Thoughts on life during the COVID-19 pandemic: Part 1B - Action & your values

Notice your actions-

We left off with you noticing your feelings and emotions. You’ve sat with them, maybe pondered why you feel the way you do, from your perspective. Now, it’s time to notice the actions you take, following those feelings.

For instance, if you let yourself ruminate on negative emotions, it leads to a downward spiral. Here is where it is MOST important to talk to someone. Talking it out, hearing yourself say what you are feeling, is very cathartic. It is helpful to have someone help you come up with a plan of action, working toward a good place in your heart. Writing is also a great way to work through emotions so that you are able to move forward.

I see a large outpouring of love, help, and support on news and social media, and that is uplifting. In general, everyone is trying to have a positive effect on this situation, and everyone wants to do their part in getting our communities through this. I really hope, when life returns to “normal”, that we all hold on to that desire to uplift each other and the community.

How are you reacting to people?

Now is the time to be grateful for the people in our lives, especially if we are in a home with them. Now is the time to be thoughtful and courteous to others, as everyone is under a bit more stress. Now is the time to be patient with others, as we are all trying to deal with this situation the best we can. Now is the time to be understanding and empathetic. We don’t know the things that others may be experiencing right now. Now is the time to be the bigger man/woman. If someone else is being callous, that person is likely acting out of fear. Reacting in an aggressive manner will only add to that person’s fear.

Less whining, more gratitude-

Many of us aren’t giddy about the idea of staying home. Especially as spring is here and the weather is looking A-mazing. But we need to work together to get through this, and that means staying home as much as we can, and keeping more than a safe distance from others. We’re sacrificing a bit of freedom, but it is NOT as bad as it could be. If you have a home to stay in, be grateful. If you have food to eat whenever you are hungry, be grateful. If you have a neighborhood you can walk around safely while practicing social distancing, be grateful. If you have any family, any friends, be grateful. If you are well…be damn grateful. <Check out my friend, Kristi’s 28 days of gratitude.> 

We are all sacrificing, some much more than others. Our energies are much better spent practicing gratitude and doing something to help the cause. Where will you focus your energy?

Rethinking what’s most important-

What is most important to you right now? What do you wake up for? Your family? Your health? Think about it. Write it down. Focus on that. Think positive thoughts. And be kind.

Do you find that your diet and exercise routine have changed in the past few weeks? How do you feel physically? Mentally? Tune in tomorrow when I’ll talk a bit about nutrition and exercise in this age of social distancing.

Thoughts on life during the COVID-19 pandemic: Part 1A - Self-reflection

We are all experiencing this pandemic, I think, in a very different way. Sure, there are similarities overall in the experience as a whole, but the individual thoughts, feelings, reactions, situations, I’m sure, vary widely.

I am writing to share some of what I’m learning. Perhaps some of it resonates with you. I am confident that you’ve heard other’s thoughts and see that there is a range of experience that we are all going through. We are all doing our best, are in this together, and I hope that we all eventually come out better, as individuals, and as a society.

Getting to know yourself -

Well if there is one thing that I have a lot more of these days, it’s time. I realize there are those of us who may be working harder or longer, as they are essential employees. I also know that there are many of us staying at home a lot more, with more time on our hands. There are many different things we can be doing with that time. I imagine many people may be doing a lot of worrying, and many people are looking for distractions. Many are looking for ways to be productive, or supportive. Through it all, my hope is that many of us are learning a little bit (or a lot) more about ourselves. When we meet adversity, we learn about ourselves by how we react to and work through the situation.

If it’s been awhile since you’ve looked inward, since you’ve checked in with yourself, and you happen to be one of the people at home with some extra time, now is a great time to do that.

Notice your feelings-

I don’t know about you, but during these unique times, I go through a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions every day.

No matter your situation, whether this situation has only a small impact on you, or has changed your life in a significant way, everyone is feeling a plethora of emotions every day, and that’s normal. Feel those feelings. I would advise you to talk to someone about your feelings, or write them down. Writing it out can be really helpful, I’m serious.

As a whole, we are experiencing, together, a collective loss of routine, which brings forth an emotional response. Individually, we’re experiencing a unique set of emotions and feelings, but together, we are all responding to that loss of routine.

Uncertain, tense, grateful, creative, frustrated, joyful, scared, sad, happy, irritated, motivated, inspired, hesitant, confident, indifferent, blessed….any of those feelings resonate with you today?

What is important here is what you do beyond the processing of those feelings and emotions. Are you allowing yourself to ruminate on negative emotions? Or are you looking at the things for which you are grateful? How are you treating others at this time? Are you looking past your own feelings to consider the feelings and situation of others? Are you practicing empathy? Stay tuned as I continue with that, tomorrow. Until then, take some time to note and accept the feelings and emotions you are experiencing today.

-M

Anything is possible

“Possibility” is my word for 2020.

My daily mantra will be “Anything Is Possible”.

Sure, I know that anything is possible. Yet, I don’t think I am consistent in reminding myself of it.

There is something about January 1st

I think this is one of the refreshing things about the new year. With the new year, we look at this whole year ahead…and the possibilities. We do the same thing in smaller scale on the first of the month, Mondays, and beginning of a season. So much more possibility in a whole year, though!

For some, those possibilities remain in this dream-like state…not really defined, and likely to remain a dream. For others, the possibilities may be stated, may be defined loosely, and may or may not manifest as reality.

For a few, these possibilities are identified, clarified, and laid out, along with an action plan to turn those possibilities into probabilities. Doesn’t it feel good just thinking about that??

What possibilities do you ponder?

I mean this is what we live for, right? The possibility of your next meal, the possibility of education, the possibility of making money to acquire what you want, the possibility of traveling to a new place, the possibility of completing an athletic feat, the possibility of happiness, the possibility of connection….you get the picture.

The power of connection

The hope we feel, for the possible, is powerful. If your possibility falls closely in line with your values, then the hope fuels motivation. I think a secret ingredient here for that hope – is connection & communication.

We are social creatures. I think there is something very impactful about genuine support from others. We can talk to ourselves all day. Many of us are great at coming up with all the reasons why something might not be possible, especially those of us that spend a lot of time calculating risk (even if that risk is just pride).

The connection from an honest and non-threatening conversation can feed your brain and soul with new understandings, new perceptions, confidence, and the reminder that anything is possible.

From possible to probable

Ok, so I have my word for the year, and my daily mantra. What am I going to do with that? Am I going to spend the year in the clouds, just dreaming up possibilities?

No way. I am going to make the possible probable. I know I’ll increase my chances by taking action. So, in addition to clearly defining possibilities, I have to lay out my actions, and be sure that those actions include connecting and conversing with others.

I like thinking about it in terms of training for an endurance event, which I LOVE doing, so it’s easy for me to understand. When I participated in a 34-mile trail run through the mountains of Idaho last year, I put a lot of work in both physically and mentally. A year prior, I saw the possibility of completing that race, but I knew it would not be probable without laying out AND completing an action plan. There was A LOT of action involved in that process, and a lot of building mental toughness. Conversation and connection? Yes, there is plenty of conversation and connection between runners during training and during the event. Those connections absolutely helped me to have a good day on race day.

Enjoy the process, enjoy the journey. Sentiments often heard. And hey, life, and everything about it, is a journey. You better enjoy it. Find out what’s possible this year.

What’s your word for the year?

Need a reminder that anything is possible? Hit me up ;-)

Yours in health,

-M

How moving impacted my healthy lifestyle

We moved from San Diego, California to Bend, Oregon on Thanksgiving Day.

Derek began working from home in September, which is when we started to consider moving to a city that was a bit less crowded, had more of a community feel, where we could afford a house, and where we had easier access to outdoor activity. A nearby forest would be a bonus.

Bend quickly came to mind, and just a month later, we made an offer on a home while on a week-long scouting trip.

The new home!

We increased our square footage by about 1200. You can imagine what this did to me, given my minimalistic desires (I have since decided that it will be even easier to look minimalistic now that I have so much space, haha).

We did not have a refrigerator, pots/pans, washer, or dryer the first week we were here. Boxes were steadily being unpacked…and Derek had two trips on the calendar that week. Having arrived here right after a big snow, purchasing and installing snow tires on both cars quickly became top priority. You can see that I had my hands full.

I live a pretty healthy lifestyle. In San Diego, I had my routine down. Even when it didn’t appear to be routine, it was routine. Running or working out early morning. Plant based meal prep, all the time. I could grocery shop with my eyes closed.

Things are a little different now. First, it stays dark until around 7:30am, and dark again around 5pm. I’m not really ready to go for a run at 6:30am when it is dark. Second, it is cold! Everything is relative. It is colder than I am used to, which is another thing to keep me from working out too early…or late (this is going to be VERY different in the summer, yay!). Interestingly, the cold also affects my hunger, as many mornings I don’t eat until 8 or 9am (which is really late for me). I also feel ever dehydrated. The air is pretty dry here.

There are some great trails here for running, hiking, snowshoeing, etc., and many we’ve checked out so far are a 20-30 minute drive from the house.

On the diet front, I pretty much ate out the entire first week here. Sure, there were some salads, but there were also many pastries, sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, and beer. It’s easy to get caught up in it when you are exploring your new town.

Eating out the first week :-)

For a bougie food person, such as myself, figuring out the grocery store situation is a project. A project that entails driving distances, times, and routes, cost effectiveness, product selections (which drastically differ from store to store), waste control, and store visit combinations. Until I find my grocery shopping groove, I just feel like a mess. This means that we still have been eating out plenty, the last three weeks. It’s starting to come together, though.

Natural Grocers run

So, what is the moral of the story, here?

Lifestyle and environment are everything. They will both greatly influence your actions.

I live a healthy lifestyle. It remains a very important value to me. Because of that, even though my environment has completely changed, I will have the motivation and follow-through to find my new healthy lifestyle groove. What might that look like?

1.     In winter, outdoor runs will likely start around 8am, if I do a morning run. I know that in a worst-case bad weather scenario, I can run the treadmill at the gym.

2.     I’m going to become more involved in outdoor activities, both familiar, and new (like snowshoeing!).

3.     Gym workouts remain the same. We joined a great gym just 6 minutes from the house.

4.     There is a lot of good alcohol available in this town. In addition to the many great breweries, bars and wine, they have gas stations (and several grocery stores) that do growler fills, and several coffee shops that also serve alcohol. Since I enjoy beer, wine, and bourbon, I just have to be more cognizant about limiting myself.

Growler fills at the gas station

5.     I will eventually find my grocery groove. This may mean different go-to meals in the future, and cooking with different products.

6.     It is really easy to eat out a lot, here. Lots of places that are easy to get to. We have already found some addictive favorites. Again, it will be about balancing eating out with eating at home. It is REALLY easy to over eat if you eat out often, as most take-out food is rich in calories (especially pastries and desserts). So, just like we should drink responsibly, also eat responsibly.

7.     Connecting with the land here will be a treat. I am so excited to continue to explore the area…the trees, plants, mountains, river, trails, buttes, etc.

Shevlin Park

Adaptability is key here. I am so excited to be in my new house, in my new town. I love it here. There will be an adjustment period. As a good friend of mine recently mentioned, we are all a constant work in progress. Enjoy it!

The next time you have a transition, just keep your top values in check. If good health is important to you, understand that so many things can rustle your routine (new job, new place, break-up, new relationship, family stuff, friend stuff, travel, sickness, new diagnosis, etc.).

This is especially important if you are trying to make changes to live a healthier lifestyle. It is really easy to fall back into old routines, sometimes even 6 months – 1 year after you’ve implemented healthier habits (darn those neural pathways!). This just means that you need to stay aware and keep your healthy habits at the top of your priority list. I sometimes hear the “life gets in the way” excuse when someone tries to incorporate new healthy habits. If you make those new habits your life, it won’t get in the way.

Until next time…

Yours in health,

-M

Are you ready for a change in 2020?

Tomorrow is a new year…a new decade! Are you planning on making any New Year’s resolutions?

One poll by YouGov showed that 63% of Americans said they don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Will it be same ol, same ol for you, come January 1st? Or are you ready for a change?

It’s really easy to state something (or some things) that you’d like to do differently in the New Year. Will you be choosing one of the top two resolutions of better nutrition or more exercise? Here are some things to think about before you start writing down, videoing, or Instagramming your 2020 promises.

1.     Why are you ready for a change?

What is prompting your desire to change something in your life. How will this change positively impact you? Now, take that reason, and ask yourself…

”Is this one of my top values?”

If it is not, you may not follow through with it.

2.     Are you really ready to change your lifestyle?

This is of course, a very important question. Do you have the desire, the ability, the time, the motivation, to permanently make a lifestyle change? Can you stick with the consistency of actions? This is where working with a professional could be helpful. Another option would be to enlist the help of a spouse or friend to help keep you accountable. Think through all the reasons why you wouldn’t follow through with change, and be honest with yourself about how you will get around your obstacles, and don’t be wary about asking for help.

3.     Consider setting smaller goals with a shorter timeline

I suppose a New Year’s resolution is, well, for the year. That’s a long time. Since we already know that most resolutions are done by February (have you seen the difference in the gym between January & February??), then it might be a good idea to make monthly resolutions, with weekly goals. If you take it week by week, suddenly it seems much more doable. You could even switch things up month to month. Maybe you keep things health related, but have a nutrition goal one month, and exercise goal the next, mental health goal the next, and so on! For other thoughts on timelines and goal perspecitves, check out my friend Kristi’s thoughts, here.>

4.     Consider goals that are beneficial to your mental health

Speaking of mental health, if you didn’t already know, your brain and your gut are very closely connected. These two both make big impressions on each other, and the health of each will affect the health of the other. Therefore, taking good care of your mental health = taking good care of your GI tract. Yes, meditation is good for digestion. So is forest therapy, petting the dog, and breath work.

5.     ALWAYS remember to lay out your resolutions, and goals, as behaviors and actions that you can directly control.

For instance, “losing 10 pounds” is not a goal that is always directly in your control. Instead, you could set a goal of “eating 3 servings of veggies each day” or “abstain from alcohol the next week”.

In another example “being less stressed” is also not always directly in your control. “Meditate for 30 minutes each day” would be a better option.

I hope this helps you to come up with your best plan of action, whatever it may be, in the new year. Do it for you, your happiness, your health, your well-being. By taking care of you first, you will be much better able to take care of others, and have a positive impact on those around you just by living a better quality of life. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you want to talk about any of this in more detail!

Yours in health,

-M

What’s on your plate this Christmas? Healthy lifestyle tips for the big day.

Ahhh, Christmas (or, whichever holiday you celebrate). The season of eating. Couple that with the fact that in many places, it is also cold and dreary…well, it’s likely you may be over eating this time of year.

So, what will be on your plate for your holiday dinner (and lunch, breakfast, snacks, and so on)? For me, it’s an invite to a neighbor’s home, in my new neighborhood. The icing on the cake? He’s a chef. Score. What’s for dinner? Beef Wellington. Double score. But wait…that is full of gluten, and dairy, and red meat…Yeah, but it’s Beef Wellington.

This time of year is full of these “once a year” kind of dishes.

What’s the point of this post? Three simple things to incorporate into your holiday feast.

1.     You are likely going to have several other “once a year”, or even “possibly once in a lifetime” food events in the next year. In today’s world, it isn’t necessary to eat your meal like it’s the last meal. Practice restraint. It takes work, but it is possible. It also can make your meal much more enjoyable when you can savor it, AND not feel physically miserable afterward.

2.     Eat. Your. Veggies. Include AT LEAST five servings of vegetables & fruit into each day. Sorry, scalloped potatoes don’t count. I’m talking salad, broccoli, green beans, carrots, apples, berries, you get the picture. Colorful and raw, or slightly cooked with little added fat and sugar, is best. However, I’d rather you eat green bean casserole, than no vegetables at all.

3.     Lastly, move your ass. You can move other parts of your body as well, but since your gluteus maximus IS your largest muscle…you get the most bang for your buck keeping those things in motion. You have many options here. Weather shitty? Walk around your house. No time? I don’t want to hear it. There is time. If your good health is important to you, you will make the time by incorporating movement into your day. If you have physical limitations that keep you from moving comfortably, then I would recommend you work with a specialist to help you navigate your limitations to achieve your best well-being.

So tonight, I will enjoy a modest portion Beef Wellington, along with a modest portion of the colorful side salad that I’m bringing. I will not indulge (much) in the artfully crafted parmesan breadsticks from the local bakery…because I can have those any day of the week. I WILL have a bit of the cardamom cinnamon roll bread pudding (say what??)  for dessert. But before dinner, I will have a large salad for lunch. This morning, the hubs and I will be driving out to explore some new hiking trails, out by a waterfall and old volcano flows.

And just like many of us, I will launch the New Year with some sort of “reset”/“cleanse”/”undo what I did the past month” program. More on that later, so please stay tuned.

Merry Christmas, y’all! Have a wonderful day, filled with love, laughter, and adventure.

xxoo

-M

What Is Forest Therapy and why should you try it?

I am now a Certified Forest Therapy Guide. I am so excited!

So “What’s that?”, you ask?

Forest Bathing got its start in Japan in the 1980’s. During the tech boom, the country suffered declining health trends, evidenced by an increase in depression, heart disease, social withdrawal, and suicide rates (By the way, these trends are currently being experienced across the United States and in other nations today). As 70% of Japan is covered in forests, it wasn’t long before early pioneers, such as Drs. Qing Li, and Yoshifumi Miyazaki researched the benefits of mindful time spent in the forest. Their studies showed that the practice of forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku as it is called in Japan, helped to reduce blood pressure, anxiety, stress, and aid sleep. The practice also helped to counter illnesses such as cancer and depression. One of the reasons for this positive benefit were chemicals called phytoncides. Phytoncides are emitted by trees to protect themselves. When humans breath these chemicals in, our bodies react by increasing its natural killer cells (NK cells) and, in turn, boosting immunity.

Forest bathing is now part of the health care system in Japan. I hope that someday soon the U.S. will follow suit. Physicians could prescribe forest therapy walks to help with the management and prevention of many ailments. The icing on the cake would be for guided walks to be covered by insurance companies.

The EPA estimates that Americans spend 93% of their day indoors.

We evolved in nature. We are nature. We are becoming increasingly disconnected to the very place we came from. Getting outdoors to the wilderness, local trails, nearby parks, or even your front or backyard is beneficial to your physical and mental health. We sit inside way too much. As a matter of fact, I’m going to go for a walk outside, then I will come back to finish this post.

Forest therapy is related to meditation, getting into nature, and being mindful…but it is a bit different. When I guide you into the forest, I will invite you to engage with your surroundings, with all of your senses, maybe even some senses you forgot you had.

It isn’t a hike or a nature walk. It isn’t about exercise at all. Many walks don’t even cover much ground. What I like about this is that this makes forest therapy very accessible to a variety of people. I have seen reports from walks for many different groups of people, like children, parents & children, seniors, corporate office groups, dog owners with their pups, bachelorette parties, etc.

While you are in the forest, engaging with your senses, you go through a journey; your own journey. My agenda is that I have no agenda. I merely open the doors and create an opportunity for you to have your own very unique experience. Because of that, no two walks will ever be the same. You could join a walk in the same location, with the same guide, and it will be different. You will be a different person on each of those days, and the forest will be different.

Our day-to-day lives are full of non-stop distraction. Workdays are filled with emails, phone calls, meetings, and getting the job done. At home, it’s constant to-do lists, errands, cleaning, child care, and if you’re lucky, the distraction of a book or TV before you hit the hay. You get the picture. On a forest therapy walk, I bring you to a place where you have the opportunity and permission to slow down. You can slow to a crawl or stop, and notice everything around you with more than just a hurried glance.

Another valuable result of forest therapy walks, is the connection to other people. During the walk, we practice listening to each other, without judgment. This is really important. In a world where we are relating to each other less and less in person, these walks do wonders for helping people to feel a sense of community. In addition, participants feel like part of the community of the natural world.

Everyone could benefit from forest therapy. It is beneficial to your health, and connects you to yourself, others, and the natural world. The result? You feel a greater sense of awareness, less stressed, and more grounded. As a result, you are most likely moved to take better care of yourself, others, and the natural world.

Ready to go on a walk? Reach out to me! My days in San Diego are limited. Soon I’ll be based in Bend, Oregon, leading walks there. No matter where you live, though, reach out. I may be able to put you in touch with a guide in your area.

Interested in becoming a guide yourself? Check out www.natureandforesttherapy.org

An imperfect situation at Lake Miramar = An opportunity to connect

Miramar Lake, a 15-minute drive from my house. I used to chuckle at my husband for driving 15 minutes to run five miles, as we can just as easily run five miles from our doorstep, down one road, and up another, to a bike path. Plus, the route from our doorstep included hills, unlike the very flat road around Miramar Lake (another plus in my husband’s opinion).

It wasn’t until I ran the lake a couple of times to realize why I now drive the 15 minutes there to do my shorter runs.  

Lake flora on a foggy morning.

I started to notice the constant smell of exhaust coming from the many cars on the road by our house, as I ran, in addition to all the cars speeding by, constantly. At the lake, no cars, and much more wildlife and plant life to observe. It is a pretty popular lake, so there are also many other people there walking, running, and riding bikes. I still, now, find it much more pleasurable than an exhaust-filled run from my house.

I arrived at Miramar Lake this morning ready to pump out a “quick” 7-mile run, as required for my training plan, when I arrived to a closed gate. Miramar Lake is now closed every first Tuesday of the month, due to their restricted budget. Ahhhh, where can I park?? I quickly turned around and, luckily, snagged a spot close by in an adjacent lot. Good, I’ll still be able to run the lake.

When I got to the lake I saw a gate was closed on one end, with no way to get around. I already heard of people who went all the way around, only to find out they had to come back the 5 miles they just came. No worries for me, I could do a nice 3.5 mile out and back to make my 7.

A moment of captivating stillness at Miramar Lake

Since the gates were closed, there were considerably less people around, meaning the bird show this particular morning was quite magnificent…scrub jay, scaly-breasted munia, towhee, spotted towhee, goldfinch, and more!

I went to put on my headphones, when, to my surprise, I realized I forgot them. Crap! Seven road miles with no headphones?? (Training for this ultramarathon, I have had to resort to earphones to keep me focused on running…otherwise I just stop constantly to look at plants and animals. It’s kind of comical sometimes.) Then, I thought, wait, this place is full of nature, especially this morning…what an opportunity to tune into my senses! And I did.

The sounds were just incredible. A symphony of birds. Every now and then the sound of humans, the sound of my breathing (ok, huffing & puffing), the sound of my water swishing in the bottle, the wind, machinery. I could hear the textures and layers of sound. It was beautiful.

Saw a beauty, like this guy, towards the end of my run. Photo credit: iNaturalist

Then I thought of my sense of touch, how the wind felt on one side of my body, the same with the sun and the heat I felt on certain parts of my arms and face, the way my skin felt under my clothes, the way the asphalt felt under my shoes, and the way the moisture of my sweat felt on my face and forearms. Towards the end of the run I felt the fatigue set in, and how it felt to push my body harder, and how cool it was that I have built the strength for my body to rise to that demand.

Throughout the run, my sense of sight was constantly engaged, looking at the many beings in motion, birds, people, dogs, trees and plants swaying in the wind, the beautiful purple-ish wire lettuce that has been blooming lately, along with the laurel sumac, and some monkeyflower. I particularly paid attention to people, shouting a louder “good morning” than usual, to each person I passed head on, and every person I passed. As our culture becomes more and more self-absorbed into their computers, phones, earphones, and such, I work to try and stay connected with other people, through eye contact and conversation.

Wire lettuce in bloom all around the lake

As I neared my turnaround point, I came across a woman walking her return trip, shouting into her phone her extreme disappointment in the gate being locked (Making her 5-mile morning walk before work, a 10-mile one. It sounded like she might be talking to her boss). Coming as a surprise, I understand the rather immediate reaction to be one of, um, freaking out. But, when you think about it, there is nothing you can do other than walk back, so might as well enjoy the fact that you just got another hour plus of exercise and connecting with nature. Score.

So yeah, it was a good morning. I’m glad the lake was closed, and that I forgot my earphones.

-M

My Final Ultramarathon: They probably should have warned me that this class might ruin my running career.

Derek and I are signed up to run the 55k (35-ish miles) Beaverhead Endurance Run in Idaho, July 13th. It is at high elevation (~5500-10,000 ft), much of it along the Continental Divide Trail, and reported to be one of the toughest races of the Pacific Northwest.

What possess me to sign us up for these things?

Well, it’s been my “thing” since I finally “found myself” circa 2007. I just loved pushing my physical limits, starting with a marathon, going quickly into triathlon,

Mission Bay Women’s Sprint Triathlon, 2008

and right to the Ironman,

Ironman St. George, 2010…super excited, kinda scared :-)

then a 120 mile 6 day stage race in the Rockies (here’s where trail running hooked me),

Transrockies 2011 - Having fun in the water with my teammate, Tracie - Team Double Happiness!

followed by a 50 mile trail run up and down a mountain on the PCT,

At mile 44-ish, the last aid station of the PCT 50 trail run, 2012

then hiking Whitney in a day,

Almost there! The air was thin, and it was breezy :-)

oh and mixing it up a bit with a couple of bodybuilding shows (a different kind of endurance, maybe even more painful when you include the diet).

NPC 2014 competition

Support posse group photo - NPC 2016 competition

 Last fall, I completed a ten-week naturalist education class to become a Canyoneer with the San Diego Natural History Museum. We lead hikes all over San Diego County, from the mountains, to the coast, in the canyons, to the desert. It was a very fun and interesting class full of information about local plants, animals, insects, habitats and Native American culture. I’ve always been drawn to nature, loved the outdoors, and loved hiking, so the class seemed like a perfect fit for me.

They probably should have warned me that this class might ruin my running career. 

Hiking with the Canyoneers in the desert

Good thing running isn’t actually my career. I’m not that fast of a runner, but I do like to enter long distance races (if you can’t go fast, go far!). The only thing I really race is the official cut-off time. As I’ve always said, I enter to complete, not compete.

Well, if I was a “slow runner” before…imagine me now, stopping every few minutes to look at a flower, or a bird, tracks, or even poop on the trail. I still like the challenge of going long distance, but the reality is I don’t really have the drive anymore to “just run”. With trail running, you spend A LOT of time looking at your feet, and where to put your feet. If you spend too much time gawking at the scenery, you might break your face when you trip and it hits the trail. Just saying.

So yeah, you’re looking at your feet, pushing hard enough that at most times you have tunnel vision, huffing and puffing…not conducive for experiencing the details of your surroundings.

oooh….flower!

I was looking at persuing training through ANFT to become a forest therapy guide, and taking the Canyoneer class helped me solidify that decision…

As if my Canyoneer class didn’t do enough of a number on me, allow me to tell you about my recent Forest Therapy Guide training immersion. That’s right, I am on the way to becoming your friendly, local Certified Forest Therapy Guide. I thought naturalist walks made me slow down...much of forest therapy walks are spent standing or sitting still. After a week of sitting and feeling the forest and surrounding nature, then talking about it, and now spending the next five or so months carrying out my remaining assignments and projects, well you can see how this makes an interesting tug-of-war with my current ultramarathon run training.

On a walk during guide training

I thought a lot about this quote I learned in my forest therapy guide training:

“I don’t think people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.” – Joseph Campbell

I think that through intense physical effort, I really felt alive. I kind of liked the pain of running (and hiking) for hours, pushing my body further and further, feeling the air get thinner when I went up a mountain, my muscles screaming while lifting weights. Pushing my body through cold, heat, snow, water, hills, fear, exhaustion…I felt alive. And I loved it. Signing up for long distance races gave me reason to go out and feel that multiple times a week, often for hours at a time.

Fast forward to today, with my naturalist training bringing my awareness to all of the big and little species of beings in the natural world around me, along with my forest therapy guide training bringing my awareness to myself, how my own body feels the natural world through all of its senses (beyond the basic 5!), and I feel quite alive, just standing on a trail.

Now, I look at the months of training I spend focused on my feet, the tunnel vision, getting from point A to point B, hours and hours, miles and miles and everything I’m missing along the way! Now that I am so aware of everything around me, to see, touch, smell, hear, share, love, imagine….I can’t make myself unaware, and I can’t ignore it.

I decided that this upcoming race will likely be my last official long-distance run. I don’t want to commit myself to anymore 4-month, or longer, training plans where I constantly feel pressure to ignore most of the things I want to check out. I want to be able to linger, experience the things that are often looked over, many of those things being profound discoveries! I’ve found a different way to feel alive, and I’m really excited about it.

When I graduated from my Canyoneer class last fall, I said to one of my instructors that I felt a significant change, whereas before you could say that I was separate from nature. There was nature, and there was me. The class helped me to feel like I was within nature. The path that I am currently on with my forest therapy guide training, shows me that I am nature. What a beautiful evolution.

This is not to say I won’t push my physical limits anymore. I’ll always be an active girl, and I will still hit the gym, boot camps, run some trails, cycle, and hike up mountains.

I’ve been wanting to put these thoughts on paper for a while now, and if you have read this up to now, wow, thanks for witnessing my story. I think it is such a beautiful thing to see ourselves evolve, move in different directions, and hunt for new, meaningful experiences. I hope that in your life you are listening to your heart and your body, loving and taking care of yourself, moving toward the things you want, keeping good company, and spending time in nature.

-M

Meal Prep Is Essential To Your Good Health

Meal prep. It is the cool, healthy thing to do.

But why, meal prep?

Well, historically, most people ate a majority of their meals at home. We ate breakfast at 8am, lunch at noon, dinner at 6pm, usually at a kitchen table, with our family. Women packed lunches for their husbands and children. A lot of the food we ate was home made. There weren’t many food options outside of the home.

Long story short, things have drastically changed. These days, many of us eat more than 50% or more of our meals prepared outside the home. Food is everywhere. If you don’t see it, not to worry, make a call and you can have just about anything you desire delivered within the hour.

Awesome, right? Takeout, delivery, cafe, restaurant food…it is delicious. But just as our availability of prepared food, and the convenience of acquiring it, has increased, so have our waistlines. The CDC reports a 2015-2016 obesity rate of 39.8%. That’s not overweight, it’s obesity. Want to know the rate of overweight + obesity in our country? This is the most recent statistic I could find.

2013-2014 overweight + obesity rate in America: 70.2% (NIH)

Which is what brings me back to the importance of meal prep. We could sit here and discuss many, many factors that have contributed to this increase in size of our country, but I’m just going to focus on one here.

We’re eating too many calories.

In addition to that, the majority of many diets in our country consist of poor quality food.

We’ve got to revert back to the age of home cooked meals. Ok, it is practically impossible for many of us to eat many of our meals at home, but we can prepare them at home and take them with us.

We need to pay better attention to what we’re consuming, and I know, it’s a lot of work. In this culture of “more is better”, restaurant food portions are out of control. Many meals we eat, even that sandwich or acai bowl, can contain half to a full day’s worth of calories! Even when you think you are doing good by ordering off a menu that states ingredients and calories, both the ingredients and calories may differ in the meal you receive.

I’m not saying you have to stop eating out and say goodbye to treats, I’m just saying that most of your meals and snacks should be home prepared.

So, why meal prep?

1. You can control your portions and calories.

Once you find out the calories you should be eating each day, you can start to get the hang of what your portion sizes should look like for meals and snacks. This way you don’t have to worry about overeating meals that are too large for you.

2. You know the exact ingredients in your meals/snacks.

Working in restaurants, I’ve seen how fish is doused in extra oil before being brought to the table, or an employee give wrong information about ingredients. When you make your own meals, you know what is in your food. It’s empowering.

3. You are a bit more invested and connected to what you eat.

This is probably my favorite reason because I truly believe in the nourishing quality of being personally connected to your meals. Knowing where the ingredients came from, participating in the preparation, learning about the different ingredients…there is a lot of connection, through all of your senses, that happens here.

I know that for many, the issue is time. Just as with everything that is most important to you, you make time for what is most important.

If you need any help with any part of meal prep, from planning, to the actual preparing, please reach out! I offer services that cover everything from planning, to shopping, to preparation of meals in your home, if needed. If you are just in need of ideas, the internet is full of information regarding menus, planning, and ideas for specific diets.

Happy meal prepping!

-M