End of Week 2...and do I dare walk barefoot on the treadmill??

Okay Get Active ladies, how did week two treat you??????

I've been trying to be good about my Barnes and Noble splurges. I let my Member card expire, and I'm putting books on hold at the library. Which works out pretty well, unless three books become available at the same time so I have to speed read since someone else is waiting for them. I just finished Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, an Editor at Men's Health, and Naturally Thin by Bethenny Frankel, the Natural Food Chef from Real Housewives of NYC. They both focused on health, but in very different ways.

Born to Run is about Ultra Racing, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, and how running shoes are terrible for you. The book is really motivating, and gets down to the core of what running is all about. It's good for you, and it's wonderful. The shoe argument goes back to the fact that our feet are made to support our body, put them in a restrictive shoe and it throws you off, causing injuries. I'm wondering if there is something to that. My plantar faciitis still flares up from time to time, I never go barefoot, and live in my Birkenstocks. But I'm telling you, after reading the chapter on the evolution of running shoes, I seriously feel like taking a slow, short stroll on the treadmill to strenghten my feet. And on Wednesday's run I didn't lace my shoes as tightly as I normally do, I wanted to give my feet some room to do their job. The book also reinforced how I feel about running. I feel connected to myself during my runs, I love listening to my head, my breathing, my running. I've thought about getting a Garmin, but I don't know if that will change my experience with a run. I don't want to get too technical, I just want to run.

Now my gal Bethenny had some interesting points too, I'll admit it, I'm a fan. Her book didn't focus on exercise at all, it was all about what you put in your mouth. It's about balance in your food choices, such as if you have pasta at lunch, you should have some protein at dinner. You shouldn't clean your plate. You can have everything you want to eat, just not all at once. You can't have a burger, and fries, and dessert in one meal. Pick one, like the burger, but have a salad with it. She doesn't believe in limiting fruits, even with their sugar content because they're good for you. And she doesn't think it's bad to have one or two small alcoholic beverages a day. Sounds good to me! Her book reminded me to pay attention when I'm eating. To take a minute and think of what I'm putting in my mouth. I'm really bad about taking bites of whatever food the kids have from their meals. I hate to throw out food, but I also hate a big butt.

So yeah, yeah, exercise is important, and so is eating well. In my week of speed reading (I also read a mindless chick lit - Momzillas) I really benefitted from the messages in both books, they were perfect reminders of what I need to do to keep taking care of myself.