National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.  This is something that I'm really passionate about.  And it's something that, I think, we all need to be more educated about.  The past two years I have had my sister-in-law write up a post to that end for me.  You can read them here: 2009  and 2010.  Please take the time to read them; Jen knows her stuff.  This year I thought I'd just post a few videos that I feel are very well done.    

Mind Games

There are a lot of days that I wake up and I DON'T want to work out.   The excuses start rolling in.  My mind starts going through all the things I need to get done that day.  Or maybe I ate breakfast and I hate working out on a full stomach so I put it off... but when I put it off it gets even harder to get in a good workout.  Maybe I'm sick and I'm convinced that I can't run with a runny nose {so not true}.  Or my muscles are sore and I think I need to have a recovery day.  I'm telling you... this is only the beginning of the excuse train!

I think that the excuses are even more dominant when I haven't worked out for awhile.  When I'm trying to establish the habit all over again {like right now}.  Once it's a habit, it's SO MUCH EASIER to push those thoughts aside and say, "Shut Up.  I'm Doin It!".  And then those thoughts GO AWAY!  That's when the fun begins!  That's when I get SO EXCITED to work out every day!  That's when I get amped to break a REAL sweat!  I'm not going to lie and say those thoughts are gone for good, because even then I'll struggle occasionally.  But that's when your body is screaming so loud for your workout that it drowns out your whining mind!

Right now I feel like I'm starting from square one.  I haven't completely lost all I gained the last two years.  But I haven't been going in the right direction.  I am a MARATHONER for crying out loud!  I have won races and ran farther than most people will ever dream of.  I accomplished more than I thought possible.  And I did it one day at a time.  One workout at a time.

Our bodies are not weak.  I have learned that you can push yourself so much harder than you imagined and your body will step up to the challenge!  My man in camo put his body through SO MUCH more than he thought possible during BCT & OCS and guess what, his body rose to the challenge!  It does not mean that our minds won't whine and complain and beg for the "pain" to stop... but it does mean that we are STRONGER and that we can OVERCOME our challenges and we can SUCCEED.

I've missed that.  I've missed my body screaming for me to Get Off My Butt.  I've missed that giddy feeling in my bones and in my veins that makes me just want to grab my Asics and start running just to see how far I can go or how fast.  I've missed race day morning and standing at the start line with so much pent up energy waiting to hit the pavement.  I've missed that good sore feeling at night when you know you've worked hard.

We all have excuses that keep holding us back.  We all have our reasons that we can't...WON'T!  And that's why each person has to make the decision themselves.  We all have to put our feet down and push those excuses aside.  Enough of the mind games.  It's time to show ourselves who's in charge!

I don't know about you.  But I'm going to go RUN!           

An Apple a Day

There's something about a REALLY good crunchy apple that is just awesome.  It's right up there with really juicy peaches.  And, of course, they are really good for you too!  I found some information HERE.

 * There is a flavanoid found ONLY in apples: phloridzin.  Some researchers from France found the flavanoid and the benefits are that it may protect post menopausal women from osteoporosis and increase bone density!  There is also boron found in apples which increases bone strength.
*There was a study done that MAY show that babies who's mother's ate a lot of apples during pregnancy had less of a chance of having asthma.
*The whole "And Apple A Day..." saying?  Well the pectin in apples help lower bad cholesterol!  Those who eat 2 a day can lower their cholesterol by 16%!  The pectin also lowers the body's need for insulin which could help manage diabetes!
*A lot of nutrients are found in the SKIN of apples.  Including extracts that have been found to help lower risk of cancer!

 My favorite apples are Pink Lady apples.  LOVE them!  But then a not-quite-ripe Golden Delicious or a Granny Smith is right up there too.

 Every two years we get A LOT of apples from friends with apple trees and we make homemade applesauce!  We bottle it and it's like candy around these parts!  But it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that we put red hots in our applesauce!  It makes the applesauce a really pretty pink color. 

We also ALWAYS have a bowl of apples sitting on the counter.  After school the kids all grab an apple for a snack!  Some like to slice it and dip it in peanut butter.  But for the most part they eat it all the way down to the core while doing their homework!

What's YOUR favorite thing to do with apples?

Amigas

This morning I met up with some new friends {both super cute Army wives Ü} for a great little workout!  FRIENDS.  That's my secret word! That's the word that gets me off my butt and EXCITED about a workout!   Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good workout el solo.  But there is something awesomely motivating about working out with friends!  I am SO looking forward to meeting with them twice a week!

One of them is working to be a personal trainer.  We're her guinea pigs!  So what does that mean for me?  FREE PERSONAL TRAINER!!!  SCORE!  I am so completely stoked for this.  I get to get two great workouts each week.  And I get to hang out with awesome chicas!  Win/Win right?!  Right.  I'm squealing like a little girl right now!

I'm BAAAAACK!

Where have I been?!  BUSY!  As you may recall, my husband joined the Army.  He was gone for a little over 5 months for training.  I kept up my workout routine for the first couple months but it slowly dwindled to nothing.  We moved halfway across the country in December and we're back together again and loving life as much as ever!

I ran my SECOND marathon in July.  I also ran a few half marathons.  A few 10K's and a bunch of 5K's.  So now what?  I've been debating that question for months.  So since I couldn't decide on what SPECIFICALLY to do, I decided to just get off my butt and be CONSISTENT with my workouts again.  That way when something comes up that peaks my interest, I'll be able to jump right in!!

My weight has been ALL OVER the place!  Serious!  I lost TOO MUCH weight while my husband was gone and then just before he got back I had gone back up, plus a couple pounds.  Now?  I'm up 10 pounds from where I WANT to be, 5 from where I'm CONTENT to be Ü!!  Isn't that always the case?

So what's the PLAN?  My goal until the end of March is to workout 5 days a week.  I'm back to running 2-3 days a week.  The other days I do yoga or circuit training.  It feels SO GOOD to feel the BURN again!  I'm getting my portions back in check and I'm drinking A LOT more water! 

So since I'm back.  What do you want me to resurrect from the blog?  I'll have a poll going on the side.  You can vote on multiple things if you'd like.  Do you have other things that you'd like me to highlight every now and then?  Let me know!  And spread the word... 

I AM BACK IN THE GAME!!

1/2

I ran my first half marathon this weekend and I am SOLD! I picked this half specifically for the view. It's right up against the mountains, running from one ski resort to another. The bus ride out was a little nerve wracking due to the RAIN! But the minute the bus stopped, the rain stopped!

There were A LOT of REAL runners out there that morning! EVERYONE I talked to has ran a BIG marathon {New York, Denver, Boston, Houston...} or qualified for one already this year. I was a little intimidated but luckily I had predetermined that I was NOT going to push myself super hard, I was going to ENJOY this run! And enjoy it, I DID! The rain made everything smell SO good! The lilacs were in full bloom along with wild flowers all along the course. We crossed the river at least 10 times. It was absolutely stunning.

To finish it off they had the best after race everything I've experienced so far! Finisher's medals were cool {they matched the sweet shirt}. The printed off a paper at the finish that had your official time and standing; I came in at 2:00:48, 29th in my age division. The food was stellar: bagels, fruit, protein drinks, water, granola, granola bars and PIZZA! Raffle prizes were AWESOME {wish I had won one}.

Definitely a race I will be doing again.

I'm half way done with all the races I want to do this year! The hardest half lies ahead though! I've finished 3 5K's, 1 10K, 1 Half and 1 Full. That leaves 2 10K's, 2 Halves and 2 Fulls!! This Saturday I have a 10K {a Freedom Run} and two weeks later will be my second full marathon. I'm kinda nervous about that one; lots of hills, on gravel roads. But it's sentimental and I am way stoked for it!

I think it's safe to say that RACES keep me running; what keeps you motivated?

Wrinkled Ladies

Now THIS is what I'm talkin about!

The G Series

During a race last year I took some Gatorade at an Aid Station and it was a BAD idea. My mouth was dry and my stomach cramped. So I have avoided sports drinks entirely ever since. Until the day of my marathon. I got a G Series Recovery drink. I liked it.

So tomorrow I am running a half marathon. It's sure to be a GORGEOUS race and I am more than a little bit excited about it. I decided to give the whole G Series a try. 01. Prime. According to the package it's loaded with carbs, B vitamins and electrolytes. It's supposed to be taken 15 minutes before exercise or competition; delivering energy and helps your body sustain its ability to burn additional carbs. I am going to try Fruit Punch.

02. Perform. I am trying G2 Low Cal {didn't notice that part} Blueberry-Pomegranate flavor. Loaded with electrolytes and carbs with half the calories of original Gatorade. I will probably take this with me on the run and drink water at the Aid Stations. On their website it mentions that the Low Cal is designed to deliver hydration to athletes during lighter exercise and competition so I may go switch it for Original G, due to the length of the race.

03. Recover. Protein and Carbohydrate drink, said to provide hydration and muscle recovery benefits. I love the sound of that! I will be trying Mixed Berry.

I have high hopes. I'll let ya'll know how it goes when I get back!

Biggest Race Day of the Year

The 4th of July! There are Freedom Runs, Firecracker Races... in nearly every community you will find one! They seem to be mostly family friendly races. I will be running a 10K Freedom Run. What are you going to run?

Blasted Blisters & Bruises

It's no secret that my feet are, well, not so gorgeous. I take stinkin {hehe} good care of these babies; so they will take good care of me! I don't have athlete's foot, they aren't dry and cracking... so in that sense, they are quite nice!! My toenails are another story entirely!

I will spare you photos of my RIGHT foot's toes. But here is what my LEFT foot is looking like. My first bruised toenails of the year. There is at least one blister on each of these poor toes! And if you look on the left side of my little pinkie there is a brand spakin new bad boy blister. OUCH!At least once a week I really give me feet a pampering. I soak them in the tub first. One of these days, hopefully in the not too far future, I will be getting myself one of these beauties:
Then I give them a good scrubbing with a foot file. I can change the attachments for little blades for any really tough spots.Then a good fine filing. Feels SO GOOD!
Then I use a little cuticle cutter. I baby my blisters, usually popping and cutting off skin. Should I pop them? I don't know, but I do it anyway. I think it helps. The cuticle cutter helps get rid of the edges really well.Another thing I really want is a parafin bath! Oh wow I would love this baby!! But until then I skip that step and break out the fingernail polish and get those nails all gussied up! Then I slather my feet and ankles with a good lotion or foot cream. These are some of my favorites:Top them off with some really soft and fuzzy aloe infused socks!Then I curl up in bed with a good book!! The next morning my feet feel like a million bucks!!