Ready Set.....Checkin!

Here I sit on the couch this morning, chai tea in hand, and boarding passes printed. Anybody who's every flown Southwest before knows the routine. I suppose its the price you pay for a non-stop flight, with 2 free checkin bags, because the actual $$s were very reasonable. 24-hours pre-flight marks the beginning of checkin. Many people in the Albany and surrounding areas have been sitting up since before 7:00, with their coffees or other beverages, on their computer ready to hit that orange "Check In" button. Whats the big deal? Well, there are (I think), three levels of boarding, A, B, and C. Each level has somewhere around 50 people or so. The place in line you have for boarding depends on which letter and number you get. Why does it matter? Well, when traveling with more than just yourself, its nice to know that you're boarding before the aircraft is full and left with only random seats here and there. The good news for us is that my parents decided to be cool and pay for early bird checkin, which means, they will likely be boarding before us, and can "save" seats. Technically that defeats the purpose of the whole Checkin process, but thats ok. :) Even still, doing it the slow, old-fashioned way didn't fair too bad by us, A40 and A42. Which means that tomorrow morning at this time we will be in the air, heading away from Albany, and towards that big sunny state of Florida. All those wonderful things I've been longing for.....Here I Come!

So Ready For Vacation

I thanked God this morning for the much needed week off after school before leaving for vacation. I guess I had adjusted to the amount of stress I was dealing with by focusing my mind only on what was in my top priorities. I have been noticing things all week in the house and yard that have needed doing, but haven't been done in a long time. Last night I cleaned off the computer room desk (it was horrendous). I also noticed that my not-much-beloved task of dusting was long overdue, so I did that a little too. Cleaning, lawn mowing, and the majority of the packing are all done. The more I walked around the house, the more things I remembered I needed to pack. I guess thats the advantage of starting to a pack a week ahead: you have all that time to remember the things you forgot!

In every respect, I am more than ready for vacation. Warm weather, rest, relaxation, family, and fun are all top priorities next week, and I am super excited! Also, I have a long-desired graduation present awaiting my when we get to my Uncle's house. I'll post picks when I get down there. :) I have my cameral cord, so I'm going to try to keep this updated with an interesting feed from the sunny state. :)

The Transition from Traditional to Original Running

To the left is a picture of the normal heal landing associated with traditional sneakers.

Below is a picture of the midfoot landing common to barefoot running, and shoes that copy barefeet.

As promised in my last post, I'll share the process I went through to transition from the traditional style of running to barefoot running. When I bought my fivefingers, the lady gave me specific instructions that I not go out and run 5 miles or anything crazy like that. I have to admit that doing that had crossed my mind, so I quickly tossed it out. She suggested I take it slow, walking around in them first, and then slowly building up my running capacity. I walked around the house briefly after buying them, but did not have much time to walk in them until our usual Tuesday night at Adam's parents. Gail and I have a regular tradition in the spring to take an evening walk on Tuesday's, which is usually around 3 or 4 miles. So that was my first experience with the komodo sport. I was amazed by the way my feet could actually feel what was under me. This might sound silly, but most people don't notice the stones under their feet on a dirt road with regular sneakers on. By the time I got back, I was excited and anxious at the same time to try them out running. Despite the advice to take about a week of walking first, I started running the next day. I only went a little ways, trying to figure out if I was supposed to change my form to midfoot landing, or if the shoe did that for me on its own. The first couple of days I wasn't sure. It was a combination, I think.

The one thing I was sure of after those first couple days was that my calves were killing me! Looking back, that just tells me that the process was in swing. Try standing on your tiptoes. Can you feel your calf muscles? Try running like that. Yeah. I'm not going to lie, it was strange at first. I went from a long stride to a shorter one, and to a completely different foot landing. It took several weeks before I felt really comfortable with the way I was running and how it felt. Part of it was training my brain as much as my feet. I will say that if you're running on a dirt road, you are going to feel the rocks. In general, its not bad. Right after they grade the road, not so much fun. The good part about this whole aspect, though, is that it teaches runners to be more aware of their environment and surroundings. If there's a big stone in the road, I either mentally prepare to land on it, or go around it. Either way, I'm not going to land on it unknowingly and sprain my ankle.

Its been a process. Its been a challenge. The verdict: I am extremely happy with my new running form, increased awareness, and tightened muscles! Yes, you do use different muscles when running this way. The effects are awesome :D

The Beginning of Freedom

Ending school and starting back up my blogging hobby required a change of scenery, and background. Some would accuse me, especially after considering my background choice, as being a shopping addict. That would be a relatively correct accusation. Paying my way through school the last 3 years has put quite a damper on that particular hobby. This is not to say that we weren't financially cared for. Adam's job does a good job of that. It just meant that those extra $$s that I used to have freedom to spend were sent in a different direction. So on and off, ok more on than off, I've been making a mental list of things that I'd really like to get once I finished school and had a little extra cash. As you can imagine, the list got longer and longer. It included new hiking shoes, possibly a new pair of Keens, or other shoes of choice, a new coach bag, and few other things. For those out there who make a hobby of looking for faults in others, you might call this a possession obsession, or love of money. I'm not gonna lie, I like to shop, and I like to buy things, but this particular buildup I justify as a reward for all of those months, days, hours, and minutes spent frying my brain on the computer. 

My recent freedom, or soon to be complete freedom from Kaplan's finance department has led to a rather giddy couple of shopping trips. The first was to invest in a new pair of running shoes. Those who followed my blog before the last interlude remember that I took up running a few months ago. The shoes I was using I've literally had since I was 14. They still have paint stains on them from my academy Guatemala trip, senior year. Needless to say, they are a little old and in need of replacement. Add to this the fact that my knee has been bothering me since I started running, I was quite ready to look for a new pair of shoes. 

My search started at one of the local stores in town. After trying on several pairs, and observing their limited selection, I went across the street to a different shoe store. There I found a wider selection. An add in a sports magazine opened my eyes to the concept of "barefoot" running. This concept seeks to go back to the way we were intended to run: without shoes. I'm usually game to try something new, so I asked to try a pair of Merrell Barefoot shoes on. I found that they were really comfortable. The lady then showed me another line of barefoot footwear, called fivefingers, by vibram. They are those funny shoes with cutouts for all of the toes. I was a little skeptical, but I tried a pair on. I was surprised by how comfortable they felt. I tried on a different pair and fell in love. This is what they look like. 

Yes, I know. They're funny looking. I get that. But I don't want to hear it until you try a pair on. It wasn't just the comfort I was sold on, though. The concept of barefoot running was also intriguing. These shoes get runners to land on their midfoot instead of the heal. This process strengthens the the foot muscles to be able to absorb the shock, so the heal and knee joints don't have to. This post has already become rather lengthy, so I'll save my experience with these shoes for later. :) 

As for my other shopping trips, I recently acquired the Merrell Barefoots that I originally tried on, more for walking than running, and a small coach purse, which was very reasonably on sale. :) With the shopping dragon fueled, I'm ready to enjoy our upcoming vacation. :) 

Enjoying the Freedom

Ending school and starting back up my blogging hobby required a change of scenery, and background. Some would accuse me, especially after considering my background choice, as being a shopping addict. That would be a relatively correct accusation. Paying my way through school the last 3 years has put quite a damper on that particular hobby. This is not to say that we weren't financially cared for. Adam's job does a good job of that. It just meant that those extra $$s that I used to have freedom to spend were sent in a different direction. So on and off, ok more on than off, I've been making a mental list of things that I'd really like to get once I finished school and had a little extra superfluous cash. As you can imagine, the list got longer and longer. It included new hiking shoes, possibly a new pair of Keens, or other shoes of choice, a new coach bag, and few other things. For those out there who make a hobby of looking for faults in others, you might call this a possession obsession, or love of money. I'm not gonna lie, I like to shop, and I like to buy things, but this particular buildup I justify as a reward for all of those months, days, hours, and minutes spent frying my brain on the computer.

My recent freedom, or soon to be complete freedom from Kaplan's finance department has led to a rather giddy couple of shopping trips. The first was to invest in a new pair of running shoes. Those who followed my blog before the last interlude remember that I took up running a few months ago. The shoes I was using I've literally had since I was 14. They still have paint stains on them from my academy Guatemala trip, senior year. Needless to say, they are a little old and in need of replacement. Add to this the fact that my knee has been bothering me since I started running, I was quite ready to look for a new pair of shoes.

My search started at one of the local stores in town. After trying on several pairs, and observing their limited selection, I went across the street to a different shoe store. There I found a wider selection. An add in a sports magazine opened my eyes to the concept of "barefoot" running. This concept seeks to go back to the way we were intended to run: without shoes. I'm usually game to try something new, so I asked to try a pair of Merrell barefoot shoes on. I found that they were really comfortable. The lady then showed me another line of barefoot footwear, called fivefingers, by vibram. They are those funny shoes with cutouts for all of the toes. I was a little skeptical, but I tried a pair on. I was surprised by how comfortable they felt. I tried on a different pair and fell in love. This is what they look like.

Yes, I know. They're funny looking. I get that. But I don't want to hear it until you try a pair on. It wasn't just the comfort I was sold on, though. The concept of barefoot running was also intriguing. These shoes get runners to land on their midfoot instead of the heal. 

End of One Chapter, Beginning of Another

Some people may not realize that I have been on a considerable absence from blogging for the past couple months, as I have not the foggiest idea how many people actually read my rambles. But for those of you interested in the events of my life, I just hit a mile stone: finishing college! That is not to say that there isn't more schooling in my future, but my first degree, a Bachelor's in Health Science - Nutrition, is complete. With the exception of a few discussion posts this weekend, I am a free women. I can hardly describe how liberating it feels. I spent my first couple of hours of freedom last night sitting on the couch watching a movie, something I have not had the leisure to do during the week in the a long time. I can now fully look forward to the rewards I have in store, a much needed vacation, and my long desired iPad. :D

This will be Adam and I's first real vacation since our honeymoon, so we are pretty thrilled about that. Even more exciting is the fact that we get to spend time with my family, something I absolutely love. Combine that with relaxation, hot weather, Disney, and outstanding food = an awesome vaca! Well worth the wait after a mind boggling last term of school.

I know I have a great deal more to say about things that have happened in the last couple of months, but for now, I'll leave it at being thrilled to be done, and ecstatic about getting away for a little while.....um, yeah, I guess I didn't really need to summarize, but its hard to get writing out of my head after spending a term writing several papers a week. ;)