No One Likes a Grumpy Pants

Sleep.

Bedtime. Nap. Snooze. Zzzzs. Pillow. Blankie. Blanket. Comfy. Dreaming.

I'm a big fan of sleep and have always been able to fall asleep really quickly.  I actually think that my abilities are genetic - all of my dad's family are sleepers and can snooze at the snap of a finger.  It's an amazing quality to have.  Me and naps are tight - BFFs, if you will.  Austin likes them, too.

One downfall, though, is that I need a lot of sleep.  I cannot function on less than seven hours of sleep every night.  I get extremely grumpy if I don't get enough ZZzzz time.  I know, I know, I sound like an old lady (and the boyfriend actually calls me grandma when I tell him I need to hit the sack).  But, the National Sleep Foundation says that adults should get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night.  So there.

But in all seriousness, sleep is such a vital part of staying healthy.  If you don't get enough sleep, you don't feel like exercising.  If you don't feel like exercising, you're gonna sit on the couch eating Goldfish and Popsicles and tortilla chips (oh, wait, that might have been me last night).  You lose any motivation to do anything when you are tired.  Then, your days become consumed with slipping in and out of consciousness or lounging or staring blankly at the TV as "I Love Lucy" and "Brady Bunch" reruns flicker.  Sure, it's fun to have a down day and sleep in late and stay in bed even later.  I'm not going to deny that.  At least for me, though, once I get in that mode, it's hard to peel my backside off of the comfy, comfy couch (just one more episode, I swear).

So, what's the point I'm trying to make in all of this sleepy gobbly-gook?  Just that.  Sleep.  It's vital for your body, it's healthy for any relationships you have (no one likes a grumpy pants) and it makes the world go round.  Yeah, that's right...sleep makes the world go round....I should market that...make it into a song...who's with me?

Pain, pain, go away

I woke up this morning in pain.  What a horrible way to start the day.

This time, it was my calves.  They were about as tight as a rubber band on the biggest rubber band ball.  I felt a deep, bruising ache that made it hard to want to get out of bed, much less walk the dog.  But as all dog owners know, there are consequences when you don't let them relieve themselves in a timely fashion.

I am guilty of maybe the worst crime in running circles.  Hi, my name is Anica and I don't stretch.  I've just never been a big fan of stretching or taking the time to stretch.  I have these old memories of sitting on itchy, new grass on a track infield while the captains (usually cute, older sprinters) led us through a stretching routine.  It always involved some bouncing (reach those toes, kids!) and counting to 10...boring! Plus, I had a cross country coach who also wasn't a big proponent of stretching.  Sure, we did some at the beginning of practice, but he never spouted wisdom as to why stretching was good for us.

I even did a stint with a physical therapist who showed me the correct way to stretch out my muscles.  And I have to say, even now, some of them feel really, really good.  And I can see the benefits.  But I've never been able to get into the routine of stretching at night before hitting the sack, or getting up five minutes earlier to stretch before running.

And now, I'm paying for it.  Getting old sucks.

So, today I went up to the gym during lunch and did a solid 30 minutes of stretching and lengthening.  I felt better afterwards, but was really craving my Stick and foam roller, both of which I have at home.  While static stretching can help, I really like the way my body feels after rolling out.  The roller can pinpoint tight spots very quickly and can help release that tension, something that's hard to do while reaching for your toes.  I will definitely put both the roller and Stick to work tonight and see if I can get more of the kinks out of my calves, especially.

I think it might be time to splurge on a massage.  I've found that when my body gets too tightly wound, stretching & rolling & self-massaging & icing just don't help.  My body needs a professional's touch.  It might be that time. 

A Coffee Barrel of Monkeys

First off, don't make fun of my monkeys.

Ok, I guess you can chuckle a little bit.  I am a grown woman with a job, an apartment and a dog who is drinking out of a monkey cup.  But you can't deny it...they are pretty cute.

Anyways, this post is not about monkeys or about my adulthood.  It is about the beverage that is in the monkey cup.  It's coffee, for those of you who suck at guessing.  Now, everyone should gasp in shock.

Shock, because I'm not a coffee drinker.  I don't need my morning fix or else...  I don't drink several steaming cups during the day just because there is coffee in the pot.  I actually don't like the taste of coffee.

I do, however, love the smell of coffee.  It reminds me of my grandparent's house and of lazy Saturdays at my house growing up (my dad would brew some after a long run).  I am also a HUGE fan of coffee ice cream.

Getting back on track...coffee.  Drinking coffee.  I've only recently started foraying into the coffee world.  And let me clarify that when I say I have been drinking coffee, I mean I'm drinking iced coffee with milk & lots of creamer.  Does that even still constitute as coffee?  Also, I don't drink it everyday; I usually only down it when I've gone for a run in the morning PLUS taking Austin for an hour walk (I've started to loathe 5:30 am).  It gives me a little boost of energy to get me through the morning meetings & email rituals.

But I've also realized that it kinda gives me the jitters.  And makes me feel a little buzzed.  Is this normal?  I realize that it definitely has some affect on my body, but I didn't think it would be as noticeable.  Maybe it's because my body is not used to a lot of caffeine (I'm not really big into soda).  Maybe I just need to start drinking smaller cups instead of a mondo-monkey cup...

I'm starting to rant and I totally blame it on the cup 'o joe I drank this morning.  It's even affecting my writing skills!  I'm backing slowly away from the monkeys...

When You're Happy Like a Fool...

Have you ever come across a song that embodies how you are feeling at the exact moment you hear it?  It seems to say what is going through your head in a perfectly succinct way that only songs can do.

I listened to OneRepublic's new song "Good Life" on repeat this weekend.  Every time I listened to it, I couldn't believe how it made me smile and gave me this warm, gooey feeling inside.  Let me allow you the pleasure of listening to it (and really listen to it...don't just watch the video):

My life is super good right now.  Have you ever been at that place where your heart is full and your mind is happy?  Here's why I feel the way I do:

• Austin. He's a cute puppy who is always up to something. He makes me smile on a daily basis and when he comes to curl up at my feet, the world feels right.  I'm pretty sure God gave us dogs to remind us that life really is simple...they love unconditionally, and I believe that's the true meaning of it all.

• Being able to run when I want, how I want and not let my body dictate (ie. stop me from doing something I love). The freedom of just going out into the world is exhilarating.  Our bodies are magical specimens that we shouldn't take for granted.

• I've recently had the time and motivation to start reading again! And let me tell you...a good book sure does my soul well.  There's nothing quite like getting lost in the great words of brilliant wordsmiths.

• My boyfriend, Dave, makes me laugh every single day. It doesn't matter whether it's through a text, on the phone or in person, not a day goes by when I don't laugh until it hurts with him (or at him, sometimes).  His mantra to life (live like you were dying) encourages me to wake up a little bit earlier, enjoy each moment a little bit more and don't stress the small stuff.

• A job can be a job, or a job can be something you put your energy into and enjoy.  Mine falls into the latter category.  I don't ever dread coming to work.  I usually look forward to it (come on, now, I get the Monday blues just like everyone else).  My position allows me to work freely on projects I'm interested in, while helping others in departments that I'm not in, further broadening my work "education."  It's creative work that keeps the mind young, and fortunately for me, I do a lot of it.

• Simply Limeade. A drink that makes my tastebuds jump (literally) for joy.  It's not very sweet like other limeades; this one has the tartness that a natural lime has.  I'm not kidding you that when I think about it, my mouth starts watering. It's that good.

• I have friends that any girl would be jealous to have.   They truly get me.  Almost nothing can compare to a girlfriend who can finish your sentence or thinks the same thing you do at the same time.  In my mind, having one friend "get" you is much more important than having 10 friends "like" you.  Quality over quantity, people.  Find yourselves some good peeps.

• My family rocks my socks off.  We've reached the point where my parents are still my parents, but they are now cool and hip and fun to be around.  They provide advice but let us make decisions on our own.  They understand that we are adults and are out in the wide world (but that doesn't mean my mom's not going to worry all the time or pray rosaries when we go on road trips). 

Obviously there's more to my life than these few bullet points.  The beautiful thing about it all is that all of the things I've mentioned (plus the ones I didn't) meld and combine into a simple thing that we call life.  Isn't it crazy to think that we are here, living, breathing, thriving?

"We are God of stories, but please tell me
What is there to complain about?

When you're happy like a fool, let it take you over
When everything is out, you gotta take it in."

See Ya Later, Buddy

My friend Matt is leaving California for good this weekend.  I only met him about a year and a half ago when he came to work at Creators Syndicate.  His college buddy (who hired me) urged him to come out and join the company.  Matt drove cross-country in his little red Jeep Liberty all by himself.  He was going to make a new life for himself in the sunny state.

Matt is one of those people who is really, really easy to get along with.  He literally doesn't have a dramatic bone in his body and probably wouldn't hurt a fly.  It is with these amazing qualities that we became friends over invoice lunches and staff meetings, and even more so, over dinners and drinks.  His super-sharp wit and dorky sense of humor would make everyone at the table chuckle...it was hard not to.

Sadly, Matt's family experienced a huge, unexpected loss in the last two months.  Although he didn't talk about it much when he got back, I could tell that it forever changed him and affected him each day.  With family ties weighing on his mind, Matt decided he needed to move back to New Hampshire.  I understand it is something he feels he needs to do, but it is always hard to say goodbye to a good friend.

We're throwing Matt a going-away party this weekend and it will for sure be filled with lots of laughs.  Because, how else can we send someone all the way across the country? It's the least we can do.

Get It On!

It never failed.  On a daily basis, Abby Farson Pratt's face showed up on my newsfeed.  Every day, like clockwork, she posted a link to a new blog post on her blog, Little Stories.

I thank Abby for those daily posts.  Not because I read every single one (or even one every week).  But more so because I saw someone who was blogging regularly and realized that I could probably do the same.

You see, I want to be like Abby.  I want to have a consistently-updated blog that people find intriguing and want to read.  This blog started out strong but as of late, has been sorely neglected.  I fell into the trap of thinking that each post needed to be about running (because it started as a running blog, of course). But writing only about running pigeonholes me.  And no one likes to be put into a corner.
Small aside: why would your nickname ever be Baby? As a term of endearment, sure. But other than that...

Getting back on track here...the name of the blog is A Barefoot Journey.  Sure, I'll write about running when I get the urge.  That is, after all, a huge passion of mine.  But I'm also going to be writing about my journey through life (cliche, I know).  But there is so much out there to be explored and questioned and written about; how could I ever leave it by the wayside?

So, armed with a trusted buddy and some jump-starting inspiration, I'm ready to begin. Let's get it on!

Wide Open Spaces

"Tear down some two-lane country
Who knows
Get lost and get right with my soul
Makes me wanna take
Makes me wanna take a back road."

These are the lyrics to Rodney Atkins' "Take a Back Road" song.  It speaks straight to my being, especially lately.

I've been super homesick.

Not only for my family and house, but for dirt roads and wide open spaces and amazing sunsets and chilly mornings and the coo of the mourning dove that always woke me up in high school.  I miss driving by rows and rows of corn and passing trucks piled high with potatoes.  I want to smell "the farm" smell and feel the backyard grass between my toes.  I want to be able to drive down main street and not get cut off.  I want time to slow down to a comfortable meander and not feel rushed by the person tailgating me.

What I really crave, though, is to run on something other than pavement.  I want to cut through the quaking Aspens on a trail that is barely wide enough for me to fit on.  I want to feel a slight breeze and hear it rustle the golden leaves.  I want to suddenly come upon a rabbit or a bird perched on a fallen tree.

I realized that I am constantly on man-made surfaces and in man-made buildings. Sure, getting from point A to point B without having to take side roads is great, but I'm pretty sure that 6-lane highways are in no way natural.  I want nature back.

"So sick and tired of this interstate system
I need a curve and wide-a-twistin'
Dusty path to nowhere
With the wind blowing through my baby's hair"