TMI Tuesday with RLAM Divas

The lovely long-legged ladies over at the real Run Like a Mother facebook page do a TMI Tuesday question each week.  They get questions that we runner-mamas would like to know but are sure our spouses or non-runner friends would look at us in horror if we even asked. Or maybe they would run screaming from the room.  Hey maybe that is how we should recruit runners!  Anyway, the responses are hilarious, serious and helpful all at the same time.

This week question reminded me of a post I did awhile back on one of my favoritest inventions.

"TMI Tuesday, and Heather wants to know: what do you do when the heaviest day of your period and a long run or race coincide? "I had major issues today," she says, "And I only ran 7 miles." Any advice?"

Oh yeah.  Two words.

Diva. Cup.

The lil cup even comes with its own lil sack and
pin to let everyone know you are the Diva ordering l'Omelette Rouge

Previously posted here. 
________________
Warning: this may be a TMI post, but this is my blog and I like talking about my vagina and I think this topic is relevant. Warning over.  

Heeeeerrrre’s…..TOM!!!! 

Kidding…not him. (If the TMI warning didn't lose you, then talking about my vagina and then showing a picture of Tom Cruise probably did. Oops. Sorry.)

I’m talking about TOM as in Time-Ofthe-Month.

A.K.A.

Auntie Flo's stayin' over

Scarlett's Come Home to Tara
Trolling for Vampires
A Dishonorable Discharge from the Uterine Navy
Feelin' Menstru-riffic!
Massacre at the Y
T-Minus 9 Months and Holding
Game Day for the Crimson Tide
Panty Shields Up, Captain!
Arts and crafts day at panty camp
Taking Carrie to the Prom
Playing Banjo in Sgt. Zygote's Ragtime Band
Ordering l'Omelette Rouge
Rebooting the Ovarian Operating System

Don't these seem like O.P.I. period shade names? IrishBonnie, you really are quite creative!

Anyway, my BFF during my TOM is not food, but something else. Frankly, (I find it funny that this post is about women’s menstrual cycles, yet I bring Tom and Frank into the picture)…wow stick with one train of thought, Christy….

Frankly, I don’t really get cravings or food issues around those days. I just try to remember to drink enough water to avoid the migraines and eat right to avoid the um…bloat. Other than that I don’t change a thing. But….I used to have other issues.

Damn-flippin-horrible-achy-o.m.g-I-can’t-even-move-debilitating-feel-like-my-uterus-is-wrung-like-a-towel-type-CRAMPS.

Until the Diva entered my life. Ah.The Diva.

And by Diva I mean the Divacup.

THIS PRODUCT CHANGED MY LIFE!

What is the Divacup you ask? It looks like a mini-chalice (Oh, believe me, the irony is not lost on me!) made of silicone. Fold it over, pop it in, twist and the suction keeps it in place, collects everything it was intended to collect with no leakage and you never feel a thing.

It pretty much fulfills all the pre-requisites for a cheapassmama like me. 

• Environmentally friendly. Who wants to contribute to the billions of sanitary pads and tampons that are dumped each year? We've used canvas bags since I was a kid, why not get a re-usable period product?
• Keep my body chemical free! Most tampons and pads contain surfactants, adhesives and additives. Many pads contain polyethylene plastic whose production is a pollutant. And dioxin, a known carcinogen, is a by-product of the bleaching process of tampons containing rayon. Yeah, I only want um… known substances near my hoohoo. (Is that "Known" in the biblical sense? *ahem*)  
• I can run! Running with a tampon sucks. I don’t know what it is, but I it rubs all up in there and hurts *shudder* not to mention the leakage issues. (TMI…forewarned!) But the Diva cup? I ran 9 miles last week with no issues. In fact, I really do forget that I have it in. I clean it out every morning in the shower and that is about it. Good.to.go. 
• I am cheap. Der. So why in the world would I spend $150-200 bucks a year on feminine hygiene (so…hygienic with those chemicals) products, when I can spend about $25 bucks for the Divacup which lasts well over a year and then some?!

So, you survived the TMI post. And now you want to get it, right? Or maybe you already know about this little gem but didn’t know who else knew. Me! Me! Me! Or maybe this just grosses you out. Leave a comment…anonymously if you’d prefer. I’d love to hear your feedback.

If you want to get one for yourself, check out Divacup online. If you don't want to order online, I got mine at Whole Foods, in the outer aisle….in the feminine hygiene aisle.

Hair I am baby....or not

I have a complete love/hate relationship with my hair.

Ok, more like, I have a complete love/hate relationship with going to the hairdresser.

 I don't know why it is, but I never want to fork over $$$$ on getting my hair done.  I never got the whole "because I am worth it" commercials.  Those seem so....arrogant.  A waste of money.  I'd much rather spend my money on something else than on my hair.

Or maybe "because I am worth it" is confidence that I misconstrued as arrogance. When I look back at all the different hairstyles I had over the many many years:  long, bob, pixie cut, buzz cut with bangs, buzz cuts with no bangs, betty page-do, just unkempt, long, do locks of love and go short again, long again, locks of love, short again, repeat.....Was I being lazy, cheap or just trying to figure out my place in this hairy world?

I don't know about you, but when I'd go to hair dresser (when I didn't do it myself) I'd have a picture in hand  (and once even brought a video tape recording to my hairdressers house of a chic I liked on MacGyver! Ha!) and then I'd sit down and say I want a cut that makes me look ______ (insert whatever I was feeling I needed to be at the time.)

This time sitting in the salon chair, I recognized two things.

Thing 1.

The last time I got my hair done, I wasn't a runner.  (Dead giveaway on how long it has been since I've taken care of my hair!)

I debated and debated, do I go with long layers so I can still do a pony, or do I go with what I actually like, a layered bob like do, and find ways to deal?  From everything I've read regarding hair and running, it's either, go long or really short. Well, phooey. Contrary to popular belief, my life do not revolve around running. 

Which brings me to....

Thing 2. 

I just want to be me. So this time I did bring pictures, but one of the pictures was a picture of me. I want to look like me. 

Finally, (why has it taken 35 years??!!!) I have come to realize that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about how I should wear my hair but me.  Short hair not only looks better on me, in my "I'm worth it opinion" but I love the time I get back in the morning because frankly, my kids are worth it too and they deserve to have as much extra mom time as well.  Sold.

So, yup. I went short. Again.  And feeling grateful to even have hair to do a do-debate.

David didn't give the kids a heads up so here was the welcome once I got all my winter gear off....

Izzy: What happened to your hair?

Simon: You look beautiful!  (His jaw actually dropped.  Man, I love my boy!)

Isabella warmed up to me and decided she liked it.  Whew.  Maybe it will help her when it is time to trim her locks!  

As for running, we'll see.  I actually debated skipping the run tonight so I could get one more day of all the flat ironing and product my new awesome hairdresser gave me, but nah...That would be just crazy. :)  

I didn't say running wasn't a BIG part of my life, just that my life doesn't revolve around it! 

Anyway, we'll have to wait to see how the hair holds up on a different run since donning the reflective winter cap was was a must!

And while I may be a mom, a wife, a runner....one thing I am not....I am not my hair.