Happy Wednesday!

 Keep it up, we all find something that works.



HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

Trying something new. Got any suggestions??

Week 1

Injuries are the worst thing ever! Back before Christmas I was running and sprained by ankle pretty bad. As I was laying on the ground in front of the porta-potties literally whaling in pain, (yes, the porta-potties) some how I managed to decide it was a good idea to finish my run. So i ran another 3 miles. By that afternoon, there was no clear definition between my calf and my ankle. This makes this one of the better decisions I have made recently.

I immediately took off to the Sports Med guy. I should have the Sports Med guy on retainer. I see him often, and it's probably not enough. He did graston on my ankle. If you haven't heard of graston, its interesting for sure. He takes this spatula-looking thing (I'm sure it has a name) and rips it over scar tissue to get blood flowing to the area to help healing. It's painful and crazy, but it works.

He also uses Kinesio Taping® Method. This was the first time I actually used this tape. I really don't know a lot about it, and honestly don't really care to. I thought he was a little crazy (again), but the stuff really works. (BTW, I had several people ask me if this was my new tattoo. Really? I guess it's possible.)

3+ months later, my ankle is still quite not right. I can run, do yoga, walk on heels, all that without pain, but its still not right.  Apparently, He said it takes about a year for it to completely heal and be normal. Well, that is certainly cramping my style! I need it to be better NOW. The other crazy part is that he said I was "running too much" (how is that even possible!?) and I needed to try some other things like swimming, plyometrics, or biking. I have reservations about all of those. Mostly because I've tried them on some level and am not that good at any of them.

Swimming is going to be rough for me. I can do the kind of swimming that looks cute in a bikini and keeps me from drowning. There's no way I can pull off the "efficient, swim with your face in the water" kind. I have to find a coach or trainer. I guess if I set a goal around doing a tri-athalon then I would be motivated to put my face in the water and wear one of those ridiculous caps. But I'm not there yet.

Plyometrics is the new code word for jump around on one foot, then jump on both feet, then keep jumping on and off stuff. I'm certain I tell offspring 2 to stop doing this EVERYDAY and now I'm supposed to do it.... seems quite odd to me.

Biking may need to be baby steps. I have tried biking before - like 8-10 years ago. Anyone who lives in Houston has heard of the MS 150. Well of course they have training rides for those and I have done 2 of those. My first ride EVER was a 50 miler and my second ride EVER was a 75 miler. I won't get into the details of why, but it was not by choice. That was the most MISERABLE time I have ever experienced. It was so bad that I put my bike down, didn't touch it again until I sold it. So if I'm getting back on a bike it needs to be baby steps.

Running and yoga are my favorite things, But I need to see the benefit of trying something new. Clearly I am not enthused about trying any of these things he suggested, but as I get older I need to branch out - or so the Sports Med guy says.

What else do you do? What are some of your favorites?

Happy Wednesday!

Think Globally, Act Locally. Sounds simple, but it's so true!

The first step starts with us. Have a great Wednesday!

Beat the Food Cycle

If you are new to the "make it a lifestyle" movement, here's something that could help you. I made that up, but you know what I mean. I think there's been enough information either through personal experience or research to validate that diets don't work. They're just not sustainable. You don't just want to lose the weight; you want to keep it off.

The main stream food industry is kind of working against you. In many foods, the flavoring is manufactured in a lab and added to the foods you buy in the grocery store. My favorite example is whiskey... food companies actually manufacture "old barrel" flavoring to add to whiskey. It makes it taste like its been sitting in barrels for years; when actually its lower grade whiskey with some magic fairy dust added in... literally.  The extra flavoring makes you crave it more, and guess what... BUY more!

I was having coffee and desserts a while back with friends, and a fruit tart was one of them. I made the comment that "this mango doesn't really taste like mango." The response back was "that's because it's actually a mango and not mango flavor." Touche...

Same goes with food labeled "low fat." The fat content is actually taken out in a lot of cases, but the manufacture has to add sugar so that it tastes good. So in reality you are swapping fat for sugar. Not really a winning situation.

Not all food is the devil, but if you want to reach your goal, you need to be educated. So spend a little time understanding what you eat, and understanding the trade offs between the good options and the not-so-good options. You can run all the mileage and work out forever in the gym, but if you don't assess your eating habits, reaching your goal is that much harder.

When I shop, I like to buy mostly organic stuff that isn't difficult to cook. Now admittedly, converting the offspring is not easy. But they're starting to get it. Slow progress is still progress! Anyone have ideas on converting the pickiest of eaters??

When we change the way we eat, one of the things we give up is convenience. It may take a little more prep time or cooking time. That's what makes meal planning so important. In the chaos of daily life, we need things to be easy. So take a day to plan. Check out this blog for some ideas.

What kind of changes are you making for healthier eating??

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday!

 

In the spirit of Spring Break, when everything is about the kids... Make a little time for yourself! You'll feel better about the week.

 

Enjoy!

Sunday, Plan day.

It doesn't sound as good as Sunday, Funday. But around my house, that is what Sunday's are for. We head to the grocery store (sometimes two), make sure laundry is done, you know... all that fun stuff you can put off until the last minute.

I have found that making one day a Plan Day for the week helps for all kinds of things. It makes me lay out the kids schedule, carpools, games, and everything else they need for the week. It also helps me meal plan for certain days. Like days when there's a game, I can put on a crock pot meal or have "planned overs" (not left overs; I stole that from Body for Life). In general, it helps me meal plan around the crazy schedule that we have.

This week is Spring Break around my house; I'm not entirely sure how you plan for full on chaos (it's not even organized chaos this week), but I'm trying. We have to keep things simple around here. Every morning we have the same thing; egg white breakfast tacos with salsa. It may seem boring and routine, but its really easy, healthy, and keeps life simple. When you're always trying to be creative, you do not always end up with healthy. And let's be honest... sometimes, simple is best.

We always keep lunch simple with sandwiches, salad, and tuna. My kids get the same packed lunch every day, and they actually prefer it that way. (Note: my kids HATE the school's food, to the point they actually refuse to eat it. I think that's a good thing.) I have heard lots of people say "I need more than a sandwich for lunch." Well, my thought is; you really don't. The more complicated you make the meal, the more opportunities for add ins. My philosophy on food is it should feed and nourish you. Food really should not be a "reward". (unless it's red velvet cupcakes!)

For dinner, we will do turkey burgers one night, crock pot meal for maybe two more. I think Skinny Ms. has good crock pot recipies that are tasty and healthy. Check them out on my Pinterest board. Who ever invented the crock pot is my all time hero (next to mom, of course!). That thing has saved my life so many times. And when I say saved my life, I mean we had a great dinner instead of being forced into drive through or more sandwhiches.

Food, working out, running, life... it's all has something in common. When you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. Just give a little thought to your day/week when you're working towards a goal. You'll be surprised how much it helps you get there.

When you're driving.... PAY ATTENTION, Please!

Ok Ladies and Gents... this is a RANT!

I do a lot of running in the neighborhood. I live in a typical suburban neighborhood. You know the kind, where they rip out all the trees and name the streets after them. So during the day, its a low traffic area and I would expect the drivers to pay attention to possible school kids, etc.

Well guess what... They don't. Today I almost got clobbered by an ice cream eating Camry. Last week it was a teenage, texting F-150.  (Don't let mom know... no matter how old I am she still fusses me for running in the street.) Any runner knows that the biggest risks of running are cars and dogs. This is not the first time, and I'm guessing it won't be the last.

Drivers are generally more distracted these days than they ever have been. You know it's bad when cell phone companies put out ads to not use your cell phone. In general, the car driving population does not look out for all traffic... that's runners, walkers, cyclist, any person not in a car.

(Before I was a runner, I was with a crew of cyclists. That was the worst. No car wants to move over for cyclists on the road.)

I will admit my faults to being distracted at the end of a high mileage run. This is when I have tunnel vision, and its whatever it takes to get me home. Which is why drivers need to be more engaged in driving.

So this is me asking really nicely to watch out for all traffic... walkers, runners, cyclist.... Just share the road.

Thanks now!

Happy Wednesday!

No matter where the edge of your comfort zone is, you should always try to push it.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

 

I love races, but WOW!

I don't think anyone doubts the fact I love to run and I love races. I enjoy spending time on a course with random strangers who have a common bond in running. The last race I was in, there was a little dude (couldn't have been more than 7 years old) running a 10k with his dad in matching clothes. There is so much inspiration in those runs.

But lets be honest, shelling out the money for all those race fees can be painful. I'm signing up for another race now, and the fees are twice as much as usual. Plus, my kids want to run too... so it's high race fees times 3! And of course I have to have a new camo race tutu... (Honestly, whatever embarrasses my 13 year old, I'm in for!) Race fees for 5ks and 10ks are pretty reasonable, but when you start with marathons and half marathons, the fees just go up from there.

On average, I spend about $1200-1500 per year on gym memberships, class and workshop fees, and race fees (that includes what I spend on my kids fees too). That's a lot of money! I didn't realize it until I started thinking about it when I was registering for this next race. So I surely need to feel like I'm getting something out of it, and it has value.

To make the pay out process less painful, I have decided to look at race fees, gym memberships, class fees, and whatever else as investments in myself and my kids. You get out of them, what you put into them. So if I can get some fun times, great memories, and a good workout from race fees, then I win. If I can teach my kids that running (or whatever sport) is fun, then I have certainly succeeded.That definitely has value for them long term. I'm going to continue to spend money on races, gym memberships, and whatever else seems cool to try, and count it all joy.

What's your philosophy on race fees?