9 months later and back in the game!

It's been an interesting 9 months since I've been in this space.  After not getting much from the physio I was seeing in August, I made the decision in September, to take a go at rehab on my own.  I started incorporating HIIT routines, and pretty much put running aside.  I took out a membership at our local YMCA and began swimming once a week and riding my bike.

By December, my husband and I thought it was time to seek out professional help again.  I had heard about a clinic associated with the University of Calgary that had done research on patellafermoral, and I signed up for a biomechanical assessment.  Holy crips!  I was weak in my glutes, my ankles, and was told I might also be looking at chondromalacia (that was more than disheartening).  But I was also told I would be back running by February (I didn't believe it).

But I started doing my nightly physio exercises, and by January that saw me doing 45 minutes a night - almost a workout in itself!  And amazingly, I was back running.  Slowly.  I started with 1 minute run and 1 minute walk.  By the end of January I was up to 10 and 1's and running 5Ks again.  From there it's been onwards and upwards!

In March I ran the St Patty's Day race, and was so pleased with how my knee felt, and with my time.  I clocked in at 58 minutes.  I took the course easy, and did my prescribed 10 and 1's, then pushed it right at the end.

April saw me starting a triathlon swim class, and starting to work on increasing my distance past 10K.  This has been challenging, as my calf seems to tighten up when I get at the 10K distance.  On a training run of 14K my calf was so tight afterwards I had a hard time walking down stairs afterwards.

Just last weekend I ran the Eyeball the Wall 15K run, and was SO pleased with the race.  I ran a negative split, and my run times on the last half were all under 5:30m/k!  And my knee felt GREAT, with my calf only tightening up halfway through then releasing.  BUT, the next morning getting out of bed, my knee collapsed under me.  Oi.  Looks like I have more work to do and that the patellafemoral is alive and well.

I have my first Tri (a Sprint), in just two weeks time, so my focus right now is to get acquainted with a new to me road bike (affectionately known as Ruby), and to keep at my swim to try and clip some seconds off my 750m time. I'm feeling nervous and excited at dipping my toes into the triathlon world.

Letting Go

Sometimes the hardest decisions, are also the easiest ones.  It's a strange place to be when you can so clearly see both sides.

I had been holding out hope that I'd still be able to run the Victoria Marathon, or at least the half.  I would get to 3K on my treadmill and somehow think it was doable.  But the reality is, I'm scared to run after my kids, I'm afraid to run outside, and sometimes taking that first step after a walk break on the treadmill feels alot like "oh sh*t, what might happen?"

I had had two successful runs this past week with no pain.  I started incorporating a knee brace, and with that on, ran a 5K and then two days later a 7K.  But yesterday, I did my run walk, and had pain at 6.5, then again at 7.5.  I made it 8K before I shut the treadmill off.  I tried picking up my phone to cancel our hotel, but just couldn't do it.  Not because I was overly upset, it was just something too big for me to do.  So I had my hubby do it.  I sat and stretched while he cancelled our flights and our room.  I just needed to have that weight off of my shoulders.  These crazy distances looming there that I thought somehow I could acheive.

And with that lifted, I have nothing else on the calendar other than Winterstart in Banff, which is a 5 miler.  Easy enough that I can walk, and I'm there with a girlfriend, so will have company along the route.

I have learned alot this past Summer, and credit alot of it to my knee injury, but also to watching Ironman Whistler.  I was humbled by the marathoners, who after a swim, and bike, AND in grueling conditions, made that marathon look "easy".  When you attend a marathon on it's own, there is carnage everywhere near the end.  Not at the Ironman.  And I clearly saw that there is a better way to train.  I took a swim class in August through our city, swimming twice a week working on stroke improvement.  And I got onto my bike and started cycling at least once a week.  I've incorporated yin yoga, and just recently some pilates to focus on my core.  On top of all that I'm doing my physio exercises and icing my knee.  Truth to be told, I'm more active now than when I was just logging long distances.

With Vic off the table, I'll be cancelling my physio appointments, and taking time to just BE.  I'll be doing all I wrote above, and running no more than 5K's.  I might even take the next few weeks off.  It's also two days from my 36th birthday, so I've been reflecting on what some of my yearly goals will be.  With rehabilitation in mind, here how I hope to approach things:

1.  Take time off running until I no longer hear a click in my knee going up stairs.
2.  Get to the point that without thinking, I freely chase after my kids (right now, I'm scared to run after them at all).
3.  Once those two are hit, back on the treadmill and see how the knee is fairing.
4.  Get back outside and running on the road.
5.  Get stronger and faster at swimming.  I've taken out a Y membership so I can swim twice a week while my littlest is at preschool.  I am right now doing 1K in 1 hr.  I'd like to see that get faster, and I'd like to improve my endurance on my front crawl.
6.  Try out a cycling class.  Tricky due to timing, but I'd like to find a way to give it a go.
7.  Try a triathlon in the Spring.  I've looked at the Strathmore Diva Run or the Vulcan Tin Man.  I don't have a road bike so need a nice introduction, with a run no longer than 5K as I don't know where my knee will be at.
8.  Maybe, maybe, thinking a year away to next Fall, maybe a half will be possible.  Maybe not.  Not clinging too tightly to that as a goal.  Maybe a distant wish.  Time will tell.

I've had some say (and even myself) that my family has had a really crappy year.  It is true that it could be looked at that way.  But there is a positive lining to everything, and I have learned alot about myself, my family, my friends, and I truly feel blessed to see the world the way I see it now.

School starts back up here on Tuesday, and hopefully I'll be in this space more often!

Runner Down

The past two months were filled with year end school activities, a family trip to Vancouver Island, spending our days wondering when the next thunderstorm would hit, and catching some rays when the days brightened.  I also managed to run the Millarville Half Marathon, the Stampede Half Marathon, and the 5 Peaks Glenbow run.

Those first two halfs, and my training in between, I was on FIRE.  My times were coming down, I felt strong, and fast.  I recall thinking that it was too good to be true.  Maybe those words/thoughts shouldn't be uttered, because about 3 weeks ago, I went down fast.

I ran a 16K run in Victoria, hoping for 25 but my legs were so tired.  I checked Strava and saw that my kilometers were close to 500 on the shoe.  Holy cripes!  And I did a foolish thing.  Maybe.  I left those shoes there, and came home and the NEXT day, ran the Stampede Half Marathon.  That race was great despite the early start and time change.  I love the course around the Reservoir, the race shirt never disappoints, and this year I had the pleasure of my brother and SIL also running the course.

Dudes, then things crumbled.  That following week, I texted my hubby at 9K and asked for a pick up.  9K.  I don't think I've ever done that.  I trudged through and made it to 17.  From then on, I would near 4K and my knee would feel like it was being cut.  I've never experienced a running injury like it, and I've had a few.  I tore my achilles before Boston and was in an air cast, and I'm no stranger to IT injuries.  But knee.  Never the knee.  And here I was, 4K and I could not run.

A friend referred me to a great physio close to home, who told me it was Runners Knee as well as Quadricep Tendonitis.  I have been receiving acupuncture and some torturous ultrasound as well as wearing Kinesiology tape 24/7.  I saw Chiro last week who told me that my knee is showing the symptoms, but she thinks it is due to tight hip flexors and that my SI was locked.

I am doing EVERYTHING I can to try and beat this.

Yoga - almost daily now since my brother sent me some Yin Yoga tapes.
Icing twice daily
Rolling as allowed
And running as far as I can before pain.

I made it 10K on the treadmill this past weekend and had to stop to put my kids to bed.  Coming down the stairs was NOT good.  I made it 1K more and decided I needed to be smart and stop.

I was doing SO well maintaining a half marathon base after Vancouver, and this is honestly killing me.  I run not for fitness, but because it gives me time just for me.  To get my mind cleared as I pound the pavement.  To process and deal with things I need time to think through.  Space to take in the air and beauty around me.  I just do not get that same release in a 25 minute run.

I'm sad dudes and am close to having to make some hard decisions about an upcoming 5Peaks race this coming weekend, but more so, my Fall marathon.  I should be running kilometers around the 25K mark and I can't manage 11 comfortably.  My physio said that physiologically a half is the same as a full.  But to me I know it's not for my body.  I don't know what to do.  My heart knows where it is leaning though, I'm just holding back.

Last night my hubby and I were out for our anniversary date and at one point he gently said "do you know you've been talking about endurance sports for over an hour".  Cripes.  I need an outlet.  Maybe laying it all out here will help.  And I'm starting swim lessons Tuesday and getting better acquainted with my bike.

But wow do I miss my running shoes.

Have you ever had an injury that's taken you out for awhile?  How did you cope physically and emotionally?

BMO Vancouver Marathon Race Review

I've been home for a week now since running the BMO Marathon, and have already laced back up my shoes twice to run!

I was in the 4th corral.  They did a countdown for each corral to start.  I had batman in mine!

Vancouver was more than expected.  Both in scenery, and also on the course.  It was a TOUGH run.  I've been trying to think about what made the course so difficult - the rolling hills? The major climb at the 8K mark, or perhaps the heat?  A friend texted me an article where an elite runner was being interviewed and he described the course as "rough".  Two other BMO finishers I saw in Calgary on Saturday said that they run it every year but saw more "carnage" this year.  

My favorite section of the course

Putting the difficulty aside, I cut a whopping 21 minutes off my Calgary finish time from not quite a year ago.  I finished in 4:27 laying out EVERYTHING I had on the course.  Physically, mentally, and emotionally.  It is the first time I hit a mental wall at only 19K and cried after crossing the finish line.  When I hit the mental wall, my calf was starting to seize up, and I could feel my hip flexor tensing.  Thankfully it came and went over the course and wasn't persistent.  Initially I was going to run without my phone but I was glad I did.  It came in very handy at 21K to start texting my girlfriend and my hubby to get some much needed mental support.  At 39K I was pretty sure the seawall would never end.  I was running without headphones (probably not a repeat at another 42K event), so I turned on the tunes on my phone.  I figured it would either also help the rest of the runners around me, or encourage them to run faster ha ha.  We rocked it out to Pat Benatars "Hit it with your best shot" to help get us to the end.

Hello ocean! 

So what brought down my time by 21 minutes?

Calgary:  Sometimes I only got in 2 runs a week
Vancouver: I ran a minimum of 3 times a week, usually 4 times a week

Calgary: All my runs were at the same pace
Vancouver: I incorporated both speed and hill training

Calgary: Some runs only saw 3.5K as a distance
Vancouver: My runs were a minimum of 5K

Calgary: No mid week long run
Vancouver: I had a mid week long run of at least 10K that I did steady, no walk breaks

Big difference heh?  This past January when I laced up my shoes to train for Van, it was the first time I actually trained for a race since 2006.  Training shows results!!!

I really went into Van wanting to see a 4:20, given my long run pace would have brought me in to that.  But race day played some different elements.  I was reading back through old posts, and saw in 2014 I wanted to run a 4:30 marathon again.  It gave me perspective (as well as LOTS of perspective graciously and lovingly given from friends and family).  A week post I'm owning my 4:27 and am looking at my training and thinking on what I can do to tick furthur minutes and seconds off.

My parents are awesome cheerleaders.  I saw them 4 times on the course!  This was marathon #6 they've cheered for me at!

Realistically I know I can't add any more runs or distance to my week, as I need to strike a balance with my family.  But what I can add in is on days I had previously taken off, add in a day of core or yoga.  Both would be good for me and might be fun for my kids to do with me.  My next Marathon is this coming fall and will also involve some rolling hills.  I'll be adding more hill repeats into rotation!

So true.

Thanks Vancouver.  It was a fun, hard, heart opening challenge.  I came away from it wanting to try it again, just to see if I can conquer some of the mental walls I faced.  One year I'll be back (and hopefully sooner than another 11 year jag!)

Yes!

A great marathon finishes at a Starbucks ;)

A month has come and (almost) gone

It's been awhile since I've been in this space.  February was a doozy.  After the loss of Big Red, just two weeks later we saw the passing of my Grandfather.  It was sudden, and left me without the ability to communicate for a time.  The rawness of both losses left me not even knowing what to even say.  Both losses presented such different types of grief.  Spring is starting to show signs of arriving, with the sun being up longer, days being warmer, and slight touches of green grass.  Things are turning new and days once again feel lighter.

Can you belive that there are only 33 days left now until I race the Vancouver Marathon?  I've been putting in longer kilometers this past month, doing a couple 30Km runs as well as a 32.  The next two weeks are the final push where I will log 34 and then 36 before my taper begins.  I'm as ready as really one can be for a full marathon.  The distance as my brother was saying this weekend, is so elusive.  I always told people it is a distance that needs respect.  I'm going into it with a time goal in mind, but a secondary goal of just chipping off even a few minutes off of my Calgary time last June.

In the crafting world, I am still working on my Icelandic sweater, have a birthday gift from two years ago STILL on the needles for my Mom, have recently picked up a cross stitch kit that I bought three years ago, have a cowl on the go knit with the MOST delicious yarn, AND, my eldest will soon be turning 8.  Are you tired reading that list?  Me too - ha!  As I type this I have pink and rainbow speckled yarn sitting beside me, that needs to turn into a ballet shrug by the 5th of May.  No problem right?  Right!

I've been reading your blogs, keeping in touch with friends, and finally feel like I'm not treading water.

For those that follow me on Instagram, thanks for your love and support as I worked through this past month.  You all mean alot to me and my family <3

A week in phone photos

After my short long run of 14K this past weekend, I met up with a good friend for lunch (er breakfast because the kind cafe was willing to make me french toast).  Such a tasty way to end a run.  And check out that mochachino!

I expected french toast but got so much more.  All that fruit was delicious!

Once home my middle dressed up in all my running clothes (including my compression socks).

Not to be unincluded, my littlest found my new runners and got in on the dress up action.

I started the sleeves to my Icelandic sweater.  I did the cuffs seperately on double pointed needles, then once past the colorwork joined them for two at a time on two circulars.

Our Golden Retriever affectionately called Red (or Clifford, or Cliff, or with his middle name Clifford Rufus).  He requires so much more than a caption.  He hasn't been well and we are preparing to say goodbye.

A swap!  A Rav member sent me a message about a skein I was willing to part with.  She made me these two awesome bags as an exchange.  I've already put my sweater sleeves into one of them!

I retired these shoes this week.  They ran a total of 403K.  Wow!

What's on your phone this past week?

Muffin Monday

One of my resolutions this coming year (note I didn't use the word goal because this HAS to stick) is to make healthier snacks and meals for my family.  For a good chunk of time I was using a meal planner, and using flyers to buy things on sale and in bulk.  I rarely needed to make an emergency run to the store.  Sometime this past Fall, with the craziness of two kids in programs and a toddler underfoot, my planning slipped.  We started eating out more, I had more meals on the table I wasn't pleased with, and over the holidays I knew I wanted things to change.

Monday mornings are always spent at home, so I plan to make a fresh batch of muffins at the start of each week.  Muffins are great for school snacks, and also great for a quick add on to a breakfast.  I like my muffins less cake like, and more health focused.  I hope you enjoy the recipes I post here that I've baked for my family.

First up today, looking at what I had in my kitchen, I turned to a recipe that I could use apples with.  Here's what I found:

INGREDIENTS

For the apple muffins:

• 1½ cups finely chopped apples (I used Pink Lady // with peel is great!)
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (I used double acting)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon allspice

For the crunchy topping:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To prep ingredients: Microwave or heat the coconut oil until it's liquified. Repeat the same process for the milk to bring it to room temperature. (If you don't do this, the coconut oil will clump together when it mixes with the cold milk.) Add the vinegar to the milk and let it sit for a few minutes to turn into "buttermilk" - or just use real buttermilk instead!
2. For the muffins: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the coconut oil, buttermilk, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and allspice. Stir until just combined. Fold in the apples. Scoop the mixture into a greased or lined muffin tin - mini, regular, or jumbo sizes will all work.
3. For the topping: Melt the butter for the topping. Add the sugar and cinnamon; spoon over the tops of the muffins. You only need a little bit to get the crunchy top effect, but if y
   ou love those crunchy cinnamon sugar tops, I'd suggest making twice or three times as much topping as what's listed here.
4. Bake the muffins for 15 minutes, more or less by a few minutes depending on size. The muffins should be golden brown with big round tops that spring back when you press them.

NOTES

These are intended to be very simple without a really strong cinnamon flavor (other than the topping) - there is one teaspoon of allspice (which carries some cinnamony flavors) in the batter, but if you are looking for more than just a pinch of spice, I'd suggest adding a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter.

These turned out really great.  My littlest quickly ate three of them (I always bake mine into mini muffins).  Even my middle who is my harder to please eater, enjoyed them.  Plus for me is I didn't have to bring out my mixer for them, I was able to do it all by hand.  The coconut oil only took about 45 seconds to melt in the microwave.  One Gala apple was plenty for one batch.  Wanting to avoid the extra sugar, I left the topping off.

If you make them would love to hear what you think!

Here's to a (hopeful, they may not last that long) week of muffin goodness :)

New Year Running Reflections

Happy New Year friends!  Are you one to set resolutions?  I must say I'm not.  I put enough pressure on myself without having to have a word define that I should get something accomplished.  But I do like setting goals.  (Notice how the slight change in word gives some wiggle room to get out of it all) ;)

I spent some time yesterday reflecting on 2014.  I went into the year hoping to run a half marathon.  December of 2013 I ran my first 10K post having my littlest, and did NOT feel prepared for the Hypothermic Half I was set to run in February.  I'm excited looking back that not only did I run that half, but by the end of the year, running a half became an easily accomplishable goal.  I even ran my first full marathon in June!

Running in Banff beginning of December.

Such a beautiful course.  This is on my must do list now!

Running into the finish at Drumheller.

With the full marathon under my belt, I've set some time goals for myself for 2015.  In May I will run the Vancouver full marathon, and would love to see a time of 4:30.  I ran Calgary in just over 4:40 after having some difficulty on course.  I have some ways to mitigate the issues I had if they appear again in Vancouver, so feel sort of confidant about the 4:30.  

What a treat to train for the Calgary Marathon in Hawaii!

Running becomes a way of life when you look for local races to run every time you travel :)

2015 will be the year that I actually start training again.  Not just running.  I'll be saying hello to hills and speed work again, as well as increasing my weekly mileage.  Woah it's been a long time since I had a mid week run of 10K.  Yelp!  I'm feeling a little bit daunted, but think that's a healthy mindset to have. 

Even my kids ran their first race!

2014 saw me finish off doing the Strides run streak.  It ended up being my heaviest mileage month of 2014, running a total of 155K, and 15 hours.  That tops my marathon lead up month by 14K!  Knowing I am capable of running every day makes the higher mileage coming up seem more accomplishable.

As for my half distance, yesterday I ran a new PB (on a long run, not a race) of 2:02.  That's a cut of 13 minutes from when I ran the half in February!  I'd love in 2015 to see that time chip below the 2 hr mark.

Seeing my family for the first time on course at the Calgary Marathon.  My family are my pit crew, my motivation, and support.

Never thought I'd see the day where I would get to "run" with family.  Wonderful to celebrate with my older brother at the Marathon as he completed his first Ultra of 50K.

Finishing off the year yesterday with a new half PB!

This morning I'll be signing up for a couple more races for the upcoming year.  A trail race, and a run in a new town.  Might even add in one more race (or two!) on the west coast.

I'm so pleased to be back in the place I was before kids, where running is a big part of who I am.  As my husband says, I'm happier when I come back from a run.  It decompresses me, gives me time to think, and makes me a better me.

Have you set any fitness resolutions/goals for the year?

Stride Run Streak

A local store 'Strides', every December, encourages/challenges runners to run every day for the month of December.  It's become known amongst the crazies (er runners) as the Stride Run Streak.

The first I heard of it was last year, deemed it crazy, and went about regular holiday prep.  This year with a suggestion from a friend, I jumped on board.  How hard can this be to run a mile every day?

A few people would say to me "You are really going to run on Christmas Day?"  I always thought "sure why not?"  Then "oh wait, did I tell my husband that?"  Thankfully, as usual, he is more than supportive of this craziness.  Only laughing slightly when I get off the treadmill at 10:30 at night.

I've run in Banff, many times on the treadmill in front of the Christmas tree, in the afternoon with the kids around me and my two year taking photos.  I've run three times in jeans, too tired at 10pm at night to change.  Even once in pyjamas.  Once I hit Day 16, the nights I really wanted to quit, I'd tell myself "I'm over halfway, why quit now?"

I've uploaded all of my runs to Strava.  And was pretty amazed last night when I saw that this month compares pretty closely in mileage and hours, to my heaviest training month (April) leading up to the Calgary Marathon beginning of June.  In April I ran 15 hours, and 141 kilometers.  At Day 22 today I sit at 10 hours and 102.  Not too far off and still another 10 days to go.  Those miles really do add up!

There are some great things I've taken from this.  The online comraderie of other streakers on Facebook, from a community I don't normally run with as the store is down South, has been really fun.  I never thought I'd be able to run every single day in a row.  I can.  That from someone who for the past year plus, has struggled to get in three runs a week.  It's great to see what I actually have in me heading into marathon training in January.

I have a secret goal of a certain distance to finalize all of this on December 31st.  When I finish I plan on treating myself to some new run gear.  Maybe a new hat, and a new Buff.  Then I might, might, take January 1st off.  But then again, it would be a nice way to start a New Year :)

Verdict is In!

Last week I went and had my hair cleaned up by my hairdresser I've been seeing for a number of years now.  I was a little bit nervous about the appointment as it was my first cut since going product free.  This could go two ways.  My hair was in horrible condition and WHY would I do this? or Wow your hair is awesome!

When I first sat down in the chair and told her I was no longer using product, she laughed and said "You're no fun".

As she started cutting my hair, halfway through her tune changed.  She said my hair (which is very fine) felt thicker.  That the hair cuticle itself seemed thicker, and my hair was healthier!

Product free for the win!  She was then very interested to hear about my switch to baking soda and apple cider vinegar, and about a month ago, the move to using Rocky Mountain Soap products.

After my last post about going shampoo free, a friend and reader suggested the Rocky Mountain Soap products.  It's a perfect fit.  The products come unscented, and they also have no sulfates (the shampoo even has apple cider vinegar in it!).  Win!  I find I'm using the shampoo and conditioner just as frequently as I was using the baking soda combo (about every 4 days).

After the trip to my hairdresser I'm now feeling even better about my choice to drop sulfate hair products. What about you.  Would you ever make the switch?

Man Colds and Running

I've come down with a man cold.  I explained this to my husband last night who looked at me and questioned what exactly that is.  I chuckled to myself that a man doesn't know the term 'man cold'.

My head feels like it is in a bit of a vice, I'm cold, congested, having trouble sleeping, and generally would like to crawl into bed and stay there for a long time.  Amazingly Wednesday night I did go to bed at 7:30pm. I usually think I'm pretty good about having a cold, but this one, despite that I would consider it mild, is doing me in.

There are some positives with having a man cold.  We are hunkering down at home, I'm casting on some new knits (can't show you though, top secret for Christmas!), and drinking lots of tea.  The kiddos are probably happy too as they are getting a bit more run of the house ha ha.

The downside, other than all the symptoms listed above, is I'm not getting my runs in.  I was determined to try and run at least 3 or 4 times a week this month, and for various reasons am still only fitting in 2.  Shoot!

One switch is my youngest is no longer napping, which made fitting in a run tricky during the day, as her naptime used to be my treadmill time.  I've started running while she is awake.  I haven't attempted more than 5K.  That seems like a healthy amount of time for toddler freedom ha ha.

Here are some snapshots of her antics (which are actually really fantastically well behaved).  My hope is as I do this weekly, it will become part of hers (and mine) normal routine, and I won't need to worry about why it's so quiet when she leaves the front room where the treadmill is.  (Can I also say I think it's incredibly cute that 'treadmill' is part of her regular vocabulary?  Or that at class yesterday she recognized I was wearing 'running socks!').  Training them early ;)

I need to keep working at getting more running time per week, and making that a priority in my schedule.  Toddler Freedom treadmill runs are helping, but I need to fit in a couple more.  First I need to get over this cold (and get some more sleep!), then will work on getting my feet out there more often!

Now to go drink some more tea, and find those needles :)

Lovely Locks?

It has been two months now since I stopped using shampoo and conditioner on my hair.  You can read more about it here.

There was a few times mid September when I thought of tossing the towel in on the whole thing.  Why was I doing this anyways?  Maybe people were staring at my hair everywhere I went thinking "seriously woman? Wash your hair!?"  Then maybe again they're not.  My friends are yet to hold an intervention.

But I did think maybe there was a middle ground.  Shampoos out there that are sulfate free.  What I have found, is that there aren't.  If they don't have sodium laurel sulfate, then they have sodium coco sulfate.  Coco being derived from coconuts.  That seemed like a good alternative.  Coconuts are natural after all.  But the more reading I did, the more I decided that it wasn't really an alternative at all.  Here's one article that talks about the differences between the two.

Deciding I was going to continue with my baking soda and apple cider vinegar routine, I also had to be ok with for me, that means using that treatment about every 4/5 days.  I've read some people end up going an entire month.  I just can't do that.  Maybe it's the oils in my hair, or the running I do, but that seems like the balance I need to not look scary!

Here's the regime I am using:

I take about 1 tbsp of baking soda, and mix in about 2 tbsp of water.  I pour that on my scalp and scrub it in and let it sit.

I rinse with water, then apply the apple cider vinegar solution.  I use about 1 tbsp to 1 cup of water.

I rinse with water, then while still in the shower, comb my hair, and rinse with water again.

So simple, and noyone has yet complained about how I smell either ;)

Negatives to this, is I really hoped it would improve my skin as I struggle with eczema.  I've noticed no real difference.  What keeps me going on this is I used to have incredibly frustrating fly away hair.  That is no longer an issue, and I have more body in my hair as well.  It no longer feels flat and limp.

The next test will be what my hairstylist thinks when I get a hair cut next!

In Recovery

Two weeks ago my littlest came down with a cough, that at night was much more like croup.  For two nights I had Buckleys rub on her chest, a humidifier going beside her, head propped up, and tylenol administered.  The croup passed, we had a few illness free days, and then she got hit with a bad bout of diarrhea.  That was 10 days ago.  We have been to the Dr twice, have had tests done, and the good news, it isn't bacterial. The bad/sad news is it is taking her a long time to beat it.  I'm also thankful my other kiddos are doing well.  My middle was hit with it for one day, then bounced back quickly with just a lingering head cold.  Needless to say, this past week has seen alot of couch cuddling, quite a few tears and requests of being held, so much less posting, and much less doing.  Which is also ok.  Less can sometimes be more, especially when trying to heal a little person.

Here's what this past week looked like from my phone photo roll:

A morning of treats.  Mac Nut Latte and Applesauce pancakes.

Laundry, so many loads of laundry were done to clean and sanitize.  Getting to actually putting the laundry away though is a task I failed at.  

This was taken on the worst day where peanut wouldn't leave my lap.  I put the littles into the car and got a latte in a drive thru.  The 20 minute drive there, and back, was worth it.

All is not dire in the land of the sick.  There are some sweet snuggles to be had.

Sweet freedom.  Managed to get out for a 12K run this weekend.  A much needed escape.

 I'm hopeful this week will bring some much needed healing to the littlest of our crew.