I don't know if any of you ever went to summer camp when you were younger, but the title of this post comes from a camp song from my youth. I went to Girl Scout camp, and there were a plethora of songs sung around the campfire each night, but for some reason this one stuck with me. The original song goes a little something like this:
Swimming, swimming, in the swimming pool,
Some days are hot, some days are not,
in the swimming pool.
However, we also sang a parody of that song that I liked better and is the one that I remember most:
Swimming, swimming, in the swimming pool,
Some guys are hot, some guys are not,
at the swimming pool!
Anyway, my original point is that I'm getting really excited about being able to swim again. I went swimming on Monday evening and again today after work, and I'm feeling really good about it.
Things I love about swimming:
1) First of all, the endorphins. I haven't been able to do aerobic exercise lately, so this is great. It's a major mood booster!
2) Exercise! Did I mention that I really need the exercise after several months of little to no physical activity? I've gone up a few pant sizes since February, and I'd definitely like to go back down to normal sometime in near future. Ideally, I'd like to be fitting back into my old pants and clothes by November, and I think swimming combined with more vegetables and self-control in the food department will help me reach that goal.
3) It's a very diverse activity. I used to be a lifeguard and did swim team my senior year in high school, so I know quite a few different strokes: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, etc. It doesn't get boring when you switch strokes every other lap and make use of the kickboards, pull buoys (those little odd-shaped floats you put between your legs to focus on strengthening your arms only), and flippers.
4) It's free! The pool I go to is free to all DC residents and military families. So, I just flash my military ID and get to swim without spending a dime on membership, which is super nice, especially when you know the exorbitant price of gym membership in the DC area.
5) I think it's helping with my post-surgery foot recovery. My foot didn't hurt as much Tuesday or today, and I'd like to credit that to my swim session on Monday night. My podiatrist actually did say swimming is great for recovery; so I'd like to think this improvement isn't all in my head
6) My pool is conveniently located next to the biggest Whole Foods in the VA-MD-DC area (that I've visited). After exercising, the Whole Foods hot bar, with labeled vegan entrees, is a welcome dinner option. They also have delicious vegan bakery options, like multiple vegan bakery options: muffins, scones, etc. It takes me about an hour to get home. So if I want to eat before 9 or 10 pm, I probably should eat some dinner before I hop on the metro.
Aside: Whole Foods in Falls Church: Please take note and hop on labeling the vegan options on your hot bar. It would be much appreciated by your faithful customers, such as myself. And if you would offer a vegan muffin or two in your bakery section, that would be totally awesome!
Also, I would totally share a picture of myself in awesome swim gear to accompany this post. (I treated myself to a new swim cap, goggles, and a sportier swimsuit back in July when I started getting into swimming before my surgery, so I look like a serious swimmer now.) But let's be honest: that's just a look that nobody needs to be sporting outside of the swimming pool facilities!
Showing posts with label swimming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swimming. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Thursday, July 3, 2014
I'm Still Veg*n!
Dear Friends and Readers,
It's been a long time, but I'm back with a vengeance! You're probably wondering where I've been these past several months. Well, I've have some setbacks, and life has thrown a few curve balls my way. I'm still vegan, but I haven't been running for quite a while and also not cooking as much. I was super-hesitant to post anything for a while until I had good news because I didn't want to make this my complain-a-blog. Unfortunately, concrete good news took a bit longer than expected to arrive. I recently picked up swimming again to combat the non-running blues and a cure to the not-being-able-to-run issue is in sight!
A little before my last post, I started having some pain in the ball of my left foot while running. The pain got more severe in mid-February, and I haven't been able to run since that time. I went to the doctor and got lots of tests run and painful shots injected into my feet with no results and not much of a diagnosis until fairly recently. So I've been very down in the dumps and distracted trying to figure out what the heck was going on and get used to the new normal of living with the pain since there wasn't a quick fix in sight.
After several visits to my general practitioner, the x-ray and sonogram people, and two podiatrists (one not-so-good, one amazing), we've finally figured out that I have four Morton's neuromas in my feet (two in each foot). Neuromas are bundles of nerves that gather together and cause quite a bit of pain by concentrating themselves between your metatarsal bones. Some people describe the feeling as a balled up sock or pebble under your foot, but socks are much more comfortable in my experience. Lots of people develop them and they can grow larger over time depending on how you balance your weight on your feet when you stand, walk, or exercise and how much you wear uncomfortable shoes, both high heels and shoes that just don't fit your feet correctly or provide enough arch support. The condition is called Morton's neuroma, which is most commonly between the third and fourth metatarsal bones.
I'm 26 and fairly healthy, but I do exercise on my feet a fair bit. However, I do not wear heels often. Mostly just running shoes, tennis shoes, and flats at work. Apparently, it can also be hereditary. My grandma has actually had neuroma surgery three separate times. (Her story alone was enough to make me wary of surgery.) Anyway July 29th, I'm going to go under the knife for the first time in my life to have two of my neuromas removed from my left foot. (The right foot hasn't really been bothering me, so I'm holding off on that one because I'm already super anxious about surgery in general.)
Anyway, I have lots of new ideas in the works and after my surgery I'll have lots of free time since my doctor has advised me that recovery means I'm not to leave my bed or couch, except with the help of crutches to use the restroom.
For today, I'd like to share a few of the blogs that I read most frequently. Yes, I've been keeping up on my blog reading, and I hope to be more active with comments and the like soon!
First up, Bonzai Aphrodite: I love Sayward and her cute little dude, Waits, so much! I've been following her blog for about a year and a half, and I've also read all of her archives. This is one of those blogs that tells a life story, which I love. She also has lots of helpful environmentally-minded tips for cosmetics, hygiene, gardening, cooking, shopping and more. Sayward is so involved in her community and always has a million projects going on. It's so inspiring! She's also written an awesome book about raising vegan kids, which I'm sure will be a lifesaver someday...
Next, Ayinde Howell of I Eat Grass has an amazing new cooking show called "Like A Vegan"! Please, please, please visit the link on his site and watch his pilot episodes because his dishes and technique are awesome and I really, really, really want to see more of his new show! I've cooked lots of his recipes before, and they are always delicious and feature lots of comfort foods. He uses tons of spices, so his dishes are always very flavorful. Also, somehow he manages to perfect dishes from several different cultures with seeming ease. He has a new cookbook coming out in October, and I can't wait!
I'm also loving Almost Veg Girlie. She's a self-proclaimed "99% vegan", which in my book still makes her 100% awesome. I love her reviews on new foods and enthusiasm for life and shopping (both grocery and otherwise), and she does some personal heart-wrenching posts that are what keep me coming back for more. Did I mention I love reading life stories/personal journeys?
Last, but not least, Cassi from The Pretty in Pink Vegan. I love her style and her honesty. She makes lots of new and exciting dishes, but she also isn't afraid to tell you when she goes out to a restaurant or makes some convenience foods with extra love, like fresh ingredients added to vegan ramen. It's easy to relate to her, and you get lots of great ideas from reading her posts. After following her blog since its very beginning and learning about her love for Asian cuisine, I was so excited to read all about her trip to Japan this year!
Thanks to all my wonderful blogging friends, and keep on trucking! I hope to be more involved in the community again and maybe get back to running by October or November. Until then, I am
Sincerely yours,
Elise
It's been a long time, but I'm back with a vengeance! You're probably wondering where I've been these past several months. Well, I've have some setbacks, and life has thrown a few curve balls my way. I'm still vegan, but I haven't been running for quite a while and also not cooking as much. I was super-hesitant to post anything for a while until I had good news because I didn't want to make this my complain-a-blog. Unfortunately, concrete good news took a bit longer than expected to arrive. I recently picked up swimming again to combat the non-running blues and a cure to the not-being-able-to-run issue is in sight!
A little before my last post, I started having some pain in the ball of my left foot while running. The pain got more severe in mid-February, and I haven't been able to run since that time. I went to the doctor and got lots of tests run and painful shots injected into my feet with no results and not much of a diagnosis until fairly recently. So I've been very down in the dumps and distracted trying to figure out what the heck was going on and get used to the new normal of living with the pain since there wasn't a quick fix in sight.
After several visits to my general practitioner, the x-ray and sonogram people, and two podiatrists (one not-so-good, one amazing), we've finally figured out that I have four Morton's neuromas in my feet (two in each foot). Neuromas are bundles of nerves that gather together and cause quite a bit of pain by concentrating themselves between your metatarsal bones. Some people describe the feeling as a balled up sock or pebble under your foot, but socks are much more comfortable in my experience. Lots of people develop them and they can grow larger over time depending on how you balance your weight on your feet when you stand, walk, or exercise and how much you wear uncomfortable shoes, both high heels and shoes that just don't fit your feet correctly or provide enough arch support. The condition is called Morton's neuroma, which is most commonly between the third and fourth metatarsal bones.
I'm 26 and fairly healthy, but I do exercise on my feet a fair bit. However, I do not wear heels often. Mostly just running shoes, tennis shoes, and flats at work. Apparently, it can also be hereditary. My grandma has actually had neuroma surgery three separate times. (Her story alone was enough to make me wary of surgery.) Anyway July 29th, I'm going to go under the knife for the first time in my life to have two of my neuromas removed from my left foot. (The right foot hasn't really been bothering me, so I'm holding off on that one because I'm already super anxious about surgery in general.)
Anyway, I have lots of new ideas in the works and after my surgery I'll have lots of free time since my doctor has advised me that recovery means I'm not to leave my bed or couch, except with the help of crutches to use the restroom.
For today, I'd like to share a few of the blogs that I read most frequently. Yes, I've been keeping up on my blog reading, and I hope to be more active with comments and the like soon!
First up, Bonzai Aphrodite: I love Sayward and her cute little dude, Waits, so much! I've been following her blog for about a year and a half, and I've also read all of her archives. This is one of those blogs that tells a life story, which I love. She also has lots of helpful environmentally-minded tips for cosmetics, hygiene, gardening, cooking, shopping and more. Sayward is so involved in her community and always has a million projects going on. It's so inspiring! She's also written an awesome book about raising vegan kids, which I'm sure will be a lifesaver someday...
Next, Ayinde Howell of I Eat Grass has an amazing new cooking show called "Like A Vegan"! Please, please, please visit the link on his site and watch his pilot episodes because his dishes and technique are awesome and I really, really, really want to see more of his new show! I've cooked lots of his recipes before, and they are always delicious and feature lots of comfort foods. He uses tons of spices, so his dishes are always very flavorful. Also, somehow he manages to perfect dishes from several different cultures with seeming ease. He has a new cookbook coming out in October, and I can't wait!
I'm also loving Almost Veg Girlie. She's a self-proclaimed "99% vegan", which in my book still makes her 100% awesome. I love her reviews on new foods and enthusiasm for life and shopping (both grocery and otherwise), and she does some personal heart-wrenching posts that are what keep me coming back for more. Did I mention I love reading life stories/personal journeys?
Last, but not least, Cassi from The Pretty in Pink Vegan. I love her style and her honesty. She makes lots of new and exciting dishes, but she also isn't afraid to tell you when she goes out to a restaurant or makes some convenience foods with extra love, like fresh ingredients added to vegan ramen. It's easy to relate to her, and you get lots of great ideas from reading her posts. After following her blog since its very beginning and learning about her love for Asian cuisine, I was so excited to read all about her trip to Japan this year!
Thanks to all my wonderful blogging friends, and keep on trucking! I hope to be more involved in the community again and maybe get back to running by October or November. Until then, I am
Sincerely yours,
Elise
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