SimpliF(L)Y Summer!

I love this photo of M.
A  beautiful Summer memory.

“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” ― Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums

Monday

Finally a blog update after two months of silence! :) How has your Summer been, so far?

Before I continue, my apologies for those, who visited my blog last Saturday, and did not see any published post.  I am not sure if somebody even :D noticed that  I wrote about my going back to "regular blogging" in my Instagram profile:

print screen of
@happyfeetnl
17.07.17

Plans

It was my intention to start posting blogs every Saturday.

Writing that intention in my Instagram profile was a way of making a commitment.  If or when somebody read it, did not really matter but the act of putting it "out there" is enough for me to prepare myself mentally and have something challenging to do, to look forward to.

Unfortunately, I felt unwell around Wednesday and by the start of the weekend, I was ill. So, Saturday evening I changed  Saturday to Monday as the day of my blog updates. My obsessive mind was soon put at ease!

Normally, you see, I would give myself a hard time about plans not getting accomplished as I envision them.  I would further on obsess mentally about the fact, that when I make plans, they go awry.

Yes, I have learned to be more flexible and less awful to myself!

Before I even became a runner, I've contemplated a lot of times on NEVER ever making any more plans in my life because plans going awry was more of a constant than plans going according to schedule and how I envision them.

It is against my nature, though; I have to make plans! I need the structure, the anticipation, the energy making plans gives me.

After receiving a Garmin watch, as a gift from a friend,
I made plans to use it as a tool to sit less and move more.
The goal was humble: 1000 steps a day.

The number of steps was not the main goal; it was the consistency of moving daily.

SimpliF(L)Y!

Why did I "ramble" on about plans of resuming blogging ;) instead of diving into the update of my marathon training?!

9 weeks and 5 days to go!!!

Well, it is because in the process of training for my second Berlin Marathon, I went through significant transformations: mentally and physically, which made me happier and life feel so much lighter.

Mondays, making plans, and simplifying are just some of the topics that I would like to get into before I share the statistics and details of my marathon training.

These topics are things I had difficult issues with my entire life, and now I am getting better at them.  Significantly. All because of my marathon training.

I won't get into all of these topics on this blog! It will be too much for a single post.

One major thing I can share right now about my Berlin 2017 marathon training: the process has thus far been very rewarding; it  continues to make me happy and I can't wait to run the marathon in September.

Quote

Let me direct your attention once again to the quote at the beginning of this blog. 

If you are a long time reader, you know by now that I almost always start my blogposts with a quote.

I have 5 reasons for this:

1. I love collecting quotes and my blogposts are my way of archiving them.

2. Quotes are my meditative mantras; searching for a  "quote for the day" puts me in a positive mindset, before my day has even begun.

3.  The words in the quote  I chose for particular blogposts gives me something to focus on, when I write. The message behind the quote often makes me feel more centred and confident in writing the message, I would like to convey.

4. I always hope, that reading the quote at the beginning of a blog post gives my blog readers a clue about what my blog is going to be about or gives them the emotions behind the message I am trying to convey.

source: Google Images

(Daily) Blogging & Simplifying

Simplifying life has always been my personal goal and more so, ever since my second daughter was born 15 years ago.  The weight of motherhood seemed daunting the second time around.  My way of coping with situations I feel will be challenging is to either write my feelings about them or find solutions by reading a book(s)!

the book I bought in Germany
on the 5th of July, 2002
a month before my second daughter was born
(28th of August)

In 2011, 2 years after we moved to the Netherlands, I created the blog "My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands" .  I wanted to document our "new life".  I also wanted to hold myself accountable to my goal of simplifying life.  I did this by focusing on the positive things in our lives, and by writing those thoughts in blog form rather than in my journals.

Week 26

Mixing it up a bit: I began the week with an LDR-
LOVED it!
17.9 km run
10th of July

I  have yet to accomplish a 365 blogging project in my 11 years of blogging (my blogging life began September 2006, as an anonymous blogger). 

Blogging about my marathon training (even if I have most of those blogposts in draft mode - currently 14 posts unpublished -  from my marathon training 2017 !) and how I have been dealing with the setbacks, have given me back the zest for blogging, I somehow lost or lose periodically.

I am contemplating on embarking (yet again!) on a 365 blogging project. Making plans...

The difference this time is, it will be a daily celebration of recording life, versus the process being a personal challenge (i.e proving to myself, I can do it!).  We will see, how it goes. ;)

from my Instagram Story
10th of July, 2017

Training for a Marathon 

The adventure of running 42 kilometres, the preparation, helps me simplify my life, the life I share with my beloved family.

M and I were photographed by the official graduation photographer while taking a photo of J.

Eldest after her graduation from middle school!

It truly lifts my spirit high to look back at 26 weeks of work I have put into Berlin marathon training -including the ups and the downs marathon preparation brings.

I soar with the thought, that almost 6 years after I made the plans, that I will run the marathon  in Berlin 2012 in my 40's, I am still running 5 years, later. I am confident, that I will continue to be a runner for many more years to come. As long as I am physically able to.

Week 15
My second medal in 2017

26th of April

Week 17

8th of May

Week 17

9th of May

Week 12

My first race in 2017

2nd of April

 OH, the Stats!

If you can no longer wait ;) 😄for future blogposts to see some marathon training stats, here you go! :D

I am truly proud, 22 days to my 6th RUNniversary, to share the mileage I have ran.

It is incomplete because I was not able to keep the records of my running statistics from August 2011 - August 2012.  Nevertheless! This fact, tiny detail in the big scope of things, does not diminish my sense of accomplishment.

January - July 2017

I began training for my first 5K on the 8th of August 2011

It was not until August 2012, a month before I was to run Berlin Marathon that I won a Nikeplus Sportswatch.

This watch was the first ever gadget, that helped me record my running statistics.

August 2012 - July 2017

P.S. Keep On Keeping On

Thank you, if you made it this far. :) I hope you did.

I hope, if you have been a regular reader, that you will take "hope" with you, after reading this post.

Hope for things to  get better. Hope that you can accomplish a lot with small continuous, consistent steps.

There has been extreme highs and extreme lows in my life.  I can tell you now with confidence, life goes on and it gets (yes, it always eventually does!!!) better, the more we all exert a little bit more effort to try to get to the next day.

Writing, documenting life, running, they are my tools to cope & at the same time celebrate life. You can choose your own tool. We all have what it takes to overcome life's hurdles and challenges.

I wish you luck! Hopefully, I'll "see you"again, here. Soon!

My last Instagram Story for July, 2017!

I used it to announce my blogging come back.

CORRECTION on the day and dates!

It'll be every Monday: on the24th & 31st of July.

We'll see how it goes for August.

DETOXING Happy Feet: On Blogging, Simplifying and Decluttering 2017 Part 2

Read other parts and future posts of this Series, using the tag: Detoxing Happy Feet 2017 

 “Is it possible for home to be a person and not a place?” 

― Stephanie Perkins

This is the image (our back garden, my oldest daughter waving through the glass door of our kitchen) which greeted me after I brought youngest daughter to school, and biked home. On my way home I saw middle daughter biking to school.

I love mornings like this.  Simple, predictable, routinary.  It is strange and somehow difficult to look back and point specifically a point in time, when I used to dread mornings like this for the very same reasons.

The more I gain structure and stability in life, the more I have deep appreciation and take deep comfort in simplicity.  The more my focus sharpens, the more I find creative ways, tools to aid me in simplifying.

Simplifying, I have experienced is best achieved when you have set clear goals.  My main Happy Feet in the Netherlands blogging goal this year is enjoy the process of training for Berlin Marathon by documenting every step of the way. I have not been able to do so   previously (with Berlin Marathon 2012: my first marathon) in a satisfactory manner. 

Two weeks, ago I created a draft to record my first week of training for Berlin Marathon.  I published this draft, which was originally only suppose to be covering the first week of my training, yesterday.  It ended up to be a post of 3 weeks of back to training.  From today on, I will call it my "Back to Berlin" blog series.

Yesterday's after run selfie, using the Photo Booth of P's (my husband) iMac.
A celebratory photo of my first official run for 2017

I am so excited because I feel everything (daily life, marathon training, blogging) is taking beautiful shape, as I had hoped they will. When I made up my mind in 2015, that I will no longer let my bipolar disorder rob me of my life, I knew it will take time to be mentally strong. I have been working on myself for over 20 years!

Two years of patience and perseverance, and our home is slowly becoming the home we visualise.  Two years of never giving up, and I keep feeling more and more at home in my own skin, ready to keep on going. 

Speaking of keep on going! I will revive My Daily Moorings in the Netherlands blog.  

I am using the energy and motivation of training for Berlin Marathon to write about anecdotes, the family and I do not want to forget as well as the regular outings we would like to do this year.  As much as possible we would like to explore Holland on foot during weekends. 

Happy Families have Happy Feet, right?!

A look back of some of the "highlights" of the last 6 months in pictures; a lot of changes in our family, our home and how I will combine working out  for my marathon and renovating  our house. 

There will be a lot more at "My Daily Mooosings . . ." in 2017! I can't wait to share our stories and travels with all of you. :)

Last Sunday, our 2017 " January Carfie" ;) on our way to a family gathering

Toasting the New Year! Welcoming the first minute of 2017 with positivity :)

Our traditional "Girls in front of the Christmas Tree" picture
December 24th

November 2016
A photo from a collection of photos taken for an Instagram planking challenge
(probably my last online challenge for a very long time!)

Happy J on her 17 Birthday
October, 2016
I was very happy to finally surprise her with balloons, s
he's been wishing for since we moved in this house (March, 2013)

September 2016
Celebrating the ending of late Summer and enjoying our new (back) garden  after  (work) my English class

September 2016
Happy M (youngest daughter), Happy Harry (house guest cat)
(front garden)

P's Zen moments at our new (front) garden after work during Summer 2016

August 2016
Middle daughter after our power walk, when she prepared for her first 5K training, which she ran 2 months later

August 2016
The best thing in 3 years of living in our house?
The clearing of the old garden, and watching our new garden(s) transform!

August 2016
Happy Harry - at home in and out of the garden, at last!

August 2016

Our second home during the sailing season: Summer Breeze!

DETOXING Happy Feet: On Blogging, Simplifying and Decluttering 2017 Part 1

I love watching our (permanent!) guest cat (Harry) stretch out without a care in the world!

“If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old” 

― Peter F. Drucker

It's fascinating to watch him; he is always on guard, and always quick & ready to change his "relaxing" spot, and move on elsewhere, when something bothers him.

He is a curious cat, who explores, and finds many other new spots inside and outside of our home.

Some words before you read this series. . .

The "blatherings" below (and all that will be posted in this blog series) are more for myself, actually.

Writing reflections in a regular basis over the process, I am going through  helps me be reminded, why I need to do, what I have to do.

I chose to share these reflections instead of keeping it in my private journal  because I know a lot of people struggle with the same things I struggle, and they too find it hard to articulate what they are going through.

It is far better to say or put down into words those seemingly "clumsy", disjointed, racing thoughts even if they stay clumsy and disjointed in print, than keep them in.  In the end, all these collective thoughts put into words will eventually make sense, even if only to the writer! Or the random reader, who identifies with what has been written.

You can say, I am following the example of our guest cat, Harry.  I am following my curious thoughts, and settling in a spot it leads me.

Humans find it quiet safe to stay in the status quo, even if doing so,  takes out the life out of one's spirit.  There is a certain comfort with the familiar. You find out though, when you dare, that you can liven up your life, if you change your perspective, your "geography", when you step out of your comfort zone, and nurture the curious side of your being.

When you enter the world of exploration for what you have never done and where you have never been before, life become more alive.

Rehabilitating an Internet and Social Media Addict

A month has passed, since I deactivated my various Instagram accounts.



This was a part of my plan to decrease my time online, and limit my use of the internet. I would like more quality time with my family, more than what we already have; I would like to deeply enjoy "the quiet" (physical and mental) ; this is  my concept of  sublime quality time.

Simply put: a life of quality outside of the web..



The decision has been both a huge relief and a struggle to make.  It was a relief to finally act out a plan, to attend to a personal need, and fulfil a promise I made to my family; I procrastinated to do so for more than 3 years.

I admitted to everyone  of my internet addiction and how it was affecting the quality of life for my family and I.  In the steps, I have been doing since November last year (deactivating Instagram, for example), I take full responsibility and hope in this first of many simple steps to rehabilitate myself.

In order for me to "function" with my condition (bipolar disorder*) and continue my ongoing healing process, I need to follow my path to recovery, no matter how strange it may seem to others.

Changes, Curious Paths, Challenges . . .

This week, I resumed my marathon training; the detailed blog about this: here.



Contrary to my original plan of completely being social media free for 2017, I created a new private FB account for the sole purpose of having access as administrator to a new FB page for this blog.



The plan is to share there links of my blogposts.

I will share links to blogposts about my running years from 2011 - 2016; they will be  (belated!) race recaps, my favourite race events in Holland, random reflections about running and life behind running.



My blog links regarding my current training will not be shared there.

Subscribers to this blog (you can subscribe by submitting your email, via the box on the upper left side of this blog page, under the title : Follow the Adventures) will receive blog updates regarding training related blogs.  Or if you do not want to submit your email address, you could simply check here,  every week for (a) new blogpost(s).

Of course followers of the FB blog page and the public in general would be able to read these blogs as well, if they visit the blog.



Why do I seem to be making it complicated for my blog followers?

I am not.

This decision belong to sets of compromises, which best accommodate the needs of my mental health*.



I am excited to see, where I will be (mind, body and spirit) a year from now.

NOTE TO SELF: The date of the post is when I started the draft, and at the bottom of the page is the date I publish the draft.

31.01.17 00:51 Tuesday

(Spiegel- en) Blijkpolderplas (HFNL AtoZ Challenge 2015)

Have you read my brief introduction to this challenge?

If not, here is the link: Introducing HFNL A to Z Challenge 2015

My personal blogging theme for this year: the places I have been in the Netherlands.  

At Happy Feet in the Netherlands (HFNL), I'll be writing about the places (which is not only limited to city, towns or villages but may also include restaurants, stores - places we go for hikes, where we sailed etc.) from the perspective of a runner.  

The blogs @ My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands on the other hand will be from a perspective of an expat, mom, traveler, writer, who seeks to simplify life.

Today, "we go to" : (Spiegel -en) Blijkpolderplas.

(Spiegel -en) Blijkpolderplas

Beautiful view, huh?!

Every time I commit to blogging challenges, I am instantly  reminded why I love doing them even though life is actually too busy, and it takes a lot of effort to do a daily log.  Time is there. The energy to make the effort is often times lacking, though.

This is sometimes the same scenario with running.

It is not until you are in motion that you remember how invigorating it is; running rejuvenates the body, while writing gives the mind the opportunity to relax and at the same time be filled with many creative ideas.

I mentioned at My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands, that I will be running again today along the lake (plas  in Dutch).

Bergse pad

the path leading to Spiegel- en Blijkpolderplas

taken last Monday, 30th of March

But since tomorrow the girls will begin their long Easter weekend, I will do it tomorrow, instead. This way I could spend some quality evening time with P instead, and I could also bring the girls with me to the lake tomorrow.  They could bike while I run my 8 km.

How do you balance your daily life that you find time to blog and still find quality time with your family?

Simplifying & New HappyFeetNL Beginnings in Spring

EDIT 09.04.15: Due to many personal reasons (many things going on!), I won't be able to update on the yoga and meditation challenge. I'll be doing them because I need it for my balance and strength but will not do so in a challenge setting.  I'll update you with my progress in the future.  For now, as the title say, "I'll be simplifying!"  There is time enough in the future to record it here for you to be a part of the process, too. :) xo

Yesterday, after writing the blog update on how I am dealing with the huge probability of giving up on running Rotterdam Marathon, I felt how my mental disposition changed positively.

There are 5 simple goals  I feel happy to have accomplished since 2015 began; the training for Rotterdam Marathon, which started for me at the last quarter of 2014,  played a key role in fulfilling them:

1. Blogged more.
2. Ran more.
3. Gained more courage to interact and create awareness on social media about mental health disorder.
4. Wrote more often and open about how it is to be a runner with bipolar disorder.
5. Took small simple but necessary steps to regain a more structured life.

All these accomplished goals have become clearer to me because of the marathon updates I have written.  Every little step, every little activity was a part of what I hope will be a huge improvement at the end of the year.

Sometimes it takes the "deterioration" of one's health to make one reevaluate where one stands in life, and whether the path is still where you are suppose to be to reach where you would like to be.   

Sometimes it takes a road block to make one turn around,  and acknowledge how far one has come, and to recognize that a detour does not mean one has to go back where one has started but it only means one has to take a new direction to reach one's destination.

Today, I signed up @ DoYouYoga, that I can go back to practicing yoga, and begin with meditation in a more structured manner. 

When I got stuck while training for Berlin marathon, I joined the gym.  My first intention was to simply inject strength exercises in my training.  This is when and where I discovered I enjoy yoga classes, and many other fitness activities.

I am having a hard time going back to the gym, so this is my baby step to get back to the positive flow - follow online classes.

If you are a member of the site, please send me a follow request, that we could support and encourage each other along the way.

HappyFeetNL 
on
DoYouYoga

I began spontaneously this morning with the meditation course, and felt great.  10 minutes was all I needed, and I felt I have accomplished a good step towards the right path.

What are you doing to simplify keeping fit this Spring? How do you create new beginnings after encountering set backs?

I wish you joy as you continue your own pursuit to a healthier lifestyle, and more to your efforts of creating a stronger you.

Love the positive spirit that DoYouYoga spread: reboot, revive, rejoice!

A great Spring motto, don't you think? :)

Easy Sunday Come Back Run

 “There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you, and there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.” 

― Lemony Snicket, Horseradish

(Curious to what has transpired so far in my marathon training  for Rotterdam? You can find a quick update: here.)

What a weekend! Full of unforgettable, meaningful moments, and the peak was:

a good come back run - sloooooooow but strong!

It began "late" (16:15/4:15 pm) but it was still "very early" than my usual Sunday long  runs.  

I am writing it here,  that next Sunday's long distance run will definitely be in the morning! As early as now, I am going to organize the week, that the run will before the sunrise, and that I am back home before my family wakes up.  Or at least when they are ready to eat a long leisurely brunch.

Now, back to the run of today - O-yay!

It was 15K.  

Why did I not start with 5 or 8 or 10 to build up back again? Simple short answer: it is because I love long distances, and I am more motivated to go outdoors, if I know I will cover a longer distance, and that is why I ran my first run after 2 weeks break on a Sunday instead of during the week.

The first 5K of this 15K run was in super slow warm-up pace.

Afterwards, the next 5 kilometers,  I did a playful interval to see how my body will react to it.

Before I took a break I was having coughing fits during my run!

The last 5 km was all about "playing", and enjoying that I can run again.

Even though I "rested", and took a break from running, I did not stop "working-out" (see @The Lightness of Being on the Bike   blogs, please!).  So, it was good to experience that the "spinning" exercises I did outdoors with Frodo (my bike)  on the way back home after bring the girls to school, paid off.

The pictures below are from Ankeveen, our village.

Today was such a beautiful sunny Winter day; it would have been a pity not to take pictures.  Specially because it has been (in my opinion!) very gray the last weeks.

I also took pictures of a lot of places, where I so far only had night shots. hahaha  I wanted to write a blog with the pictures side by side. Watch out for that!

This was taken right after I left our village, on my way to Kortenhoef.

It's the Carnival weekend here in Holland!

I had to get some stuff I needed for this run (as well as for next week's run), and it was practical because the shop was on the way.

This sunset (I did not have the peace to take a better one - next time!) was taken by the Emmaweg. I love this path.

I adore the reflection of trees on the water.

There is a night shot of this selfie!  :)

As well as a night shot of this bridge! Yes,  day light shots are MUCH  better; thank you very much. :D

By kilometer 7, I reached Hilversum where I began trying to see how my lungs will react if speed up a bit.

These houseboats…they are much livelier in the dark, when the house owners are inside and the blinds are up!

Kilometer 8! I am still feeling a-OK.


Just a pity I could not replicate a good night shot of me in front of the OK sign, which I took last 4th of January because there was a guy parked nearby, and I was too self-conscious to do my "happy-face-boxing-in-the-air-selfie" in front of him. hahahaha

Oh well, next time! Maybe I can do another 15K, during school week, and take my OK-themed selfie. During daylight. :D

I stopped here, and took this photo to remind myself to plan another route around this area, next time.

Perhaps ask P to drop me off and start a run from here.

I wish many times before, and I'll wish it again: I wish I have a camera that takes shots of how I truly see, what is before me.  This was for me magical, when I came upon it.

Alas, the camera of my trusted Samsung Galaxy Young (I still love it's presence in my run though - both shot and phone!) does not do it justice.

My phone ran out of battery by kilometer 10. Good thing because I wanted to hurry home at this point!

Checking my Nike+ stats, I had negative splits the last 3 kilometers.

I did stop by kilometer 12 to do my 4 minutes stretching because I knew I won't be able to do it at home.

It was because I knew from experience, that I will dive in to eat my dinner (my beloved prepared!)  as soon as P opened the door to our home!

Simple but oh so tasty! Although I  did not have the energy anymore to make it look "foodie" worthy! I am #SorryNOTSorry :D.

The verdict of this comeback run? Thumbs-UP!

It was a good warm-up - a mental boost, and to prepare the body to pick up where it left off with the marathon training.

23:32