Something occurred to me today…why are triathlons becoming more popular? Think about it, it takes three favorite childhood activities and legitimizes them as adult activities:
A bike – how fun was it to ride as fast as you could down hill (and good God, no helmet)!!
Sneakers – running as fast as you can, through tall grass. Watching grasshoppers scatter for safety, a faithful dog bounding beside you.
The pool – Whirlpools, going in one direction around the pool as fast as we could…stopping and riding the current around and around. Floating on our backs, eyes tight closed against the summer sun. Sunburned shoulders and noses.
Three things that made a summer magic…this is the mindset I’m taking with me as I prepare for my first triathlon at age 39. I will remember how it felt to be 11 in the summer sun, with weeks and weeks of freedom stretched before me.
I tried “Basic (30minutes)” from “Yoga Shakti with Shiva Rea” this morning. It included basic movements like sun salutations and I was able to follow Shiva Rea’s guidance pretty good. After some nice-easy-relaxing stretching, spinal, and twisting movements for about 30 minutes, I felt very relaxed. I love the soothing music throughout all the chapters so far This should be a great dvd for me to use every day and also to take with me on a road trip!
Today was family day. I also did something for me. I went to a friends fitness center where she is doing an 8-week free training for a Race for Cure (5K). I have never even thought about doing a race – EVER. I figured it was a sign, since the race will be held on my 40th birthday. I did want to get back in shape – so why not.
I won a T-shirt and a free 1 hour personal training. I even ran into some people that I have networked with before and one who will be attending one of our meetings sometime soon.
I was so excited about getting back in shape, I took the kids down to the school to play on the playground. We took our dog, Bob, he was certainly was excited and exhausted after all the walking we did.
Question of the day: Have you done anything that you never thought? If you did are you glad you did?
Your kindness and comments on my blogiversary post have once again made my week so much brighter! Another bright part of the week was the sunshine and warm temperatures – but that all went away this morning when I woke up and saw snow outside my window Chicago has a way of bringing you back down to Earth with its unpredictable weather patterns.
As ready as I am for the first day of Spring – did you know it was today?! – I guess I won’t complain about one more snowfall. As long as it melts quickly!
Speaking of Spring, I have made the decision to train for another 10K in May! It’s a shorter version of the Chicago Spring Half and I can’t wait to have a chance at beating my time from the fall. I’ve embarked on an easy training program that has me running anywhere from 2-5 miles three days a week, which I am also interspersing with some of my favorite P90x workouts. We shall see how it goes
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Now I introduce to you a fabulous Guest Bender who is also in the mood for Spring (just look at her header)! Lindsay has a fabulous eye for design and is a self-proclaimed talker, just like me. Here is my favorite quote from what you’ll read below:
“Stop waiting to act on dreams and start chasing them.”
It aligns perfectly with my current state of mind and I think her story will inspire you, too!
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Well, hello there! I’m Lindsay from The Glamorous Life of a Designer Wife. I blog about design, health, fitness, my cats, pretty things and everything in between (totally didn’t intend for that to rhyme!) I’m sooo excited to be a Guest Bender today! I’m honestly not just saying this because I’m here today, but this is just one of my favorite blogs. I completely identify and agree with sooo much that Jenn blogs about, so I’m super comfy here. It’s definitely hard to follow up after all the amazing Guest Benders lately. I’m always so amazed at the great content that people come up with! Inspiring!
So what in the world am I going to blog about?? Well, truth is I’ll have to come up with something that I can keep short. I’m a chatterbox. I tried video blogging over at DW until my vlog turned out to be 21 minutes in length. #vlogfail.
Sticking with the Bender theme of a healthy eating & living, I thought I’d just share some of my awakening that lead me to a fit, healthy, balanced lifestyle as well. I’m a complete foodie… yet, I’m just now learning to cook. But I *love* to eat. I’m a health nut, an organic, and love learning about better and yummier ways to be healthy.
Much like several of you, my “wake up call” hit during my college years as well. I’m a hardcore geek when it comes to education and kept my nose in a book, ate whatever was readily available and abandoned the beloved gym. I quickly gained the freshman 15 (or 20). It really hit me hard and I decided that enough is enough… I’m going to the gym… right after I finish off this bowl of brownie batter.
The next morning I awoke at 5 so I could work out before my morning class… except my super comfy workout pants that I LOVED no longer fit when I attempted to put them on. I think I literally did something resembling the “Home Alone” face… hands on face and SCREAAAAM!
For the sake of length, I’ll fast forwarded and spare you a bunch of rants and details. What it boils down to is that my physical state was simply unacceptable and I was going to do something about it. Out of this, my love affair with fitness began. As a result of my new found fitness obsession, I then became completely aware of the “bigger picture.” It wasn’t about going to a gym and dieting… it was about a lifestyle change.
I picked up Oxygen magazine each month on a news stand. Secretly, I wanted to compete in fitness and bikini competitions, but that was just so unattainable!
Source
I was drinking my protein shake and flipping through my new Oxygen issue when I came across a write up called “This Is It,” which said:
“This is Your life. This is not a dress rehearsal. All the things you want to be, achieve, do, see, feel, have, think about them. This is your life. Your chance to fulfill all your hopes and dreams.”
Something clicked in my head. Everything changed. If I wanted to be serious about my dream of competing, I had to realize that the mindset of I’ll do it when “I’m fit enough” or “I’m rich enough” wasn’t cutting it.
I’m competing for the first time this summer in Miami. Come to find out, It *is* attainable. Everything is. Living healthy, happy and balanced is the key. I wish more people realized that a healthy lifestyle isn’t about depriving yourself or never eating chocolate again…. and salads can be SOOOO YUM! Oh, and I totally eat dark chocolate a couple of times a week!! Believe me, I’m not living without my sugar, haha! All in moderation
I now work out often and really love it. I eat ALL the time… it’s sometimes a struggle to actually eat all 6 meals in one day. Designer husband is the chef in the family, but since I left a design firm to freelance from my home office, I had to start learning to prepare meals while home. It’s been eventful…. and I nearly burnt the kitchen down. Twice. Using a microwave.
Thanks to food bloggers, I’m finally navigating my way around pretty safely. I at least don’t have to have the fire extinguisher nearby anymore. I’ve now been getting adventurous and making my own healthy culinary experiments. So far, a few have actually been edible.
So what am I getting a here? That article that I mentioned *changed my life*. This IS it! What if this really is as good as it all gets? Stop waiting to act on dreams and start chasing them. Do something each day that’s a bit out of your comfort zone. Make plans, lists, day dream… get inspired. Take care of yourself, fall in love with yourself and be thankful for each day.
With that, I’ll leave you with something yummy that makes me sooo happy. And, it’s edible, haha
Turkey Mini Meatloafs
These mini meatloaves are a hit with everyone who has tried them! They are a great source of lean protein, high in fiber, and a wide variety of anti-inflammatory antioxidants. The great thing about making them in the muffin tins is that you can freeze half of the batch for later use. Just pull one out of the freezer when you want it and pop it into the microwave until hot. Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. ground turkey breast
½ cup egg substitute
2 tbsp. whole-wheat matzo meal
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce (or your favorite)
1/8 tsp. Lawry’s season salt
½ onion, minced
1 zucchini, minced
8 mushrooms, minced
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Directions:
In a large nonstick skillet that has been coated in cooking spray and heated over medium-high heat, sauté the vegetables 5-7 minutes. Season with a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Set aside and cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine turkey breast, egg substitute, matzo meal, Worcestershire sauce, season salt, and BBQ sauce. Add the cooked vegetables and mix thoroughly.
Scoop mixture into muffin tins that have been coated with olive oil cooking spray(makes 12). Top each mini-meatloaf with a teaspoon of BBQ sauce. Place in oven (350 F) for 30 minutes. Check for doneness by using meat thermometer – should reach 160 degrees. Remove from oven ans let rest 15 minutes before handling.
Alternatives:
Make 1 large (or 2 smaller) meatloaf
Make 12 turkey burger patties
Make turkey meatballs
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Thanks for sharing, Lindsay! The picture of those meatballs is absolutely mouthwatering!
What was your “aha!” moment when it came to healthy eating and exercising?
For those who are still searching for one (I know I have days where I lose sight of mine), I hope that the comments and discussion will generate some new thoughts and ideas!
Have a fantastic weekend everyone. If you’re in a place with real Spring weather — enjoy it! If you’re lucky enough to be in Baltimore at FitBloggin’ — have fun! Can’t wait to follow along on Twitter.
I got an email the other day from a friend of mine from Toastmasters. Attached was a small “e-book” touting secrets to getting in shape and never having to diet again. “Wow,” I thought. This guy’s gonna put all the health experts, fitness trainers and nutritionists out of business! Why even bother having a website if this guy is giving away all the secrets absolutely FREE!”
Yeah, so I”m a little sarcastic. You know what it listed? Every single thing you’ve ever heard or read about staying healthy/ Yup…don’t eat sugar, count calories, exercise, do interval training, go to the gym with a buddy…etc, etc.
Ummm, if I’ve seen these suggestions listed in every magazine from Esquire to Marie Claire and talked about on the Today Show and Larry King, how secretive can they be? Really, are we supposed to be that stupid? This country may be lazy, addicted to caffeine, white flour and sugar, but we’re not stupid.
Of course, the e-book constantly referred to his ‘original methods of training.’ Here’s a secret for you….if I take a recipe, change ONE item, it becomes MY original recipe. (Not that I’d ever DO that!) So, all this guy would have to do is change ONE thing about an exercise, published diet or touted cardio routine and it’s considered original.
The fact is, burning calories has to do with intensity, the amount of muscle one has, age, hormones and stuff like that. People just need to move, eat healthier, take human portions, don’t drink to excess or smoke at all. Ever heard that? It’s no secret. And it’s not brain surgery.
We all know that video games keep kids indoors, socially isolated, and immobilized except for their thumbs, right? Wrong. A couple of White House bureaucrats and their kids are busting that myth with a little help from Pokemon.
In a whitehouse.gov blog post, Peter Emanuel reports that his 11-year-old son, Devon, just got the new Pokemon DS game that comes with a pedometer that strengthens your pocket monster the more you walk. Devon likes it so much that he wrote a letter to the First Lady suggesting it as a way to help her in her campaign to fight child obesity:
Dear First Lady Michelle Obama:
My dad told me that you think it is really important that kids exercise and eat right, so I wanted to write this letter to tell you about a new video game I just got because you would find it interesting. My parents are always telling me that I have been playing my video games all day and that I should go outside and play. My sister, Isabel, plays softball and soccer, but I’m not into that. I was really excited this weekend because my dad took me out to pick up the new Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver game that I ordered. The store helped me unlock a new character in my game when I picked it up, and they gave me a Poke Walker that I clip to my pants. It counts my steps when I walk. Today I beamed one of my Pokémon named Onix into the Poke Walker. When I walked around so did my Pokémon. He earned watts in the game and that helps him evolve. The book also said that when I earn enough watts I can start battles and catch other Pokémon that I usually can’t find. I want to earn enough watts so I can catch Castiform or Kecleon. The book says that once I catch them in the Poke Walker I can beam them back into my game. I haven’t done that yet. I need to take a longer walk so that I can earn enough points. Dad says it should stop raining soon and we can walk around the neighborhood. I hope you are having a good time at the White House.
Sincerely,
Devon Emanuel
One of his dad’s colleagues, Debbie Stine, reports that her daughter Tina-Marie is also getting into walking with her Pokewalker. (And apparently you need to walk 1000 miles to unlock all the available routes, so better have some comfy shoes and keep those water bottles full!)
Devon mentions in his letter that his sister plays sports, but “I’m not into that.” How many of us were treated like outcasts in PE class because we simply couldn’t hit a ball or run as fast as the others? What are you learning when you’re seated on a bench or isolated in the outfield? With new games and new technology, now everyone can choose to be active and social in ways they enjoy and are good at, whether it’s traditional sports or exergaming. None of it is “wrong”. Go Devon, go Isabel, go Tina-Marie, and more power to your parents and your monsters.
Four days from now I will run my first ever marathon. I’m so fricken excited, I can hardly stand myself. This is a biggie on my Life List and I’m here, just about to complete it! I’m thrilled to finally be here after 17 weeks of committed (read: the center of my life, almost) training. I feel so totally ready. I’m downright giddy to be in the easiest week of running (3, 4, and 2 miles). And then there’s the whole raceday itself.
Do you have any idea how many people run a marathon in their lifetime? Go ahead, guess. The percentage is estimated at about 1%. Did you catch that? Let me say it again. ONE PERCENT. The percentage of people who actually complete the entire course or run the entire course is even smaller.
So running this year’s LA Marathon is a pretty big deal for me and my three marathon buddies – Shauna, Laura and Dolores. We’re about to become members of a very small group. We’re about to accomplish something that scares the shit out of most people, something the vast majority of the world will never do, and something that has our family members thinking we’re all a bit nuts. It’s my own personal Mount Everest (for the first part of this year, at least).
The four of us have gone through quite a bit over the last 17 weeks. Over 400 miles of running, a ton of learning and growing, some race-threatening injuries, and some great recoveries. For me, I can honestly say, this marathon journey has already changed my life. I am a different person . . . and I haven’t even run the race yet!! I have become not only a different runner, but a better person.
I’ll share some of the details of our journey in the remaining days leading up to the marathon. For today, let me just share the guidelines we’re all following for this final week. It’s not just the 24 hours before the event that impact your body and the race. It’s the whole week. Our plan of attack goes something like this.
Eat great all week long. Yes, that means carb-loading. Not on crappy, processed, unhealthy carbs. On the good stuff like fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, rice and legumes. I’m a vegan so there’s no way meat is on my list, but some of the others in our group are eating the stuff.
Have a extra glass of water everyday this week.
Don’t eat the crappy white stuff – white rice, white breads, “enriched wheat flour” (aka whole wheat with all the good stuff taken out and a tiny bit shot back in), all refined sugars, etc. Stick with the whole grains.
Get really good sleep all week because with nerves and excitement, we may not sleep the best the night before the race.
Skip the alcohol. All week? Yep. Enjoy it after the race.
Taper according to our training schedule – no matter how great you feel or how counter-intuitive it feels.
This should be a great dvd for me to use every day and also to take with me on a road trip!
Chicago has a way of bringing you back down to Earth with its unpredictable weather patterns.
Source
We all know that video games keep kids indoors, socially isolated, and immobilized except for their thumbs, right? Wrong. A couple of White House bureaucrats and their kids are busting that myth with a little help from Pokemon.
Four days from now I will run my first ever marathon. I’m so fricken excited, I can hardly stand myself. This is a biggie on my Life List and I’m here, just about to complete it! I’m thrilled to finally be here after 17 weeks of committed (read: the center of my life, almost) training. I feel so totally ready. I’m downright giddy to be in the easiest week of running (3, 4, and 2 miles). And then there’s the whole raceday itself.