Wheels for Meals Got Me Rolling Again!

Hello, friends!

My Kangoo Jumps are fun, don't get me wrong (check out my previous blog here), but skating is still the exercise I'm most passionate about.  It's just fun, fun, fun.  Even when I don't feel like exercising, once I strap on my skates, my helmet, and my wrist guards (yeah, still no knee pads...I've got to get a pair!), pick a playlist on my phone, and start my Nike + Running app to track my mileage, I'm off and running and it's pure magic.  Skating is the closet thing I get to losing the constraints of my body and almost feel like I'm flying.  It's dancing and exercise and thrills and happiness all rolled up in one.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the occasion to participate in a fundraiser for Meals on Wheels Alameda County (Check them out here).  One of the organizers, Jessica Albonico, is a friend of mine.  The event was a bike event, but several roller derby women were going to skate the shortest distance, 15 miles.  Once Jessica told me about it, I thought, "What the heck, I'll give it a go!"  

Me with my event number attached to my Camelbak

Over the summer when I did my 1/2 marathon skating race in Napa Valley, I spread the news wide and far prior to the race.  Some equipment challenges coupled with it being my first race meant that the race was far harder than I thought it would be.  Nonetheless, it was big fun.

This time, I kept the event mostly to myself.  For one thing, this event was longer (the 1/2 marathon was 13.1 miles, this was 15 miles).  For another thing, I wasn't sure how skate-friendly the course was going to be.  And, probably most importantly, I doubted my ability to complete the 15 miles, so I didn't want to broadcast it too much ahead of time only to have to admit later that I hadn't been able to conquer it.   Just an ego thing, I guess.

Then on top of all those issues, I had a nasty case of bronchitis two weeks before the event, so I hadn't been training like I wanted (or needed).

Nevertheless, the morning of October 19 dawned bright, early, and sunny.  My faithful husband, Marty, accompanied me to the event, which started at Shadow Cliffs Park in Pleasanton.  Marty is one of my biggest champions, so it was great to have him along.  He planned on walking/running on some of the hiking trails around the park while I skated.  He was also available to come pick me up should I decide along the 15 miles that I was ready to pack it in and couldn't finish!

My friend Cathy, an avid cyclist, had advised me before my 1/2 marathon to start out slow, find my own pace.  Sadly, despite my best intentions, I didn't take her advice for my 1/2 marathon and it cost me in terms of my stamina halfway through that event.  This time I was determined to listen to her wisdom, start out slow, go at my own pace, find my own rhythm.  

Because the Wheels for Meals event wasn't timed, there wasn't a mass start.  Once I registered, I was free to start at my leisure within a one-hour window.  This meant that I wouldn't get caught in a frenzy of bicycles that would be zooming past me--I was free to start off at my own pace.

Usually when I skate, I have several pieces of key equipment, which I put on in the same specific order every time so that I don't forget anything:

- my headphones
- my helmet
- my socks

- my skates (of course!)

- my wrist guards

- my iPhone (for tunes and to keep track of my mileage)

(I know, I know, I really need to add kneepads to the list!)

For this event I added a Camelbak which contained water and several tubes of Gu (an energy gel for long workouts...Thanks, Tricia!  Click here for info about Gu).  I guess these two equipment additions combined with the excitement of the event threw me off my regular routine and I forgot to put on my wrist guards, a fact that I only realized about 2 miles into the event!  I didn't want to turn around, which would have added 4 miles to the skate, and Marty was off on his run/walk, so I just kept skating on without them.

In the back of my mind, however, I kept flashing back to my bad fall in my 1/2 marathon race over the summer and to my training fall just a week before this event.  A fall without my wrist guards could easily result in a broken bone.  I was quite anxious skating without this key piece of equipment, and this strangely just added to my excitement.  As my son points out, fear and excitement produce the same exact chemical response in ones body, so I try to enjoy the excitement that that scary/anxious feeling produces.  It doesn't always work, but that is definitely one of the aspects I like about skating...feeling slightly on the edge and almost--but not quite--out of control. 

A word to any of you that think you might like to try skating:

If you don't like the excitement that comes 

from being a bit off kilter in your body, 

you probably will NOT like skating!

How did my event go?  To be continued... Click here for the conclusion
Here's a teaser...

I at least made it to the top of this hill!

Here's a "selfie" of me at the top of the hill

Keep skating (or whatever you do)!

Hugs,
Nancie ♥

My last skate:

11/12/13

Skate #153 of 200

5.19 miles

Iron Horse Trail

Alamo, CA

My last time on my Kangoo Jumps:

10/17/13

Kangoo Jump #3 of ?

1.51 miles

Iron Horse Trail
Alamo, CA

Nancie Zimmerman

NamiZuni Jewelry Design

Expressing Your Inner Goddess

925-890-9221

http://www.namizuni.com

Mixing it Up: Kangoo Jumps

Hello, friends!

So I've written that I have not had the same drive to get out there and skate as I had earlier in the year.  I'm okay with the plus/minuses of my attitude, but I feel like I need a bit of a boost to get really excited about skating again.

One idea many friends suggested to me was to try a different activity.  I had seen a woman on the Lafayette Moraga trail almost a year ago using these crazy rebound running shoes called Kangoo Jumps:

Here's a video of them in action:

Watch a newbie and a pro demonstrate Kangoo Jumps

I've been thinking about them ever since I first saw them, and last week I finally broke down and bought a pair on line from the manufacturer:

Kangoo Jumps Website

They are supposed to arrive tomorrow and I can't wait to try them out. We used to have a trampoline in our yard, which was so much fun and such great exercise.  I'm hoping these Kangoo Jumps have all the fun and great exercise of my skating and jumping on a trampoline.

Meanwhile, I was laid up sick for most of the last week and still have a nasty, lingering cough, so my skating has been nonexistent for over a week now.  Between my frustration at not being able to do everything I think I should be doing and lack of exercise, my mood is a bit glum.  Even though it feels like I'm pushing it a little, I think I need to at least get out for a short skate today.  At least until my Kangoo Jumps arrive!

On the plus side, the last few days I've started feeling good enough to make jewelry, if not to exercise.  Accordingly, I've been beading up a storm.  I procured some beautiful lampwork focal beads from Unicorne Beads and from Grace Lampwork Beads.   Here is a selection of them:

Each bead is a miniature work of art in itself, so I have been making simple pendants from them and stringing them on a black velveteen cord.  Here are a couple examples:

Stay tuned...

Keep skating!

Warmly,

Nancie

Update: my Kangoo Jumps arrived!  They are so fun, even if I do feel a bit dorky using them in public.  Here's a video my daughter took of me playing with them inside.  

Here I am demonstrating my new Kangoo Jumps

They have buckles that adjust the fit from women's size 7 - 9, so if any of you live nearby and want to try them, give me a holler!  My daughter said she couldn't decide if they were cool or dorky...I think they're both!

My last skate:

10/14/13

Skate #140 of 200

2.40 miles

Iron Horse Trail

Alamo, CA

My last time on my Kangoo Jumps:
10/12/13
Kangoo Jump #2 of ?
1.0 miles
my neighborhood
Moraga, CA

Nancie Zimmerman

NamiZuni Jewelry Design

Expressing Your Inner Goddess

925-890-9221

http://www.namizuni.com

Feeling Blah About Skating

Hello, friends!

Ever since last month when I skated my 1/2 marathon event in Napa Valley, I've been kind of blase about skating.  I've still managed to skate 16 times in the last 6 weeks, but my passion has not really been there.  I still love it when I do skate, but I'm not as jazzed as often as I had been about fitting in a skate.  

This leaves me in a quandary--I've tried to just listen to what my body is telling me about exercise, what I eat, my jewelry business--I've really tried to just listen to my body's "inner wisdom" and right now something inside of me is telling me to cool it a bit where it comes to skating--either not exercising or doing something else like walking or going to the club to work out.  

On the other hand, I set the intention of skating 200 times during 2013 and right now I'm 12 skates off my pace for the year.  I need to skate 17 times a month to keep on track (about 4 times a week...totally do-able usually).  

So here I am returning from a week away with family and friends and I'm just feeling kind of blah.  I didn't take my skates with me--too heavy to cart along if I don't actually use them--and there are only 2 days left in the month.  I also certainly enjoyed myself eating and drinking while away--also not conducive to feeling too "raring to go."

This whole regular exercise thing for me is still somewhat in its infancy.  I've exercised in the past, but never in such a committed and consistent way as I have the last two years.  If I cool it for a bit will I pick it back up in a few weeks or slide back into lethargy?  

I need some advice from some of you that have a longer track record of being in shape.  Do I relax and wait till my inner voice sparks my excitement again?  Or do I push myself to get out there and just skate even if I don't feel like it on a particular day?  Or do I need a different exercise for a bit?  Help!

I know at least part of my problem the last two months has been that I've also not been regular in my mediation and yoga practice.  So maybe that's my answer: commit myself just for this week to meditate at least once a day and practice yoga two times.  Then I'll wait to see what happens and trust that my answer will come.  It's like the following quote:

"Your mind will answer most questions if you learn 

to relax and wait for the answer."  - William S. Burrroughs

So maybe what I need to do is relax and not worry about it so much.  After all, the part that I've liked so much about skating has been that it hasn't felt like exercise--it has just felt fun.  So if I try to force it, maybe I'll squeeze the fun out of it.

On a jewelry-related note, I've gone to two bead shows in the last few weeks...one in Concord, California with my jewelry buddy Karen Kelly (one of her pieces that I love is shown to the right--check out her new Etsy shop: Karen's online shop).

The second bead show I went to was Bead Fest ouside Philadelphia with my good buddy Gail.  Both Karen and Gail were so fun to shop with as they give me design ideas that I wouldn't have thought of on my own.  I expected it from Karen as she is a very talented artist.  I didn't expect it from Gail, because she doesn't make jewelry, but she has a fantastic artistic eye nonetheless and stimulated some wonderful creativity in me.  

I made a quick necklace by stringing an engraved shell from LillyPilly Designs on a silk ribbon from Saki Silver.  My cousin Suzi's barn provided the perfect backdrop to photograph my new necklace:

I'm super stoked to get back into my studio and create some fresh new pieces with my new beads!  I also have a ton of new pieces already completed and photographed and ready to list in my Etsy shop.  Here's a set I particularly like:

Check out my online shop:  Click here to visit my shop

Hopefully by my next blog, the skating bug will have re-bitten me!  Until then, if there are any of you out there that would like to write a guest blog for me, dash me an email!  I'd love to include some other voices here.  Maybe you're training for an event, or just started exercise, or have some other passion you would like to share.  Come on, it'll be fun!

Keep skating (or whatever you do)!

Hugs,
Nancie ♥  

My last skate:

8/29/13

Skate #121 of 200

4.69 miles

Iron Horse Trail

Alamo, CA

---------------

Update 8/30/13, 10 PM:  I went for a great short skate tonight.  It really got my endorphins going...just what I needed to improve my mood and to help me get back into skating.  I got some good advice from a few friends today that also helped.  A selection of the advice:

"Mix it up, try a different exercise for a bit...trampolining, working out at the club, swimming."

"Fall is the perfect time to rededicate yourself to your fitness and eating routines.  Everyone thinks summer is the time to be more active, but summer schedules can be challenging.  There's so much to do."  (from a Weight Watcher leader friend)

Also fall related: "Wait till the cooler days of September."  

"Concentrate on organizing a Triton reunion." (from a former coworker at Triton Biosciences, where my husband Marty and I met.
  
-------------------------
Nancie Zimmerman

NamiZuni Jewelry Design
Expressing Your Inner Goddess
NamiZuniJewelry.etsy.com

How I Survived a 1/2 Marathon Skating Race

Hello Friends!
  

The Silverado Trail is a wide 2-lane road that runs most of the length of the eastern edge of the Napa Valley in California.  On either side of the road there are miles and miles of vineyards and wineries.  It is so beautiful and peaceful there in the early morning: 

A week ago Sunday bright and early I joined a few hundred skaters of all types and skills--speed skaters, derby girls, and fitness enthusiasts--on a half marathon/full marathon race.  My friend and roller derby participant, Cheryl (aka "Jayne Clobber"), met me at the start of the race.  

I did the half marathon...13.1 miles.  It was both more difficult and more fun than I had expected.  Here's a summary:

- I finished but it wasn't pretty!  I had some issues with my skates, a took a wicked tumble at about mile 9, and for the last 3 miles I doubted my ability to finish.

-  In the end, I did finish--second to last of all the 1/2 marathoners that finished, but also ahead of the 7 people who failed to finish, and according to my friend Tricia, WAY ahead of all the people that stayed home that morning.   (Sometimes your friends know just what to say!)

- I loved interacting with all the people.  Those of you that have participated in races know what I'm talking about.  Everyone was friendly and supportive:

Nancie & "Jayne Clobber" (Cheryl)

• my friend Cheryl who was the one who first told me about the race
• the derby girls that I met through Cheryl
• the high-caliber skaters who finished the FULL marathon in less time than I did the HALF
• the fellow Moraga mom, Brenda, with whom I skated the first couple of miles
• the spectators cheering us on
•  one of the race support guys who skated from mile 11.5 to 12 with me, giving me a pep talk
•  and my faithful husband Marty, who woke up with me at 3:30 AM, drove me up to the event, and was my most ardent supporter

- I am not as good of a skater as I thought I was but I am still out there getting it done.  And I know I can beat this year's time of 1 hour, 55 minutes.

- the "taper" that I did the last 2 weeks of my training did not help and probably hurt a bit.  I need to do more research about training for a skating 1/2 marathon.  It's clearly different training for skating a 1/2 marathon than a running 1/2 marathon.

- Chocolate Gu is delicious and just the pick me up I needed at mile 8.  Thanks to Tricia for sharing a packet with me.  Not only did the flavor and calories give me a boost, but thinking about my friends that run this distance encouraged me as well.  It was as if Tricia and Eileen were mentally there cheering me on!

- I should have listened to my friend Cathy's advice about not going out to fast in the beginning.  I got caught up in the race excitement and in trying to keep up with a couple friends and ran out of juice halfway through the race.

An inspiring group of women to hang out with!

- I am totally doing this race again next year!

My friend, Cynthia, who trained "with" me in Connecticut and skated the race distance on her own that same day, wants to do the race with me next year, but she wants to do the full marathon.  I need to think about that a bit!

In the end I realized that finishing something is sometimes a matter of deciding to not stop--to just keep putting one skate in front of the other until little by little the task is done. 

Keep skating...I know I plan to!

Hugs,
Nancie ♥  

Nancie Zimmerman
NamiZuni Jewelry Design
Expressing Your Inner Goddess
NamiZuniJewelry.etsy.com

My 1/2 marathon skate:
7/14/13
Skate #106 of 200
13.1 miles
1:55:15
Silverado Trail
Napa Valley, CA

Scroll down if you want to see what my leg looked like after my fall.  I really think I need to break down and start wearing knee pads!  It's healing up nicely.

(DON'T SCROLL down if you don't like seeing "road rash"...okay that's my warning!)

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V

(NOT) Training for the 4th of July Run

Hello, friends!

As most of you know, I'm training for a skating 1/2 marathon on July 14 (Bastille Day!).  Ironically, I have been skating fewer miles per week WHILE training than I did BEFORE I was training.  

I've been skating longer miles at a time in preparation for this long event, but it's too taxing on my body to skate too many long skates in a week.  My goal had been two 10+ miles outings per week and then a couple of shorter ones (4-5 miles).  The longer ones seemed to burn me out a bit, so I think I'm going to just skate shorter skates for the remaining two weeks until my event.  

I think that's what I'm supposed to do anyway, but I'm kind of doing this training thing by the seat of my pants!

Which brings me to the Moraga Fun Run on the Fourth of July.  My husband and daughter have done it several years together, mostly the 2-mile run I think.  There's also a 5-miler which some friends are doing (yee-haa, Tricia and Brian!) The entrance fee for either distance includes a free pancake breakfast--who can pass that up?  

Somehow they talked my son into joining them.  Once that happened, I didn't want to be the odd person out, so I mused out loud, "Hmmmm…maybe I should join you for the 2-mile race and make it a family deal."  

My gang enthusiastically supported my decision with one caveat:  

Do NOT expect them to wait for me at the end of the race…they would be going directly to the pancake breakfast as soon as they finished!

Good to know where I rate on the pancake scale!

Ok, works for me, but now I find myself reasonably fit with my inline skating and yoga and the miscellaneous other exercises I fit in every couple of weeks or so.  But I haven't run in more years than I can remember!  

Is this a good idea?

I'm thinking it's quite possibly a not-so-good idea, but who says we should only do things that are good ideas?  

I'm putting it out there that sometimes we have to do things that may turn out to be bad ideas, just so we keep used to trying new activities and challenges.

I'll let you know how it goes!

On a jewelry related note, I'm working on 3 new pieces for birthday presents for some dear friends.  I'll be sure to photograph them and put them on my Facebook page:

Click here to visit and Like my Facebook page

Here's a necklace I made last week as a custom piece for a friend to give his wife...isn't he a peach?...amethyst, Swarovski crystals, garnet and sterling silver:

Next time:  "Learning How to Back into a Parking Space"

Keep skating...

Hugs,
Nancie ♥  

Nancie Zimmerman
NamiZuni Jewelry Design
Expressing Your Inner Goddess
NamiZuniJewelry.etsy.com

My last skate:
7/2/13
Skate #99 of 200
4.1 miles
Iron Horse Trail

(103 degrees!)

P.S. July 10th:  I only ran the first 1/4 mile and the last 1/4 mile and walked the rest of it.  I ended up finishing 14th of 23 for my age group.  My  shins and feet hurt quite a lot the next few days.  

I don't think I'll become a runner anytime soon, but I loved the camaraderie of being together with the other athletes.  I also loved the excitement of trying something I had never tried before.  Now I am excited for my skating 1/2 marathon on Sunday, July 14th.  I'll let you know how it goes!

How to Pick a Really Good Training Buddy!

Hello Friends!

So I'm officially training for this half marathon skate event July 14--one month from today as I write this.  Yikes!  My pal, Cynthia, is back in Connecticut training with me.  You wouldn't think you could train with someone that lives 3000 miles away, but she's turning out to be a kick ass buddy.  We encourage each other, swap distances skated, share how we're progressing.

Last Sunday Cynthia kicked it up a notch by skating 13.5 miles that day!  For crying out loud, that's more than the 1/2 marathon we're training for!  How did she suddenly jump from doing 4 to 6 miles to doing the length of the entire event on what was only our second week of official training?

Anyway, it kicked my butt into gear to get out and skate that day...not because I was feeling competitive with her, but just because I was inspired by her.  I was already feeling the aftereffects of being pushed to my limits at my yoga class that morning, so I was not too jazzed to skate but figured I should at least do 4 miles, which is a typical everyday kind of distance for me.

I set out on a hilly section of the Lafayette Moraga trail (near St. Mary's College for you local folks), expecting to turn around at the 2 mile mark.   A funny thing happened.  By the time I got to what would have been my turnaround point, I was starting to get into the groove skating-wise.  It has a great downhill from mile 1 to 2, so it usually gets me pretty amped up once I go down it--as a side note, I especially like it if I can do it without using my brake even once, which is what I managed that day.  The downhill gives me an almost-but-not-quite feeling of being out of control.  It's a real adrenaline thrill and I love it!

So, I kept skating.  When I got to mile 3 (which would mean a total skate of 6 miles), I said to myself, "Why don't you go to mile 4?  That would make it an 8-mile skate."  I thought of Cynthia doing her 13.5 and went for it.

I'll spare you the intervening decision points, but suffice it to say I continued to skate to mile 6, figuring this would make a respectable 12-mile skate.  Mind you, the 6 miles returning was mostly uphill and I hadn't taken any water or energy bars with.  Nonetheless, short of calling one of my family members to come rescue me, I realized I just needed to gut it out and skate back to my car.

On the way back:

Mile 7:  "Oooh, there's a water fountain...I sure am thirsty!"  So I stopped for a drink and realized how sweaty I was and how glad I was that the day had turned cloudy, cool, and windy. 

Mile 8:  "Whew!  I am really working at this and it feels good."

Mile 9: After stopping I felt shaky and weak.  I was making mental notes of the adjustments I need to make for my half marathon.

Mile 10:  Just keep skating...just keep skating...just keep skating...

Mile 11:  "Hmmm...I'm almost back at my car.  I only need to skate an additional .75 miles away from my car and back to it and I will have matched Cynthia's distance!  Maybe I could do this."

Mile 12:  At my car.  "I'm tired for sure but I can do that last .75 miles out and back." 

Mile 12.75: So glad to be almost done!

Mile 13.5:  "Yeeeee-friggin-haaaaa!"

The whole thing took me about 1 hour 45 minutes.  Whew!  Here's what the day was like--fortunately it was overcast and chilly, which kept me from getting too overheated:

St. Mary's College Chapel in Moraga, CA

I'm so glad to know that I can skate the distance needed for my 1/2 marathon next month, thanks to Cynthia's inspiration.  Here's what I learned I need to do to better prepare for these longer distances: 

- new socks, perhaps a thin polypropylene layer with a thicker layer over.  My feet sure sweated.

- new padded insoles for my skates.  My feet got sore.

- my wheels need rotating.  Them puppies are getting worn down!

- I need new wheels on my other pair of Rollerblades so that I can switch it up and work some slightly different muscles

- I need to practice yoga 2-3 times a week to keep my body toned and stretched

- regular chiropractic adjustments and massage till my event

- I need to clean and refill my Camelback so that I can re-hydrate and carry some energy source like Gu.  I did get some Energy Beans from Jelly Belly, but I haven't tried them yet.  I got some coconut water halfway through a previous long skate, and that was very refreshing.  Perhaps I should carry some of that.

- ICE!  I sure do need to ice those various parts after a long skate!  Knees...feet...lower back...neck...shoulders...psoas muscles...elbows...what part doesn't need ice?

I went for another long skate today, this time a 10-mile skate.  It was a hot day, but it was at least on a flat section of trail.  I am feeling it tonight!

Does anyone have any advice to offer?  I'm pretty new at this training for an event thing, so any words of wisdom from any of you runners or other athletes out there would be most welcomed.

It still kind of cracks me up to think of myself as an athlete, because believe me, I've logged more time as a couch potato over my lifetime than I have engaging in sports!  But somehow an athlete I am now, and it gives me a charge to think of myself that way and it changes my behavior just by changing my thinking about it.  

What changes are you willing to make in your thinking in order to bring about changes in your behavior?

Think about it and let me know.

Keep skating...

Hugs,
Nancie ♥  

Nancie Zimmerman
NamiZuni Jewelry Design
Expressing Your Inner Goddess
NamiZuniJewelry.etsy.com

My last skate:
6/16/13
Skate #93 of 200
6.08 miles
Lafayette-Moraga Trail