Why is it so difficult?

I love running. LOVE. Unfortunately I have an injury right now. Nothing too major, I can still walk and get about my daily business. Just a little pain in the morning when I get up and maybe a little here and there after I've been sitting a long time or after a nap. I know I need to rest so I can heal completely, but it's SO difficult! My brain constantly bombards me with chants of "A short run won't hurt." or "You're going to lose all your endurance if you don't run." or "How can you call yourself a runner if you're not running?" After losing 40lbs. there's always the fear of regaining that weight, and even though I haven't regained any I'm just starting to feel soft and squishy...I don't like that feeling. How do you combat this? It's not as easy as you think. Just ask another runner. 

     I know there are a lot of options for fitness out there, but none of them quite speak to my soul like running does. So, what is my plan? Well, first and foremost is to NOT listen to that little voice! It can be hard, but I need to remind myself that... 

1. Yes, a short run CAN hurt. All it takes is a little too much stress at the wrong place at the wrong time to aggravate an injury and set you back farther.

2. No, you DON'T lose all your fitness just because you're not running as long as you cross train. 

3. Just because you're not running at any particular time does NOT mean that you're not a runner! Being a runner is a state of mind. It's having a love of the sport that reaches deep into your soul. Every runner has had to take time off. You don't stop being a runner just because you take a break.

Second, I need to make a plan to stay in shape and return to the sport I love. I would love to wake up tomorrow pain free, go out for a run and not have any more issues, but that just doesn't happen. (Well, I won't rule it out comepletely. Miracles do happen you know!) But I'm going to be prudent and plan like I'll be off for a while. Actually, I'm thinking of taking til the 1st of the year off. That should give my injury ample time to heal. This is time for me to try some of the things I've been wanting to try or things I had gotten away from. Actually, the more I think about it the more I am interested to see what changes and results will come with perusing a new workout regime for a while. I'll have to make sure I take pictures and measurements to document the difference ;) On my list to try or do more of? Walking, lifting, Pilates, bicycling, Zumba, yoga, and I'm sure I think of more.

Finally, I need to stay positive. This injury WILL heal. I WILL run again. This setback is NOT the end of my fitness journey, it's just a detour, and just like any detour it may lead me to something interesting, wonderful and will teach me new things...and that's always good!

Much love, 

The Tiny Tigress

New Adventures

I've always been the adventurous type. Well, maybe not the I-want-to-go-sky diving-bungie jumping-cliff diving-cheat-death type. Maybe more the curious I'm-always-looking-for-something-new-to-learn type. For the most part I am a self taught crafter. When I wanted to make my son his first quilt, I asked my mom to borrow her machine, bought some fabric, and jumped right in with no experience. I still share my story of not knowing what a presser foot was with new sewers who are having problems. It always gets a chuckle and let's them know we were all beginners once. When I wanted to knit a sweater, again I bought a little teach yourself to knit book, needles, and yarn and got to it. Pretty much the same with crochet when I wanted to make amigurumi. (my mom did show me the single, double and trebble crochet and I took it from there) I take a lot of satisfaction in acquiring a new skill. With all that said, I think I've found my next crafting adventure....garment construction!

     I knew what I wanted to be for Halloween this year, and I knew finding the costume was going to be pretty much impossible. My first thought wasn't, "Well, guess I'll be something else." it was, "Well, looks like I'll be learning how to sew this year." So I went out and found the perfect fabrics, some patterns and got started!

So far I've learned what it's like to work with faux leather, linen, using d-rings and eyelets, how to change a neckline, how to draft your own facing pattern, how to put in an invisible zipper, and that's just the beginning! My curious nature and creative soul are so happy to be learning new things I could just burst!!

This morning I started working on the dress with the actual intended fabric (I made a "first try" dress with muslin so I could practice) and although nervous, I am relatively confident that I CAN do this.

I still have some work to do, but hopefully I'll have a costume to show you really soon! Off I go! Hope you all have a wonderful day :)

Much love, 

The Tiny Tigress

Happy Saturday everyone! Hope everyone is doing well. Me? Well this was my view for the last couple days...

Yup, I just spent the last couple days in bed with some kind of bug. I hate being sick, but I can't help but think it's God's way of saying, "If you're not going to give yourself a break, I'm going to make sure you take one!" It also gave me time to think, which in this case is a good thing. The biggest thing I've been thinking about is my blog, and I've decided I'm going to put more energy into it. I had a blog ages ago before a big life upheaval and really enjoyed being part of that community. THIS community. The inspiration, the encouragement, the friendships. I missed that more than I realized!! So I'm back and am looking to get more involved...and I'm incredibly excited by that thought ;)

     Right now I'm searching through blogs finding interesting ones to follow and coming up with ideas to keep my own creative juices flowing so I'll have lots to share as well. I'm also working on getting some more projects done. Right now my focus is on these 3....

1. The string quilts. 

 They are being made with 6 1/2 and 5 1/2 inch foundation squares. I would love to have them done before the snow flies, but, well, we'll just see how that goes ;)

2. This scarf. 

It was started over a year ago and should really be done by now, but my procrastination and my crafting ADHD (you know the "I've got to get this *insert project here* finished OOH!! I need to make that *insert new project here* right now!!" syndrome?) have kept in to UFO status for a while.

3. This doll. 

I made a couple toys for a co-workers kids and he had only asked for something for his youngest two children. As soon as he gave them their new toys his 12 year old wanted one too! So this little guy is going to be detailed up with skateboarding stuff. I really like the size of this doll. He's about 9 inches tall and so stinkin' cute I want to make one for myself!

     Well, here in my neck of the woods it's Sweetest's Day. So that means a busy day at work. So with that I'm off to take on the rest of my day. Hope you all have a wonderful one!!

Much love,

The Tiny Tigress

Finding Balance

It's been quite a while since I've posted. Life has been very busy. Lots of changes! The biggest being I got a new job!! It's tough, physically and mentally, but I LOVE the challenge. With a new job comes a new schedule and that leads to new challenges here at home too. I've also been dealing with this nagging foot/ankle injury. It's been really frustrating because running is one of my biggest stress relievers and I'm not able to run like I was. So all that being said I have been putting a lot of thought into what I can do to get things back on track...to find some balance and get moving forward rather than just maintaining.

     I've started to realize that you can't ignore any area of your well being and hope to thrive, and there are so many areas to invest your energy into. Of course there is the physical, but there's also the spiritual, creativity, family, and rest. After putting much thought into it, I know there were aspects that were getting the lion's share of my attention while others were allowed to shrivel from neglect. My goal right now is to shift my energies and focus to find the optimum levels of effort to put into each area to become my best self.

    So, what's my plan? Well, I'm working on it, but here's what I have so far...

1. Physical. I have been taking a break from running and doing a lot more walking and have come to realize I need to vary my activities to help prevent injury. My goal? When this injury heals I will be running, yes, but I will be mixing in more walking, biking, lifting, Pilates, yoga and more. Just like I love to learn new creative skills, I need to find and try new exercise as well. I'm also going to try to get to bed earlier (I need to focus on this big time), and up my fruit and veggies.

2. Creative. I know I poured a ton of energy into exercise when I was losing weight. Not that I don't want to lose more, but when I was cleaning out my closets I came across a ton of unfinished crafting projects and was overcome with a wave of guilt. Silly? Maybe, but I don't know if that guilt stemmed from the unfinished projects or from knowing I'd been neglecting my creative soul. My goal? To work on a project at least 3 times a week and to focus on finishing some projects before starting a new one. 

3. Spiritual. I'm not usually one to watch evangelists on television, but the other day one happened to come on tv and for whatever reason I couldn't bring myself to change the channel...and it turned out to be a good thing! His message was about stress and where you place your emotional energy. It was something I needed to hear, and it made me realize that I needed to invest more energy into my spiritual life. My goal? I found this little devotional journal and I am going to try to make time every morning and evening to put more focus into this area. Take some time to be thankful, pray and just reflect on the important things.

4. Family. It's amazing how fast time flies. It's seems like just yesterday my kids were little. Watching Micky Mouse and Nick Jr. and I was the center of their universe. Now they're watching American Ninja Warrior, Red Band Society and chatting with their friends on the Xbox and Kik. I know that it won't be long before they're full grown with lives of their own. It makes me sad and proud at the same time, but I'm realizing my time with them is more and more important. My goal is to find a way to make sure to spend time with them whenever I can. To make time for them when they want to be with me. I'll always be able to find time for myself but as they get older I know my time with them is getting a bit shorter and that makes it more precious!

     There are other areas I need to work on as well, but to me, these are the big four. I'm hoping to find a better balance over the next few months so I can head into 2015 in the best shape (physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially) as I can. Also, I'm going to try to blog more. I'm hoping it will help to motivate me and keep me on track. So there you go. If you need to find balance like me I encourage you to make a plan. We can do this. Here's to becoming our best selves in every possible way!!

Much love,

The Tiny Tigress ;)