Hiking in my Hometown

My first love for the outdoors came through hiking.  I remember being about seven years old and hiking out my backyard with my brother and my dad had a blast (minus the fact that my brother managed to accrue a tick inside his belly button).  I now participate in many other outdoor activities, but hiking remains one of my favorites.  It's so accessible, easy, and fun.  All you really need is a decent pair of shoes and some water, and you're set to go!

Now that the weather has warmed and there are longer days it's easy to go for a quick hike after work.  Recently some friends and I did just that.  We set out for a popular local trail called Blue Ridge Trail in seek of a beautiful sunset location. We found just that!

My Experience with Minimalist Shoes

In light of the recent court decision for Vibram FiveFinger shoes, I thought it timely to talk about my personal experience with minimalist shoes. My hope is that this would start a discussion with other folk's personal experiences.  Granted, all these testimonies would be anecdotal, and not scientifically-backed (which is why Vibram lost the court case, they did not have scientific research to back up their claims).  But, that being said, in my personal opinion, I do not think personal testimonies should be discounted.  We live in a world that puts science above all else, and I question that approach in our society.  Not to say that I don't love science (I am becoming a science teacher, after all), I just think we should take a moment to step back and admit that we may not see the whole picture all the time.  There are, after all, many contradicting studies out there.  All this to say, take what you read here, and elsewhere with a grain of salt.  But, I digress...

I bought my one and only pair of minimalist running shoes a little over a year ago today.  I didn't go for the Vibram Five Fingers, because they felt odd on my feet (I believe my toes are just not made for that kind of shoe).  Instead, I splurged for the Merrel Dash Glove.  It took some getting-used to, and I had to return my original pair for a larger size because I found that when I ran, my feet felt squished, though they felt great just for walking.  They are the most expensive running shoes I have bought to date, and so they felt like quite a gamble.  I wasn't sure how I would adjust to having no padding under my feet, what's more, I wasn't sure if that was even a good idea.

The only reason I ventured to give them a try was the vast amount of personal testimonies I heard that praised the wonders of minimalist running shoes.  When the trend began, I (along with the vast majority of folks) thought the concept and look was ridiculous.  But I worked as a canopy tour guide, and people came on the tour wearing these shoes in droves.  Out of sheer search for conversation, I would ask these trend-followers how they liked their shoes.  The answer always gave praise to the wonders of the minimalist shoe.  Back problems were better, knees stopped aching, ankles became strong, balance increased.  After hearing enough of these stories, I was convinced enough to give them a try.  I figured I didn't have anything to loose, since was purchasing them at REI (I could always return them).

Lo and behold, I was soon among those proclaiming the miracles of the minimalist shoe.  It took me a while to work back up to the mileage I was at before the shoe.  I went from running four miles comfortably, to not being able to run 3/4 of a mile without my calves being on FIRE!  But once I worked my way back up, I noticed that I was having less knee problems, better balance, and most importantly, my hips have not giving me problems since strapping on my Merrels.  I have always had issues with my hips hurting when I run, or even when I go on long hikes.  This issue has all but disappeared, except for on exceptionally long hikes.  I don't know exactly how it happened, but I believe the the minimalists have strengthened muscles I didn't use with a traditional shoe.  Additionally, my yoga practice has seen benefits from my minimalists.  My balance has increased, undoubtedly due to the muscles in my ankles, calves, and thighs improving.

As a disclaimer, I am not a hard-core runner.  I don't know if I would recommend minimalists to marathoners, for example.  I only run to ensure that I have done some cardio, and to tire out my energetic Siberian Husky.  I wouldn't call myself an expert in the field, but I do know what minimalist shoes have done for me.  I am curious, what are your experiences with minimalists?

How to Clean Wood Walls (AKA- How to Make Your House Not Smell Like "Old Cabin")

We live in a lovely cabin in the woods.  It was built in 1958, so as you can imagine, it has tons of charm... (I have come to find the word "charm" often is a euphemism which means "older").  I love having a home that is full of charm, however, the trade-off is that there are often more challenges when it comes to caring and updating the home.

Sometimes we come home in the evening and are surprised that our house smells like an old cabin.  You know what I mean-remember when you were a kid and you went to summer camp, and the dining hall either smelled like food, or like "old cabin"...its that slightly dusty, warm smell.  Well, needless to say, I really didn't want my home smelling this way.  So I began with scented candles.  Then Febreze.  Then more candles.  Then some insence (which I will say works the best in covering up smells... but that may just be my inner hippie talking).  But it still wasn't solving the problem.

When we first moved in, I cleaned the walls with a damp rag since I didn't know what else to use on the knotty pine wood walls.  I am pleased to say that I have found the solution to "old cabin" smell!  I cleaned the walls with Murphy Oil Soap Clean and Shine Spray- and viola- the smell has gone away and not come back!  Not to mention, my walls look fantastic.  I didn't even notice any dirt on them before, but once I cleaned them, I could really tell the difference.

Hizzah to beating old cabin smell!!

Friendcation in Yosemite

For three blissful days seven friends and I went on a trip to Yosemite National Park. The trip was filled with lots of laughter, strenuous and rewardingly beautiful hikes, and more than a few new inside jokes (among which include the time we tried to fit all eight of us in a jacuzzi made for about four people. Half the water overflowed onto the porch and the heater kept turning off. We ended up in a luke warm squished situation we lovingly termed "friend soup.")

It was such a blast and very affordable to split a cabin from groupon among all eight if us.  We had time for one big hike up to Vernal and Nevada Falls. It was such a beautiful day. We went to bed tired, and we're all surprised to wake up to snow the following morning!

We were glad we could still drive around in the snow, but managed to pick up a chain link in our tire (FYI that is not where they are not supposed to go). After a quick repair in Oakhurst, we went onward to stay with friends in Visalia. It was a joy to stay with such a gracious family and enjoy their little boy (I think some if the boys in our group had more fun playing with his toys than we did). 

Don't Run it Alone

Exercise is so much more enjoyable when you don't do it alone.  That is one reason I enjoy always having my dog with me on running adventures.  But it gets even better when I have a human companion to join me.  For one, humans speak English, and can actually talk back to me.  That really helps.

My brother and I have been running together once a week lately.  It has really helped me push myself to be consistent in running, and to go further and further.  My brother is a great coach!

Do you find exercising with someone helps out?  I think making a date to meet up ensures that you stay active.

Chicken Salad

I am not really sure that a salad deserves a recipe- but you might not eat one for dinner regularly.  If not, I highly recommend you do!  So yummy and you can pretty much top it with whatever veggies you have on hand.  As a treat, I will buy chicken tenders to put on my chicken salad.  This one has mushrooms, cheese, hard boiled egg, cucumbers, and carrots.  Great for a mid-week meal!

Enjoy!

Mushroom Chicken and Rice Bake

We had some of my husband's friends over for dinner the other night.  I had no idea what to make, but after scrounging around, I adapted this recipe.  It didn't change much from the original recipe which was given to me by a friend, however was forced to become a little more healthy since I had only healthier alternatives on hand.  I think the single best secret towards eating better is to keep only healthy options on hand.  Then when you have a craving, you have the option of either learning to love alternatives, or going out of your way to pick up something else.

Without further ado, Mushroom Chicken and Rice Bake:

2 cups uncooked brown rice
2 cups water
2 cans cream of mushroom soup*
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (or whatever is on sale will work well enough, too)
1/4 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt (or use [sea] salt, garlic, onion, and paprika.  Or whatever you have on hand.)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a 9x13 inch baking dish, combine rice, water, soup, and seasonings, and stir.  Place chicken breasts on top.  Sprinkle additional seasoning salt and pepper, and top with sliced mushrooms.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about an hour and a half, or until rice is tender and cooked through.

*I realize that I am not making the healthiest choice here with canned cream of mushroom soup.  Next time, I am going to try this recipe for making my own, using coconut oil.  I just haven't been convinced until seeing this recipe that I could make a healthy enough alternative, one that was worth the time spent making it from scratch.  I am glad to have finally found one that seems simple AND healthy (not using pure cream, butter, etc.).

I recently learned how healthy mushrooms really are.  They boost your immune system and have high levels of vitamin D.  In researching, I found out that they absorb and concentrate whatever they grow in.  Learning this, I am going to make more of an effort to buy organic mushrooms.  I don't buy all organic produce, but try to pick and choose where I will get the most bang for my buck.