My first half marathon and hallux valgus deformity update

Hi guys.

Last week I ran my first half marathon at Ljubljanski marathon. Yey! Five years ago I ran the 10K, then continued with running (max was always 10K) and later quite stopped because of the feet pain caused by hallux valgus/bunion deformity combined with lack of motivation.

So I decided to do an update. And just to let you know, this is not a 'pretty pictures' post.

Hallux valgus/bunion deformity is supposedly common amongst women but besides my mom I don't know anyone else struggling with this condition. And let me tell you: it is frustrating! I want to talk with others who have it and ask them about what they do to make it better. So if you're reading this and have it... feel free to comment and share your experience

For those who don't know hallux valgus/bunion is a forefoot deformity of the joint connecting the big toe to the foot and is known as a hallux abducto valgus among medical professionals. Bunions occur when pressure is applied to the side of the big toe (hallux) forcing it inwards towards, and sometimes under or over, the other toes (angulation). As pressure is applied, the tissues surrounding the joint may become swollen and tender.

What causes it? Well there is more factors but the main are: genetics (my case) and tight-fitting shoes with pointed toes.

Of course one option is surgery but orthopaedist have different opinions about this (some recommended it and claim it's inevitable, some say the feet are never the same again, etc). I'm not happy about that idea (my mom had operation on both feet) and try to do my best to escape it. Nevertheless I plan to arrange an appointment with orthopaedist in the future and just get his opinion.

Prevention.
I still wear bunion spacers daily and bunion sleeves when I'm at home (of course with socks on). It doesn't look fun or nice but it really helps. I also wear shoes that have enought space and try to avoid uncomfortable ones.

 

Logically when I run I put a lot of pressure on my feet. This is one of the blisters I got during running. It doesn't look big but it's in an unfortune place and so annoying. But it can get better!

Pictures above were taken this May. Since then regular running has helped me to get my feet more firm and less blistery.

Another thing I do regularly is massaging my feet (ok I confess, luckily I have some help from my love:)). Here is the deal. The left 'bone' hurts more but I don't mind harder squeezes and it's actually very flexible. The right one however is very sensitive but in the last 6 months the mobility truly improved because of the massages.

I also do some exercises. You can see them online: click (I do this one at 0:45), click (scrunchie rules) and click.

One of the best things is also to walking barefoot. I love summers when we go on seaside. My feets get so much better at that time. Salt and sea are awesome.

I hope you find some information useful. If you have any tips feel free to write them in a comment below.
And don't forget to follow your goals! You can do it! Find a way and don't give up!

Monday inspiration: American Ninja Warrior

Have you ever watched sports entertainment competition called American Ninja Warrior? If you want to get inspired you should.

It's a spin-off of the Japanese television series Sasuke, in which competitors try to complete a series of obstacle courses of increasing difficulty called stages. I've been a big fan of the show for a few years now and many times contestants just leave me speechless.

You see people from all walks of life: (former) athletes, IT guys, moms, dads, electricians, farmers, etc. but they have one thing in common - they train their asses off to be on the show and try to defeat the course. How they make time and where they train in everyday life is often really inspiring. And how far many contestants have come in past years. Wooow! And the last two season were super exciting because the ladies were just a-mazing! Especially Kacy Catanzaro, Jessie Graff, Michelle Warnky and Meagan Martin - respect and thank you for the inspiration!

And of course I also have my favorite guys since I have been watching the shof for quite some time. They are:
- Joe Moravsky ("The Weatherman")
- Travis Rosen ("The Tennessee Trader")
- Brent Steffensen

Isaac Caldiero and Paul Kasemir are also cool but I'm annoyed by their 'wolfpack'. In general I get so into the show and just wish everyone to do their best! And there are so many amazing ninjas: Drew Drechsel, Geoff Britten, Jamie Rahn, David Campbell, Flip Rodriguez, Lance Pekus, etc.

And Kyle Cochran who wears his insulin pump because he has type 1 diabetes. Respect. Like I said... There is so many great stories.

But you know who is my ultimate favorite? Sam Sann! What an awesome guy!

Eighth season is set to premiere next month, June 2nd! Can't wait!

Monday inspiration: Rebecca-Louise

Another week to start something great right? Maybe a new workout routine?

In that case I recommend you to watch vidoes from Rebecca-Louise. She was my favorite instructor when I watched XHIT videos so I was super excited she started her own thing. I love she's excited for videos, helpful, loves to share and have this good energy when she talks and encourage you finish the workout.

Another thing I love is that the videos are around 10 minutes so you can do one or more, depends on the time you have.

Click HERE for her Youtube channel and give it a try! And of course - feel the burn! :)

Happy World Banana Day!

Who loves bananas? I know I do!

And I assume you are thinking something like: they’ll give anything a day these days. But I think healthy suff deserves more attention and celebration! Especially bananas.

You can eat it anywhere and do so many cool recipes with it: banana smoothie, banana muffins, banana bread, banana split, banana cake, etc. My favorite is banana on peanut butter toast. Yum!


7 FUN FACTS ABOUT BANANS 
I gathered some interesting information about bananas.
1. Bananas don’t grow on trees. The banana plant is actually the world’s largest herb and related to vanilla and ginger and in the same family as lilies, orchids and palms.
2. Bananas like apples and watermelons can float in water. (Yes, I went and try it!:))
3. The scientific name for banana is musa sapientum, which means “fruit of the wise men”.
4. Eating a banana can help cheer you up! They contain the amino acid, tryptophan plus Vitamin B6 which together help body produce seratonin, chemical which alleviates mental depression.

5. Thanks to its oil, rubbing the inside of a banana peel on a bug bite or on poison ivy will help keep it from itching and getting inflamed. (I need to try that!) Same with a scrape or burn, it will help the pain go away, keep the swelling down, and keep the wound from getting infected.
6. Bananas are naturally slightly radioactive but the level of radiation is not high enough to cause harm.
7. It is believed that there are almost 1000 varieties of bananas in the world, subdivided in 50 groups. The most commonly known banana is the Cavendish variety, which is the one produced for export markets.

What else is there to say? Keep calm and go bananas! No no, I meant eat bananas :)

Happy World Banana Day!

Monday inspiration: my brother

Did you come from work today and all motivation that you felt in the morinig just vanished? I know the feeling. Mondays can be hard but so are you! Research has shown that Monday is the best day to start a diet or start a new goal! So chin up, put some music on, go outside and do your own thing. It's not easy but you'll feel amazing afterwards!

I found inspiration in many things and people (celebrities and people around me) and one of them is for sure my big brother. He started running years ago and got stronger and stronger. First 10 kilometers was a big deal, than half marathon, than marathon, than he also stared with uphill running and than ultramaratons. On Saturday he did it again and finished 100 miles of Istria – The biggest croatian trail race. Woooow, crazy man I know!:)

What I respect more than any of this competition accomplishments is his workout schedule and persistence. He works full time 8 hours job and has a dog and still makes time for running. And he remains humble in a way he talks and loves running in general. He helped me when I first stared running and gave me some smart tips and he was always nothing but encouraging me. I think this is pretty special! And he did it all by himself. We don't come from generation of sports family.

Congrats bro! Keep on goin'! ;)

Weekly health tip: Quality before quantity!

I'm sure Mondays are not a happy day for most of us but I hope I'll make you feel better with weekly health tip. This time my advice to you is to put quality before quantity!

WHY?
Don't fall into the trap that more is better. It doesn't matter how many pushups you can do in a minute if you're not doing a single one correctly! You also reduce the risk of injuries.

HOW?
Improve and perfect your technique, then later add weight or/and speed. Don't increase your training volume just because you think that by adding more will result in improved performance.

Choose quality over quantity! It’s all about the quality of the movement, not the quantity. Train smart!

Weekly health tip: Don't compare yourself others!

This time my weekly health tip to you is not to compare yourself to others.

I'm sure sometimes you're like: (s)he is the same age as me and already a CEO, has family, money, good car, etc. So what? It's ridiculous to think we all have the same goals and want the same future! Still, we all compare ourselves to others at some point in our lives when in fact we really don't need to. Don't be fooled by magazines, social expectations and people who really don't care about you!

WHY?
Because it's an emotionally dangerous trap! Learning from others is an important part of critical decision making but the problem is that comparisons can affect negatively on your self-image and become an unhealthy habit. There are many reasons why comparisons are lame. They are always unfair, rob you of precious time, they often result in resentment and deprive us of joy. It's a losing battle. Negative emotions are toxic and you're worth more than that!

HOW TO STOP?
First recognize that comparing yourself to others is not good for your spirit! Realize that everybody is different and be confident with being yourself! Yes you'll probably get weird, jealous, unapproved looks but who cares (people will judge you eather way)? It's your future and your only life so don't be afraid to live it! Focus on yourself (click)! Discover what’s truly important to you and invest your energy on your own creative journey!

And if you need to someone to compare to, compare yourself to you!

Weekly health tip: Make Food Swaps

This week my health tip is that you make a food swaps to make your life healthier.


WHY?
Because simple swaps are also yummy and don't have as much chalories! Also focusing on small simple changes makes healthy eating more manageable and sustainable over the long term.

HOW?
At first you'll probably think you're giving up foods that you love but in reality you're making smart healthy choices for yourself! Of course you can (and you need to!) indulge once in a while but generally eating cleaner will reward you!

MORE EXAMPLES
- Eat whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice.
- Buy local produce instead of supermarket veggies.
- Eat frozen grapes instead of a popsicle.
- Snack on popcorn instead of chips.
- Eat oatmeal or plain cereal instead of sugary cereal and granola.
- Choose toast instead of a bagel.
- Eat raw spinach instead of iceberg lettuce.
- Instead of milk chocolate eat dark chocolate.
- Swap cheese for reduced fat cheese.

More food swaps here. Don't be afraid. Try them!

Weekly health tip: Eat Slowly

Monday again. I know it sux but every Monday is also a new beginning. This week my weekly health tip is to eat slowly.

We all live busy lives where many of us rush through the day, with no time for anything. When it's time to have a meal we usually just gobble it down which leads to stressful, unhealthy living.

WHY
By eating slower you’ll consume fewer calories (lose weight), you'll have better digestion, feel that you are full faster and most importantly, you'll enjoy your food more! Be mindfully and in the moment rather than rushing through a meal thinking about what you need to do next. With the way you eat you can also take a stand against the fast pace of life. Let your eating habits reflect the newfound control you have over your life.

HOW
Well it's not that hard. You take smaller bites, chew each bite slower and longer. And it'll only take you a few minutes extra each meal yet it can have amazing effects. Put down your phone, turn off tv and just sit at the table and enjoy in your meal! If you are anything like me, you'll actually find that hard to do. Because you're constantly on your phone or just use to 'do something' while eating. Nothing drastically will change while you're having a lunch so stop checking out your mail/social media! Take my word for it!

Enjoy the flavors and bon apetit!

Weekly health tip: Plan Your Weekly Meals

You know how it goes. New week new tip! My weekly health tip this time is to plan your weekly meals!

For me this is one of the hardest things but I'm not giving up! In the past I tought preparing your own food and planning meals it's just too stressful. The main issue is that it goes too much time. You must first find and design recipes, than cook meals. Aaaaa! There is quite a lot advanced thinking. But when you make the effort and realize how amazing it is to know what you are actually eating... worth it!

WHY
You'll eat better, healthier food, do more cooking for yourself, try new recipes and most importantly, put more thought into what you eat! You'll also save some money and you won't be seduced by other foods (you made yours and it's delicious!). If you still can't resist dining out. Eat out but just once in a week (e.g. on the day you couldn't prepare food).

Snacks!
I think pre prepared snacks are crucial! Because when you want to eat something in between bigger meals (lunch, dinner) it's much easier to grab a chocolate bar, a croissant or a slice of pizza instead of peeled carrots. I strongly encourage you that you always have some healthy snacks nearby (in your office, your purse, etc.). It happens to me often I'm not hungry when I go to the city but running errands can take a while and I want to eat something. I use to stop by in a bakery but now I try to always have a piece of fruit with me (or I buy it).

Some healthy snack ideas: dried fruits, nut and seed mix, banana, hard-boiled egg, cereal with greek yogurt, banana & peanut butter bites, smoothie, veggies and hummus for a dip.

HOW
There's no right way to plan your meals. You should just do what is effective for you and keep it simple. Don't exaggerate with the system and how to organize. The point is the food! You can keep it simple so don't overthink and complicate things! Who knows, maybe you'll enjoyed reading through cookbooks, clipping recipes from blogs and websites! Take this as a challenge and make it fun (not unwanted obligation)!

For lazy types. Download an application and see how it goes!

''Been there done that''
You've tried it already and it didn't go well? Give it another try! It' all about perception. If you think negatively before you've even started of course you'll gave up after a short period of time. Make it yours, make it healthy, make it fun!

So find ways to inspire yourself, plan in advance and stay fit!

Weekly health tip: Focus on YOUrself!

Today is all about YOU! My next healthy tip is that you focus your energy on yourself!

Group of women at work are constantly gossiping about others and you are kind of in that circle as well. The girl in school can run marathons but you're not quite there. Your neighbour has a bigger car. So what? You should not compare yourself to others and lose energy on some things or people that don't matter!

WHY and HOW
You’re responsible for your own well being and liking yourself gives you power and strength. You don't have to please everybody and you don't need to do things that are stressing you out. When you like yourself the way you are, people will feel that and like it! Stand up for yourself and speak your mind (you can do that nicely). Also when you know who you are you are less vulnerable to other opinions.

Don’t take yourself for granted, focus on yourself, what is good for you (that doesn't mean being ignorant and careless) and appreciate yourself!

Weekly health tip: If it motivates you. Do it!

New week, new healthy tip! We all know that motivation is key but sometimes it's hard to stay motivated (in fitness and in life in general). Well, there are ways!

WHY?
''Keep going, don’t quit!'' We all hear that often. But why? The difference between those who reach their goals and those who don’t is staying motivated. If you’re motivated, you’ll keep going. And if you keep going, eventually you’ll reach your goal!

More reasons to stay motivated: confidence (more you accomplish, the more you’ll believe in yourself), gives you purpose, soon you'll fit into that dress, you are in control of your life, etc.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?
We're all different so it is important you ask yourself what motivates you? For example. I love to check tasks off my to-do list and I'm much more productive if I create one. Daily task or fitness plan, when I can make a ✓ (check mark) it feels so good!

Another thing that motivates me are quotes (as you know). They inspire me and raise my energy! I also get ideas for new challenges and goals by looking at fitness clothes, yummy healthy foods, etc. Reading and watching healthy stuff generates my motivation. And if you don't know where to start - go on pinterest! :)

The last thing to understand is that motivation is like food. You need daily intake! It's not something you reach and than have because it stays with you forever.

I hope you've start your week motivated!