Emily Cook's Blog, page 39

Running and Getting Drunk

"One woman tells me, as we sit on the grass, that she thinks running is like getting drunk in reverse. 
With drinking, it feels great at first, but then you start feeling awful. 
With running, you feel awful at first, but then, after you finish, you feel great. That sounds like a much better deal. "
(Adharanand Finn Running with the Kenyans, p 12)
[image error]photo credit
photo credit
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Feet are awesome (Why I run barefoot.)

I am a barefoot runner.

photo credit sheknows
A little background
Though I ran track in high school, I've never considered myself A Runner. I don't get all bouncy when I think about increasing my mileage. I don't have solid calves. I don't love hills. I don't love a quiet morning run through the country. I don't think running is relaxing or like meditating. I would choose almost any other aerobic activity over running if I could. But running does get me in shape, and I can do on the treadmill it in my basement. So I run.

How it started
"Hon, I think I'm going to buy a new pair of running shoes." I said to my husband one day. I'd been just barely eeking out a few 5k runs on the treadmill in our basement and I could feel my shins and my knees complaining (as they always do when I get on a running kick.)

"That's fine with me," he said. "But you may want to read up on those Five Fingers. They really do seem to help with proper form."

I rolled my inward eyes. Can't a girl just buy a new pair of shoes without doing research? Plus, those shoes look pretty ridiculous.  I would have to be convinced that there is a major benefit if I was going to make such a major fashion sacrifice.

Ha, fashion. OK, that's not really my major concern, ever, but they are silly looking and expensive, too, so I wasn't going to just take his word for it.  I looked at the site he sent me, and decided I needed more time to think about the whole thing. I refrained from buying the cute, new, normal shoes at Khol's, and I decided to test the barefoot theory.

The Theory (Simplified)
What's the thinking behind barefoot running? Here's my simple summary:

Feet are designed to run.
(Ok, many say feet "evolved" to run, but I will set aside that debate for now.)

Running, like any sport, is a skill, and there are ways to do it more efficiently. Running barefoot allows our feet to receive instant feedback, and based on that feedback, we naturally adjust into a healthier stride. (Think lower-impact, more efficient, less injury-prone.)

First attempt
My first thoughts, "Well, that seems plausible. I wonder if it feels much different?"
I kicked off my shoes after a short (in-shoes) run on the treadmill, lowered my speed, and hopped back on barefoot.

It felt different. Easy. Great.
And one more thing- it was quiet. The treadmill was humming, but that was the only noise. And I realized, when I run in shoes, I make quite a racket.

I had been an elephant.
Barefoot, I am a gazelle. Or something.
The treadmill had stopped shaking, and I could hear my music.

Transition
I decided to give it a try for a month.  I took the experts' advice to transition slowly, running at first for only ten minutes at a time, and increasing gradually while constantly paying attention to my own body.  I discovered muscles in my feet and ankles that I never knew I had before, and I got a few minor blisters.

Now
Fast Forward four months
Last week, I ran eight miles barefoot.
And the weirdest thing? I loved it.  I even smiled a few times during mile six, mile seven, mile eight.




I have not had a single shin problem or knee problem since I shed my shoes. After the initial adjustment for my feet and ankles, I have been steadily adding distance to my workouts. Steadily and eagerly. Before, I could coax, drag, force myself as far as 5k, but I couldn't fathom doing much more. Ever.

Now, I find myself just... going. For the joy of it.

Wow. I sound like A Runner.

And all because I shed my running shoes.

Here are a few things I've learned along the way

If I put shoes on my feet, muting the feedback they give me,and do what comes "naturally," I will clomp along like a drunk elephant. And I'll hurt myself, too.Feet are amazing. Mine may not be pretty but they are amazing. They can run eight miles now! They can tell me (now that I have ears to hear) how to correct my running form making it safer, more efficient, and even quieter!The best thing I can do for my body is listen to it.  I have found this to be true in regards to whole foods and clean eating. Why should I be surprised that this is also true in regards to exercise?

So, when I realized I was all in, I bought a pair of "barefoot running shoes." I use them outside to protect myself from sharp objects, but as often as I can, I run barefoot.

I realize there is quite a bit of debate on this topic in the world of runners, and I won't say I have researched every possible angle. But I do know this:

My body loves running free.



Care to learn more? Here are a few places to start.
Do your own homework, and most importantly, listen to your own body!

The Barefoot Running Debate
The Once and Future Way to Run (NYTimes)
Running form (video)
Video: The Barefoot Professor
Barefoot FAQ
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
(Watch this clip about the book- it really was a great story in its own right!)

Weak and Lovely- Read the series here
Join our facebook group for extra support!

Do you have any questions for me?
Have you ever tried running in bare feet?

Random Recommendations

Faith


Baptism and Courage
We were born for such a time as this.


Weak on Sanctification?
By grace we have been saved, now let's get to work? No.  Read here to further understand why the Christian gets to be Weak and Loved throughout his life. God does the verbs.  We are beloved, chosen, sanctified, helped, and cared-for.  We can rest in our honored place as the direct object of God's work.


Satan would have us spend all our time measuring our good works and nervously playing interior decorator for the Jesus who is knocking at the door of our heart. St. Paul would have us not worrying about that sort of thing at all, giving us that time back to focus on Jesus, the great gifts and consolations He gives to us, and also focus on others for His name’s sake.

Holler for Mercy
What do you want? We don't always know.

Comfort Dogs in Boston
Mercy work in response to tragedy

The Juvenilization of Christianity
The rise of the youth culture, and how the church responded (or didn't,) and what happened next.


Marriage
Cheap Date
I really, really love this idea for a cheap date!

The Most Loving Thing I've Done as a Mom
"I love my kids so much that I'm willing to sweep them aside... when their dad walks through the door."


Nutrition

How well do you know your salt?
Me, not very well!

The Real top 11 biggest lies of mainstream nutrition
Very interesting... I think I'm coming around to this way of thinking. What do you think?

Talking to Children about Real Food
Red light, yellow light, and green light foods- I admit the standards in this post are higher than mine, but I like this way of speaking about food with children.

Jump (5 minute friday)

Spring is here and they jump.

Jump out of bed, jump the the couches until I shoo them outside with no time even for shoes.  They jump on the trampoline, on each other.

And I watch the joy of a child, of children rejoicing in their own bodies, in health and life and spring.  And I find it hard to make them do their homework first.  Mud and worms and dandelions call to them and even to me, and we become irresponsible, free.

My body, imperfect but strong, can jump with them in this season, today. My body and my heart lift up with their joy, to the sky, and though my legs shake with the jumping, still, we jump.




(and that's five minutes, folks. Linked up with Five Minute Friday, writing for five minutes the way I used to run... just for the joy of it.)

You can't tilt it back.

Imagine you're walking through your neighborhood, enjoying a normal day, when suddenly you realize you are right on the edge of this:
photo credit discovery news
You'd stare, eyes suddenly open, realizing how fragile are these days we call "normal." You'd feel small. Breakable. Grateful.
That's how I feel today as I write this post.  No, I did not almost fall in a sinkhole. I had another bout of depression.
Darkness my old friend
Funny how that old enemy can sneak up on me. First I think it’s something else, something fixable. As if I were just having a bad day.
If the kids would just get along… If I just had another cup of coffee… If I just go to bed early tonight…
Often, it's not a sudden drop into a sinkhole. It's a gradual tilting of the ground beneath me. So I lean, and I adjust my walk. My muscles ache a little, but it's manageable. It is possible to walk leaning sideways for a little while, unless my muscles give out.

Unless the ground tilts too far.

Unless I slip.






photo credit cliff handsDepression
It's back. It pulls heavy on my ankles. All my energy is spent clinging to the side of the pit, trying not to let it pull me down. My nails dig in to the earth.  Rocks are slipping and I struggle. I’m terrified and angry and weary all at once.

My frustrations were not merely side effects of a bad day. They were red flags. They were symptoms. (Anxiety flashes, irritability rage, mental fatigue)

I sleep, I get help, I ask for prayer, and yet still nothing feels better.I fight, but the fight is exhausting.  Soon my efforts are half-hearted.
No easy fixesTime in Scripture is well spent, but the moment I reenter my day, the darkness weighs and pulls at me once again. I hide from the children while they watch a movie, and for that moment I am relieved, yet their sweet voices find me later, and I hear only accusations in their loving words. 
The darkness pulls. Weighs.
Because of the fight, life becomes all about me. How I’m feeling, how I’m doing, what I can and can’t handle right now.
I use all my strength for clinging to the sides of the pit. I can barely figure out how to make dinner in my exhaustion.  All energy is spent in the attempt to function.
Again, I am an empty cup seeking to be filled. There is nothing to pour out. There is no energy for replying to emails or answering the phone or being concerned for a friend.  I fake it if I must, because fake is all I have, but when nobody's looking, I fall back into guilty exhaustion.
It’s only been a few months since my last bout of depression, but I had almost forgotten how awful it can be. I had forgotten how fragile I am, how quickly it can overtake my life.
ReliefSome stuff helps, some stuff doesn't. Talk to your doctor and your family and listen to your own body.

For me, there are small things I can do that help me get through the days.  I get out in the sun. I take my vitamins and my medicine. I rest. I eat cashews. I lower my standards.  Those things help me make it till bedtime, but it does not seem to be in my power to right the world again when it is crooked.

Only God can, so I ask Him.
And sometimes He doesn't help right away.
I have no idea why.
And that's hard.

And yet here I am today, helped and restored, standing on the edge of the hole, gaping, and grateful.

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning.
My God turns my darkness to light.
It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.

(Psalm 18:28, 32)

He is true whether I feel it or not.

Father,
Have mercy on those who battle depression, especially on those who feel like they are losing the battle.  Relieve their suffering. Assure them of your forgiveness.  Cheer them with the promises that are ours in Jesus.        
Make it better, soon please, and sustain them until you do.
Amen.

Read more of my posts on Depression here.

Break the rules. (Book review: Broken)

Broken
by Johnathan Fisk
For all the perfect storm of our hypercultural age, for all the distractions and amusements and cares of this American life, for all the scorching pressures of conforming to the modern world and the postmodern mind, it is still only the one foil the devil is using to attack the faith...It's the same foil countless well-meaning Christian pastors preach and Christian people try a little harder to believe every single week. It is the lie that

"God wants you to find Him somewhere other than in His Word." (p.17)
Fisk outlines 7 common variations on this lie:

You will find God in your heart, in the works of your  hands,in your mind,in the world,in the perfect church,in God's absence (lawlessness).
With an entertaining style, sarcasm, and Star Wars references, Fisk tears apart these common pitfalls. (And perhaps a few assumptions of the reader, as well.)  The reader is relieved to learn that these things are mere traditions of men, and have no authority to bind his conscience. 
Again and again, the reader is pointed back to Christ: in His Word, on the Cross, for you.
I enjoyed the metaphors and the illustrations throughout the book. I do not believe I have ever read a book in this genre written in quite this way. It was refreshing (if also slightly dizzying.)  Though I had no trouble following his arguments, I am not sure it will be accessible to the average teen or young adult without additional background study.  However, I think those who rise to the challenge will benefit from it.
I recommend this book, particularly for those who are exhausted in their pursuit of God.

Jesus is a God who comes to us.

He is not hiding, not waiting for you to fix or do or be or find anything.
He is God with us.
In His Word, in His sacraments.
God with us.


You can also listen to Pastor Fisk discuss these topics here: Man's failed attempts to reach God.

Quick and Easy: Chocolate Syrup

I've developed a new habit. When we run out of something, as I throw it away I look at the ingredients list. I ask, "Do we need all these odd-sounding things?" and, "Is there a way I can do this better?"
Often, the answer is yes. Better, tastier, healthier, and frequently, cheaper.
We ran out of chocolate syrup this week.   So we made some.  It took about ten minutes, and it is wonderful.
Clean Eating Chocolate Syrup


Why not give it a try?What staples have you cleaned up in your home?
What staples have you found difficult to replace?

Messy Mommy Jobs- series returns! (#9 & Link Up)

Because it is fun, because posting pictures helps me laugh and not cry, and because my kids keep giving me plenty of material for this series

Messy Mondays are back!

I'm planning to do this one every other week- send me your pictures if you'd like!


First, a post from another mama- Kristie.
The back story, in her words...

"I am talking [on the phone about something very serious] Taylor was sitting in front of me, with her back to me, coloring with her new markers .  She took off down the hall, and then came back to me...............and this is what I see.........AHHHHHHHHHHH.......apparently the scissors were stashed there also.....she told me she just wanted to look funny.......she was definitely that ;-) I told her she might look funny for the next month or 2 while her hair grows out, not to mention the dance recital just around the corner.  Just knew mommy needed a true laugh I guess!!!"


Spring is here, and spring brings major mud and mess.But the extra laundry is worth it for the fun (and the cute pictures)


Dirty feet!(Note the purple toe- those are my 'barefoot' running shoes! I'm sold! more on that to come.)


Worm Collector
Most of you don't know this, but I was the BEST worm collector when I was younger.I even tried to sell them to the neighbors.The boys and I gathered a nice bunch after the rain last week.

Mauled gardening bookAt least I'm using it! I got some seeds in, and then I left the book on the picnic table, so they used it as a frisbee or a stool or a hat or something.


Dirty handsLove my garden helpers!

Goodbye Glitter jarIt is not OK to throw it at your mom in anger, son.It was fun while it lasted.(I might make another Calm Jar. Perhaps I'll just use it for myself!)

What the heck?Why would someone tape these here?I have no explanation.

Shrug.

Laundry Helpers?They took every towel and piece of laundry in the bathroom and put it in the tub with them.I love their guilty looks.


ConsequencesFloor cleaning consequences,because they think it's cute to shake their sippy cups at each other.Mama doesn't think it's cute.

How about you ?Any messes at your house recently?
What picture above is your favorite?I'd love to hear your stories!



In case you missed it, check out the first post, Monday's Mess, and Do the messes ever drive you to the edge? (If nothing else, check out that one to see the peanut butter-cicle), and Don't get mad, grab your camera!

Share your pictures!

Send me an emailPost pictures to my facebook page(Please note- if you post to facebook or email me, you are giving me permission to use your picture on my blog! If you want credit, put your nameon the picture itself.  I use picmonkey for this and other edits. It's free and you don't even have to register!)

If you have a blog, link up with me below! ( Links back are always appreciated!)
Your post can be anything at all mess-related; cleaning tips, organizing tips, thoughts on a messy life, a messy craft project, or just fun pictures of your kids doing something messy!

more random recommendations

Articles (etc.) that have touched my heart this week:

What Christians Need to know about Mental Illness
Achingly beautiful and compassionate post - Christians, we need to take off the masks and support each other through these dark things.

Christians and Mental Illness on Issues, Etc.
Please, listen to this. If you or someone you love struggles (and they do, whether you know it or not...) Listen.

A simple way to pray
A wonderful way to approach God and His Word.

Eight Years of Living
Eight just slips away and suddenly nine is here, and all mothers can relate to this wonderful beautiful treasuring-up of a mother heart. (And oh why must boys become men!?)

Murdered in the Woods
Satan really is such a bastard.  A response to the suicide of Rick Warren's son.


The story you may not have heard (warning: Graphic)
If you don't know about the Gosnell trial, you should.  See also this one.

Post Abortion Story of Hope
I watched this several years ago, and I often think of this woman when abortion is discussed. Hear how she (yes, even a pastor's daughter) chose abortion, and hear how God pursued her with his grace afterwards.


And because life is such a mixture of the tragic and the comic, here are a few light-hearted articles for your enjoyment.
Because his flower is "all broken"

Reasons my son is crying
Hilarious- and inspired my tear-filled post

The Toddler Years Must Do
Home with your preschooler(s)?  Get re-inspired!

Number Two
A moment in the life of boys- illustrated with crappy pictures.

Letter from Phil
Did you know I'm taking part in a walk for Phil's Friends next month?
Read this letter to see why I like this ministry!  Words matter!
(Would you like to walk with me or sponsor me? Click here)



Have you read anything worth noting this week?Leave me a link if you like!

Because words matter (will you help?)

Words matter to those who suffer.
Our words, His Word.

Words can be like rain on parched ground.
Words can gently lift a head bowed down by trials, and lifted eyes can fill with hope.

Words can be like arms around the waist, upholding a person too weary to stand.

Phil understands this because he was upheld by words and the Word as he battled cancer.
And now he seeks to bless others as he has been blessed.


Visit Phil's Friends to learn more.

I'm walking in the first-ever Phil's Friend's walk hosted at White Creek next month.
I'm bringing the kids along, too!

Will you support this cause with us?

There are two ways to do this:
Walk with us at White Creek on May 11
( See the event page for more details)

Sponsor The Cook Family or another walker

We would greatly appreciate your donation of any amount!