she brings it up herself. I would be mortified if I made the mistake you made – but you don’t care about that, you simply need your nosiness satisfied, and you’re too socially stupid to consider the consequences of your assumption being wrong. I suppose there are plenty of socially impaired people out there, maybe it explains why this happens almost regularly – if it were a one time occurrence, we might be able to ignore it.

Since it does seem to happen every so often, my cynical side begins to wonder if there’s a second type of person who asks a woman about a pregnancy which isn’t actually there. I think you do it on purpose; it is a malicious, passive-aggressive, catty attack on someone who has done nothing to provoke you. Why would someone do such a thing? I’m not sure, but my best theory is that you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and see someone trapped in a cage of self-hatred, and you think the only means of escape is to knock someone down a peg. You’ve actually found a way to fat-shame someone who isn’t even fat (which I’ll admit is a term as ugly as it is subjective), and yet you won’t get called out on it, because the insult is cloaked in warm, fuzzy, family-friendliness. I’d applaud the brilliance of the tactic, if only it wasn’t so plain and outright mean.

If you’re in the former, socially stupid camp, let this be a lesson to you. Women who ARE pregnant get asked all kinds of questions about their body day in, day out. They are treated to labour horror stories, and questioned about every little detail on their lifestyle – what they eat, whether or not they’re exercising, what kind of birth they’re planning. They might enjoy some adult conversation that doesn’t revolve around that stuff – they might feel nostalgic for the “normal” life, and if not, they’ll probably discuss pregnancy details with you unprompted. Show some manners, and mind your own business.

If you’re in the latter, malicious camp, you have a learning opportunity too. While you can do some superficial damage to her (and therefore us), you can’t make us fundamentally unhappy – we have too much to be grateful for. By the same token, your cage of self-hatred is one you constructed yourself, and you’ll free yourself of it not by attacking others, but by appreciating the beauty and light within your own life. Try to build yourself up, and if you can spare the effort, maybe even build up someone else, and do it sincerely. If you still don’t get it, try this: if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Blogging and Writing, Running

Starting 2015 Off on the Right Foot – Tiux Compression Giveaway!

January 1, 2015 by Sara- Words to Run By Blog

I always knew compression was an important part of recovery for runners and athletes, but before suffer from a blood clot in 2012, I didn’t realize how important compression wear would actually become for me. Not only do I wear it anytime I exercise – even going for a walk since my clotting incident, but compression socks have become a permanent part of my wardrobe. I was recently fitted for medical compression stockings (which, are very expensive) and the specialist told me more and more people are wearing compression sans exercise, for example, if they sit at a desk or stand all day. Blood clots are an increasingly scary and deadly risk. And according to the National Blood Clot Alliance, blood clots are killing around 274 Americans each day if they travel to the heart, lungs (as in my case) or brain. That could have been me. After surviving my ordeal, I am happy to wear compression as a preventative measure.

When I was contacted by Tiux Compression socks, I was immediately interested – Premium socks, cool colors, free shipping, comfort design – all for just $35. That’s right $35. It sounds too good to be true, right? Here’s how they do it:

I wanted to give Tiux a try (I’ll admit, I’m a fan of CEP for sports compression and wear my boring skin-colored medical stockings daily) when my doctor decreased my compression requirement to graduated compression 20-25 mmHg to increase blood circulation in my legs. Tiux fits that requirement for me, and I was ecstatic when these showed up in the mail:

I was not disappointed! First and foremost, they fit on my already swollen legs without constricting them to the point of being uncomfortable. I wore these socks all day for multiple days without being uncomfortable. The padded footbed provides cushion and shock absorption, a seamless toe for maximum comfort and breathable mesh instep to keep your feet cool and dry. Plus they are constructed out of technical fabrics for superior moisture management and breathability. You can tell Tiux means quality immediately by the plush and comfortable feel of the socks. Plus, I can wear them with leggings and not look ridiculous:

That is not all Tiux offers. Compression is important to athletes to help recover faster and improve muscle repair with increased blood circulation and prevent blood pooling in the feet, among other things. I wore these after a two-mile walk around the Zoo to see Christmas lights and didn’t notice any discomfort, especially in the bottom of my feet, which has become common since my blood clot. And at $35 a pair, I can make Tiux a wardrobe – and fitness – staple. Be sure to read all the benefits of Tiux here.

Would you like to try Tiux Compression for yourself? Well you can! Tiux is gracious enough to have a pair of compression socks for one of my readers – so you can kick of 2015 on the right foot! Enter the Tiux Compression Giveaway here:

Tiux Performance Compression Socks Giveaway – Words to Run By

The Giveaway ends on January 07, 2015. Can’t wait? Order here now! Be sure to connect with Tiux on Twitter and Facebook and share this giveaway too.

I am committed to Tiux Compression and doing something that is beneficial to my health is not something I take lightly so give Tiux a try.

Happy New Year and may you have nothing but a healthy 2015!

Tell me about you. Do you wear compression as part of your athletic recovery? Will you give Tiux a try or have you? What are your big plans for the upcoming year?

Until the next mile marker,

Weigh-In Wednesday: Week 22

October 2, 2013 by Sara- Words to Run By Blog

Weigh-In Wednesday Weekly Stats

Weight Watchers Week Number: 22

Lbs Lost this Week: + 1.4

Lbs Lost Total: – 10.8

WW Stars Earned this Week: None

Food of the Week

It’s definitely starting to feel like fall around here, and I found a really delicious fall recipe, which I made this past week. It is just about 7 points a bowl for this Cock-A-Leekie-Soup – and it’s good!

Activity of the Week

None except some walking. I don’t know what happened to me since I ran in July and backpacked shortly thereafter.

Personal Weight Loss Goals (crossed off when reached)

I want to lose…

~~10 lbs~~
20 lbs
30 lbs
35 lbs
40 lbs
45 lbs
50 lbs
55 lbs
60 lbs
65 lbs
70 lbs

Personal Fitness Goals (crossed off when reached)

I will…

~~Run a 5K~~ Read all about it here.
Run a Quarter Marathon or 10K
Run a Mud/Obstacle Race
Run a Half Marathon
Start Strength Training (again)
Backpack (more)
Start Biking

Reflections

I don’t know why I keep gaining weight when I am keeping my food under control. I’m pretty frustrated with it and while I know I shouldn’t think this way, I’m pretty near just giving up, throwing in the towel an settling for “always being this way.”

Reader’s Recap

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