Running into Problems

  

   I'm on week 5 of my training for the half-marathon.  I now have runner's knee and heel pain.  It is a challenge to run!  I know a lot of people have these issues come up, but it feels like some people were made for running and others not.  My bowed legs and over pronating feet don't help, but I refuse to give up.  I got the orthortics and even ordered knee support.  According to the reviews - the people who ordered it also had runner's knee and overcame it with the knee support to run a half-marathon.

Then today I experienced heel pain for the first time.  I ran 3 miles on the treadmill - not even a long distance - and certainly nothing I haven't done before.  Jeez. 

The Power

   I'm listening to The Power, which is the second book to The Secret.   It's really good and it's been making my days really happy lately.  The whole premise is that if you want to attract what you want in life - you must stay in a state of love and gratitude as much of the time as possible.  It's a win/win situation to practice this way of life.  If one is always focusing on what one loves about a situation or person - even the negative ones - then one becomes happier even if the circumstances don't change.  BUT - one will attract a better situation as a byproduct regardless within time.  

   I completely 100% believe in the Secret and use it all the time and if you don't - I wouldn't read on because my blog might just bother you.   Anyway...my church and many different ideologies teach this in different words.  Basically God or Spirit is the energy of Love, so being in a state of Love is being connected or aligned to Spirit or God.  Even in my Vipassana meditation they teach similar things.   We focus on purifying ourselves of sankaras that which agitates the mind.  If we remove all that agitates the mind through meditation - we will be ablt to stay in a state of love and happiness.  My husband is finally doing his first 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat this year!  I'm so excited for him.  We're doing it together and it will my 4th one.

Half-Marathon

   I was toying with the idea of trying a half-marathon in the next few years - after I got pregnant and had my second baby.  When I mentioned it to my friend Dana, she said, "I find it best to just plan for things.  Just sign up for the race and the worst that can happen is you lose your registration fee if you find out you're pregnant.   I couldn't argue with the logic in that, so I did.  I would have been way more bothered if I didn't sign up for it and then didn't get pregnant.  So now my only issue is - if I don't get pregnant I have to run 13.1 miles. 

  

Dec. 28, 2011

   I haven't written in such a long time.  I haven't felt like I had much to say.  I hate writing "filler" just to get something out.  But today for the first time in a long while I feel like sharing again.  This last month we've been doing a lot.  Dave and I went to Aruba - my first Caribbean island together.  We don't travel all that often so everytime we go somewhere we're super excited.  It's amazing how clean and bright the water is in other parts of the world.  At the Jersey shore it always looks a gray-green near the coastline.  We spent 5 days lounging in the sun, jeeping around the island, and going in a jeep around the island.  Our friends had a destination wedding there and it was spectalur!  They had events leading up the wedding: cocktail hour, BBQ, and land or sea excursion - all free for the guests. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

     Our first real Christmas tree!  We bought it right on Willow St.  We've also shown Mikayla the PortableNorthPole.com video in which Santa skypes to your child!   Christmas is so much fun with kids.  I never believed in Santa.  My parents being from South Korea during the Korean war didn't really put magic up in their list of priorities, but my husband insisted it was the best few years of his life when he believed.  So here we are - buying the tree and talking up the magic of Christmas!  I have to say - her excitement is contagious!  

   
   I've been spending a lot of my time making new friends lately. It's actually time consuming. I didn't realize that with all my new free time I'd be lonely. All the other moms who already have their established routines and circles - are running on automatic pilot. I'd been only hanging out here and there when I had time. I'm out of the loop. It takes time to develop real friendships and a lot of putting oneself out there.    I've found a great bunch of new women, and moms with whom I'm starting to feel a bond - really great energy, kind women.    I don't know which friendships will deepen and continue and which won't go anywhere, but I'm happy to be building a community of good people in my life.  Cutting back on work was the best thing - I'm so much happier than before.  We're living much more simply and I'm cooking a lot, but it's all worth it.  I feel more productive in ways that matter to me. 

   I started teaching Mikayla how to spell.  Only a few words so far, but she's getting better at remembering.  It took me a full week before just to get her to remember her name, Mom, Dad, Cat, and Dog.  I think she grasps what I'm trying to do because she's picking up speed.  We are getting her a sled, bike, and swim lessons for Christmas too and starting her in all these new activities after the holidays.  My parents always discouraged physical activity and always pushed school work, so I"m happy to be balancing out Mikayla with things I consider valuable too.  Studies have shown that regular physical exercise is more effective than Prozac in relieving depression. 

  Mikayla has also had this phlegmy cough that hasn't gone away in 3 months now.  I'm starting to get concerned that she may developed breathing problems.  We're doing the elmination diet and starting by cutting out all dairy products to see if that is contributing to the mucous problems.  My mother-in-law was really worried about her not getting enough Calcium if she stopped eating yogurt, cheese, and milk - but studies show that there is no correlation to dairy consumption and ostereoperosis.  In fact, countries with the highest rates of dairy consumption also have the highest rates of ostereoperosis.  The countries that have the least are predominantly plant based in diet.   Countries like Okinawa have the longest life span and they eat mostly rice, non-processed soy, and seaweed - eating meat only 1-2 times a month.   Well, we'll see how it goes.  It's tough to get all the dairy out of her diet since the school lunch always comes with milk.  I may have to start packing her a lunch every day.  I'm really resisting that idea because it sounds like a lot of extra work, but if it'll help my baby I'll do it.

Living a Simpler Life

   Fall in Hoboken is gorgeous.  The red, gold, and orange fluttering down on the sidewalks as I walk with Mikayla to school are breakthtaking.  Life has slowed down and we've been smelling the roses everyday.  I've cut back on my work hours and can finally go to playdate in the park with regularity.  I used to be so busy that I'd usually stay in during park hours because I preferred to catch up on errands or rest.  

  

    It feels good to have so much more free time to be with Mikayla.   I also realized I was out of the Mommy loop with other Moms!  I had so much free time now and no one to spend it with.  In the last three weeks I double timed it and made new friends, caught up with old ones, and now playdate every week.  It's good for both of us.  I'm happier and she's happier.  Mikayla is bonding with other kids - her 2 best friends from class - I'll call them Ally and Eric - are coming to her birthday party!  It makes me so happy to see her holding hands with her friends and laughing.   She's usually on the shy side, so to see her being so expressed with her buddies is amazing.  

    I even feel more like a Mom now - I'm more involved in her life and feel so happy lately - even though we're budgeting way more than ever before.  Our life has become richer with simpler joys.  We were never the materialistic types, but when one has to budget - we really saw how much we did spend on "stuff" and eating out.   We did invest in bikes - for the purpose of having fun without having to drive everywhere and spend.  So we considered it an investment towards the simple life.  We've been biking everywhere since - mostly to Target so we didn't have to lose our parking spot on the street.  :)

    We're going to continue to simplify our lives even more and start enjoying simpler pleasures - we already started with the bike rides to the park, walks, cooking together at home, and going to church events (Hoboken Grace) and connecting with our spiritual family.   Dave and I feel so happy lately we just keep saying it to each other.  Life is so good!   We both decided too - that we're never leaving Hoboken.  This is our home.  We truly love it here and we'll figure out what to do about school.  It'll all work out for the best.  It always does! 

A Bad Day turned Good :)

‎"But I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. " - Psalms 55:16-18

"Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8.

   I was having one of those days yesterday.    I got enough sleep but felt very tired, unfocused, and sensitive.  You know those moods that seem to attract the slights of people and it gets to you when you know it wouldn't on another day.  It was very "poor me."