Healthy Living: Maddie's Story

Maddie writes:

I'm an aspiring writer and photog over at my blog called Spidatter. It wasn't until early this past spring that I began to love talking to others about my relationship with running. Not to worry . . . this won't be a rant about the marathon I'm training for (because I'm not), nor about how much I just love love love to wake up at 5am and get a few miles in before work (because I don't).

It's a relationship that never really got off the ground, unfortunately. I'm not sure what the deal breaker was. It might have been all of those forced jog-a-thon fundraisers in Kindergarten (which I walked), or the "running of the dreaded mile" in third grade (which I also walked . . . in the snow), or perhaps it was all of those laps we did in PE in fifth grade . . . in our plaid, pleated uniform dresses. I'm the one with the white sailor blouse on under my jumper.


While the above memories all feed into my broken relationship with the track, the moment in my running history that truly highlights my athletic demise (and also doubles as an oft-repeated family anecdote) was the mile I had to run for physical fitness testing in junior high. Junior high was a nightmare in and of itself, from which I'm still debriefing. And then at the end of the day, they made you run. We had these super cute red PE shirts we had to wear with the private school's logo printed on them. And all of the girls who needed sports bras were anti-wearing them (I was in that category) . . . while the girls with nothing to cover would seemingly wear them "just for fun."

So there I am running the mile on a beat-up field full of gopher holes and puddles. Near lap four, I glance around and realize that I am one of only two people left still running. And the other girl is about to cross the finish line. And I am behind her. AND SHE IS WEARING A BACK BRACE. If that doesn't scream, "Give up already! You are not a runner!" to an already insecure 13-year-old girl, I don't what does...

My childhood eating habits also mirrored my poor grasp of exercise. I have never been more than ten or so pounds over the normal weight for my height and age (whatever normal is), but I was rarely in good shape, and my body type leans more toward the curvier side of the spectrum. Growing up, I ate decently, but definitely not intelligently. I rarely binged and learned early on what portion sizes were, by I had no idea what I was eating. My mom and younger sisters had metabolisms that allowed them to eat Cocoa Puffs for breakfast and not gain an ounce. By college I realized that I was not capable of living the same lifestyle.

Now I'm 24, and I have just begun to mend my broken bond with running and whole foods. In one month, I decided to quit my job of three years and move to a new house after three years in the old one. I also found myself surrounded by new friends who all seemed to be yogis and half-marathon trainees. I was struggling to find something I could control in this 'new life' that suddenly looked so different than it had a few months ago. To be honest, it really started as a shallow effort to fit in. I was frustrated by my lack of health and fitness knowledge (last year I had NO idea what an "out-and-back" was . . . or Stevia, for example). So I started small, knowing that jumping full force into anything new could result in a fast burn-out.

It really began with a trip to Lululemon and the purchase of this bra, the first sports bra that actually took the chest pain out of physical activity for me. I had foolishly sworn off this store previously as over-priced and over-zealous, created for the people who do yoga up to three times a day. And then I found myself all but drowning in a social circle of Lululemon believers and testimonies. So I ventured into the store -- petrified, mind you -- and bought the aforementioned sports bra. Which is solid as a rock . . . and yet bizarrely comfortable. And Lord help me if I don't get my money's worth out of a $50 sports bra and burn some major calories in the process. So now, I run. At least every other day. Not impressively fast, and not amazingly far -- but that's still running.

It's amazing what a little monetary guilt can do to your exercise routine. Sometimes looking fantastic and spending unholy amounts of $$$ on athletic attire is by far the best motivation to sweat. Whatever it takes, right?


Shortly after my fitness wardrobe update, a friend asked me to run a half marathon with her. I laughed, and then realized she wasn't laughing, and then thought, "Oh, I guess I actually have been running . . ." My friend Amanda (on the left in the picture) was super inspirational (even if she doesn't know it!) because she herself has already ran several half marathons and one full marathon as well. The whole idea was completely foreign to me. But I was graciously shown different online training schedules that laid out daily runs and work-outs to slowly (keyword here) prepare my body for a 13.1 mile run (jog?) . . .

The first time I successfully ran four miles without stopping to walk was huge for me. I remember calling my mom feeling heady with endorphins, and just about crying into my phone that I'd finished four.

There is a half in my hometown of Santa Barbara in November that I'm planning on signing up for soon. I've only gotten up to six miles so far, but knowing how big of a battle one used to be gives me hope that this goal is reachable.

Thanks for reading, and hope you are encouraged! ANYONE can become a self-made athlete.

Maddie (from Spidatter)

In need of some healthy fitspiration? While you're here, you can read more great stories like Maddie's -- as well as submit your own healthy living story to be featured on our site!

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And the Birthday Celebration Continues . . .

Far from it. My lunch today? Roasted almonds, an Oreo brownie, coconut water, and a peach. I really need to plan better for tomorrow.

So, just a quick lunchtime blog. I seem to have run out of all my saved-up posts! I definitely am looking forward to having a low-key weekend for cooking and baking. And maybe some house projects (like painting our bedroom!). Oh, yeah. And writing posts!!! I have a gazillion ideas for great stuff I want to post for you all. Stephen does, too. In fact, he's thinking of starting a FAQs corner. He's not an expert, but he's got a ton of running experience, he's wicked fast, and he's a fun read.


OK. Yesterday, I ended up spending the rest of my birthday money. I know, I've been 27 for almost a month. I spent some on a new running outfit from the always-fabulous Lululemon (as seen above). I got the Run Speed Short (in black) and the Cool Racerback (in grey). At first, I was nervous about the short-ness of the shorts. But let me tell you -- I put them to the test last night -- absolutely no chaffing, felt great. I would buy more if my budget allowed right now.

You may have noticed I've incorporated yoga poses into each of the posts today. Why? Well, I need to get back into my practice. I'm incredibly tight from marathon training . . . and stretching feels amazing. Thing is: I need a yoga buddy! Yes. I can do it alone, but it's SO MUCH more fun when I have a friend to join me. We'll see about that. I'm planning to join a gym after the marathon because I like to add some variety to my routine. There aren't any fantastic gyms around here, though -- so, wherever I go will have to have some great spinning and yoga classes.

Onto my next self-gift. It's for yoga (so keeping with our theme). We went to Target during my lunch yesterday, and I found this cute yoga mat bag. It's similar to this one, but I can't find the exact color/pattern on their website. The bag is roomier than other bags I've had/seen, so I think I could stash a sweater and pair of Vibrams in there, too.



I love the embroidery detail. It's also slightly padded. I don't really know what benefit that provides for the bag, but it sure feels comfortable.

Last, I picked up some cartons of coconut water.


I'm obsessed with coconut water -- I always mix with either 1/3 to 1/2 coconut water and 1/2 to 2/3 regular tap water. That way, it isn't too sweet. My habit is getting the better of our beverage budget -- so I think I'll order a case on Amazon sometime soon. It's so worth it. It's a hydration like I've never known!

So, that's all for now. I have grand plans for dinner (after a nice and easy 5 mile run). Recipes will abound sooner than you know. Here's a question for you, now: When you get the gift of cash, how do you treat yourself? Do you save? Do you splurge? What do you invest in? One year, I used my X-mas dough to finance my gym membership. Another time, I bought cookware.

For me, the money never lasts. (Hi. My name is Ashley, and I'm a shopaholic.)

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Fit Style: Lululemon

I have a new obsession. It's with my workout clothing. For the longest time, I'd shop around the area trying to find comfortable, pretty running and yoga tops, bottoms, and etc. But I never sniffed out anything that impressed me particularly much. And then I found Lululemon -- a Canadian-based company specializing in gorgeous, high-performance workout clothing and gear.



I could go on for days about how much I love this company. From their outreach and community efforts (promoting healthy living through exercise and self-love at any size), to their blog and twitter-ing (their staff responds to tweets in a snap -- it's awesome!). They're just nice people. And they even give the "gift of yoga" to patrons at their showrooms and storefronts. But what it all boils down to is this: their clothes rock my world.


Let's check out my loot for a moment, shall we? As you see above, I received my packages last night when I returned home from work -- but those bags you see in the photos. I didn't order them. My order came INSIDE these pretty, reusable bags . . . and that impressed me from the very start. And that's just the packaging!

What exactly did I order?

• Run Empower Crop II (in black)
• Cool Racerback (in passion)
• Define Jacket (in coal/heathered coal wee stripe)

You may be thinking: "That's a lot of $$$ on workout gear!" And you're probably right. But I've been freelancing a bit, so I decided I deserved a treat. Not only that, in all the money I waste on running and yoga clothes that I dislike, I'm going to save because a few, excellent-quality pieces from Lululemon will last me years. It's like my Under-Armor cold weather running tights. I've had the same pair since I was a sophomore in college -- and that was, well, over 8 years ago (woah). They're going strong.


Back to Lululemon. Last night, I took my stuff for a test run (and stretch) -- running a quick 5.6 mile run in about 46 minutes. The temps were in the mid-70s, which is pretty warm for these parts (no, not my parts, Upstate NY). I was most impressed by the feel of the running crops. They're lightweight, and it almost feels like you're wearing nothing at all. And, then again, they're holding everything in the right place (I'm well-endowed in the glutes-region, and my jiggle was at bay). Another favorite: I absolutely love how long the racerback tank is. I have a long torso, an no naked belly was showing. Nice.


I had to christen them my doing my favorite yoga pose: Natarajasana. I'm hooked. So, if you haven't already, go check out Lululemon. You'll be happy you did! I can't wait to find a store somewhere near me so I can check out the rest of their stock.


ALSO check out this month's Blog Love Fest. It's a special edition because we're not only sharing the links in a list this month. We're creating a categorized blogLOVEroll. For all the gooey details, just visit the BLF post.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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