TOL- Unplugged, Runner’s Feet & My New Favorite Coloring Book

 

Oh boy am I tired this morning. And yes, this tired statement of mine really deserves an exclamation point but tacking it on to an already tired complaint just makes me feel like I would be feeding the tired feeling even more.

It was a beautiful night for hockey but gosh, these late games and the commute (which no, I am still not accepting) are tiresome.

The Islanders lost. Hopefully they win tomorrow and hopefully I don’t decide we need to trek back to an 8:00 pm weeknight game again unless it’s the Stanley Cup finals or the team moves back to Long Island where they belong 🙂

Last week I turned off all sounds and vibrations for email notifications on my phone. During the day, I am on top of my inbox so I don’t need the notification noise — but at night? On the weekend? Not necessary. It’s the greatest thing actually; without those sounds and vibrations, I have completely forgotten about my email during the times I do not need to be checking it!

I went for a pedicure the other day and my manicurist told me that for all of the running I do, my feet do not seem like runner’s feet (!!). She said other people come in with dry, hard feet and lots of calluses — not me.

You know she made my day.

I smiled and replied with how I take care of my feet:

1. Regular pedicures
2. Well-fitting running shoes and good socks
3. Never walk barefoot unless on carpeting
4. If my feet feel dry or I see a callous forming, I slather coconut oil before bed and sleep with socks on

I finally found an “adult” coloring book that fits my needs.

I usually prefer the Lisa Frank or Hello Kitty child coloring books because I like happy patterns and cupcakes rather than adult spirals and designs.

But look! Crayola heard my cries and created perfect “adult” coloring pages!

And now I am also the proud owner of 48 fancy colored pencils. Between not checking my email and coloring during my downtime, I really feel unplugged and back to my childhood and 1980’s roots.

What I need to unplug from and NOT be checking is the long-range weather forecast. Checking the weather for the half marathon which is in ten days is not smart at this point. It’s too far away but I keep doing it anyway. I don’t want heat but I really don’t want rain so if I have to choose, give me the sunny heat. I think.

Two links I read on Facebook this week:

Long Island Dictionary: 14 Words You Need To Know – I thought everyone knew what grandma pizza was?

20 Words All Jewish Kids Grew Up Hearing – For the longest time, I had no idea these were Yiddish words. I just thought they were regular, everyday English language.

Don’t forget to check out what everyone else is thinking about today 🙂

Are you a morning person or night owl?

Do you like to color? Colored pencils, crayons or markers?

What’s for breakfast this morning?

Runner’s Feet And Kushyfoot

 

Runners talk a lot of about having “runner’s feet”.

And, according to my father, you can actually have something called “runner’s toe” which he often complained about although we never quite understood but we let him have his “runner’s toe” anyway because it sounded like having such a condition made him feel more like a runner. 

I don’t have the traditional runner’s feet. I still have all of my toe nails, none of them are black, no blisters to speak of and really, just looking at my feet would never lead you to believe that I run an average of forty miles a week.

I actually ran close to fifty miles last week and I don’t know how that happened but it’s a little bit cool to think I am capable of such a thing.

I am not sure if non-runner feet are part of my genetics (inherited perhaps from my mother’s side since my father has a runner’s toe) or if it is because I am insane when it comes to my shoes, socks and proper foot care.

We have spoken before about finding the right running shoes for your feet and when to replace your running shoes.

While pedicures are often viewed as a want rather than a need, I count pedicures as a critical component in my good hygiene routine.

And not just for the pretty polish selection.

Regular pedicures, as in once a month or even more during the summer, help to keep my toenails short, cuticles managed and feet scrubbed just enough to remove the dead skin yet still keep some calluses for protection.

Money-saving pedicure tip: Most nail salons offer special pricing for pedicures and even mani/pedi deals certain days of the week. Do your research on the salons in your area and plan your visits accordingly.

We need the skin on the bottoms of our feet to be smooth but not too smooth. We need that certain level of toughness as a barrier between us and the ground.

As Janae recently discovered, when the bottoms of our feet are too soft and completely lacking in the callous department, running and even walking around can be really painful.

Have you ever done the whole cover your feet in Vaseline and socks overnight? I would never do it again. Way too softening.

Recently I was contacted to review Kushyfoot athletic socks and a few of their other foot goodies.

ABOUT KUSHYFOOT: Kushyfoot legwear products are made by Doris International, one of North America’s finest hosiery manufacturers and suppliers of prestigious private label programs for retailer. Available in over 10,000 doors around the nation and online, and in more than 50 styles, they deliver unheard-of comfort and high-end quality at affordable price points ranging from $3.99 to $9.99 retail.

Although I get crazy about leaving the house in a possible wrong sock/shoe combination for a run, I took one for the team in order to review the socks for you today.

Guess what?! I really like the Kushyfoot athletic socks.

Super soft and comfortable, high enough in the back to avoid a blister situation, moisture-wicking because my feet weren’t sweaty and the socks were dry when I took them off. They even stay put while running without bunching and getting annoying.

I know for sure that I like these athletic socks because I completely forgot that I was running while wearing something different.

The hot pink foot covers were really comfortable too.

I actually wore them over the weekend with sneakers because I got excited that they matched my Saucony Kinvara even though I usually wear peds like this with ballet flats or loafers back in the day.

You can’t see the hot pink peds but that’s the point.

You should know that I broke the #flatsfriday rule last week when I wore wedges the day before a long run.

I did have my Flats To Go with me just in case my feet hurt.

It’s always good to have such a clever item (foldable/thin ballet flats) with you for emergency situations.

I was all sorts of excited to see that my package of socks to review included Yoga socks.

Unfortunately the one size fits all did not apply to my toes because my baby toe couldn’t peek out of the sock at all, not to mention, getting your toes into socks that are like gloves isn’t easy as you can see above.

The toes are not as smart as fingers when it comes to naturally finding where they belong.

It’s a shame these yoga socks didn’t work for me since I was just contemplating signing up for some Pure Barre classes at the new location that recently opened near my house.

I want to add something different to my cross training routine this summer, either Pure Barre or Spinning.

I need to choose one, which should I pick?

Kushyfoot sent me the above-mentioned socks in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are mine.

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Do you have “runner’s feet”?

How often do you treat yourself for a pedicure?

Have you tried Pure Barre?

Favorite athletic socks?