Increased Productivity Sometimes Requires Standing Up and Walking Away (For a Minute)

If you know me on a personal level, it might shock you to learn that I can sit still for several hours on end without moving more than to recross my legs. Being completely focused on and immersed in work isn’t necessarily natural, but it is a talent I have and can do well. Sometimes I even won’t let myself use the restroom until I finish a task (dear me, Mom, don’t be mad. I just have a great work ethic/reward system). Sure in the personal sphere I’m an occasionally over-energetic pseudo-tap dancer of sorts, but even I can be an adult at times

However, this “talent” of mine is actually incredibly bad for you, as reported by The New York Times last month in the article, Working Out Inside the Office. The bad stuff: sitting for long periods of time causes muscles to become slack and increases your risk of all those yucky diseases no one wants because they make your quality of life downright bad. And I thought I was totally immune from these issues because I work out in the morning but…I was wrong. According to NYT, “People might think they are protecting themselves from such problems if they exercise outside of working hours. And employers may pat themselves on the back if they offer their workers subsidized gym memberships. But regular exercise doesn’t entirely make up for the shutdown of chemical processes that occurs during long periods of sitting, research has shown.” Let’s say that again: regular exercise does not entirely make up for the shut down of chemical processes that occurs during long periods of sitting…like those hours and hours I sit on end at work?

And it’s not just me. It’s my work wife. It’s my boss. It’s the development team. It’s customer relations and marketing and pretty much anyone except sales (because sales is so bouncy, I swear it’s the adrenaline they must have from make sales). So what are we to do?

Well, the New York Times recommends everything from water bottle curls to group exercise breaks, but I think their most important suggestion is this: every little bit counts. You have to get up off the chair and away from your computer, and you have to make the conscious and actual choice to do this, but you really can. Maybe you’re into jumping jacks  - do them in your cubicle while listening to your favorite song…do it with enough pizzazz and I bet the office will join you because you’ll look like you are having so damn much fun. Or as This Confetti Life suggested recently in my comments section, try pulling off angled pushups on the counter in the bathroom. Get wild and walk around the block outside your office – fresh air doesn’t hurt, so I’m told.

If you’re a workaholic, or work for a workaholic (or a micro manager) it can be challenging to find the time and place to get involved with exercising at the job. If you’re worried you are one of those sedentary and unhealthy humans, then try the following:

1. Talk to your boss. Show them the article, say you’re concerned, and it’s something you think you and your coworkers should try. You never know. They might agree.

2. Be super-sly. When you have to run an errand down the hall, go the long way or double back. If you have to take a staircase, take it twice instead of just once. Do the can-can under your desk. Tighten and release your abs while sitting. Get creative!

3. Or if you need some support or outreach from a professional, try writing into Alison Green at Ask a Manager. Ten bucks says she could give you a reasonable way to approach your boss and get the result you want – which is a fit, healthy, happy and productive you.

4. Get an exercise ball to sit on, or use a standing desk. If your office is high tech and allows this to be budgeted out, it can be a great way to move and keep re-situating yourself.

Okay friends, go be healthy!

 

The Eighth Wonder of the Health World: Nutritional Yeast

Back in 2011 I made this seemingly tangible promise to myself that I would cook more, and proudly proceeded to learn the art of making kale chips (which was documented here), which I unwisely assumed would be the beginning of  an illustrious new-world cooking order. This was a little wrong, though the learning curve did improve and I make them at least once a week. More so, I have expanded my repertoire of “chipping” to other veggies and leafy greens (with mixed results): broccoli, arugula, brussel sprouts, asparagus, spinach, red cabbage, green beans and carrot shredding.

So as I “chip” away, you can imagine my glee when upon another epic night of ladies (much like the one noted in the infamous kale-chip making post, except in this one we made brie pops and friendship bracelets on top of the kale chips) I was introduced to nutritional yeast, perhaps the best topping this side of the Mississippi (I know those east coasters are putting everything below tartar sauce and no way am I messing with that).

Nutritional yeast might as well be pixie dust because it is at least partly made of magic. It is yeast that tastes like cheese. Seriously. If you put it on something and don’t tell your friends it’s nutritional yeast at least one in three of them will believe it really is cheese of some kind (I tried this at a bachelorette party…to be fair this was after we had eaten some Jello shots so this wasn’t the best control group). Not only does it taste like cheese, but it’s also kind of woody and nutty, so it’s a complex sort of cheese flavor that makes it taste extra fancy.

Going for $8 a pound at my local Whole Foods, you’d darn well hope it tastes fancy (actually, price isn’t an issue because yeasty things are really light (hence the pixie dust analogy earlier), I just felt like being crotchety for a moment. The moment has passed). Price and taste aside, nutritional yeast has a few benefits that cheese does not:

More Bang

We are all prone to over-cheesing. It’s just how we roll as Americans. But two tablespoons of nutritional yeast, which yield about 50 calories, is more than enough to cover a bunch of kale for kale chips, or a bunch of broccoli. Try to only use two tablespoons of Velveeta. I dare you.

B-12

What’s B-12? I had zero idea why I should care about this B-based vitamin, so I turned to Wikipedia (thank you for not being blacked out!). Here’s what B-12 deficiency can do to a guy or gal:

Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency can potentially cause severe and irreversible damage, especially to the brain and nervous system. At levels only slightly lower than normal, a range of symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and poor memory may be experienced…Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency can also cause symptoms of mania and psychosis.

Yikes, right? Benefits of B12 are as noted: [B12 plays a] key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins. It is normally involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body, especially affecting DNA synthesis and regulation, but also fatty acid synthesis and energy production.

Totally worth the time it takes to sprinkle on something.

Other Nutrients

Packed with protein and a surprising amount of fiber, this little yeast of sunshine is doing your body good. And without all the fat we associate with dairy-based protein sources.

Need some ideas on how to get started with this yeasty-goodness? Here are a few:

1. Roll broccoli flowers in oil, sprinkle on nutritional yeast, bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.

2. Cream of Wheat/Polenta/Grits – sprinkle on before or after cooking. Enjoy.

3. Popcorn, either with a little butter, a little olive oil, or a little sunflower seed oil.

4. Salad – I’ve been putting it on with oil and vinegar.

5. Savory cookies – if you make your own savory cookies (is this just my family?), add in or sub in place of cheese.

6. Bake on top of a casserole.

Go forth and conquer! And let me know how it goes…curious to hear how other people are using this most magical of all yeasts.

What’s At Stake?

Look, as much as the next person I enjoy living my life as though I have nothing at stake. Whether it’s affairs of the heart (figuratively or literally), negotiating a contract, or playing recreation soccer, the best way to have a favorable outcome is to seemingly care a little less. When you seem invested, you have something to lose. But in my really humble opinion, you have to throw all that away when it comes to your health.

I know. I think that’s probably even worse news than learning that it’s more likely information about Wolverine on Wikipedia is accurate than information on historical figures who actually lived in real life, too.

Due to thinking this way, I have had to accept certain truths, such as that existing entire on caprese salad isn’t particularly healthy (especially if you sub in brie for mozzarella) and even broccoli hurts if you put too much Velveeta on it. Oh, and cheddar popcorn apparently isn’t quite as low-cal as air popped popcorn with cumin on it. When the stakes are my health (and being able to fit into those teal corduroy I found in Telegraph Hill), I have to actually play like those stakes are wildly important.

The fact is, if you don’t play that way, it’s too easy to forget where you’re at. It’s too easy to be sucked down an unhealthy shame spiral, and it’s too easy be complacent instead of proactive – all of which is totally delicious and means tons of watching Battlestar Galactica while hanging out with your best pals and chowing on spare ribs and beer at a local sci-fi bar (wait, those don’t exist yet? EXPLAIN!). Unfortunately, that lifestyle has consequences. High blood pressure. Cholesterol. Diabetes. You know the rest, you’ve heard it a gagillion times before – it’s a bunch of weird sounding issues that lead to your life being short-changed.

Here’s the thing: it’s not just your life that is at stake, but your quality of life. You are ten times more likely to be considered a contender for the next Bionic Man (as Dr. Dad was a few years back) if you consider your options, indulge as a treat not a rule, and go get your Jane Fonda on every couple days. Starting now, and lasting for forever. The sooner you start, the sooner future you has a better quality of life, is less likely to get all colin-cancered out or have severe memory loss or simply deal with aches and pains on a daily basis. You’re more likely to be active and travel, check out new places, go retro-rollerblading in the year 2045, have unequivocally rocking sex in your twentieth year of marriage (or open-relationship monogamish, or civil union, whatever your pleasure).

Because what would be worse than dying at a “before your time” moment is simply this: getting old, being chronically ill, and feeling like absolute crud with no will to live and no real desires, yet no ability or will power to cease your life here. I am very likely wrong, but honestly, that’s what I think is at stake.

 

 

Real Talk: Is Bikram Yoga Bogus?

There’s no doubt about it: you wish you were at my family’s breakfast and dinner table this holiday season. Beyond our discussions of whether one should be a citizen at birth or allowed to choose where they want citizenship at the age of 18 (imagine a room full of people who love to play devil’s advocate indulging in this debate), telling stories about older generations that made us all giggle and squirm a bit, and pondering together whether a $150 meal of a burger, fries and champagne was actually a good deal at a local diner, we also got into a heated debate about bikram yoga. You can bet all of us, from Dr. Dad to Dancing Brother to the Mom to Dancing Brother’s Lady had thoughts.

Bikram yoga, for those not versed in the language of yogi, is yoga that is performed in a room that is 100-104 degrees. In other, even more simple terms: it’s ridiculous hot, and you’re going to sweat like you’re in spin class or like you’re lying on a beach at the equator in summer time. So you get your downward dog and sun salutations on in this environment – actually, you move through 26 poses in 90 minutes; Bikram is very specific.

Why would yogarting out in a really hot room be appealing? The theory is that warm muscles are more limber. You’ll be able to stretch more, and increase flexibility. Not only that, but you’ll lose more calories with your massive amounts of sweat running off you like mini Nile Rivers. Your body softens, you loosen up, and you’re detoxing all the waste in your skin and pores at the same time. In theory, this helps with circulation and respiration. Sounds like a win-win, and efficient method of both working out and strengthen/lengthening, right?

Of course, there’s an opposing point of view, which Dr. Dad illuminated when I brought up the fact that I wasn’t clear as to why one would do Bikram in the first place (because honestly, it sounds really hot). He pointed out a few flaws:

1) Exercising in a room that is up to 105 degrees is really freaking hot, and depending on the humidity, really could be unhealthy. When it’s 105 degrees outside in Tempe, Arizona, no one is recommending you go for a run (unless perhaps you’re acclimated to the climate). In theory, yoga rooms are held at 40% humidity, but I’d be curious to know if anyone checks.

2) Yes, muscles you’ve warmed up do stretch more. But that also means it’s possible you put more tears in your muscles as you overstretch them. You can achieve the same effect by doing a series of jumping jacks or suicides or stepping up and down on a stool for ten minutes to warm up your body before your stretching routine. You’d get to stretch out without keeping your muscles and body at 105 degrees for a prolonged period of time.

All this was punctuated by Dancing Brother, who dragged out an article The New York Times posted a few years ago, How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body. A rather unpretty picture is painted of the yoga world, starting with a yogi who teaches simply and with emphasis on awareness, then counters him with discussing improperly trained instructors who are unable to recognize when they themselves or their students are heading toward injury. Fear is fathered with this passage:

But a growing body of medical evidence supports Black’s contention that, for many people, a number of commonly taught yoga poses are inherently risky. The first reports of yoga injuries appeared decades ago, published in some of the world’s most respected journals — among them, Neurology, The British Medical Journal and The Journal of the American Medical Association. The problems ranged from relatively mild injuries to permanent disabilities. In one case, a male college student, after more than a year of doing yoga, decided to intensify his practice. He would sit upright on his heels in a kneeling position known as vajrasana for hours a day, chanting for world peace. Soon he was experiencing difficulty walking, running and climbing stairs.

Even more drastic was the discussion of poses that require standing on ones shoulders, arching the neck, and rotating the head around. Want to know what happens when that is done wrong? (You might not. I wish I didn’t know). Here goes:

Extreme motions of the head and neck, Russell warned, could wound the vertebral arteries, producing clots, swelling and constriction, and eventually wreak havoc in the brain. The basilar artery, which arises from the union of the two vertebral arteries and forms a wide conduit at the base of the brain, was of particular concern. It feeds such structures as the pons (which plays a role in respiration), the cerebellum (which coordinates the muscles), the occipital lobe of the outer brain (which turns eye impulses into images) and the thalamus (which relays sensory messages to the outer brain).

The New York Times article even addresses Bikram directly: The Times reported that health professionals found that the penetrating heat of Bikram yoga, for example, could raise the risk of overstretching, muscle damage and torn cartilage. One specialist noted that ligaments — the tough bands of fiber that connect bones or cartilage at a joint — failed to regain their shape once stretched out, raising the risk of strains, sprains and dislocations. Hm, seems like Dr. Dad was onto something.

What none of this addresses, from the pros to the cons, is the emotional state yoga brings on. No one is denying that any yoga can help reduce blood pressure by reducing stress, improve mental health in the chronically depressed, and even improve sex drive (and probably in some ways sex in general – who hasn’t watched Cirque de Soleil and marveled at what they must be able to do in the bedroom?). But more so, while yoga has never made me more flexible (probably because I’ve never spent much time practicing) it has made me happy. Taking time to clear my mind and to encourage all the thoughts racing through my head to float away makes me feel good.

So there must be a happy medium.

My two cents? Like everything, moderation is key. Not in quantity but in quality. Make sure you’re not over-stretching or taking class from an instructor encouraging you to giraffe yourself out. Be aware that just because you might be getting pressure to bend more, flex more, or flatten more, do what you can (and if you’re in a class that is applying such pressure, I strongly recommend rethinking your instructor). Listen to your body (I know, that sounds cheesy, but you really can do it), seek out an instructor who has anatomical and a science-ish background (or at least someone who is educated about the way the body moves and works) and don’t offer more stress onto your body. I believe there is a lot to be said for the positive attributes of yoga and I’ve watched several friends have their lives changed for the better because of yoga.

Nothing is one size fits all when it comes to health and fitness. Not my thoughts on how to get to running, and not even Dr. Dad’s suggestions on everything under the sun. Everything is simply advice: you can take it or leave it, and it really is up to you to make decisions that are the best for yourself. I think one of the most interesting points of this debate are that students will blame teachers, and I bet teachers will blame students, for the injuries accrued by those who practice yoga. If you take responsibility for yourself, you’re in a far better place to assess any given situation and you’re less likely to get hurt. It’s okay to think critically about your body and exercise routines. Promise.

Some Healthy Resolutions

To resolve or not to resolve? Such is a question that seems to plague a good number of runners and non-runners alike when the calendar year turns (man, does anyone else feel like fate has made a flip-book of our calendars and is racing through them like if she doesn’t watch the horse run in a circle or the bunnies bounce around, or is that just me?).

In my world, resolutions aren’t limited to beginnings of years (or ends, depending on how you look at it). Just as all good things must come to an end, I also believe all good things must come to a beginning. So I suppose I don’t actually have to announce a new way to get my living on. Except it’s fun to, and I’m not one to purposefully ignore a good reason to be different and potentially be better.

With that in mind, a quick list of plausible resolutions for 2012:

- Learn to play racquetball and go to at least one evening of the game at the YMCA or anywhere else racquetball is played.

- Put air in my bike tires.

- Be honest with time I have and stop trying to be everywhere at once (which leads to me disappointing everyone instead of just a few people).

- Stand up more at work and even try exercise. (Today I did jumping jacks in my office. I’m not even kidding).

- Stop shopping at Whole Foods and make the effort to get to Trader Joe’s despite it being farther away. Just as healthy, way less pricey.

- Run in at least one new country.

Anyone else feel like they want to resolve something? It’s okay. You can. No judgement zone here. You’re lucky. It’s 2012, you’re alive, and you can be as kick ass as you desire to be.

 

 

Here’s to Your Health – And Your Cheeks Staying Slender

Whoa, being healthy feels astoundingly surreal. I had gotten used to a clacking cough interrupting my life on a daily basis and fellow commuters on public transportation vividly looking disgustedly at me while I “Dracula-sneezed” into the crook of my elbow or made the sound a thirsty cactus might into my scarf. Sadly, that whole “less energy than a half cup of boiled beans” setting let a critical amount of time lapse – time when I intended to write about staying healthy during the festive season that taunts us with cookies (darn office jobs), why exercising at work makes us more productive (you can bet my boss will see this clipping hanging on my wall soon), and most importantly, a few key gift ideas for runners and fitness fetishists on your “buy for” list which could have been picked up at Costco or a thrift store or a running specialty store depending upon your level of monetary availability. Alas. Missed it all.

However, since guidance to resisting the sweet-toothed fairy (or the savory-toothed fairy…or basically any fairy that is encouraging you to consume more calories than you are going to burn/use) never goes out of vogue (holy moly, there are entire magazines, books, television shows and even blogs on topics such as this!) let’s have a fireside-like chat about how to keep your mind and mouth occupied.

Ignore-ance is Bliss

The issue: When holiday-treats in the office place come into play, your biggest foe is the sheer volume of peanut  brittle, honey-drenched popcorn balls, frosted cookies, and Andes mints that are lolling about. Part of your brain will constantly be thinking “Oh yes, food! I don’t even have to leave this space to go get nutrition, it’s right here in front of my eyes” as you walk by it while getting a cup of tea.  And the desire to turn to the dark side and wage an all out winning battle with that homemade gingerbread and spiced/spiked cider (depends on where you work, really) will be strong.

The solution: Resolve to ignore these things. Literally, tell yourself “the answer to if I want anything is no” before you even get to the office. Start reciting this at home, and mention it mentally on your way to work, in an email to yourself if you must, and simply remind yourself that treats are not an option because they’re just not. It’s hard. It’s not fun. But…future you will thank you because future you will have reasonably normal-looking cheeks and lack a double chin. Or at least the feeling that you have both.

You Get One Favorite. Yes, One. 

The issue: Mmmm. Pumpkin pie is like, your favorite. And so is cibatta bread. And brie! And goat cheese! And sheep’s milk brie! And oh holy night, is that Mt. Tam from Cowgirl Creamery? This office party rocks! Look, sadly, the idea of a “favorite” does not mean “many” favorites. It means “a” favorite – or one.

The solution:  At each event, look at the options presented, and pick one that is your favorite. That’s the one you can have. Small samples of everything will tempt your tastebuds into wanting more small samples and more and more and more (oy, like me with the cookie tray at work). One taste over and over again won’t be as easy to keep wanting (though trust me, it’s so possible) and it’s easier to control you nibbles.

Exert Your Control 

The issue: you have to bring something to a party and after a panic at the disco like freakout, you know your fudge-filled cookies are the best around. But jeeze-louise, all those calories…what’s a health-nut to do?

The solution: situations like this rock because you are offered complete control as to your food destiny. A party doesn’t have to mean sweets. Think about something savory, or even better, healthy. I’m nuts about being the bearer of berries to social gatherings – sweet and yummy and easy to eat, but not overwhelming in their cholesterol count. No one will whine if you show up with a veggie platter instead of a pimento cheese-ball, I promise. Pair it with some ranch or hummus as a special sauce (and mustard! That stuff is great). This way you have healthy options, and when you exercise your right to ignore certain foods, there are bite-sized pieces of joy to keep you occupied.

Don’t Talk With Your Mouth Full 

The issue: do I know what to say to these people? Sheesh-ka-bobs, sure we work together/grew up together/went to high school together/live together but darn-it if a case of supreme shyness isn’t taking the reigns. Hitting the food-table might seem like a junior-high dance move, but darn if it doesn’t make you look involved without making you have to be involved.

The solution: I hate to break it to you, but you’ve got master the art of making conversation. Grab a glass of wine or punch to sip slowly and turn away from the ex-college boyfriend at the shuffleboard table (seriously, you don’t want to talk to him. Promise), and scan the room for someone who looks like they are in the same situation you are in. Got them in your line of site? Great, now go talk to them and ask them how they are doing. What they are up to. If they’ve been anywhere neat lately. Where they live. What they love about it. The weirdest thing they’ve witnessed this week. How they like their eggs cooked. What CD’s they’d take with them to a desert island. Ask them questions. Get them chatting about themselves (everyone is an expert on themselves – it’s hard to resist talking about a subject they know so well!) and voila! Half an hour will pass and you haven’t eaten a thing. Be genuinely interested and you can talk for forty five minutes if you want.

Good luck, health-nuts. Go forth and conquer. And check in with me later in the week – I’ll compare how I did with you (because honestly as of tonight, it’s not going too hot).

How to Get Exercise When You’re Sick

Sometimes even this intrepid runner doesn’t want to lace up her shoes and get jogging. The allure of RadioLab forgets to wake up, knowing birds will be frolicking in the lake, and the temptation of simply being outside loses all intrigue and I’m left anxiously staring at the grassy knolls and steep staircases I consider my home turf wondering if they’ll ever reel me in again. At times like this, a former runner’s lament starts tuning up in my head and I fear I’ll one day become one of those “I used to run but…” storytellers who anyone ten years my junior could never fathom being true.

The few and far between times this happens, I’m almost assuredly sick. And not just mild cold or low-grade fever (because darn it we know how much I approve of illness and running and in fact endorse such things) but a half-flu like sense of tiredness coupled with unmanageable bouts of unproductive coughing that stops jogging in its tracks (and occasionally leaves this runner yakking in the bushes).

Like today. And every day since 11:00am on Thanksgiving (I remember the moment a little too clearly). I’ve been running one day and taking two days off ever since, usually unable to lift my body from bed and feeling like my bones have simply stitched themselves into the mattress while I have been dreaming. Ugh, and one day I even got on the elliptical after an hour long swim and made it through fifteen minutes before realizing I felt horrible enough to dismount and go home to a hot shower.

This whole sickness-thing led me to a much unanticipated (and sort of unwelcome) period of respite. In runner’s terms that also means a strange amount of unexpected time on my hands (and feet). So what’s a typically spring-buck inspired guy or gal to do (besides the obvious answer of “rest and get better already”)? Well, I’ve delved into a whole new “exercise regimen” that those of us stuck inside and with colds can follow. The best part? You can drink tea during all of them, and sit down for a nap whenever you want. Here’s what I’ve been occupying my mind and body with:

• Rearranging furniture in attempts to make my apartment resemble the centerfold of a Pottery Barn catalogue. Not only does this build muscle and get the heart rate up, it also leads to far more attractive living area. (Unless your living area already rocks. Which I realized after moving things around and wound up with all my furniture in the same spaces as when I started.)
• Dancing around to The Beach Boys or any number of albums my roommate’s bountiful CD collection.  If extra tired or coughy, choose slower tempoed music (hello, Dido).
• Discovering new ways to make myself cough. Singing has been doing the trick, as has giggling, inhaling deeply, inhaling in general, lying down to go to sleep, telling someone proudly I haven’t coughed recently, been on public transportation, during a flip turn in the swimming pool and anytime I think I want a cup of coffee. This fabulously has twofold consequences: If I’m lucky some lung butter is dislodged and I get an ab workout from the hacking.
• Folding laundry and putting it away. For extra kicks, do your roommate’s laundry. More clothes to fold! All that back and forth between machines, hangers, dressers and the like give you a nice evenly spaced workout.
• Bake cookies (provided you wash your hands a lot). You certainly won’t want to eat any (phlegm + chocolate chips = painfully disgusting) so you almost lose calories by not snacking on your treats, and it keeps your body busy without wearing you out. Plus when the cookies are baking you can sit down.

I sincerely hope none of you get ill enough to feel like enlisting some of these suggestions. But if you do, I encourage you to make up some of your own and share them with me. Because dear god, I’m going a little stir crazy.

 

I’m a Leibster! (Huzzah!)

Tickled pink? Nah, just tickled red over here in Runner’s Delightland from being a bit bashfully blush. Jen, from a blog I deeply admire based on tantalizing culinary photos and descriptive recipes and fitnessy-love, willblog4food, nominated my blog for the Liebster Blog Award. Liebster is not the 13th zodiac sign nor a new brand of synthetic down, but is actually a kinda fun little blog chain letter devoted to spreading the love from one small blog to another in order to build community, readership and karma. Normally I wouldn’t get my yah-yah’s out  by chain lettering the masses, but I thought it was pretty amazing Jen nominated me for this, and I’m of course happy to be in her top-5 blog reads!

To quote Jen:

The rules are simple:

1. You show your thanks to the blogger who nominated you by linking back to their blog.

2. You nominate five other blogs by posting a comment on their blogs.

3. Have fun, discover some new blogs, and spread the good blog karma.

So, without further ado, here are five small blogs that I really love (in no particular order):

1. broccoli and chocolate: Giving the East Bay some much needed restaurant reviewing love and San Francisco food bloggers a run for their oysters on entertaining wordsmithery, Angie focuses her blog around dining out and about while also making life observations that never cease to amaze me.

2. The Real Full House: Finding this blog was a complete accident. I literally was absentmindedly pressing “Next” on my blog’s browser when it popped up and the title intrigued me (as a child of the 80s-90s whose mom thought Danny Tanner was good looking, Full House was a show I tended to watch with increased regularity until it went off the air). But better than a television show, this is real life. These are the thoughts, concerns, triumphs and lamentations of a family who lost their wife/mother, and the three guys who are taking care of three daughters. This blog makes me laugh. It sometimes makes me melancholy. It’s always good.

3. What Claudia Wore: The Baby-Sitter’s Club fashion revisited, commented on, and often imitated. Bliss.

4. Lamentations on a Lost Love: So, my dear “long-lost” cousin (as we call each other) had the horror of losing her fiance to a drunk driver earlier this year. As part of her recovery, she’s been blogging. El is wise, brave, and has quite a way with words she may not have known before this life (death?) experience. Following her thoughts is heart-breaking but she has a remarkable spirit and reading makes me feel closer to her and hopefully sends her good thoughts.

5. Paper Musings: From one of the most creative human beings I’ve ever met, Paper Musings is brought to us by Courtney, an artist, teacher, and overall inspired lady. She blogs in photo form, in art form, in writing, and about her instruction endeavors and students. Anytime I need a zap of creativity, there she is, humming along and giving me hope that I can literally make something with my life.

Blogs are your friends. Now go read and love. Or don’t. But you could. And it would be nice.

The Dark-Days of Running

Running in the dark happens, especially as the time change encroaches on a runner’s territory. First the sun starts keeping his nose burrowed beneath horizon’s covers longer and longer, and then once Daylight Savings time falls into our laps, Sunny-boy zips westward with amazing alacrity and nestles below the seam of sky and land before one has time to leave work and lace up shoes. All this is a fancypants of way of say as runners, we either give up on trotting, hit the gym with the rest of the country during hibernation months, or…we get wild and jog in depth-defying darkness.

Despite my propensity for dancing at inopportune moments, I’m actually clumsier* than you’d imagine (yes, you). Thus putting one foot in front of the other when it’s perfectly well lit outside can place me in dire situations; or at least, situations that feel dire because face-planting in front of stranger’s mini-van about to back out of their driveway on a sidewalk certainly has that “holy-crap, that could have been bad” aura about them. Which means running when the sun is still snuggled up requires a significant amount of concentration. So in case you’re a novice to dim running, or like me suffer from impossibly challenging klutzitis, a few pointers:

Eyes Down, Arms Akimbo

A likely tendency is to glue your line of the vision earthward as if gravity itself were pulling your sockets down, straining to see the path your feet are taking, desperately wishing you were surefooted as a horse. If you take this route, I highly recommend keeping an arm up in front of face as a shield when running by low hanging trees. Branches and brambles can be hidden in the shadows, and you don’t them poking an eye out. Almost worse, it’s much preferable for a spider web to get tangled in your arm hair than between your parted lips (it’s okay, we’re all mouth breathers when we run). That arm is protection. Use it well.

Better Yet, Eyes Up 

Stalking the pavement with your peepers isn’t required. When you feel comfortable with your path, or with not seeing terribly well, lift that line of vision right up. Look out a ways and watch the road farther ahead of you. The longer your mind has to react to the terrain coming, the more likely your feet are to move instinctively.  Less thought on your end, more time to watch for spider webs and daydream about starring in a musical.

Run Where You Know

Darkness is a pretty crummy time to take unknown paths for two reasons. Creative routes are fabulous when you have time to get a little lost or can use visual cues to unwind where you came from, but without light reflecting off objects and street signs, it’s easy to get twisted around and lost in areas you might normally find your way out of. More so, running on paths you are familiar with means you are far less likely to stumble on a strange root (or a strange person for that matter). Your mind is clearer than you realize, and knows the ins and outs of where you run based on muscle memory as much as anything else. It’s like driving at night – taking a road you know is much easier to navigate than plunging up a foggy mountain you’ve never seen before.

Constant Vigilance 

Awareness of your surroundings helps keep you incident free. Turn down the iPod (or the inner monologue) and keep your ears open for cars taking turns too quickly or ignoring stop signs (in the cover of darkness, this isn’t as rare as you’d imagine). Note where obstacles are, try not to run into any early morning or evening pedestrians and cyclists, and watch for lit paths. It sounds basic, but it’s the basics we can lose when we’re stuck in our heads. Oh, and beware of paper-delivery dudes. I’ve almost been pelted with The San Francisco Chronicle more than once in the last week alone.

Cover Yourself in Glitter

Admittedly, I don’t own or wear reflective clothing. But I’m going to get mother-hen on you and say “do as I say, not as I do.” Wear something you can be seen in. A sparkly headband. A headlamp. That tape that shines on the back of your jacket. Anything that will make you visible to passing cars and people. Glow in the dark nail-polish. Whatever you’ve got, bring out the day-glo arsenal.

Carry-On

As per usual, carry your ID. If you’re into pepper spray (handy for taking down hounds that chase) grab that. And really, gloves. Freezing hands while you’re running are horribly irksome, and you can always roll them down or let them double as Kleenex if you run out.

That’s all I’ve got. Happy dark-days running!

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*Always afraid I’m worrying my cousin Sam and my mom with my tales of tripping.

Taking a Moment

Yup. It’s cliche. Overdone like twice-toasted bread. Ridonkulous. But Runner’s Delight is now taking a moment to be thankful. Not that I’m unthankful at other times, but I’m not always wading about in my appreciation – sure, I splash around in it, but I don’t just wait and move slowly through through it, letting the thankfulness lap into my pores and really letting the gratitude flow. So here’s a very short list of things I’m especially thankful for:

1. Friends who take care of one another like family, who are always your friends even when school/work/life kind of butts its head against you and you’re forced to not connect with each other as often as you’d like but who, in a moment of complete lostliness (that’s a word), are right there where you need them. And friends who let you take care of them when need be, too.

2. Family. A family others don’t think is dysfunctional because well, we’re actually a lot more functional than you realized. A family with people who pitch in, who think about one another, who exercise patience and love and consideration and excellent cooking in the name of being a family. A family who will sit around a dinner table for over two hours simply because being together, discussing this, that, and everything in between, is interesting. Even discussing concussions.

3. My legs. God, I have no idea who I’d be without them. I really don’t want to find out. It would be really hard. And I’m really thankful I can run. Especially on holidays with my sibling.

4. Honesty. People who are honest, and people who strive to be honest, and people who accept honesty with an open mind.

5. The ability to change, and people in my life who allow me to constantly explore what it means to be me, what it means to live a life I define, and what it means to exist.

* Yup, I wrote in second, third and first person in this post. Who’s proud?