xochitl213

$2500 or so. Interest is ridiculous. Also still waiting to see if we got the contract for next year, i.e. if I still have a job come June. 1 day ago

I was never a runner. My family is full of runners, and I tried, since I was in middle school, to become one as well. I just never got any better at it. Last year in April I ran the first 5k I ever did without walking. I ran it in 27:27 and I was sooooo happy. Since then, I’ve developed new strategies – mostly mental strategies and the whole barefoot thing (see barefoot 5k goal) – and I’ve finally become a runner. I am now running my 5k races in the lower part of 23 minutes, and I have officially signed up for a marathon!! Training got underway immediately, and I am up to 15 miles in my training runs! I never thought I could do this. It feels incredible already. Race day is September 8th. Plenty of updates to follow! 1 day ago

$4000 left to go! And thinking about grad school… sigh. 4 months ago

Depression is numbness. Somehow, still hurts. 4 months ago

Cold hands, warm heart. Cold feet…? 4 months ago

Attracted to scandal, sex, or… him? 5 months ago

a traveler, and have lived at over 10 addresses in the past few years. The wedding will be in the Philadelphia area, though, and that’s most likely where I’ll be dress shopping/fitting/etc.

Thank you!! 6 months ago

I’m entering adulthood… kicking and screaming. 7 months ago

Still learning to eat without guilt. 7 months ago

Piel de canela, ojos de cafe. 7 months ago

Even numbers at Thanksgiving this year! 7 months ago

Quit drinking. Glass now half full. 7 months ago

When does “patiently” become “in vain”? 7 months ago

I will publish them here, as well, but if you are interested, my smithmag.net username is, simply, “xochitl”.
You can read there about the history of the six-word memoir, but essentially, it is exactly what it sounds like. People have told the story of their lives using six words. One of my favorites is Hemingway’s: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn”. The good ones are fantastically poignant, and I hope mine will be decent as well… 7 months ago

So, my barefoot mileage is up to the point where I could easily do a 5k, but only on certain surfaces. The road really tears up my feet because I naturally curl my toes to grip it. I could try not to do that, of course, but the idea behind this whole experiment was to run more naturally.
The real news, though, is that my overall mileage is through the roof (for me). I recently ran a 15k, which is the longest I’ve ever run. I’m working on getting it up a little higher and keeping it there through November, since I am running a 7.4-mile leg of a marathon relay on November 11.
Also, I am really enjoying running, which for me is amazing and totally different. I’m squeezing in runs on days I don’t have time, instead of making excuses to not run. I’m loving it! 7 months ago

We are throwing around the idea of going for our honeymoon. Sounds perfect to me!! 8 months ago

He did propose last Sunday!!!
:D 9 months ago

So I just got engaged. (YAY!!) We are planning an August wedding, although I don’t know if it will be next year or not. I think, if the budget can take it, this might be a good opportunity for me to have someone make a dress just for me. Our theme is kind of Celtic/medieval/enchanted forest, if you can picture that. Think lanterns, goblets, plants. Anyway, I’m just dying to wear a dress that’s noticeably Celtic-inspired. But all the ones online are SO expensive, and although there are several that I quite like, none that I really love AND find appropriate for the season (most have long sleeves and I’m not sure that’s great for August). Does anyone know anywhere/anyone affordable who could make me a really cool Celtic-style dress? Please share! :) 9 months ago

I come from a family of runners. But I am not a runner. I’ve never been one. I played field hockey, I was a competitive figure skater, and now, I work as a Zumba instructor. But I was never a runner. I’ve tried, though. Since middle school I’ve run at least a couple of times a week, and I’ve run two or three 5k races, though I’ve barely broken 26 minutes. I’d pretty much accepted that it just wasn’t my thing.
But since I’ve seen a million races in my day (I usually work them as a volunteer, since I know I can’t compete and my family is always involved), I’ve seen some people – at first, only Africans, but recently, many more Westerners – running barefoot. I always commented to my brother-in-law, an Olympic Trials-quality marathoner, that the barefooters looked so bad-ass. If I were a runner, I said, I’d be a barefoot runner.
After a few years of saying this, I had a little too much to drink at a party. I was hanging out with my family afterwards, and I got all fired up about the idea of barefoot running. My brother-in-law, who now works as a professional running and triathlete coach, offered to help me get started with the idea, and that was it. I was out the next day.
I had to start on grass, a quarter mile twice a week. Although I am generally barefoot when I can be, running is different than walking. I built up an additional quarter mile each week on the grass, and now have started to run on pavement too. The pavement hurts and tears up my feet, but it will get better. Just gotta take it a little at a time.
But WHY, you ask. Well, try to stay with me, ‘cause this part is going to sound a little hippie.
First, the practical. I used to have almost constant running injuries. Shin splints, swollen knees, you name it. A bit of time running barefoot and my injuries have completely evaporated. My feet are stronger, and I have more balance.
I used to be a professional musician, a clarinetist, and when I practiced, I always practiced barefoot. I had forgotten about that until my first barefoot run, when the very powerful sensors in my soles were reawakened. I suddenly felt connected to the earth while running. I felt like a child again. It was, for the first time ever, fun.
Humans, you see, were not designed to wear shoes. You actually run differently with shoes on, especially those expensive, cushioned shoes. Try running barefoot, and you will find you strike closer to your midfoot or forefoot than your heel. You will feel more cushion and more spring and less impact. It will feel easier and much more natural. It might even be fun!
So now, as I build up my barefoot mileage, my speed is also increasing, and I’d like not only to run a 5k one of these days, but maybe also to better my not-so-great (shod) time of 25:57. It will be slow and steady in the making, but I’ll keep you all updated. Happy running! 10 months ago

My circumstances in Mexico changed (visa trouble) and I decided it was a good time to leave the country, since I’m a teacher and finding jobs in my own country has a very brief window each year. I am “home” now, without having gone to Cuba. It’s so frustrating. I know it is possible to go from the States, but it’s not legal and for my teaching career I need to have a clean record each year. Sigh.
Right now I’m going to stay home for a bit because I’m having health problems, and I need to see a doctor. As soon as I get all this figured out, I’m traveling again. I’ll keep the page here and the community updated.
Cheers! 11 months ago