I was a hero twice in one day

This is actually something I wrote in August.  I wasn't quite comfortable with my self-appointed superhero status at the time.  Now, I understand that heroism is being who you are -- and not apologizing to yourself or the world for not being any more or less.

"To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most people you see everyday, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can have."
Theodore H. White
American political writer
(1915-1986)


I committed two acts of heroism by 1pm  one hot August day-- simply by not internalizing. 



1) I participated without taking on too much.  After a whole year of being a stay at home mom, I'm itching for some type of project.  I've resisted signing myself up for random tasking.  The big commitment I made to myself is to honor my passions --- but in order to do that -- I have to get in touch with what they are.  So, I volunteered to co-coordinate the first barefoot inspired race.  We had a conference call with the venue.  My co-worker seemed to be calling from a quiet office.  I was calling from my apartment with SpongeBob blaring in the background. Before we conferenced in, I let her know my circumstances and said I was going to listen but mute out.  She worked with the parameters I gave her -- and I saved myself from some embarrassment. 
2) I honestly let a friend know she was cranky -- without making her feel worse.
My dear friend whom I can depend on for just about anything was having a bad day -- most likely caused by poor sleep and fueled by some negative interactions.  I didn't want to lose my positive vibe (it is hard work getting it -- and once I lose it, it is really hard work to get it back).  So I listenend for a short while, and than said, "You aren't happy today are you?"  She took a moment and reflected on her past 24 hours and realized she barely slept & she spoke with someone who really drained her.  These factors combined with the summer heat and our extremely energetic children was causing her doldrums.  We met up later in the afternoon, she got a quick nap and was back to her old self -- she actually thanked me for pointing it out.  I reminded her that she has been there for me for the same things.  

1st Annual NYC Barefoot Run

It has been a while since I posted.  Life got very exciting that last week before the 1st Annual NYC Barefoot Run.  This race was purely the result of, "we should..." thinking.  You see, in mid-August, Chris McDougall, the author of Born to Run, came to NYC for 2 reasons -- which turned into 3.


They were:
1.  To meet with Bill Clinton to discuss natural running in Harlem.
2.  To do a book signing at Word bookstore in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
And....the linking event that made it complete...
3.  My fellow barefooters, John & Maggie Durant, planned an eight mile minimalist run from the Clinton Foundation to Word.

That last reason, turned to more discussions -- a few times while at our barefoot runs, John & I spoke about a barefoot run.  After the McDougall run, John said, "we have to do it this fall -- now is the time".  Personally, I was thinking springtime or next fall.  But John and Maggie were ahead of the curve, as most great minds usually are.  They had already scouted out Governor's Island and had set their sights on October 10th.

Maggie has a brilliant business mind and quickly got things organized and going in the right direction.  They got sponsors, permits, and all the barefooting gurus to join us.  In 6 short weeks, they organized a barefooting convention.  I am ecstatic that I was able to participate and help with some of the planning.  (Sidenote:  any time you have the opportunity to work with bold, visionary, smart and courageous people...TAKE it.)  It was a lot of fun and did not feel like work, even for one second.  I got so much more out of helping than I put into it.

The weekend kicked off with a talk from Dr. Daniel Howell at TipTopShoes. Lily came with me so she could pick up her race packet.  Dr. Howell gave a talk on the benefits of barefooting.  He just wrote a book called, The Barefoot Book:  50 Great Reasons to Kick off your shoes. 
Unfortunately, Lily was full of energy & was running around so much during the talk that I wasn't able to hear most of it.  Since he is a great and patient teacher, as well as a father himself, he did not bat an eye when Lily ran right between him and his audience.  He thought the barefoot 3 year old provided a great back drop for his talk.

I was able to talk to him later that day.  He is in the process of preparing to talk to his local school board about allowing kids to go barefoot in school.  One of Dr. Howell's goals is to see barefeet as a viable option in our society.  He dispelled several barefooting myths (i.e., there are no health codes preventing barefeet in stores or restaurants and it is totally legal to drive barefoot).  I look forward to conversing with him more in the future, especially about barefoot options for kids.

Later that afternoon, there were a series of clinics in central park led by Barefoot Ted and Jason Robillard.
 Barefoot Ted is featured in Born to Run.  Jason Robillard is a barefoot ultra marathoner who founded Barefoot University.  He gives clinics and teaches others how to properly and safely run barefoot.  He also wrote The Minimalist Guide to Barefoot Running. I bought this book several months ago and it has really helped me pay attention to the things necessary to improve my natural running form (from drills, to cues, to strengthening exercises).
  

In Born to Run, we learn that Barefoot Ted's spirit guide is the monkey --- he wears a little monkey charm around his neck.  He is a truly unique individual who knows himself and is able to objectively look at humans at our time in history. It is as if he has some gene-resistant strain that prevents him from being influenced by media and those around him.  From him I clearly saw how important it is to truly be your own self and your own guide.
When asked about how fast he runs, he said that he doesn't care about time.  He did run the Boston Marathon in ~3:20 -- but prefers to run at a trot.  He said he wants to be, "happy and healthy".  He also had some unique insight into our competitive natures, "if you want to be timed, now is your time in history, people are obsessed with time."  He also pointed out that if you hurt yourself, we are fortunate  enough to have the doctors and therapists to put us back together again.  Ted epitomizes the expression, "be who you are".  Imagine what the world would be like if we were all so comfortable in our own skin.

Jason Robillard reminded us all that we are our best teachers.  Listen to your own feet and body.  Most of all, don't give too much advice.  Some people will listen to advice before they listen to themselves, and may get hurt.  Jason signed my copy of his old book.  It has since been re-printed and is about twice the size.  He took my address and said he was going to send me a copy of his new book.   He said he would send me a copy of his new book because he, "feels bad when people spend money on the first book."  Well today, a mere 9 days after that conversation, a new signed book arrived in the mail.  Jason really followed through.

Saturday night Dr. Dan Lieberman, Harvard Professor gave a talk on the fall & rise of running.  His scientific analysis on the shock transient your body absorbs from heel striking was astounding.  Basically, if you heel strike you are subjecting an almost instantaneous shock equivalent to 5x your body weight from your heel through your neck.  No wonder I always got shin splints and lower back pain.

The Barefoot 3 year old

Lily patiently waiting to run with her blue balloon

 In preparation for the 1st Annual NYC Barefoot Race next weekend, I was interviewed by race founder John Durant and profiled in the "Wild Profiles".  The focus was on encouraging your children to go barefoot.
 

Lily playing soccer at playground after a romp in the sandbox, barefoot of course.

 Top 10 Reasons why you should let your child go barefoot
10.  Kids are natural born runners. They love to run and move, let them do it the way they want to
9.  Less boo-boos.  They will barely trip barefooting -- but when they are in thick soled shoes -- they seem to trip a lot more.
8.  Builds up their natural foot strength.
7.  It encourages them to listen to their bodies.
6. They pay much closer attention to their environment and where they step.
5.  Think of all the money you will save on fancy footwear!
4.  Barefoot on the playground makes them more coordinated and improves balance. (If you don't believe this -- try doing tree pose in sneakers). 
3.  Helps stave off obesity and all the ills that go along with it. 
2.  You have a live-in running partner.
1.  Joy -- Next time you are in the park, watch a child run around without shoes.  No pain, no HRM, no watch, that is true happiness.

Lily dashing down Park Avenue during NYC Summer Streets on Aug 7th.

Lily's natural curious ways and questioning eventually made me realize how wise it would be to allow her to run barefoot. You see, I was injured almost every competitive season of my life due to simple sloppy running form.  My heavy heel striking led to chronic shin splints and stress fractures. Little did I know that my "supportive" shoes and orthotics were actually my problem.  It wasn't until after I returned to serious running after Aurora's birth that I realized I needed to change something.  I needed to ditch the shoes!

  Lily's scientific questioning made me realize that the best thing I can do for her is to NOT interfere in the process of her developing her natural running form.  Her body is teaching her how to be a runner better than I ever could.

Lily testing her feet on the bridle path. "Mommy, the little rocks don't hurt anymore!"

Since Lily is only 3, we had a lot of discussions about running "with your piggies out".  It is important to be careful.  Don't step on anything that hurts your feet.  Fortunately, most three year olds won't do anything that hurts.  Now, when we go on the cinder bridle path, she says, "the little rocks don't hurt anymore -- I can run on them now".  When she gets tired, I encourage her to go just a little bit further.  We'll repeat a mantra like, "I can do it, I can do it" for just a few more feet. 

The great thing about kids (especially young ones) is that they have no choice but to put all of their energy into everything they do, and when they are spent, they literally cannot make themselves go any further.  So we really don't have to worry about overuse injuries.

The best advice I can give is to listen to your child, no matter their age, and support them in their  quest to learn more about the world around them.

Go Slow To Go Fast

I got my lululemon goaltender --"by when date reached" in my inbox the other day.  My goal was to complete my first half-ironman.  Check that off, goal completed sat.


So what next?  According to the lululemon goaltender guidelines, we should have 1 personal, 1 career, and 1 athletic goal at all times.  We should have a short term (1 year), mid term (5years), and long term (10 years) goals always on the horizon.  I've found these guidelines to be helpful -- that being said -- goals need to be continually modified or adjusted to as not to become burdensome.  If your goal becomes just another item on your "to do" list, than maybe it isn't the best goal to be pursuing right now.

One of my biggest personal discipline goals has been to stick to a maximum of 3 things.  For me and my pseudo-ADD personality, this takes a lot of discipline. I once went to my old boss to ask for guidance on my upcoming annual goals.  I gave her a list of about 7 things I believed I needed to work on.  She said, very wisely, "those are all great goals, but I want you to pick two to work on this year".  That was some simple, understated, amazing advice.  This woman had my M.O. As my boss, it was her job to save me from my endless lists of things "to do" in my life.  If I'm are working on so many things, I'm really improving on none.  If I'm only focusing on 1-3 things at a time, I'm actually making lots of head way. Go slow to go fast.  Go slow to go fast.  Do less to do more. 

These are the goals I'm currently focused on (in no particular order):
1.  Learning french - I just started taking French lessons at the French Alliance.
2.  Establishing a solid morning and evening routine for the kids.

3.  Help plan 1st annual Barefoot Run in NYC -- planned for Oct 10, 2010.

My Big Race

I'm excited to see my husband and daughters as I start on the 56 mile bike.

I had an amazing time at my race on Sunday, September 12th.  I decided to compete in the Athena Division -- the only female "weight class" in the sport of triathlon and like all things you never want to do -- they end up being some of the greatest choices.

 

Once I decided to go switch to the Athena division, I started identifying with the wonderful goddess of wisdom.  I felt wise, powerful, and strong -- all good things to feel before a 70.3 mile race. I started showing off my goddess curves.  I wasn't in the fat girl division -- I was in the GODDESS division.  Not everyone can be a goddess.  Everywhere, there were skinny triathletes with washboard abs and  thighs etched from stone.  There were only a few of us smooth & curvy goddesses.  Our abs weren't jagged and rough enough to grate cheese.  They are soft and supple and huggable. So many people wanted to talk to me -- maybe it was the big smile on my face, my less than threatening physique, or the simple anomaly that I was the only one swimming without a wetsuit.  

The swim was refreshing and glorious.  I had no idea the Hudson River could be so calm, warm and taste like the clean fresh-water of the pristine Adirondacks. The tide was almost too perfect...as it caused several swimmers to swim in the opposite direction. A woman swam right into me going the wrong way. A few minutes later, a kayaker gave me a courtesy poke to tell me I was doing the same thing. So, I had to sight every stroke. It took me 40 minutes to do the swim even with all the bumping and turning and NO WETSUIT!

I biked much faster than my 2 previous 50+ mile bikes. I wasn't able to put as many long bike rides in as I would have liked --- never-the-less -- I was thrilled with my 3:35 bike --  16mph -- on my little sister's old bike! I had the energy to really crank up the hills, push on the descents, and drive on the flats. The only people that passed me were those on those fancy cervelo triathlon bikes that cost $3k+ and look like they weigh in at 13 ounces.  The people riding them looked like they were going to take off and grow pegasus wings.

Lily paces me to the finish!

I decided to do the run barefoot, which wasn't the wisest choice. The course description said the trail portions were "packed dirt". But they were really those grey man-made stones that were quarter sized. There was no shoulder trail to run on. I slipped on my VFF for the trail portions -- but those stones were too painful for my poor little foot pads. Regardless, I stayed positive & felt wonderful the whole time. 

Matt, Lily & Aurora met me at the 13 mile mark.  Lily sprinted with me to the finish.  She was tasked with the very important job of running as fast as she could to help mommy get to the finish.  Lily is the true superhero...and she is also a princess and a CHAMPION!

A high five.

Lily showing off her new medal!

A big hug for the two champions!

My goal was to break 7 hours and I did. I came in 2nd in the Athena division and won a new watch!

150 Pound Barefoot Goddess

Tomorrow is my big race...the Westchester Toughman Half-Ironman Triathlon.  Today, we took a family trip up to Croton Point Park to pick up my race packet and drop off my bike.  Lily & I stuck our toes in the water -- it was very refreshing  -- the perfect temperature for a 1.2 mile swim.

It is supposed to be 70F tomorrow with just a few showers.  Hopefully, the showers won't be on the big downhills (I'm not a fan of falling off the bike).   I'm planning on doing the 13.1 mile run partially barefoot and partially in my VFF. 

Part of my hopes with all my training (about 10 hours a week of biking, swimming & running) was that I would get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  That, my friends, did not happen.  I started seriously training for this race 13 weeks ago and I'm still 150 pounds.

I was a little frustrated by this until I remembered that I'm going to turn all my negatives upside down.  I'm not an annoying self-deprecater anymore; I don't make excuses for myself; I don't apologize for who I am; I don't beat myself up for not living up to impossible standards.  I accomplished a lot.  I had the courage to put myself out there.  I made a commitment to do something that I would have to rearrange my life for ...if I had any hopes of achieving it.   And... I did just that --AND that is how I became a GODDESS.

If you have ever heard of the CLYDESDALE division, you may have also heard of the ATHENA class.  Clydesdales are male competitors weighing in at over 200 pounds.  Athena's are female competitor's weighing in at 150 pounds or more.   I have transcended the usual, boring age group and moved on to the Goddess of Wisdom division. 

I have a new found appreciation for my strong body and curves.  I did not stress about how I'm going to look in my curve (and love handle) hugging racing outfit.  I wanted to ensure I wouldn't go under the 150 pound mark.  Once you identify with the Goddess's, it is hard to think of yourself as any other.


Don't get me wrong.  I didn't stuff my face or eat any more than usual.  I still avoided sugar and loaded up on veggies and good proteins and went lighter on the carbs. For now, 150 pounds seems to be where my body is staying.  I feel good.  I have lots of energy.  I clearly look like an athletic woman who has borne children.  My body is an expression of my life and I love and respect it.  I love and respect myself as well!

Thank you to everyone who has shown their support to me throughout the training process and never let me doubt my ability to accomplish new things.

I'm off to bed now -- have to get the family out by 5am tomorrow morning.  I need more luck with that than I do for my race! Godspeed!

Making a Genuine Effort is Being a Superhero

Hello, I'm Jeanne & I'm a recovering perfectionist. Hi Jeanne!

Anyone who knows me may not believe the above statement...for several reasons.  The biggest one is that my life has never seemed organized and orderly. I'm ambitious.  I set high & lofty goals...my to do list is a mile long, my life list includes items like "be an iron man triathlete" & "hike the Appalachian trail" & "publish my memoir".  I throw caution to the wind and don't really worry about the fact that I have no arts background -- but I want to go back to school for a Fine Arts Degree.

I get really excited about things really quickly. My mind fast forwards through several steps and I have another time consuming goal on my to do list. 

I'm a huge fan of putting yourself out there.  You wouldn't have most of your life experiences if you didn't say things like "why not?" or "what if?" or "let's see what happens when..."or "I'm going to try...My problem is I spend so much time thinking about these things, that I'm way too distracted to wipe my counters down or make the effort to put all the toys in the basket each day. It's a bad combination because I'm too much of a perfectionist to not verbally berate myself for not keeping a clean house.

I read an article on Adult ADD a few months ago.  I read the opening and the first of 10 symptoms.  The first was "excessively long to-do lists".  I read it out loud to my husband and he confirmed that was me.  I skipped forward and read the recommendation to make several to-do lists: a daily one, a new daily one, & a long term one.  So I wrote out my morning & evening routine. I put everything on that I ideally would get done every day.  I put "clean kitchen" in the evening routine & "take vitamins" in the morning one.  I put everything on including: coffee, brush teeth, feed baby, dress Lily, etc. 

I made them pretty colors and printed out my two pretty lists and hung them up in my kitchen. This has worked wonders for me.  I don't look at my daily lists every day, nor do I accomplish every task every day.  The magic is, that I no longer get angry at myself for not keeping things up.  I usually get most of what needs to get done most of the time...which a LOT more than I used to. I still get annoyed at my tolerance for clutter, but I clear out the clutter about once a day now instead of watching it pile up.