Two Weeks of Hell - Coming Right Up

I am a little bit apprehensive about my schedule for the next 2 weeks.

Several months ago, a Groupon for CrossFit (On Ramp classes) passed through and I, along with a few others purchased it.  $25 for 2 weeks of CF was too good to pass up.

Before I bought it, I looked to see what 'On Ramp' was all about, and even though its M-Thur, 8pm - 9:30pm for 2 weeks, I thought, at the time, eh, no big deal.

And then in January when I called the place to schedule my On Ramp sessions, when he told me Feb 13th was the soonest we could get in, I still, at the time, eh, no big deal.

Now February 13th is right around the corner and I am no longer saying eh, no big deal.

It is a big deal! 

I just started back at KW.  I still have sessions with Kyle.  I have a M-F job.  And I have a PT job too (with my days already scheduled).

How am I going to fit it all in?  What can I scratch from my routine?

Well as of right now I am not willing to scratch anything from my routine, so I did what I normally do when faced with too much on my plate.

I start a list.  A detailed list of times at one place, time to get to next place, time at that place, right down to what time I get home and can fall into bed.

Because lets face it:  for 2 weeks I am going to be the equivelent of the Walking Dead.

Now I only wrote out the days/places/times for the first 7 days, knowing full well that from what I have read CF is going to kick my ass, which would put me in another predicament which I will cross that bridge if and when I come upon it.

However since this is the On Ramp classes, plus with what I have been doing for a couple of months now, maybe it won't hit me (be as rough as they say) like the other folks.  At least that's what I am choosing to believe for now.

I am anxious to try Cross Fit, but I have to admit I am more excited about seeing if and how I manage all of this.  In the event CF kicks my ass to where it interferes with my running, I don't know, CF might get tossed.  My running and strength training w/ K is long term.  CF is not (way too expensive).

Stay tuned for next week, because its gonna be a lot of information and a lot of work outs being posted!

Hell on Hills

Some runners (me) avoid hills at all costs, because well they can cause injury, and because, wellllll, they're hard. 

But I also know that hill training is speed training in disguise.  Was it Frank Shorter that coined this?  Can't remember now. 

And honestly the past 6 months, without hill training at all, I actually have become better at them despite my lack thereof, due completely to the fact that I have been strength training. 

Even though Houston Marathon is considered flat by the majority, there are still some man made hills in there: first 2 miles over the Elysian, then a few under and up passes around mile 6, then again at mile 15ish, and the then under and up passes of Allen Parkway in mile 24.

NONE of which got me this year.  And then there is the fact that what we call hills, aren't really hills to a lot of runners who run on real hills.  Hills that I would call mountains.

So its been, gosh, I cannot even remember when I last did hills with KW now that I think about it.  Was it Spring 2010?  Summer 2010? 

Doesn't matter now because I'm back at it for the Spring.  And actually quite excited about it!
While there are a number of different types of hill training, here are three of the most common types of hill workouts: 

• Speed and Power Hills - short, fast runs up steep hills with ample recovery between reps to promote explosive speed
• Downhill Sprinting or Strides - short, very fast runs down a gently sloping hill to promote quick leg turnover
• Stamina Hills - longer, "crisp" paced runs over moderately steep hills to promote endurance and strength

Climbing hills requires a slightly modified running technique.  This involves shortening your normal stride, dropping your shoulders to ensure a lower arm carriage, and leaning slightly forward into the hill. 

You should aim for a strong, steady and consistent pace throughout the hill rep. 

Running downhill also requires some modifications.  Again, shortening the stride and leaning slightly forward is helpful.  For steep down hills, thinking about leaping from one foot to the other can be an effective way to quickly negotiate the hill. 

All in all, while I loathe the training, I love the benefits.  I am just hoping that my body doesn't retaliate with my PF flaring back up or my (sh)IT band for another things!

So Monday evening was the first hill workout of the Spring season and on the docket was 'stamina hills' (interpreted above).  Great.  If there is one kind of hill I hate the most, its 'stamina hills'.  :O)

I have a crude representation of what the 'cloverleaf' looks like where last nights workout commenced.

Before we started the work out, I ran 2.5 miles for a warm up just around base, before running over with one of the guys that I've become friends with from the Saturday mornings before the run (because he is faster than I am).

Anyway, we ran over, and SW had to do his first night schpiel for the newbies, and I was just ready to get on with it.  We did about 5 minutes of drills before he gave instructions on the 'route' (again I knew what it was, so lets go already!)

Replica (with my squiggly line drawing)

Obviously this is just a replica, and obviously you can't see the 'hill' parts, but each clover leaf has a number 1-4.  We start at the S and the first part up to the road there is all a gradual uphill (run fast) until it flattens out up top (run slow/recover).  Then once over to 2, you walk down the steep downhill there and then run fast again up to the top, walk the steep downhill, run slow/recover underneath then blast up the gradual uphill of #3, recover over the bridge, walk the steep downhill of #4 then run fast again to the stop, walk downhill and then recover under the pass, then repeat with 1-4 all over again.

One full rotation of all 4 cloverleafs is = 1 mile.  You either do 3-4 based on speed, OR if you are one of the newbies, and have little to no base running, you end up doing 2. 

Or if you are a cheater (I saw plenty of those last night), you end up doing less than 3 because you skip out on #2 a lot by just going right under the pass when you really should be running up #2.  Cheaters!!  But then you know, you are only cheating yourself!!  I always love the first couple of weeks of a new session; the new folks have this look of WTF? on their faces and/or go at it gung ho for all of about 2 minutes before figuring out the workout is 30-40 min long and you need to pace yourself...or you end up walking.  Saw a lot of those last night too...

I ended up doing my full 3 loops and felt great the whole time.  Well not great as in I wanted to more, but great as in that I am obviously in better shape than I give myself credit for.  Sure I was needing those recovery parts when I was about halfway done, but I was still able to process a quick turnover once I hit the grass and was able to maintain some sort of speed to where I felt like I was definitely benefiting from the workout over all.

I felt my heart racing and it made me smile because I knew each blast of energy I was using to get up and around those hills, were blasting fat calories and making my heart and my legs stronger.

I am not going to lie, I've missed these workouts and so happy to be back in full swing! 

Next up is first round of speed work on Wednesday!  Tonight is some recovery miles followed by a session with K.  He texted me last night wanting to know if I wanted a session tonight, so yay for spontaniety!

We Interupt this Running Blog For a Very Important Message:

GIANTS WIN!  GIANTS WIN!  GIANTS WIN!

And Cowboy fans all over the world are crying like poor wittle wambs...

Rainy Days and Saturdays

Kenyan Way was going to have an extra long run Saturday yesterday so I was excited to test the leg out on a solid long-ish run all on pavement.

I knew that there was rain forecasted but was hopeful that the storms would hold out for just a couple of hours.  When I went to bed it was pouring rain, but again, still hopeful.

I woke up slightly before the alarm went off and I could hear that it was indeed either raining, or had just stopped because I could hear water going through the gutters outside one of my bedroom windows.  I got out of bed, looked outside and it was just sprinkling, so I turned on the TV, but the cable was out.  Damn.  I went ahead and got dressed, shoes on, iPod in a ziploc before booting up the computer.  When I went to the local news site, I could see that indeed a 'cell' had just passed through but it looked to be on its way in the opposite direction of our route.  I was looking at the Metro H radar and could see something off in the corner so I broadened the radar search and oh Lordy.  Then as I refreshed the screen, I could see another little cell heading towards our area. 

It was then I could hear the rain coming down just a bit harder and I knew that since I was going to do at least 8 miles that there was no way my slow ass was going to be able to beat this rain since it was still 45 min away from the start time of 6am.  I walked out on the porch, saw lightning off in the distance...

It was then I made the call to just bag the Saturday run altogether and thank goodness I did!  Within an hour we were getting pounded by rain, thunder and lightning.  I took off the running clothes, put my PJs back on and slipped back into bed with the sound of pouring rain to sing me back to sleep.  When I woke back up at 7:30 it was still storming, even more so, and I thought man, I would be out there probably drowning in that crap! 

When I got to work a couple of the girls had indeed ran and are much much faster than I am and they said it was horrible.  They got hit on the way back from Rice and even had someone stop and ask if they needed help it was that bad.  KS said at one point, due to the way the roads are on that route she was running through water halfway up her calves.  Plus it was hot yesterday morning, so that made it even worse. So glad I stayed in.

I knew that I would have to make the miles up today and even though we were scheduled for more rain I was hopeful to get in a long run before or in between.  I didn't get out to run until close to 9am.  It was about 45deg (thank you cold front!), windy and overcast but the radar gave me the all clear.

I had a route in mind that would put me at 8 miles, had a few water fountains along the way but 98% all pavement.  Which is what I wanted to really test out the IT band.  I was just hoping that I wouldn't get a rain shower, as it was indeed a bit cold with that wind.  I had put on a long sleeve, shorts and wore my earband due to the wind and so glad I did.  Was glad I had the long sleeve too.  Normally a short sleeve would be better, but not today, again due to the wind.  Thankfully the route I had mapped out in my head would only put me straight into a headwind for the last mile home.

Once I got back to my turning point to head home, I was feeling so good, that I decided to just go straight, and take the long way home to add on another mile for good measure. 

I am pleased to say that the run was just what I needed for my confidence in the injury department.  All the running on the treadmill, stretching and core work seem to have paid off in spades. 

Once I got home I was on such a high!  I did manage to stretch a bit though just to be on the safe side.  So glad I decided to add on that mile too!  A solid 9 miles and I'm a happy girl indeed!  And no pain in the IT band!  Woo-to-the-hoo!  3 weeks to the day since Houston Marathon, and all is well!  At least it SEEMS to be!

Then I tackled last nights El Tiempo leftovers with a vengance!  I was starving!

Tomorrow I start back with KW on the Spring training, so Mondays mean hills.  I am going to have to be certain to stretch before and after as hills can aggravate my IT band and I know this.  But I am anxious to get back to speed training for the races I have in March, and plus it does wonders for some serious fat calorie burning!

Now its time to get ready for some football! 

Should You Run When You are Sick?

Earlier this week (Sun-Wed) I was extremely sick (with a cold, not the flu thankfully!), but it reminded me of the question so many runners ask and that is "should I run when I am sick?". 

There are many opinions out there about whether or not its above or below the neck etc., however I handle it on a case by case basis.

I am lucky that I don't get sick very often at all (maybe once every year, if that, more like once every 2 years), but there are times where I have a slight cold or something and as I said I take it case by case on how I feel.

I think thats the most important thing.  For example, on Sunday when I woke up, I didn't feel great at all, but I got dressed, went to the gym, ran on the treadmill and worked out.  I knew that something wasn't right and I felt groggy and was sneezing a lot and had a runny nose.  By the time Monday morning rolled around I was full on sick with everything except vomiting or fever.  I went home from work at 9am and obviously there was no running even though my symptoms were basically all 'above the neck'.  I felt like crap and just kept pumping meds into me to make me sleep, sleep and sleep.

On Tuesday morning when I woke up, I felt somewhat better and went to work, but it was short lived.  A fever showed up and back home I went.  I had actually packed my gym bag as I was going to run the treadmill and I had a session with K scheduled.  I cancelled both. 

By Wednesday morning, I was so much better, so running and working out is a-ok in my book.  Thankfully too since going two days without running while was OK and did wonders for my body overall, I was glad to be on the mend and to be able to run/work out again. 

Some might think to take an additional day just for the recovery from the cold/illness, but I felt like it was OK for me to go through with some sort of workout.  Again basing solely on a personal how I feel method.  I think this is what every person should do.

Runners seem to live by a creed that's stricter than the postman's: "Neither rain, nor snow, nor sniffle, nor fever shall keep me from my training schedule."

Indeed, the coming of winter presents many issues for runners who'd prefer to keep at it even when sick.  Oftentimes, symptoms aren't severe enough to make you stay in bed, home from work, or off the roads.  And while exercise can give you a mental and physical boost when you're feeling run-down, there are other occasions when going for a run may do more harm than good.

But, doctors say, you still walk, or run, a fine line. Take extra caution when training with anything worse than a minor cold because it can escalate into more serious conditions affecting the lower respiratory tract and lungs.

Sinus infection, or sinusitis, is an inflammation of the sinus cavity that affects 37 million Americans each year.  I mention this because I do believe that this is probably more of what I had as opposed to a cold.  Symptoms include runny nose, cough, headache, and facial pressure.  With a full-blown sinus infection, you rarely feel like running. 

But if you do, consider the 72-hour rule of Jeffrey Hall Dobken, M.D.: "No running for three days," advises the allergist/immunologist and ultramarathoner in Little Silver, New Jersey. Even without the presence of a fever, says Dr. Dobken, some sinus infections, when stressed by exercise, can lead to pneumonia or, in extreme cases, respiratory failure.If you're still in doubt about whether it's safe to run or not, take your temperature. If it's above 99 degrees, skip your run. "Some people think that they can 'sweat out' a fever by running," say doctors. "That's wrong. Running won't help your immune system fight the fever."

Nieman saw this firsthand when his running partner once ran a marathon with a 101-degree fever. Soon after, the runner developed severe and persistent symptoms similar to those of chronic fatigue syndrome. "Every day he'd wake up feeling creaky and arthritic," says Nieman. "When he tried to run, he'd stumble and fall." Eventually doctors concluded he had a "postviral syndrome," a latent condition that was exacerbated by the race.

Although this syndrome is rare, it's an example of the risk you take by running while ill. "Running with a fever makes the fever and flu-like symptoms worse," says Nieman, "and it can lead to other complications." During exercise, your heart pumps a large amount of blood from your muscles to your skin, dissipating the heat your body generates.

If you have a fever, your temperature will rise even higher, and your heart will be put under greater strain to keep your temperature from soaring. In some cases, this can produce an irregular heartbeat. Also, a virus can cause your muscles to feel sore and achy; exercising when your muscles are already compromised could lead to injury.

Nieman recommends that runners with a fever or the flu hold off until the day after the symptoms disappear--and then go for a short, easy run. Runners should wait one to two weeks before resuming their pre-illness intensity and mileage. Otherwise, you risk a relapse, he says.

Above all, obey your body and the thermometer--not your training program.

First, the biggest issue that most runners have here is that they are worried about losing performance by taking a few days off to get over a cold or flu. Let’s just put that to rest at the outset.

You won’t lose fitness by taking a short break for the flu or a cold (or even a minor injury). It takes an extended period of time for you to see a drop in your fitness, usually two to three weeks.  So put that out of your head.

A couple of days off, in fact, may do a lot of people some good, because most runners are on the verge of over-training most of the time.  Hello, take it from someone who knows!  I am not at all surprised that I ended up sick after 7 months of beating my body into the pavement training for 3 marathons and then just stopping.  Well not stopping, but drastically reduced my running once Houston was over.  Even though I didn't actually end up running the full in DWR, I still trained back up for it, ran the half in the pouring rain and then had to turn right back around and run 18 miles the very next weekend and then trained back up to 21 miles for the 3rd time.

My body was ripe for wearing down to some degree.  First it was the (sh)IT band and then this.  It has forced me to cut back and actually now to not run for 2 days and I must say that my (sh)IT band, my back, my foot?  Everything feels fan-freaking-tastic.

Hmm.

A few days down in bed, even when sick, can be a well deserved mental and physical break.  Holla.  I slept a lot.  I ate a lot of spice drops (only thing that actually had 'taste'.  I watched a lot of television.  And I snuggled a lot.

Like I suggested, in general, you should always listen to your body. If you’re sick, then you more than likely should take the time off to get better.

Kenyan Way - Marathon and Half Marathon Training - Houston, Texas

I have received quite a number of emails inquiring about the training group that I consistently mention in my training blog posts.  So I thought now was as good a time as any to address those questions here!

As a member of Kenyan Way since the Spring of 2007, I obviously have a 'relationship' with the program and have a love/hate thing with the Coach!  ha!


You can google Sean Wade and find many articles and references to him, his history and his training philosophy.


As now a top ranked Masters runner, recently inducted into the Hall of Fame etc., he brings an approach to training that is unrivaled in the City of Houston, and quite possibly in most larger urban areas.


There is a myth though that the KW program caters to fast runners and while there are PLENTY of fast people on the KW training roster every Spring, Summer and Fall/Winter, some of them weren't always that way.  They got there through training with KW! 


However, KW also has pace groups upwards of 4 and 5 hours for the full marathon (pace groups run in 15 min increments from sub 3 hours to 5 hours), and obviously 1:30 - 2:30+ half marathoners as well.  I will say that it is not a group for those who exclusively walk, but I do know of one lady in particular that I see session after session and she is a walker, and she starts the routes early so she can be done.  So there is that.


When I started Kenyan Way back in the Spring of 2007, I too was a bit intimidated but quickly learned that there was no cause for that.  Even though I was, at the time, still a run/walker at any distance over a 5K, when you are training on hills or doing speedwork, how fast or slow you are makes no difference whatsoever!


I have grown exponentially in my running and my abilities since joining Kenyan Way, and every session I find myself signing back up.  I've made a lot of friends there, I absolutely adore Coach and Katrina, and for the $ you can't beat the training and the amenities that go along with it.


I had toyed with the idea of not signing up for this Spring, but since my goals did change, my decision to sign up again did as well.  I had thought I was just going to drop in on Saturdays (Which you can do for any session for $5 to try it out with no obligation), but instead I am indeed going back to the hill and speed training too on Monday and Wednesday evenings.


I have a couple of hilly half marathons this year, and hill training is speed training in of itself, and with my time goals for 21K and less this year (especially this Spring), I need the structure of the sessions with Coach instead of on my own. 

I really really really want that sub 2 half marathon this year!  And as of right now, I have 5 chances to do it between now and mid-January 2013.  :O)


If you are currently training on your own, or thinking of reaching past your current approach and tapping into your potential, I would strongly suggest giving Kenyan Way a try!

The new Spring race/half marathon/marathon/Boston marathon training starts this Monday, February 6th!  You can join at any time though throughout the 10 weeks!


If you have questions, you can always email me directly or post them in a comment!  And since a lot of my readers do not reside in the city of Houston, its suburbs or even Texas, search your area for a training group that fits your needs!  Training with a group, especially for long runs is fun and rewarding!


Happy Running!!!!

Healthy Living Blogs? Good or Evil?

Before I go into this particular blog post, I just want to mention that I have decided to post less frequently.  At least for a while.  Some of it has to do with the fact that too much is too much in general, then there is the reason that I am trying new and exciting things as it pertains to fitness and food, that I will focus on that instead of just everyday hum-drum types of posts.  So expect more of that.

Then there is the reason that because I just want to be more private and limit what I write and what I don't write.

There are my readers out there that read for inspiration and information and those are the ones I want to focus on.  The people that are just downright nosy?   Guess old habits die hard for some. 
And actually some people, could benefit from some information on how to be healthy and drop a few lbs.  Or 50.

So I hope you stay around, and read when I write, because I do love it, and think that I have something to offer for those who look for direction.  If there is anything in particular you are interested in, please drop me an email or a comment, and I will fashion a blog post around that!  Products?  Training?  Food?  You name it!

Now on to today's post!



**********************************************

Are blogs about healthy living just a disguised form of thinspo?

I am going to go out on a (personal) limb and say 'yes'.  As someone with a somewhat disordered past as it pertains to body image and food, I was exactly the kind of person these writers were looking to cash in on (they receive $$$ by companies for every click to their site, and they are good at embedding links upon links to get you to click to past posts for more $$$).  I would go to their sites MANY times a day hoping for an update post from any of them...more money in their pocket and thats exactly why they post several times a day.

I cannot remember when I first found 'healthy living' blogs...but if I had to guess it I would say a year, maybe just bit more, ago.  And I read all that are listed in the article (now old) that Marie Claire published some time back.  In addition to those, there were others, all of which I no longer read unless its to snark on them over at GOMI.  (oops, their site is being revamped right now, so most of the forum topics are gone for right now).

I quit reading them because honestly, they made me question every thing I ate, how far I ran, if I didn't run, if I didn't only shop at Whole Foods, if I ate my food on a regular size plate and not take pictures of a lot of food, and only eat maybe 1/12th of it.  Or how to photograph a plate of food which is actually on a salad plate but the angle makes it look like a whole lot of food or regular sized food.  Look closely next time. When I began to notice this, this is when I started figuring things out.  And then also things like: Why can't I run the day after a marathon?  SR does it and she's fine; why can't I?  What's wrong with me?  Am I not skinny enough?  Am I not trying hard enough?  What? Why? Where? How come?

The majority of them don't know their ass from a hole in the ground, make up reasons every other month or so as to why they can't eat dairy, or why they can't eat gluten, etc., but then if you read long enough, they are eating dairy, or gluten, and they let it slip ... they are restricting.  And using excuses for something being wrong on the inside because of something they are eating.  Bottom line.  And as someone with past issues, I know about restricting.

In an article for Marie Claire, a writer profiled a group of bloggers she calls the Big Six — women who blog about their eating and exercise routines and their effort to lead lives they consider healthy.  But she says their blogs display "an arguably unhealthy obsession with exercise, food, and weight." She writes,

A typical morning post documents breakfast with a photo and description-say, a smoothie of raw spinach and rice milk-followed by an afternoon report on the day's herculean exercise and an evening update on perfectly portioned snacks and dinner. [Blogger Heather] Pare once chased a 10-mile run with a flourless, low-fat, black-bean "brownie." Boyle ran 22 miles and, after a day of light eating, signed off with, "I am so hungry!"

Drummond also mentions that "the sites feature weight-control tips and even cover 'food sabotage'" and implies that some of the Big Six undereat, overexercise, and may encourage readers to do the same.  She also includes a rather nasty quote by Caitlin Boyle of Healthy Tipping Point: "The vast majority of Americans aren't anorexic or bulimic. They're overweight and have no idea how to eat healthy.  If they read blogs like mine, maybe they'd learn something."

However, the Big Six themselves dispute pretty much every aspect of Drummond's story.  Boyle says "Every single quote attributed to me was taken seriously out of context to fit into the story's slant.  I consider it to be libel."  Heather Pare of Hangry Pants says "as stated in the article I ran 10 miles and made Black Bean Brownies in the same day.  While these statements are atomically correct, I ate 3 full meals as well." She also notes that her post on "food sabotage" in fact comes out against the practice.

Meghann of Meals and Miles says the bloggers have never even heard the term "Big Six" before.

Katie of Sweet Taters makes the good point that a mainstream women's magazine full of "pictures of photoshopped models" is hardly the best place for a critique like Drummond's.

The Health &Fitness section of Marie Claire's website includes, somewhat incongruously, both Drummond's article and a piece titled "7 Best Websites for Weight Loss."  And in at least some cases, Drummond seems to have misrepresented her subjects.

However, Rachel at Hollaback Health argues that her criticisms also expose key problems with healthy living blogs,  She writes, "We've started the discussion on eating disorders and 'everything in moderation' on Hollaback, but I'll be honest - we danced around it because we knew that we'd be crucified for making some of the same points that MC did." Drummond's points, she says, could only be made by an "outsider:"

When you take away what we know about these women, and just look at them as a set of behaviors or "symptoms," it's a lot easier to see the problems. If you were presented with a list of behaviors and asked, "Does this sound like disordered eating to you?" you'd probably say yes. Pouring salt on food, eating really low calories, only indulging in treats when one has "earned" them through some very serious exercise, and experiencing amenorrhea…these are standard warning signs. But maybe we're just too in it to see it when we read it, or if we do it ourselves.

The bloggers Drummond interviewed argue that they're not promoting the behaviors Wilkerson lists, and many mention instead how much they eat ("I ate nearly a loaf of French bread on the hood of my car after the run! And then I had an entire box of pasta…. and that was just for lunch!"). But Wilkerson's comments reveal a difficulty with which healthy living bloggers seem to struggle — how to discuss food and exercise without veering into disordered territory. Another post at Sweet Tater (not one of the "Big Six" blogs) illustrates this difficulty:

A 1/4 cup serving of peanut flour is just 110 calories, which means a 1 Tbsp serving like what I made (it was pretty substantial) is about 50 calories. Whaaaat? It's not like I'm calorie counting or anything… or like I'd skimp on peanut butter if I were.  But this, my friends, is some damn news.

Katie may not be calorie-counting, but this really isn't "news" unless someone is.

In millennial America, it's become almost impossible to write about health without some dieting or weight-loss tips creeping in — and while women once got the message that they should be skinny by any means necessary, we're now getting the even more contradictory command to be thin but not use any deprivation or unhealthy methods to get there (which is why actresses, models, and now bloggers are forced to brag about eating loaves of bread).  Which honestly I don't believe to be true.

Bloggers aren't going to single-handedly free us from this bind, but they can help with one pretty simple change — just stop blogging about weight.  Stop posting before and after pictures.  Stop equating weight loss with health.  Don't post weight loss tips or calorie counts.  Just take weight out of the equation.   I don't consider myself a HLB, and I sure don't do any of these items either.

I eat as healthy as I can on any given day.  I run.  I go to the gym.  I don't think that I would ever fall into any idea by a reader that I was even remotely someone to look at as 'thinspo'.  And that is awesome.

Many entries on healthy living blogs already accomplish this, but not all do — and while Drummond may have twisted her subjects' words, she also shed a light on something we need to be talking more about.

The specter of skinny is still lurking around the edges of most conversations about women, food, exercise, and health.  In a way it's more dangerous now that it's hidden, because women are expected to both be skinny and not care about being skinny.

And we need to get rid of that specter — not disguise it under a bunch of euphemisms — if we want to reach true well-being.  Which honestly is what I am seeking.

I've removed the links of blogs that use to line the right side of my blog.  I don't read them anymore because of one reason or another (see above), and I am not going to promote what I feel is unnecessary, is false information, boring and/or could either be triggering to some or even cause unnecessary traffic to this blog.  I know of my own issues and I am successfully dealing with those as it pertains to food and body dysmorphia.  I still do read a lot of what is considered 'healthy' blogs but I stay away from those that I feel are false advertisement and just an avenue to promote triggering posts to a lot of people.  I tend to stay on blogs that feature running, races, training, and enjoying food but not as a primary focus on any of those things since it becomes a bit excessive and sends signals to me that a lot of them have issues, whether its ED or exercise type of addiction.

Not only have I read but I have seen restricting first hand, and the control that some people take to the extremes sends me into a land of 'if I could I would shake you into reality'.  But to each his own.  We all have our demons I suppose. 

Just like the person(s) who can't seem to put down the fork, there are those that will do (or say) anything to not pick it up.