Fit Me Pink

$25 Sam's Club Gift Card Giveaway Winner!

2012-02-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Marci is the lucky winner of the $25 Sam's Club Gift Card! Marci said:

In college I pinned up my empty Lucky Charms boxes to create a border around our family room, and oh ya, it went all the way around!! So this of course, would be my General Mills product of choice!

Congrats Marci! Email me (fitmepink {at} gmail {dot} com) with your contact info, and your gift will be on it's way! Thanks to all who entered!

I'll be back to regular scheduled blogging soon! :)

Sam's Club Offers Bonus Box Tops for Education {Giveaway}

2012-01-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

Heading back to school after the long Holiday vacation is almost as exhausting (and exciting!) as heading back in the fall. It takes a lot of work to get back on schedule (I'm still struggling here), and Sam's Club wants to help make that transition even easier!

Some of your favorite General Mills brands are offering even more cash for your local school with the Sam's Club "6 Box Tops on a Pack" promotion.

Plus you can find notebooks, computers, clothes and much more at Sam's to help get you back to on schedule.

To make it even easier - Sam's Club is offering one FitMePink reader a $25 Gift Card to Sam's Club.

Mandatory entry: To enter, leave a comment sharing which of your favorite General Mills products you’re most excited to see featured in the bonus Box Tops offer at Sam’s Club.

Additional entries:Tell your friends about this giveaway!
3 additional entries: Link on Facebook
3 more additional entries: Link on blog

Be sure to leave me a comment letting me know how many additional entries you receive. The winner will be randomly selected on February 6th at 10:00 pm, EST.

I hope you win!

Disclosure: The Sam’s Club gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Winner of $25 Sam's Club Gift Card

2011-10-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the Sam's Club Gift Card giveaway! October is one of my favorite months of the year, one reason being that it's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Such an important cause for all of us. As women, (or men with women in their lives!), it's something we should all be aware of and should do what we can to help further the cause!

I wish I could give you all $25 to go buy some pink products, but for today I have one winner chosen by random.org...

Congrats to Julie who said: My beloved mom is a 5 year breast cancer survivior!

Sounds like you deserve it!

Watch for an e-mail from me!

Giveaway: Sam’s Club Pink Promotion + $25 Sam’s Club Gift Card

2011-10-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! (Do I sound Southern yet?)

I'm still adjusting to the Southern life, but I'm actually loving the slight change of pace here in mid- Tennessee. Before I jump back into blogging (to tell you all how hard it's been to establish a new fitness routine when I really loved the old one), I am going to tell you about how Sam's Club is helping further a cause I hold near and dear to my heart. As of last month, my sister-in-law is officially 9 years cancer free! Not all women are so lucky. This month (which is already halfway over...so hurry!), Sam’s Club stores will feature exclusive pink packaging on some of your favorite participating General Mills products in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Here's how you can help!

Give back by purchasing your favorite cereal or snack! This October, by making simple everyday purchases at Sam’s Club, you can help support breast cancer education and research. Sam’s Club stores now feature exclusive pink packaging on some of your favorite participating General Mills products in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

-For 5 years, General Mills has partnered with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Foundation to bring breast cancer support to local communities, and this year they are making their annual donation of $2 million to the foundation to advance breast cancer research and support education and community outreach projects.

-Purchase specially-marked General Mills products like Cheerios and Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies at your local Sam’s Club and help decide how half of that contribution will be donated by voting at PinkTogether.com from now until April 14, 2012.

-General Mills’ donations will be divided between two important Komen programs: the Treatment and Assistance Program, which assists women in securing care they otherwise may not be able to afford, and Prevention Research, which helps unlock the keys to preventing breast cancer. Voting results will be announced on Mother’s Day 2012.

GIVEAWAY:

Sam’s Club and General Mills through MyBlogSpark is giving one of MY readers a $25.00 giftcard to Sams Club! Contest ends one week from today...October 20, 2011 at 10:00 pm EST. YAY!

Mandatory Entry:

Leave a comment telling me what this cause means to you personally!

Additional entries:
Tell your friends about this giveaway!
3 additional entries: Link on Facebook
3 more additional entries: Link on blog

Be sure to leave me a comment letting me know how many additional entries you receive. The winner will be randomly selected on October 20th at 10:00 pm, EST.

Good luck! I hope you win!

“Disclosure: The information and gift card(s) have been provided by Sam’s Club and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”

Thank you Utah!!! (From Tennessee...)

2011-08-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

It seems that every time I start a blog post here on my beloved FitMePink, I start with an excuse as to why it's been so long since I last posted. This post will be no different. Last time we "spoke," I still lived in the-happy-little-bubble of West Jordan, Utah. A few months, a job offer, and a lot of prayers later, my family now resides in the far-away-somewhat-foreign-to-us land of Tennessee. I'm mentally and emotionally trying to accept the fact that we are here. It is beautiful. And my parents live here...yay! But I REALLY loved where we were. My life was busy and happy...just the way I like it! Life for me has come to a sort of screeching halt. I know it's time for me to find myself in this new place, but first things first...a thank-you note.

Dearest Utah,

I was taught at a young age the importance of sending a "thank you" note when someone gives me a gift. In keeping with this important

lesson in etiquette, I just want to thank you for the lovely life you

provided for me and my family over the course of the last five years.

In fact, I actually owe my life to you. You were the place of my

birth. My growing-up years were spent elsewhere, but to you I

returned for a college degree, and even found myself a husband in your

lovely, happy valley.

In fact, apart from a short time in another (warmer, sunnier) state,

to this point in our married lives, we've pretty much called Utah

"home." Thank you for feeling like home. Thank you for all

the "firsts" you provided us with. Our first date, our first kiss,

our engagement, our first married apartment, and even our first home.

Thank you for allowing our family to grow from a family of 3 in this

Utah-home to a family of 5. The walls were busting at the

seams with the pitter patter of tiny feet. These were years of

"musical beds" when little ones were to scared to stay in their own.

These were the years I got to spend every waking hour with my

beautiful children before sending the first off to school. These were

years of family walks, family bike rides, family dinners, family story

time, and family prayer. Thank you for blessing my oldest son, born

while we lived away, with two little sisters. Thank you for helping

them be best friends.

And speaking of friends, thank you for putting some of the best

friends I could ever hope for directly in my path. Thank you for

taking them from different parts of the state, country and world, and

landing them right where I needed them right when I

needed them...in Utah. Thank you for play dates, friends who loved my

kids as their own, dinner swaps, singing groups, running buddies,

trusted babysitters, and so much more.

Thank you for your beautiful roads, trails, mountains, and scenery.

In your beautiful landscape, I not only developed a greater

appreciation for God's creations, but also developed a love and

passion for fitness. Many miles were logged onto my personal odometer

as I watched the sun peak over the mountains to the east in the quiet

hours of the morning.

Thank you for also placing in my path group fitness instructors who

taught me that there's more to fitness than running! Because of these

inspiring women, I developed a new attitude, outlook, and lifelong

fitness addiction! As I attended classes week after week, exercise

became something I couldn't live without. It was no longer an option,

but a scheduled part of my EVERY day. These women showed me by their

example that the human body is capable of amazing things. As a

result, I've raced, I've pushed my limits, I've fulfilled

a dream, and I've never looked back.

Thank you for inspiring me to start a fitness blog which has blessed

my life more than it's blessed anyone else's. How could I not

be dedicated to fitness when I was busy writing about it? Thank

you for giving me inspiring friends through this blog...most of whom

I've never met, and a few that

I have.

Thank you also, dear Utah, for the gift of in-laws. In a place where

my immediate family did NOT reside, you forced me to see my husband's

family for the amazing people they are. If I'd chosen a husband based

on HIS family alone, I'd still be married to the same person. I now

have relationships with his family I never would have hoped for had I

not experienced life with them in the same place...in Utah. Besides

just being my mother-father-sisters-brothers-in-law, I have

friends. I have another set of "parents" I can comfortably

call "mom" and "dad," and the closest thing to

having another sister.

And speaking of sisters, thank you for mine. Almost a year ago, I

finally got to live close to her again...after nearly 10 years of

living apart. Thank you for reminding me of how nice it is to have

someone around who has loved me since the day I was born...who knows

every detail about me and my life, and loves me anyway. Someone who

can walk into my house piled high with toys, laundry, dirty dishes,

and clutter, and truly not even notice. Someone who can knock on the

door when my house is in shambles without sending me into a

picking-up, panicked frenzy.

Thank you for cousins my kids love as their own siblings. Thank you for Baby Jack who's birth-in-Utah changed my life.

Thank you for Zumba. Thank you for making my current friendships

stronger as we-as-friends danced and laughed together. Thank

you for helping me go out of my own comfort zone to learn dances, let

go of all inhibitions, and teach them to an audience of participants.

Thank you for giving me one more thing I can share with my

sister...Zumba. And thank you for giving me new friends through Zumba

I wouldn't have made any other way.

Thank you for making my home a gathering place for out-of-town

visitors, and a home-away-from home for my baby brother while

he was living life as a single college student in happy valley. Thank

you, also, for giving me a front row seat to watch his courtship with

the only girl good enough to marry our baby brother...Anne.

I can't say life was perfect while I was in your borders, Utah. There

were cold, long winters. There was heart-ache. There were lonely

days. There were "Monster-Mom" days. There was yelling.

There was crying. There was impatience and misunderstandings. But I

guess I can't thank you for the good without also thanking you for the

bad. Because the "bad" is what is sculpting me into the person I want

to become. At times I felt like I was thrown kicking and screaming

into the "refiner's fire." But through the tears, I got a little bit

stronger. Apparently, however, it wasn't enough. We've moved out of

your comforting borders into the unknown. Please tell your friend,

Tennessee to be nice to me and my family, because at the moment, I'm

sure missing you, Utah. Cold winters and all.

Saying good-bye felt like one of the hardest things I've ever done.

But saying good-bye also made me realize how blessed and loved we are!

Thank you for the good-bye parties. Thank you for the tears. Thank

you for showing me how it feels to have true friends who feel like

family. Thank you for reminding me of the importance and blessing of

real family. Thank you for good neighbors, and cherished memories

that will last a lifetime.

As I look back to my time in Utah, I feel blessed to have lived in a

place so rich in the culture of what makes me

ME. Really, there aren’t enough words of gratitude

that will do justice to how I feel.

As I move forward with the ones in my life that matter most, I'll try

to live by the words of Dr. Seuss, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile

because it happened."

All I can say is, thank you.

Sincerely,

Robyn, wife, mother, southerner-in-training,

westerner-at-heart.

Ogden Marathon 2011...qualifying for Boston

2011-07-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

I know the Ogden marathon was nearly two months ago. I can't even tell you how many times I've constructed this post in my head. I'm pretty sure I was even writing it as I ran the dang thing. To say that running this marathon was THE hardest thing I've ever done would be an understatement. When I ran my first marathon (7 years ago), I cried when I crossed the finish line. I hurt. I was sore. I was relieved that those 26.2 miles were behind me. But crossing that finish line 7 years ago didn't hold a candle to how I felt crossing the finish line this time around. I didn't just shed a few tears. I completely broke down. After crossing the finish line, I stumbled to find my husband and kids, crumpled into my husbands proud arms, and told him that I am NEVER doing that again. As I cried those words, somewhere in the back of my mind even I knew they weren't true. But I've never pushed myself as hard mentally and physically as I did on May 21, 2011. And as I'm sitting here today, on July 11, 2011, I can finally wrap my brain around the thought of training for another.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know a little about my personality. Tell me I should slow down, and you can bet I'll try to go faster. Tell me to stop running, and I'll run longer. Tell me I can't and I'll kill myself to prove that I can. When I FIRST started training, I let you all in on a little secret...that it was my goal to someday qualify for the Boston Marathon.

My training was full of bumps and bruises. I fell several times. I was forced to take a month off running to heal from a nasty injury. I was pretty sure there was NO way I could meet my goal pace. But without admitting anything out loud, I still hoped it was possible.

The day before the marathon, I didn't feel mentally prepared. A few friends and I headed up to Ogden, UT to pick up our packets. We ate dinner, we started getting pre-race jitters. And then the normal pre-race talk began. Are you ready? What's your goal pace? And without thinking, I started admitting out loud that I really hoped to qualify for the Boston Marathon. For me, admitting that I hoped it would happen was pretty much like signing a contract with myself. It was going to happen.

On the morning of the race, I was more than a little nervous. My body actually felt great. Better than it had in months. But I had new socks. A new shirt. New GU to try. An energy drink for mile 20. All things I'd NEVER tried in training (which is a big no-no for racing). But the only newbie I was really concerned about was my shoes. I'd bought my new Newton Running shoes only a few weeks before...not enough time to break in this kind of shoe.

Newton Running shoes are designed to force you to run on the forefoot/midfoot. Awesome shoes. After reading Born To Run , I wanted to find a shoe that forced me to run this way without going barefoot. But I really needed more time to break them in. I prayed that I'd be okay.

One thing I've learned with running is that things NEVER go as planned. We got to the start line, and I got my iPod ready. I stuck my ear buds in, pressed play, and waited. And waited. Silence. My music (that I'd charged and tested the night before) wasn't working. Looked like I'd be running 26.2 to the sound of my own thoughts. Not quite the motivation I'd hoped for.

The race started, and I felt great. I settled in to a good pace, and looked at my Garmin way more often than necessary to make sure I was fast enough. The first half flew by. I was pacing for a 3:30 finish at the halfway point. I tried to ignore the increasing burn in my calves (from running on the forefoot). I saw my brother-in-law and searched for my husband and kiddos. They'd gotten stopped on their way up the canyon and just missed me. Disappointed, I kept going.

I was so focused on running that I honestly don't remember noticing the beauty of the course. Later, my sis-in-law asked me if I remembered coming out of a canyon and running around a lake. I seriously had no idea I'd run by a lake. All I saw was my trusty Garmin, runners in front of me, and the road in front of me (although I didn't even see that very well...at one point I completely ran through a pot hole...one foot was soaked through, but luckily my new socks were smart wool running socks...it dried in no time)!

At mile 23, I finally saw the four faces I'd been dying to see. My kids (still in their jammies), and my husband, all with huge smiles and cheers. I stopped, I hugged and kissed my husband, and he pushed me back onto the course. At this point, I remembered why I was running. My kids were watching. They were so proud of their mama. In their minds, no matter what time I finished, I would be "the winner." But someday I would be able to tell them how hard I worked to finish that race. There were gallons of blood, sweat, and tears back home on the roads I'd trained on. The race was much more than race day.

Running has always been spiritual for me. Something about working hard in this life so that we can cross that eternal finish line knowing we gave it our all. Life has so many bumps in the road. But as with running, each bump and obstacle we overcome only makes us stronger. I knew that if I finished this marathon, I could do anything.

Right after passing my family, I hit a serious wall. I wanted nothing more than to walk. I wanted to be done. For a brief moment, I didn't care if I met my goal. I wanted to hop in the car with my husband and go home. And then a thought popped into my mind that my family was praying for me. I looked down at my watch (for the gazillionth time that day) and saw that I had 18 minutes to finish the last 2 miles if I wanted to make it in 3 hours 40 minutes. So I ran. Those 18 minutes were the most painful 18 minutes of my life. I crossed the finish line and broke down. 3 hours 39 minutes and 55 seconds. 5 seconds to spare.

I hope to run in the Boston Marathon next April. If I'm able to register I will...but since I BARELY qualified, I may not even get the chance. But I did it. And yes, I would do it that way again. The race left my calves severely injured (thanks to my new shoes which I will slowly build up to wearing next time around), and my body and mind exhausted. I realized that after child birth, it's not the sleep deprivation that makes you so tired. It's the physical exertion. I felt like I'd just given birth after the race.

When talking to my mom later, she told me that she'd prayed for me specifically several times during the race. I knew my family was praying for me, and those prayers are what got me through. Because at that point? My legs sure as heck couldn't. Another lesson learned. Prayer is real.

I know I'm probably giving myself more credit than I should. Some would laugh that a 3:40 marathon time is nothing to brag about. But I think I would feel the same way if I'd had the same experience finishing in 5 hours if that had been my goal. The mind is very powerful. If you set a goal to do something, work to achieve it, and never doubt yourself, you CAN do anything. I can do ANYTHING. I'm excited to see what the future holds. I will definitely run more marathons. And I think it's safe to say that I'll try to qualify for Boston each time. And I know it's also safe to assume that more things than having my music not work could go wrong next time. But like I've said before, obstacles only make us stronger and better the next time around. So here's to the future!

And as always, happy running!

Featured on Studio 5!

2011-05-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to get on here and update about my amazing marathon experience, but man...the recovery has been rough! I'll post the details in the next few days, but in case you're wondering...I finished in 3 hours, 39 minutes, and 55 seconds! Exactly 5 seconds faster than my goal! I was thrilled! Details will follow, but I wanted to share something first....

I was featured today on Studio 5! Katie Shepherd, of Meaningful Moments shared tips on "Writing Memories Worth Reading" and shared a little clip from my post about my sweet nephew Jack. Check it out... Thanks Katie!

Marathon Day Survival Guide...18 Race Day Tips

2011-05-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure why I think I'm qualified to write a post on how to survive marathon day. I've only run ONE marathon in my life, and that was nearly SEVEN years ago! My SECOND marathon EVER is in two short days. Yikes! I have, however, run a handful of shorter-distance races since that awful first marathon, and I have learned a thing or two that I wish I'd known before-hand. It's still hard for me to believe that I started out my racing addiction with a full 26.2-miler. Not a 5K, not a 10K, not even a half-marathon (which I just learned should actually be called a Pikermi)! A full marathon! I was dumb. And not prepared. And slow. So hopefully these tips will come in handy for me this Saturday. If I live to tell about it, I'll let you know!

SKIP THE PASTA PARTY. Yes...your body needs carbs. But you don't need to load up on them ALL. AT. ONCE. I'm actually sort of already in carb-loading mode. I'm loading up on fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc. I'm trying to limit refined sugar (I finally had to throw away my son's left-over birthday cake...I couldn't stop myself!). I actually plan on eating a bigger meal for lunch on Friday, so I don't overdo it Friday night. Stomach issues are not what I want during the race. I've never had issues, but my husband sure has. Code brown=not fun (unless you're going for the best story...then go ahead and order a spicy burrito the night before!)
DON'T DO ANYTHING NEW. This one is kind of hard for me, because my training hasn't been consistent! I don't eat the same things each time I run, I don't wear the same things each time, etc. And I actually just bought a new pair of Newton Running Shoes a few weeks ago. These shoes require time to adapt...and I haven't had much time. My husband might have to bring my old ones just in case I need a quick change. If I were following my own advice, however, I would stick with a routine. I don't plan on this marathon being my last, so hopefully I'll be able to develop a better routine that works for me. My longest training run (20-miles) was actually my best. I'd already done Zumba for an hour in the morning, and 90-minutes the night before. I was STARVING. Before the run, I went to Jamba Juice for a Peanut Butter Moo'd smoothie, then stopped at Subway for a turkey sandwich on wheat, then ate a slice of leftover pizza. I don't think I'll be able to get all of that in the morning of the race, but my body won't already be as depleted as it has been on a typical Saturday morning during training. But enough rambling...find what works for you WHILE you train, and stick with it on race day. Don't use marathon morning as a time to try all the goodies in your little swag bag. That said.....
EAT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. Most of us don't normally eat breakfast at 4:00 am, but most of us don't run 26.2 miles starting at 7:00 am either. Whatever you do, DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST! If you go to bed at 9:00 pm (wishful thinking for me), and the race starts at 7:00 am, that's 10 hours. In that time, your liver glycogen (stored carbohydrate) gets depleted. Eat a simple, high-carb breakfast. Bananas, bagels, energy bars, and smoothies are good picks. I'm also planning on eating a handful of chia seeds before the race starts.
CAFFEINE UP! Some researchers at Yale did a caffeine-endurance study. The exercisers on caffeine had higher levels of beta-endorphins and a lower perceived effort. Sounds good to me! Lots of GUs and other gels now contain caffeine (my favorite is GU with roctane). Or you can even take caffeine tablets. If you want to be scientific about it, you can take tablets 60 to 90 minutes before the race at a dose of 3 mg per pound of your body weight. That's a bit too complicated for me. I'm not a coffee drinker, and not a soda drinker. But on race day, bring on the caffeinated GU!
DON'T OVERDRESS! You may be cold at the start line, but you'll most likely be hot before you know it! Check the weather forecast several times and plan accordingly. I'm planning on making a trip to Deseret Industries (a local thrift store) tomorrow to find a throw-away zip-up jacket. I'll wear it at the start, and will ditch it within the first few miles. Most races donate tossed clothing to charities. It's worth $5 to me to not have to worry about retrieving it later, or taking it off sooner than I want to. When you're running, it will generally feel about 10 degrees warmer than it is, and temperatures will rise as the race progresses. If you overdress, not only are you carrying extra weight, you'll also sweat more than you want which increases the risk of dehydration.
AVOID CHAFFING LIKE THE PLAGUE! Body glide is a runner's best friend. Put it EVERYWHERE! Armpits, toes, neck, thighs. I have some nice scars to show from not following this advice. A chest strap (from my beloved heart rate monitor) worn for 26.2 miles can do some serious damage. So can the rubbing together of inner thighs. I'm no longer a big fan of running skirts for this reason :) And my husband will never again run without nip guards (or Band Aids). I've yet to get the blood stains out of his bloody-nipple marathon shirt. Ouch. (Side note: body glide also works great for wearing high heels!)
WEAR SUNSCREEN. Got it? Sadly, I neglect this advice far too often. I love me some sun-kissed skin. But lobster skin? Not so much.
STEADY DOES IT. It's so hard not to run faster than you should at the start line. You're nervous, you're excited, you want to beat that skinny girl in the yellow shorts over there. But 26.2 miles is a LOOOOOONG way to run! If you go too hard at the beginning, you'll slow WAY down at the end. This is one of the most important marathon strategies. EVEN. PACE. RUNNING. At the beginning, you may feel as if you're holding back, but it will feel great when you're passing people later on.
PLAY MENTAL GAMES. This one is huge for me. I try not to EVER think about the full distance in front of me. I take it little chunks at a time. Make it to mile 5. Then to mile 10. Then to mile 15. If I only have to do 5 miles at a time, I can do it. If I have to do 26.2, there's no way! Part of the reason my 20-miler was so great was that my sister-in-law and I ran around the Olympic Oval track. Sounds like torture, right? I actually loved it because we knew that 11 laps equaled 3 miles. So I took the run 11 laps at a time. We only had to do that 6 1/2 times. Much easier to make it 11 laps 6.5 times than to count 73 laps. Run your marathon in bite-sized chunks. Towards the end when you've hit your wall, don't think about the 6 miles you have left. Take it one mile-marker at a time. I promise the end will come quicker this way.
LEAVE THE HYDRATION PACK HOME. They're great for training, but most races have plenty of aid stations with water, Gatorade, GU, and even fruit. Don't weigh yourself down more than necessary on race day. It'll only slow you down.
DRESS YOURSELF FROM HEAD-TO-TOE THE NIGHT BEFORE. Lay all your clothes out the night before, starting with the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Like to wear sunglasses while you run? Set 'em out. Don't want to search for a sock in the bottom of a suitcase at 4:30 am when you have a 5:00 bus to catch? Lay both socks out. If you're traveling to your race, dress yourself before packing your suitcase. What a nightmare it would be to realize on race-day morning that you didn't pack a sports bra. Yikes!
SET SEVERAL ALARMS. I recently started teaching a 5:45 am Cycle class, and am picking up an every-other-week 5:00 am Zumba class. The night before teaching, I set the alarm on my phone, make my husband set his phone alarm, and we set the real alarm clock as a back-up. Worse than sleeping in for a waiting-group-fitness-class would be sleeping in and missing the marathon bus that you've spent MONTHS preparing to get on.
DON'T STRESS THE WARM UP. You can warm your legs up a bit before the race, but you'll want to conserve as much energy as you can. If you're trying to get a certain finishing time, you may want to warm up a bit. If your goal, however, is just to finish, you have plenty of time to get those legs warm!
AVOID THE RUNNING BUDDY. As much as I enjoy running with a good friend, I'm too competitive to have a running partner on race day. For one thing, if they're faster than me, I'll kill myself to keep up (and will end up crashing during the second half). If they're slower than me, I'll feel super awkward telling them that I'm going to go on ahead. There will be plenty of runners around you during the race...you won't feel alone! Listen to some good tunes to motivate you up the hills, and if you need someone to talk to, strike up a conversation with a nearby runner for a few minutes while your pace remains the same.
HAVE A DRY SHIRT AT THE FINISH LINE. After a race, I don't feel like I want to rush and take a shower right that second, but I do feel like I want my sweaty shirt and shoes off. Make sure you recruit some cheerleaders to meet you at the finish line. My 5-year old has been given the important job of screaming for mommy to sprint to the end, and then promptly handing over a dry shirt, some chapstick, and some flip flops.
DON'T STRESS TOO MUCH ABOUT SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE. The week before? Yes...stress about that. (I write as I sit here typing at 12 am). But don't worry too much that you're not getting a ton of sleep the night before. You can make up for it later. For me, stressing about no sleep usually makes me sleep worse! You'll be fine.
HAVE A DESIGNATED MEETING SPOT AFTER THE RACE. As a runner, you may not be too worried about meeting up with your friends and family after the race. But as the one who's usually dragging my kids around as we search for my husband after he crosses the finish line, trust me. Knowing where he's going to find me would make life a whole lot easier. Finish lines are CROWDED. Pick a tree. Pick a corner. Just pick a spot for your party to wait for you while you relish in the post-race pampering. Then they won't wander around for an hour trying to find you. They'll just wait.
ENJOY THE JOURNEY. Take it all in. You are part of an ELITE group. A very small percentage of the world's population can say they've run a marathon (or any race for that matter). Run proud. Don't be hard on yourself if you don't run as fast as you'd like. Fast or slow, short or long, crossing a finish line is a big accomplishment! And trust me--getting to the finish line is going to hurt! But you didn't sign up for this thinking it was going to be easy! The reasons are much deeper than physical, and you've worked hard to get to this point. You're going to have to work hard to finish. But it's time to enjoy every moment!

Any race day secrets you live by? Fill me in...I'm taking all the advice I can get! Wish me luck!

Why I Run

2011-05-09T20:55:00.001-07:00

I love running...

Because it gives ME my own identity. I'm not just a mom. I'm a RUNNER.

Because people tell me I can't or shouldn't. Say those words, and you can guarantee I WILL.

Because it feels good.

Because even when it doesn't feel good, it feels good
afterwards.

Because I love the sweat.

Because I love the hills.

Because the best showers are post-run showers.

Because my resting heart rate is now in the 40's.

Because it's taught me to push myself.

Because I can push and explore my limits.

Because I sleep better and deeper at night.

Because it keeps sickness away.

Because it reduces stress.

Because it fills me with positive emotions.

Because running to music feels like dancing.

Because it's the one thing I know I can accomplish in a day.

Because it makes me feel unconquerable.

Because I could probably outrun any attacker.

Because it brings me back to childhood.

Because of the sprint to the end.

Because it gives me a quantitative way to track my fitness progress.

Because my kids are watching and learning. They think they're runners to.

Because it is fun.

Because races are addicting.

Because finish lines make me cry.

Because early-morning runs allow me to see the sunrise.

Because it gives me freedom.

Because no other exercise compares.

Because it's ME time.

Because monster mom becomes happy mom.

Because when I'm done, I feel like I can conquer the world.

Because I can.

10 Ways to Never Skip a Workout Again!

2011-04-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked how I manage to keep myself physically active as a busy mom. My simple answer is that I take things one day at a time. Each day is unique, and brings different challenges. Occasionally on a morning that I plan a long outdoor run, I wake up to falling snow. (I know, I know...this really shouldn't keep me from running...I'm hardcore, but I'm not THAT hardcore...that's what treadmills are for, right?!?) Early morning workouts don't ever work when I've spent the entire night awake with a sick child (or healthy children who spend the night playing musical beds...our bed is NOT big enough for the 5 of us!) Things happen, so I try to plan accordingly. Here are a few of my secrets for planning around life:

On a particularly hectic day, don't skip a workout just because you don't have a full hour to spare. Figure out how to fit in 10-minute mini sessions. Roll out of bed, and do some push-ups, jumping jacks, planks, and lunges. Later in the day, go on a quick, brisk walk. If you're reading something, find a wall, and squat while you read. Do seated Tupler's in the car! End the day with some pre-bed stretches. It may not seem like a lot at once, but throughout the day, you can easily squeeze in a full workout!
You may be tired of hearing it from me, but wear a heart rate monitor! At the end of the week, it's extremely motivating to see how much time I spent working out, how many calories I burned, and what zones I trained in. I try not to ever go more than two days without a workout! My heart rate monitor keeps me honest with myself.
Set goals for the ENTIRE year at the beginning of the year. Want to run a few races this year? Schedule them now! Even if the races aren't until later in the year, you'll have them on your mind, and will plan your training accordingly. For me, races aren't just about the race, but about the journey it takes to get to the starting line! And boy, it has been quite a journey this time around!
Have a nice stash of fitness DVDs at home. Workout DVDs are almost always my back-up plan. When I just can't pull myself out of bed early in the morning, I can start a DVD nearly an hour later, and still be done with my workout at the same time I would otherwise be returning home from the gym. For one, I don't have to brush my teeth (or put on mascara) to work out at home, and I don't have to account for any travel time. I still get in a good workout (as long as the kids and husband cooperate), and the day can continue as planned.
SCHEDULE your workouts. If you're always hoping to find time to work out, it's probably never going to happen if you have a busy schedule. You HAVE to plan it in. My workout schedule varies slightly from week to week based on my life schedule, but I always know when I'm going to work out the next day. I don't wake up in the morning hoping it will happen sometime that day. I wake up, and get moving. If you need to, put a reminder on your phone, write it on your calender, do whatever you need to do. I normally plan all my workouts a week in advance. Then when a day (or night) doesn't go as planned, I move to plan B. If you're a group fitness groupie (like myself), stay committed to the class! As an instructor, I don't have a choice whether or not to show up. Act as if you don't have a choice either! Be there!
Add variety to your workouts. If someone were to watch me and my different workout routines, they would think I have serious workout ADD. I don't do the same things day in and day out. I love group fitness classes, because each class is never the same...and I've tried LOTS of different classes. I LIFT. I ZUMBA. I CYCLE. I YOGA. I CORE CROSS TRAIN. I POWER PUMP. I TREK. But my own workouts are never the same, either. I run outside. I lift weights with gym machines. I use free weights. I use my own body weight for resistance. I interval train. I do the elliptical. I climb stairs. You get the idea. Variety is key for keeping workouts interesting. Variety is also key for avoiding plateaus. If your body never knows what's coming, it will never stop changing and improving!
Keep company with other fitness-minded people. If you try to place yourself in situations and with people where you won't have to compromise your fitness goals, you're much more likely to stay on track. At work, take breaks with the walkers rather than the donut-shop-frequenters. Eat with the brown baggers rather than with the fast foodies. Invite other health conscious couples over for a healthy home-cooked meal, and vice versa. Find a workout buddy, or an accountability partner. If you're not working out together, you can still report to one another and keep each other in check.
Change your workouts with the seasons. Don't hibernate for the winter just because you refuse to run outside in the snow. Right now I'm SO EXCITED that spring has sprung because I can truly enjoy the outdoors. Working out indoors, however, is the only thing that keeps me going in the depressing month of January. Winter months are great for snow sports, while summer is great for swimming. If your workouts change with the seasons, you'll have more to look forward to every few months than just changing colors and temperatures!
Forget the all-or-nothing mentality. Just because you may not always have time for a full hour workout doesn't mean you should skip the workout all together. 20-minutes is always better than nothing! The same goes for healthy eating. Just because you splurge at one meal doesn't mean that the whole day should go to waste. One healthy meal is better than a full day of indulging. (Unless indulging for a full day is planned. In that case, one bad day doesn't mean the whole week is shot!)
Just do it! Stop making excuses, and get moving. Use each day as a step towards your ultimate fitness goals. So what if you have 10- 50- 100-pounds to lose. Losing the weight won't happen overnight. It will, however, happen with lots of small steps along the way. Whatever the obstacles, do what it takes to get up and start. You will get better with time. You'll find what you like. Just push yourself to take the first step, to climb out of bed in the morning, to schedule your workouts. Once you make fitness a habit, it will become a way of life, and you will be that much closer to reaching your goals!

What are YOUR fitness secrets?

A dose of humility does a runner good!

2011-04-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Before I started training for my upcoming (in exactly one month...yikes!) marathon, I was feeling pretty on top of the world. I was sure I was invincible, and started my training with a bang. Experienced runners swear by the 10% rule (don't increase your distance or time more than 10% from one week to the next), but I was loading the miles on from day 1. I'm a fit person, I figured my body could take the extra mileage. And I have to say I did pretty great at first. And then I started hurting.

With running in the past, I've always been able to "run through" any pains I've had, and they've been short-lived. This time, however, the pain in my hip literally stopped me in my tracks. I was in denial, and tried to keep running, but it just got worse. It's AWFUL to feel like all the work you've done is for nothing. I found a Physical Therapist, and went for my first visit hoping she'd tell me I'd be up and running in a week. A week is not a major setback...it's a mini-vacation...long enough for the body to recover, short enough not to undo any hard work. To my dismay, she told me she hoped I'd be up and running in time for the marathon...best case.

I started telling myself that maybe I wouldn't run it after all. I avoided talking about running, blogging about running (did you notice I've been MIA?), and especially avoided talking to my running buddies (because I was mad that they were still running and I wasn't). I was mad at myself for putting such high expectations on myself. If I didn't care about my finishing time, I wouldn't have pushed myself so hard to begin with.

The last time I remember being so humbled was when I received my mission call for the LDS church. After studying Spanish for 7 years, and telling everyone how glad I was that I would never be one of those missionaries who didn't know the language (because OBVIOUSLY I would go Spanish-speaking), I was called to Finland. Yep, the country with THE hardest language. Learning Finnish was the most humbling experience of my life. But I did it. And after I did it, I realized how studying Spanish had actually prepared me to learn Finnish.

After nearly a month of NO running whatsoever, I was finally given the green light to start back up. And I'm hoping that my years of fitness preparation will come in handy as I gear up for race day. I've still been speaking the Zumba language, the Cycle language, the Elliptical-backwards language, and the strength training language, so hopefully my cross-training has prepared me to re-learn the running language (so to speak), because I've become one of THOSE runners. The kind who thought she knew everything about running, until her body told her otherwise.

My first "language" test was on Saturday. And in true Robyn-fashion, I didn't start back up with a 5-miler. Oh no. I ran 17. My leg actually felt great. I ran to my son's t-ball game (8.5 miles from home), met my husband, still felt good, and decided I could run home too. At mile 11, I tripped and fell again. I'm not sure what I was looking at, but I didn't see the dip in the road. I expected to land on ground, and felt like Wile-E-Coyote running off a cliff. The ground was gone. I rolled a few times, stood up, checked out my new marks, and started walking to the gas station across the street. A car pulled over, the driver asked if I was okay, and I started bawling, but said yes.

I got to the gas station, and called my husband to come get me. He loaded the kids in the car and started driving, then asked if I was really mentally ready to be done. I wasn't. I really wanted to finish my run. I went in the bathroom, washed my bloody hands, filled up my water bottles, and went back outside to finish my darn 17-mile run.

This marathon training has taken this overly-confident girl for a long ride on the humility train. Somehow I'm going to cross that finish line next month. I might be crawling, but I'm going to finish.

In life, when we set out to do something, things hardly ever go as planned. We stumble, we fall, we get injured. That's all part of this life experience. But when we've recovered, we have two options. We can pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and keep going. Or we can quit. This goes for WHATEVER we're trying to accomplish. Weight loss. Jobs. Marriages. Relationships. Raising children. LIFE IS HARD. But we can do hard things. YOU can do hard things. When you're down, just get back up, and keep chugging along. Anything worth doing is worth fighting for!

Happy running!

Black Light Zumba Party THIS FRIDAY!

2011-04-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Looking for something to do this Friday night? Come to a Black Light Zumba Party!!!

Friday, April 8, 2011

7:30-8:30 pm

Cost is $4

C & C Ballet

10128 S. Redwood Rd. #G

South Jordan, UT

Wear white or anything else that will help you glow! We're going to bring out the BLACK LIGHTS, a NEW awesome DANCE LIGHT, lots of fun dances, energy, sweat, and fun! Come kick off the weekend ZUMBA style!

C & C Ballet is located in the parking lot south of the South Jordan Post Office, behind Maxwell Carpet and Cleaning.

Let me know if you have any questions! EVERYONE is welcome!

Strained Hip Flexor/Iliopsoas...Marathon Training Week 9

2011-03-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

It seems sort of silly that I'm still posting my training schedule, considering I'm actually taking a break from running this week. I know...I've said I'm taking a break before, but this time I mean it. I'm pretty sure I was more prepared to run my marathon BEFORE I started training. About three weeks ago, I was doing some interval training, and by the time I was done, I could barely walk. Apparently, a hip flexor strain is a common running injury. For me, it's a first. I don't like it. I've been trying to work through it, but I think it's making it worse. I'm frustrated with my body, but oh well. It is what it is. I guess it's an excuse to enjoy some of my other neglected favorite forms of exercise! I'm cross training, and calling a physical therapist tomorrow. But if you're here looking for a running schedule, here ya go! Wish I was doing it, too!

WEEK 9

MONDAY: Interval- 8 to 10 miles, 3 x (800-600-400-200m), at 5K-10K pace, 1 minute recovery, 3-5 minutes between sets

TUESDAY: Distance- 4 to 6 miles

WEDNESDAY: Tempo- 8 to 10 miles, 2 x 15 minutes at marathon tempo, 5 minutes recovery

THURSDAY: Distance- 4 to 6 miles

FRIDAY: Distance- 3 to 7 miles

SATURDAY: RACE! 10-13 miles

Any advice for an injured runner? Let me know...and have a great week! I'm exhausted...but I'll be back soon with more exciting things to say!

Marathon Training Week 8

2011-03-20T20:11:00.001-07:00

WHOA...slow down! We're already half-way through the 16-weeks of training? Yikes! My marathon is 2 months from tomorrow! I'm actually excited for it to hurry up and get here so I can get back to a more normal fitness routine! The past few weeks have been a bit stressful. My body's hurting, and my hip flexor screams at me to STOP RUNNING! My husband took a few days off last week, and I thought I'd better take advantage and go on a long run while he was home with the kiddos.

Friday morning, I still got up bright and early to start my 15-mile run. I started out slowly, and felt like I was running through mud. I left my house, and as usual, just started running. I wasn't sure what course I was going to take. The Garmin Forerunner is the BEST purchase for runners like me...I don't have to chart out my run, I just look at how far I've gone and plan accordingly for when it's time to head home. I'm a little obsessed, however, and hardly keep my eyes on the road because I'm so fascinated by the things I can look at on my watch! I can see exactly what my pace is at any given moment, how far I've gone, how long I've gone, what my heart rate is, etc.

I'd like to think the Garmin was the cause of my fall early Friday morning, but I actually wasn't looking at the watch. I was hobbling along (in the dark, mind you), and the next thing I knew, I was catching myself on the pavement. My first thought? PLEASE don't let there be a hole in my brand spankin' new running capris! Then I felt the pain. Two bloody palms, one bloody knee, and one bloody elbow. And I hadn't even gone TWO miles. I slowly got up, and the ugly cry face appeared. I didn't know what to do, so I started running again. I couldn't see my injuries in the dark, so I just kept going. I cried for a good mile or so. And these weren't silent tears--I felt like one of my kids--I was howling. I thought about calling my husband to come pick me up, but did NOT want to wake up the kids. I'd rather suffer through a long run than face the rest of the day with 3 kids who'd been woken up at 5:30 in the morning. I considered just turning around and going home. But then I decided that I was going to do what I set out to do, darnit! In a strange way, my crappy run actually turned into a sort of spiritual experience for me. I may have to crawl to the finish line in May, but however the race turns out, I'll know that I worked hard to make it there. GALLONS of sweat, blood, and tears. Some of you think I'm crazy. Who would run 26.2 miles in one day on purpose? And who would spend every single day for 16-weeks getting ready to run it? And who would keep running after falling flat on the pavement? I'm here to tell you that if you could experience crossing the finish line (after all that) just one time, you'd be hooked. The moment you cross the finish line makes all the blood, sweat, and tears worth it. And that's why I keep running.

After a 15-miler in the morning, my sister and I threw a Black Light Zumba party that night. 90 minutes of Club Zumba! That's 4 hours of working out in one day...my kind of day! I haven't stopped eating since!

Have a great week!

WEEK 8

MONDAY: Interval- 7 to 10 miles, 3 x (1,600m) at 10K pace, 3 min recovery

TUESDAY: Distance- 5 to 7 miles

WEDNESDAY: MLR- 11 to 12 miles

THURSDAY: Rest DAY! 0 to 3 miles

FRIDAY: Distance- 6 to 7 miles

SATURDAY: Long Distance- 18 to 20 miles, easy, steady paced

If anyone's interested in attending our next Black Light Zumba party, there's one happening THIS FRIDAY night (March 25, 2011) at 6:30 pm at the DayBreak Community Center. It's $5 for residents and $6 for non-residents. I'd LOVE to meet some of my FitMePeeps! Let me know if you want to come! Otherwise, happy running!

Marathon Training Weeks 6 and 7...and the graphic details of my visit to the dermatologist

2011-03-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

So last week's training for me was pretty much non-existent. My legs have been hurting, I've been worried about possible injuries, so I ran a total of 7 miles...all last Monday. Ouch! I was so motivated 6 weeks ago...time to dig deep and find some more motivation! Usually a week of not doing a whole lot does the trick for me...not exercising and eating junk seem to go hand in hand...so this week I'm back on track! My fridge is chock full of yummy produce, my running shoes are rested, and I'm ready for some running fun!

But did I mention that I lost my iPod at the gym? In the past few months, my gym membership has proven to be a much more expensive investment than I bargained for. One day, I dropped my kids off in the Kids' Club. When we arrived, my son was wearing his awesomely-warm-and-slightly-too-big-so-it-would-still-fit-next-year-winter-coat. After we left, I looked at him several times wondering why it suddenly looked so small. I finally looked at the tag and saw that his size 5T coat from BabyGap was now a size 2T. Same coat. THREE sizes too small. I take full responsibility...I'm pretty sure I grabbed the smaller coat from the same place I'd originally hung the larger one, but did not pay attention to him squeezing his long arms through the short sleeves. The small coat is now sitting under a desk at the gym, silently waiting for it's original owner to reclaim it. The larger coat has yet to be found.

A month or so later, I met my trusty running-sister-in-law-buddy on a cold, blustery Saturday afternoon. Rather than run in the cold, we met to do our long run treadmill style. I was mid-cleanse. I'd taught Zumba in the morning. My body (and obviously brain) were tired. What started out as a proposed 15-miler ended up being a very long 10 miles. When I finally finished running the 10-miles (that felt like 20!), I hit the cool down button, took out my earphones, wound them around my iPod, and stuffed them into the drink holder. I stumbled to a stop, stretched for a bit, grabbed my water and towel from the drink holder, and wearily left. Hours

later, my husband needed my iPod. I told him exactly where it WASn't. In my pink gym bag. When he told me it wasn't there, my heart sank. You know the rest of the story (except the part about the "thugs" who apparently hit up my gym on Saturday nights to play ball...after scouring the place for lost iPods and such). No more iPod. No more coat. Maybe it's a sign that I need to start running outside! I am SO HAPPY that Spring is literally just around the corner...8 days and counting!

My brain has been in a serious fog. Did you all remember to set your clocks forward last night? We sure didn't! My husband remembered when he looked at the clock at what we thought was 6:30 am (while getting ready for an early church meeting that starts at 7:00 am) and gasped realizing that he was already 1/2 hour late. I normally get up extra early on Sunday mornings to get myself and the kids ready for 9 am church. It's the one day I actually try to look my best! Legs shaved, eyebrows plucked, earrings and lipstick, the whole deal. Amazingly we made it on time...maybe I'll sleep in more often! But not this week....

This week I'm RUNNING!!!!! If you're following along, I'm sooooo sorry I missed another week of posting my training schedule. I didn't run either if that counts for anything. I did visit the dermatologist, however, so he could check out all the weird skin stuff I have going on. I thought having a baby made you lose all dignity. I've changed my mind. Visiting a dermatologist takes any dignity that was left! He first inspected the nasty recurring rash around my eyes. A week ago I seriously looked like quasimodo:

Swollen, rashy, gorgeous red, puffy eyes. The same rash I had 4 weeks earlier! The doctor's diagnosis? SWEAT! Great...I'm probably going to keep sweating, so PLEASE tell me I'm not going to look like this every Monday for the rest of my life. Since I was there, I also had a complete mole check...and yes...they check EVERYWHERE. Awkward. He burned off a few red beauties. And if you've ever been my hairdresser? You've felt the huge lump on the back of my head. Apparently, it's called a cranial sebaceous cyst. It's now gone, and in the place where it dwelt for many years are now stitches. Here's a GRAPHIC video of a poor guy having the same lovely, fascinating procedure!

GROSS! And cool! Apparently these are genetic, and often recurring. Next time I'll take my OWN video camera! And just in case you've gotten the wrong idea that I have it all together? Well there you have it...I'm rashy, moley, cyst-y, forgetful, and happy to start a NEW week!

Here's what we missed last week:

WEEK 6

MONDAY: Interval- 7 to 10 miles, 3 x (800m-600m-600m) at 5K effort, 90 seconds recovery, 5 minutes between sets

TUESDAY:Distance- 5 to 8 miles

WEDNESDAY:MLR- 10 to 11 miles

THURSDAY:Distance- 4 to 6 miles

FRIDAY: Tempo- 6 to 10 miles, 30 to 40 minutes continuous run at marathon tempo

SATURDAY: Long Distance- 12 to 14 miles, shorter long run

and here's what we're shooting for this week....ish....

WEEK 7

MONDAY: Interval- 8 to 10 miles, 2x (4x800m) at 10K pace, 90 second recovery, 5 minutes recovery between sets

TUESDAY: Distance- 5 to 8 miles

WEDNESDAY: Tempo- 6 to 9 miles, 2 x 15 minutes at marathon tempo, 5 minutes recovery

THURSDAY: Distance- 5 to 8 miles

FRIDAY: Distance- 6 to 9 miles

SATURDAY: Long Distance- 16 to 18 miles, running miles 9 through 12 at marathon tempo

There you go! Happy running! Hooray for a new start this week with the hope of SPRING!

Marathon Training Weeks 4 and 5

2011-02-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

Whoops...somehow a quick trip to California, and the Happiest Place on Earth (but not the warmest place on earth...at least not last week...hello rain and cold and Mickey ponchos for the whole family!) got me a bit behind in my posting. However, a few days off running (due to the quick vacation, a sore throat, pink eye, and some other weird eye rash) made me sort of re-evaluate my plan. Even after several consecutive days of not running, my legs were still sore. I'm afraid if I keep this crazy pace up, I'm going to end up with a stress fracture or other injury. So...I'm going to continue posting my schedule, but I'm probably not going to stick to it 100%! A few little tweaks will hopefully get me to the starting line healthy and happy.

After talking to lots of fellow runners, apparently I found the hardest training schedule out there! Probably not meant for me...probably meant for the 10-year Boston Marathoners...or even the one-time Boston runners. My first and only marathon was over six years ago BEFORE three babies each lived inside of my body for 10 months!

I'm not saying I'm going to give up completely, but each week I'm going to probably skip an easy run and substitute it with a spin class. Also, my Saturday long runs have been killing me (after teaching an hour of Zumba). I'm also just having a hard time giving up so much of my family day! So early-Friday-mornings will be my long-run day, and Saturdays will be a nice, easy run day (if I decide to run at all...let's be honest!)

For the integrity of the training schedule, however, I will continue to post it as is. Please tweak it to fit your own individual needs/level!

WEEK 4

Monday: Interval--7 to 9 miles, 5 x (1,000m) at 10K pace, 2 minutes recovery

Tuesday: Distance--4 to 7 miles

Wednesday: MLR--9 to 10 miles

Thursday: Distance--4 to 7 miles

Friday: Tempo--6 to 8 miles, (1 x 15 minutes, and 1 x 10 minutes @ marathon tempo, 5 minutes recovery)

Saturday: Long Distance--12 to 14 miles, easy, long run

WEEK 5

Monday: Interval--8 to 10 miles, 3 x (2,000m) at 10K pace, 3 minutes recovery

Tuesday: Distance--5 to 8 miles

Wednesday: Tempo--7 to 9 miles, 1 x 20 minutes at marathon tempo

Thursday: Distance--5 to 8 miles

Friday: Tempo--4 to 6 miles

Saturday: Long Distance--15 to 18 miles, running middle 3 at marathon tempo

Happy training! When I get a free-not-running-or-zumba-ing-or-mothering minute, I have lots to blog about! Especially a cleanse my husband and I are (sort of) doing, and my new blender love! And maybe about how the Master Jedi Training Academy at Disneyland is actually worth the cost of your ticket if you have any little boys in your life... See you soon!

Marathon Training Week 3...I run because I can

2011-02-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

So far, I've done a pretty good job of following my training schedules for weeks 1 and 2. The hard thing for me about marathon training, is that I don't always want to run when I work out! But I'm too competitive to not run. I can't not train. I have my running schedule in my phone, so if 14 miles is staring at me from the daily calendar screen, not checking it off will drive me crazy! So run I will. (But that doesn't mean I'm going to skip my favorite classes each week...a little cross-training never hurts, right?) Hopefully I end up at the starting line ready to run, and not completely haggard from over-training and exhaustion. Is it bad that I'm already excited for the marathon (at the end of May) to be over so I can chill out a bit?

Life is constantly full of reminders (for me) that there is much more to life than getting in a good workout. A week and a half ago, our cute little niece received a phone call the family had been waiting for for 6 months. She was getting a new liver! So less than 3 months from the time our little baby nephew was leaving Primary Children's Hospital, our 10-year old niece was entering.

In church today, we learned about "giving service." I couldn't help but think of the family that made it possible for our cute niece to get a new liver. At the time my sister-in-law received the phone call, Little C's "donor" was still alive...on life support. This individual's family had made the decision to take their child off life support, and were giving the liver to our sweet niece. As they sat tearfully anticipating saying goodbye to their loved one, we were all cheering--so excited that Little C. was finally getting another chance at a healthy life. My heart aches for that family, and I hope they know that they were an answer to a lot of prayers in our niece's behalf.

Another reminder that struck close to home for me, was the passing of a dear friend's mom last week. Around the time my baby was born last year, Caroline Rober was diagnosed with ALS--Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis--commonly called Lou Gehrig disease. If you want to learn about what's REALLY important in this life, read this blog about her journey. The most recent posts are the remarks given at her funeral. If nothing else, read my friend Mark's talk about his mom and the parable of the Christmas Lace. Incredible woman who never lost sight of what really matters, and left the best legacy for her children.

Life is so very precious. And for me, my health is something I try not to take for granted. I push myself to the limits because I want to be around for the long haul. I don't have control over a lot of things, but I do have control over how I choose to take care of the body I've been blessed with.

So this week I will run because I can. Will you?

Monday: Interval--8 to 11 miles, 2x (800m-600m-400m-200m), at 5K-10K pace, 1 minute recovery, 3-5 minutes between sets

Tuesday: Distance--5 to 6 miles

Wednesday: Tempo--8 to 10 miles, 2 x 15 minutes at marathon tempo, 5 minutes recovery

Thursday: Distance--4 to 6 miles

Friday: Distance--5 to 8 miles

Saturday: Long Distance--15 to 17 miles

More about strengthening the pelvic floor

2011-02-12T12:31:00.000-08:00

In case you don't all read the comments, here are a few that I thought would be helpful from my last post. Can I just say that Bonnie is amazing? Her health and fitness knowledge is incredible! Lately as I've read her blog, I've been completely awestruck at the success her clients have found with the Tupler technique!

Here are her comments, with a few links to posts she's written with even more info. Thanks so much Bonnie for added info!

The pelvic floor is something I was trained extensively on, along with the Tupler Technique to be licensed as a prenatal/postnatal trainer in the Tupler Technique.

I read both of the articles - found some of the information to be in line and some things described a little inaccurately.

Squatting IS fantastic, and is a great place to kegels, as the 2nd article states. I do this with all my prenatal clients.

One thing not looked into much, but WAS somewhat commented on in the comments section was using the transverse also in conjuction with the pelvic floor. In fact, one of my clients tried for years to strengthen her pelvic floor with the StepFree system (like a tampon but for strengthening) but it would always fall out UNTIL she started doing Seated Tupler exercises. Her story is awesome:

Another thing that is recommended is the GYNOFLEX - which allows you to strengthen and get bio feedback and a good mind-body connection with the muscle:

Goes into the different modalities that can be used.

One thing I would correct Katy on is her understanding of a lengthened vs. tight muscle. A shortened muscle does not need to be a tight muscle. You CAN tighten a weak muscle. A lengthened muscle has been stretched out - like the recti during pregnancy, as well as the pelvic floor which goes from long and narrow, to short and shallow. The short and shallow factor is why people are prolapsing. If the vaginal canal is long and narrow it holds in the bladder, bowel and the uterus.

Also, when pushing out a baby, if the transverse is used rather than forcefully blowing out the pelvic floor, much of the ligament laxity damage is minimized and the bowel bladder and uterus won't "hang out" in the prolapsed position.

One side note is that the pelvic floor is one of the 5 muscles automatically used when the transverse abdominus is being used. Many people tell me they feel like they are working their pelvic floor while doing the seated tuplers, which is another reason why the client I mention above had great results.

However, when a client is pregnant, we have them relax the pelvic floor while doing transverse work to prepare for labor, where you use the transverse strenghth for pushing and totally relax the pelvic floor so baby pops out. We call this technique PERFECT PUSHING®.

I could go on and on about this - I have also seen Dr. Kegel's original work - including videos full of clients, and small children who had bed wetting problems (although not a good video to watch during a lunch break!) - and these clients who showed marked improvement were not just clients who used his device, but utilized the slow and fast twitch muscles of the pelvic floor. The one GREAT point was that relaxation NEEDS to be a part of the pelvic floor - and that squatters have strong pelvic floors.

No More Kegels!?!? How to REALLY strengthen the pelvic floor...

2011-02-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

I had a blog post written in my head about a COMPLETELY different subject, but I will have to save it for another day. Because I just read something that completely ROCKED MY WORLD. When I first started FitMePink nearly three years ago, I gave a little shpeel about incontinence. At the time, I had a 6-month old baby, went on a walk with my husband, started sneezing every few minutes during our walk (due to allergies), and nearly pee'd my pants with every sneeze. I urged all of you to DO YOUR KEGELS!

I have a good friend (who will remain nameless) who is also currently training for a marathon. She ran 12 miles on Saturday, and for the first time in a long time (probably since having 3 kids), ended the run with dry pants. For her (and for lots of women), even running ONE mile (or sneezing, laughing, coughing or jumping) causes major leakage. I'm a big advocate for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. And I just read something that shook the foundation of pelvic floor strength I've always stood on...namely kegels.

You all HAVE to actually read this post (and it's follow-up). I'll post the links in a second, but first I'll very briefly sum up what I read:

We all do kegels in an attempt to strengthen the pelvic floor, but REALLY what we are doing is just pulling the sacrum inward, which promotes even more weakness! The muscles that actually balance out this pull on the sacrum are the glutes! Having a lack of gluteal strength (AKA no butt) makes us much more susceptible to pelvic floor disorder (PFD) or incontinence. DEEP, REGULAR SQUATS (like the kind I had to do in public restrooms in Japan--there were no toilets, just flushing holes in the ground--betcha women over there don't have PFD!) create the posterior pull on the sacrum. You want your pelvic floor to be less like a hammock, and more like a trampoline!

ALSO mentioned--another reason not to do CRUNCHES! With crunches, you are actually bearing down on the pelvic floor, making it's health worse! It's better to do transverse abdominal stabilizing exercises, like the plank, (or like the seated tupler).

If you're at all intrigued, (which you all should be!), read this post over at Mama Sweat. And then read her follow-up which helps clarify why we were told to do kegels in the first place (and to not completely count them out!) And then check this post out about how to properly squat to strengthen your lower back, pelvic floor, and even improve your digestive health. (And also to prepare your body for child birth by mimicking what women all over the world have done for centuries!)

And then come back here and give me your thoughts! Are you as shocked as I was? Did it make sense to you? Discuss.

Marathon Training Week 2

2011-02-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

Last week I posted my schedule for the first week of my 16-week marathon training schedule. If nothing else, blogging about my schedule at least made me feel slightly more guilty for the miles I...errrr...didn't run. Actually, I feel like I'm off to a pretty good start. I ran 33 miles total, but didn't run on Saturday (my scheduled long run). I could have fit it into my day if I'd gotten up at o-dark-thirty aka 5:00 in the morning, but by Saturday, I was tired. Who am I kidding? I'm always tired.

Last Tuesday was my second-child's third birthday. I'm actually really sad to say goodbye to her 2's. I would enjoy having a two-year old in the family for the rest of my life if he or she were as great as this 2-year old girl was. I have a feeling, however, that the 3's are going to be a whole new experience with this one. My sweet-angelic-obedient-perfect child is slowly turning into miss-independent-with-attitude-so-don't-mess-with-me-cuz-I'm-a-big-3-year-old girl. Yikes! My ever-present lack of planning led us on an impromptu trip to Build-A-Bear for the birthday celebration. We were feeling pretty brilliant as we drove home with two happy new-bear-creator-kids (and a bear-less-happy-baby...I love the ignorance phase before they realize how unfair life is!) The older two went to bed with their bears tucked away snug in their "homes." The un-planned birthday was a success, the kids were asleep, life was happy.

Until 2 am. I heard whispers. I saw lights. I walked into the bedroom and found two kids WIDE AWAKE playing with their new creations. I yelled. They got back in bed and the lights went back off. Then the baby woke up. I soothed her. She went back to sleep. The house was quiet. Until there were whispers again. And lights. And bears. The husband yelled. I threatened throwing the new bears away from my room. The husband got back in bed. We laughed. By 3:30 am, everyone was finally asleep. Until 6 am when the whispers started again. Lights were on, the bears were awake. We decided that they'd waited long enough to play with their new creations, so up we were.

Seven months of not sleeping through the night really starts to wear on a girl. But the baby is actually the easy one to get back to sleep. When the other two are thrown into the mix, I'm on the verge of becoming Monster Mom any second. Exhaustion and long runs are actually counter-productive in my mind (or at least that's how I justify skipping a run or two)! So this week, I'm hoping for more sleep, and longer runs. I also hope to make it outside a time or two...running 12-miles on the treadmill wasn't my favorite. I'm all for running outside in the cold, but it has to be at least in the 30's. I'm a California girl, not a fan of cold blustery weather. (And not a fan of the winter process of getting the kids out the door! Summer is so much easier...they can put on their own sandals, we don't need coats, we're out in 5 seconds. Winter-time feels like a 30-minute process just to get out the door and into the freezing car!) Hooray for the early-predicted Spring thanks to Punxsutawney Phil!

I'm excited about this week's schedule...if you're following along, here it is:

MONDAY: INTERVAL--8 to 11 miles, 1-mile-2-mile-1-mile at slightly slower than 10K effort, 4 and 7 minutes recovery

TUESDAY: Distance--5 to 8 miles

WEDNESDAY: Tempo run--6 to 8 miles (running 15-minutes mid-run at marathon tempo)

THURSDAY: Distance-- 4 to 6 miles

FRIDAY: Distance--4 to 6 miles

SATURDAY: Long Distance--14 to 16 miles, steady, easy-paced

Happy running! What are your fitness plans for the week?

14 Days of Valentines!

2011-02-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

So I've always been a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl, so it's no surprise that with TWO HOURS LEFT on February 1st, I would decide to do the 14 Days of Valentines for my husband. I usually use the sorry-but-I-just-didn't-have-time-to-plan-anything-this-year excuse on Valentine's Day as we sit at home eating left-overs, watching the news, and going to bed early because we're (okay...I'm) too tired for romance! Life with or without kids is busy, and I ALWAYS use the kids as an excuse! Take last night for example. When I came back to bed after getting the baby back to sleep for the THIRD time (you people who have babies that sleep through the night before they turn one are my idols), and my husband offered me a "back rub" at 3 am, I really wasn't in the mood to give him any...ahem...attention. But he definitely deserves some! Soooo...I'm totally stealing most of my ideas for the next 14 days from here and here. There's not a lot of time for creativity when I have less than two hours to do the first one! Luckily my husband's gone playing basketball, so he'll think I've been planning this for weeks!

Before getting married, I actually was the type (weren't we all?) to do this sort of thing. I did the 12-days of Christmas when we were dating, and a 30-day countdown to our wedding day (since I was in California and he was in Utah). And yes--I planned that countdown the night before it started as well--all-nighters were so much more fun back then!

I guess that 6 1/2 years later, it's about time to do something romantic and cheesy for my favorite guy! If you want to play along, you have at least a 2-day window to start! The 12 Days of Valentines would be just as cute...

One of the ideas I'm going to borrow in the next 14 days is to send a pizza to work with a pepperoni heart. Sadly, this will probably be his favorite. My husband is a trooper, and rarely complains about my food experiments. This morning, for example, I got up early to make a special breakfast for my second child on her THIRD birthday. When he got up and discovered that the "special breakfast" meant breakfast sandwiches--namely "tofu eggs" and "soy maple tofu sausage" on biscuits, he was a little (okay...a lot) leery. He took his food "to-go," mostly so he could show the guys at work what his crazy wife made for a "birthday breakfast." In my mind, it actually tasted pretty good, but he couldn't get over the fact that it was actually tofu...not sausage OR eggs. So a real honest-to-goodness-cheesy-mouth-watering-greasy-pepperoni pizza (not made with nutritional yeast trying to deliver a cheesy flavor) will speak nothin' but love to my man's heart! And you know what? He's the best thing that has EVER happened to me...so if I must deliver some animal protein to let him know it, that's exactly what I'm going to do! Wish me luck!

What are your fun Valentine's Day traditions?

Let the Marathon Training Begin!!!

2011-01-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

Alright FitMePeeps! I'm getting a little tired of reading my old posts that begin with an apology for being away so long, so here I am saying that I. AM. BACK.

Before I officially start my long-windedness, however, I have to thank so many of you for your thoughts and concern for my sweet nephew, Baby Jack. The last time I posted, he was still in the hospital after his second surgery for Duodenal Atresia. Now he is home, he is gaining weight, and is doing great!!! Life is somewhat getting back to normal (is it ever normal?) for my family. Yay! If you want the full story of his traumatic beginnings, my sister is posting the details on her blog.

As for me, exciting things are happening in the fitness department! First of all, I am now an official Zumba instructor! I spent three years as a Cheerleader in High School, and when I graduated, I thought I left my booty-shaking ability behind. I guess it was just tucked away for future use, because I'm now spending some time three days a week with other women, teaching them the pure joy of shaking up a sweat! I don't consider this my "workout" per say (although the calorie burn is notably high), I consider this my fun break. Haven't Zumba'd before? Try it...you'll love it! And if you don't love it the first time, try it three more times...the more you Zumba, the more you love it!

As for eating meat, I'm still not (well...occasionally I am...but mostly not). In March, it will have been a year since I read The China Study. I have to say, I haven't had a hard time transitioning to a flexitarian lifestyle. BUT planning meals has been a bit of a challenge. My husband's biggest complaint with most of my experiments is that they're lacking in flavor. A few awesome blogs have helped lately, however! I would consider making these recipes even if I wasn't trying to limit animal protein! My favorite go-to-blog is now VeganYumYum. I even bought her cook book...her stuff is thatgood! (It helps that she's a great food photographer!) Another great (non-vegetarian) blog my friend told me about last week is Skinny Taste. For those of you Weight Watchers people, this blog is for you! With each recipe, she gives you the old points, and the new (points+) points! Yay for yummy, healthy, family friendly recipes!

A few months ago, I was featured on this post as one of 40 websites to motivate you to get healthy. I was classified in the "weight loss" blogs category with the description: "This blogger nearly serves as your personal cheerleader for getting and staying in shape..." Hopefully I'm thenon-annoying cheerleader type. Actually...I blog to motivate myself with the hopes that someone else will also find some inspiration! Yay team!

And speaking of inspiration, I need some quick! I am signed up to run the Ogden Marathon on May 21, 2011! So guess what that means?!?! My 16-week training schedule starts TOMORROW! Yikes! Actually...I'm really excited about it! I've been pretty nervous about this race, so I've been sort of "pre-training" all winter long. I'm up to 11-miles for my long runs, and I have to say that running has helped more than anything with the post-baby weight this time around! I never completely lost all my baby weight with #2, but am happy to say that third time's a charm!

And although I'm completely jealous of my husband's ability to wake up one day and just run a marathon, I'm definitely not following his example! A few months ago, I found a training schedule on the Boston Marathon's page, which I cannot for the life of me find again! Luckily, I programmed the ENTIRE SCHEDULE onto my phone's calendar so I'm going to stick to that plan as much as possible. However, if you're looking for a good training program, check this oneout. When selecting a marathon training program, you need to figure out what your goal is. Are you just trying to finish? Are you trying to improve your time? Are you trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon? (Eventually my goal...it's been over 6 years since my last marathon so while I'm trying to get a good time with this one, I'm not sure whether it will be that good). I don't think the program you choose is as important as just making sure you remember that 26.2 miles takes a long time to DRIVE! You're going to be RUNNING it! In order to run 26.2 miles, you need to run. Period. However, don't let yourself get so stressed out about running that you don't also plan adequate rest! Your body adapts to physical training during REST! For me, Sundays will be my guilt-free day of rest!

For other marathon training advice, check this out!

If any of you are training for a Spring Marathon, and want to follow along, here's my (somewhat brutal) plan for this week...with a disclaimer! Life is crazy, so as with everything, nothing ever goes completely as planned. If I miss a day (or two or three), I'm not going to stress about it! I'll do the best I can. A day missed is a day missed...I won't try to make up for it! That said, I'm going to try my darndest to do the following:

MONDAY: Interval (6 to 10 miles), 2 x (3 x 800 m) at 10K pace, 90 seconds recovery, 5 minutes recovery between sets. (+ Zumba)

TUESDAY: Distance--4 to 6 miles (+ Zumba)

WEDNESDAY: Tempo--4 to 6 miles (+ Body Pump)

THURSDAY: Distance--7 to 8 miles

FRIDAY: MLR--12 to 14 miles, steady, easy paced

SATURDAY: Long Distance--15 to 18 miles, steady, easy paced (+ Zumba)

Interval runs: Not an all-out sprint! The intervals should be run at a pace somewhere between your 10K pace and goal marathon pace. Mondays will be my interval days!

Distance runs: Your typical daily run...the most flexible in terms of distance and pace! Listen to your body, and run what "feels good."

Tempo runs: Try your best to simulate your marathon pace.

MLR: stands for "medium long run." This week, the difference between the MLR and the long distance run isn't much, but as the weeks go by, 12 miles really will just be medium!

Long Distance: Possibly the most important component of a marathon training plan! However, if done too long, too often, or too hard, it can also cause the most damage. I plan on running my long runs considerably slower than I hope to run on race day!

Cross Train: I teach Zumba 3 times a week, plan on hitting up Body Pump at the gym every Wednesday, and possibly a weekly Spin class.

Phew...it's going to be a crazy 4 months! If nothing else, my goal is to stand at the marathon starting line knowing that I've put in the work, and that I'm prepared. "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear," right? Come on legs and feet, here we go....

How the St. George marathon became the weekend that changed our lives forever

2010-11-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure it's been at least 6 months since I last posted. There's NO WAY October 1st was only a month and a half ago. Remember me? Yes...I am alive. Yes...my husband survived his 10th marathon. And no, I had no idea that the St. George marathon this year would be the beginning of my family's life changing forever. NO IDEA. Get ready, because I'm going to get a lot more personal here on FitMePink than I ever thought I would. Ready? Here goes.

My big sister is my hero. She always has been. And now I know FOR SURE that she always will be. I spent my years growing up copying her every move. Everything she did was cool. Everything she wore was cool. She wasn't ever thrilled to share her clothes with me, but I had to practically beg her to wear something of mine, because if she ever wanted to wear my clothes? Then I had truly entered the world of coolness that every little sister dreams of achieving. Recently, my sister inspired me to become a certified Zumba instructor. Since she was so passionate about Zumba, I knew I had to do it. I left my baby home all day for the first time to attend the certification class. Totally worth it! My sister is a leader, my sister knows who she is, and is true to herself in all she does. She's definitely not the type to run a marathon just because everyone else is doing it (I'm totally that type!) She's an amazing mom, an amazing wife, an amazing sister, daughter, and friend.

I know we all have trials, but I don't think many of us will experience a trial quite like the one she's going through right now.

It all started last April. She was pregnant, expecting her fourth baby in October. Her husband, who'd lost his job a few years back, was finishing school. He graduated, and had seemingly plenty of time to secure a job before the birth of their baby boy. Several times, he was sure he had something promising, only to have it fall through yet again. Finally in July, he was offered a new position. The downside? It would require 8 weeks of training in Chicago. The date he would begin training was pushed back again and again, until he was told he wouldn't be starting until the end of September. A little disappointed, they figured that at least he could be home for the baby's induction on October 7th for one of his weekend trips home (promised every two weeks during training). And at least she had Zumba to look forward to...teaching 8 classes a week does wonders for a missing-your-husband state of mind.

With no husband, she was relieved that we would be visiting for the St. George marathon. Early Saturday morning, we left her with two of our kids, and her three, and headed down for the race. My husband hadn't trained, and we really should have just stayed home to spare him the pains that result from lack of training. But having spent the entry fee, he couldn't stand the thought of not actually running the 26.2 miles, so in Southern Utah we were. We got back to my sister's house late Saturday afternoon, and decided to spend the night, and hang out with her on Sunday before driving home.

Sunday morning, the contractions began with some spotting. She came out of the bathroom in tears, not wanting to be in labor with her husband so far away. We hung around all day, not sure we could leave her even though she assured me it was nothing. She figured she was just having contractions, and that they would just go away. Sending us home was a sign to the universe that this baby could not come two weeks early. At 6 pm we left, and I texted her to make sure she was okay. She wasn't. She'd just had two big contractions, so we turned around, I nursed my baby, and left my husband in charge of 6 kids as we headed to the hospital. Her baby was born two hours after we got there. It was a miracle to witness. I will never forget watching my strong sister give birth to this beautiful, precious, purple bundle. I will never forget cutting his umbilical chord. I loved all 5 lbs. 13 oz. of that little Jack as if he were my own. And I will never forget the hours, days, and weeks that followed.

Soon after birth, exhausted, and husband-less, the doctor came in to tell my sister that there was a slight chance the baby could have Down Syndrome. "Don't worry about it, it's probably nothing," he said. I watched her face, watched the doctor, wanted to kick him out of the room in a not-so-loving manner for tearing my sister's already upside down world into more broken pieces. We cried all night long. A few days later, her husband caught an early flight home, and relieved that the worst was over, we drove home with our three kids, including my amazing little baby who survived once again without her mama.

Before the hubby flew back to Chicago, my mom arrived to take over from Tennessee. Phew...the worst part is over, we thought. The baby's here. He has Down Syndrome. He was born into an amazing, loving family. They'll be okay. And then the throwing up began. "It's totally normal," the doctor said. "Just feed him some formula to help weigh it down." "Hmmmm... 4 lbs. 10 oz. I'm not too concerned yet. Let's re-weigh him in a few days." Finally, the waiting for answers had to stop. They were going to the emergency room whether the doctor liked it or not.

Two weeks after his birth, I was at the hospital again. This time, I was waiting at Primary Children's hospital for my sister's ambulance to arrive with her sweet baby. Severely dehydrated, he'd had zero nutrition in his tiny body for two weeks. I have no doubt that faith, prayers, fasting and blessings kept him alive when a doctor didn't. Diagnosed with duodenal atresia (apparently very common in babies with Down Syndrome...should've been one of the first things they tested for), he had to undergo surgery for the blockage in his intestines, but not until he was well enough. So three weeks ago, he had his first surgery. And this morning, they found another blockage and performed another.

My sister is my hero. Her family has been spread throughout the country. Her husband in Chicago, her kids with her in-laws in Southern Utah, and her at Primary Children's hospital because the only thing she can offer her sick (but recovering!) baby is her love, her swaddling arms, and her prayers.

Last night I sat in the hospital cafeteria with her as she talked to her kids on the phone, sang the "Transformers, more than meets the eye..." song to her 4-year old, listened as her 6-year old sang his made-up song to her, and as her 8-year old said their "family prayer." Today I watched her sit, exhausted in the waiting room while her now 6 lb. baby underwent another surgery. I saw her talk to her husband, and tell him the good news that the surgery went well, and saw her breathe a sigh of relief as she realized that his 8 weeks of training will be over in two days!

As I've watched my sister over these past weeks, I've realized how shallow my life has been. Every day I've woken up, worried about whether or not I can fit in an hour of exercise. I've been nearly devastated as I've driven to the gym without the chest strap of my heart rate monitor, for crying out loud. I've felt sorry for myself when my husband has had to stay late at work until, oh, 8:00 at night. So tonight, I sit here grateful beyond words for the birth of my sweet nephew. He has taught me more in the short 6 weeks of his life than I ever could have learned in a lifetime without him. I've learned that prayers really are answered. I've learned that my family is the most important and treasured of all my posessions. I've learned that the most important thing I can do is to nurture and cultivate my relationships with my loved ones, because tragic things happen every day. They need to know I love them. I've learned that a lot of people love me and would do anything for me. I've learned (again) that my husband is amazing...he's totally stepped up in the childcare department when I've completely dropped the ball to help my sister. I've learned that there really is a God in Heaven who is keenly aware of even the tiniest of babies. Through his tender mercies, we were in St. George at the right time so my sister wouldn't have to deliver her baby alone. I've learned that good things don't happen by coincidence. And I've learned that my sister is still my hero.

I think one day I'll look back and wonder when my life changed forever. I'd say it was the day Baby Jack was born. Welcome to our family, sweet baby. Hopefully soon we'll get to welcome him home where his family can all be together again. When that day comes, maybe I'll start thinking about training for the marathon I signed up for in May, or actually teaching the Zumba I was certified to teach. But until then, as I've said before, exercise IS important...but some things are more important!

Why does he keep running?

2010-09-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting at the computer listening to two beautiful sounds...the first (and my FAVORITE): the sound of silence. The second: the sound of the washing machine. This would normally not be at the top of my list of favorite sounds, but tonight it is because it's pre-VACATION laundry! We're going on a mini-vacation this weekend to visit my sister who is having Baby #4 in a week, AND because my husband is running his 10th MARATHON (or 11th? hmmmm...not sure)!

I love my husband dearly, but when it comes to races, he both amazes me and irritates the heck out of me! You would think that by his 10th marathon (or 11th), he would have his training down to a science. You would think he would have his eating down to a science. You would think the fresh fruit I put in a nice fruit bowl on his desk at work would get eaten. You would think he would decide against providing a chili dog luncheon at work two days before the race. You would think he would remember how miserable he was during the last marathon that he didn't train for . YOU WOULD. THINK.

My husband ran his first marathon 7 years ago, and has yet to beat his time! He came close one year...within 2 seconds, but his first marathon was his fastest. We were dating at the time (well...sort of...we hadn't even held hands yet!) I sent him with a little "good luck" basket, and thought that anyone who could run 26.2 miles was amazing and stupid. The furthest I'd ever run was 3 miles! Little did I know that the next year I would be running alongside him in my first race ever! I didn't start with a wimpy 5K, oh no. I started with 26.2 miles. And let me tell you, it kicked my trash! I actually semi-trained for that race, although looking back, training for a marathon while planning a wedding, getting married, and living in newlywed bliss didn't really count as good training. I'm probably more prepared now to run a marathon after having a baby than I was then. But I tried!

My husband HONESTLY hasn't tried this time. The race is on Saturday, and he seriously ran TWICE in the month of September. On Labor Day, we ran in a 5K race, and last week I think he ran 8 or so miles. His life has been pretty crazy-busy, and I really don't know when he would have fit in running. He's not one to sacrifice sleep for a good workout like me, and when you're not putting it on the calendar, consciously planning when you're going to run, it's not going to happen. And happened it has not (thanks, Yoda).

In the past few weeks, we've had several conversations like this:

ME: Soooooo...are you really going to run that marathon next week?
HUSBAND: Yeah, why not.
ME: Well, you know you don't have to.
HUSBAND: Why wouldn't I?
ME: Maybe the fact that you've run less than 26 miles in the past 3 months?
HUSBAND: Oh yeah....that.
ME: So should we just forget about it?
HUSBAND: But it kills me to think I paid for it if I don't run!
ME: But you paid for it whether you run or not...the money's GONE, and I'd really love to have you alive. We could always drive down and get the shirt if you want...since you paid for it!
HUSBAND: Nah...I'll just run!
ME: Well do you think you can fit it even one long run?
HUSBAND: We'll see.

ME: AAAAAHHHHHH!

So I'm going to be the super-excited-supportive-spectator-wife, but this is the last time. Seriously! I think he really doesn't train just to bug me! From now on, I'm going to be the one signing up for marathons, and he can watch and worry! And if I don't train, I'm totally happy with a free t-shirt! I might be scooping him up off the side of the road at mile 13. And my kids will definitely wonder why daddy forgot how to walk! Wish us luck, and pray that I come home with a husband!

For you runners out there, do you train? Would you run just because you paid $90? Or do you feel like me...it's a sunk cost, so why kill yourself?

Thoughts on motherhood and exercise

2010-09-19T20:30:00.001-07:00

Soooo...I thought I was back...until I wasn't! Life is happening so fast these days, and adjusting to life with a third child has been both easier and harder than life with two! Easier because the older two can play together, easier because I've done this before, easier because my little jelly bean is such a good baby, but harder because life must go on! I've heard that it only gets busier, but I'm feeling pretty busy these days driving to and from preschool 3 times a week, going on field trips, grocery shopping with 3, feeding 3, getting 3 kids in bed at the end of the day, trying to spend time with my cute hard-working husband, and occasionally finding time for myself.

When my 2nd was born, getting back into the work-out routine was SO MUCH EASIER! Or I was more motivated. Or perhaps I was a little bit scared that if I DIDN'T start working out, it would NEVER happen.

I've had a few awesome work-out weeks since my (almost 3-month old) baby was born, but I have to admit that my work-outs have been sporadic at best! I've always thought that working out was essential for my emotional well-being. I still think it is. BUT I actually feel better emotionally this time around because I haven't been so worried about working out! I remember running on the treadmill after baby #2, while telling my 21-month old toddler to talk to his screaming newborn baby sister so I could finish the last 2 minutes of my run. Why didn't I figure out that those 2 minutes of running to the sound of a newborn screaming were much harder on me than just stopping the treadmill to soothe my baby? I would probably bet money that a mother's blood pressure goes up when she listens to her newborn baby cry. Running at the same time is probably counterproductive, don't you think?

I feel like I've enjoyed the infancy of my 3rd baby so much more, because I haven't worried about ME so much! There really is a time and season for everything. It just hasn't been the season for consistent workouts this time around...and I feel much more sane! I have NOTHING to prove...my stomach is still flabby, I've only lost a single pound in the last month, and I eat lots of chocolate when the kids are in bed! But I've also spent more time enjoying my kids, without stressing about finishing a workout if the baby is screaming! The time that I get to hold my sweet little one on my chest while she sleeps is so short...I'm holding on to it for dear life!

However, when my husband is actually around (he's working long hours these days), I still love my ME time! (And ME-time for me usually means working out!) Soon after my baby was born, my sister encouraged me to sign up for a Zumba instructor certification class. So Me, being the perfect little sister, signed up. I stressed for two months about this ONE day that I would have to leave my new baby. A few hours away are great, but a whole day?!?!? I tried every day for a month to give her a bottle with no success. I pictured my husband spending the entire day with 3 kids in the parking lot so I could run out at every break to nurse my screaming baby. So on our first break, I frantically called my husband. She was asleep. At lunch, I raced out of the room to meet him in the parking lot. I called my husband. She had taken a bottle! She was asleep! He'd done the dishes! He'd even cleaned the carpets! My 2-year old was napping! So I stopped worrying, and got to enjoy an entire stress-free day to MYSELF. It was fabulous! But I'm not ready to leave my baby for 9 hours again anytime soon!

So now my mornings are spent practicing Zumba with my 4- and 2-year olds while my baby naps. They love it, I love it, and for now it works. But the "4th trimester" is almost over, and perhaps the season of consistent away-from-home-early-morning-workouts will begin, but for now I'll take what I can get!

And to finish up this rambling post, here are a few things I've learned:

Zumba really is an awesome workout! I probably don't burn as many calories as I do in a Spin class, but I have a smile on my face the whole time, and don't look at the clock once! Plus, intermittent training is amazing for the body (more on that later). These days, I'm all about feeling rejuvenated after a workout instead of drained. Zumba works wonders for an emotional mom!
You can push yourself harder than you think you can! I met up with my visiting-from-out-of-town sister-in-law for an early morning run a few weeks ago. We planned on running about 5 miles around a lake, took a wrong turn on the way back to the car, freaked out when we heard thunder and lightning as it started pouring rain, considered swimming across the lake to get to the car then decided that being in a lake while it's raining probably wasn't the best idea, so we ran as fast as our bodies would take us to get back to the car. We ended up running 8 miles instead of 5, and the most I'd done before that morning (post-baby) was 3! Our bodies are amazing...and an occasional adrenaline rush doesn't hurt!
There really is a God up in heaven watching over us! My 2-year old almost got hit by a car in a parking lot recently, but another car turned into the parking lot at just the right moment, honked as they saw what was about to happen, and stopped the car from driving those last few feet towards my daughter. Miracle! Before the Zumba training, I honestly prayed for a month that my baby would be okay that day so I could go. She took a bottle for the first time that day. In my little mommy world, that was another miracle! It's so comforting to know that someone really is watching over me and my seemingly insignificant little family!
Working out is important, but it's not the MOST important thing. I want my kids to know that taking care of our bodies is important. I want them to know that their mama tries really hard to be healthy. But I also want them to know that I love them more than I love my running shoes! I look forward to the day that my little buddies are also my workout partners! Well...they think they already are...but someday, we'll all PUT ON OUR OWN running shoes, and head out the door together as friends!
As much as I love blogging, it's on the backburner these days. Like I said, (as did someone else...) "to everything there is a season; and a time to every purpose under heaven." When I'm back on some sort of a regular routine (hopefully sooner than later), I'll post more than once every two months! But for now, I hope you don't mind my sporadic ramblings!
If you want to lose weight, eating the right stuff may just be more important than exercise! There, I said it. And I truly believe it! Lose weight by eating right. Change how your body looks by exercise. Eat right AND exercise for optimal health AND fitness! Duh?!?!?

I'll be back...

I'm BAAAACK!

2010-08-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

In my two month hiatus from FitMeBlogging, a whole heck-of-a-lot has happened. I'm ready to start blogging again, mostly because I'm dying to start working out again. Exercising, and blogging about fitness seem to go hand-in-hand. So before I figure out how I'm going to fit fitness into the chaos of motherhood once again, I'll start with a quick recap of the past two months!

First, I bid farewell to my husband as he left for the Wasatch Back Ragnar race a few days before I was due, and prayed that the motorcycle ride my cousin took me on that morning wouldn't send me into labor! It didn't! (NOTHING sent me into labor--not my spin class, not walking 3 miles, not painting new shelves in every closet of the house, not lift class, not reorganizing closets, not cleaning--NOTHING until the day I actually did NOTHING. I finally went into labor in the middle of the night on the day I was scheduled to be induced...5 days after my actual due-date! Hooray!)

A week after the race, I gave birth to this angel baby. I can't believe she's already a month old!

Everything life-changing always happens in sets of 3. Having a new baby was no different! A few weeks before she was born, we found out that my husband could possibly be losing his job. He was encouraged to apply for a new position that could either keep us where we are, or could move us to Colorado Springs. A few days before she was born, he was offered a new position/promotion RIGHT HERE. No big move with a new baby...phew! I am SO GRATEFUL for the blessing of a good job in this economy, but those first few weeks of my husband working LONG hours to adjust, I was sort of wishing we'd just taken the severance package so he could be home with me! Oddly, though, having both of us adjusting to hard things at the same time has really strengthened our marriage.

The third big change happened this week: I turned 30! On Sunday, August 1, 2010, I officially entered the 30's club! I was kind of sad to say good-bye to my fun 20's, but hopefully it just gets better! My husband threw me a "surprise" luau-party that would have actually been a surprise if my 4-year old hadn't told me how much I was going to love the cakes they bought me! Oh well...I had a blast anyway!

With all my life-changes and post-baby-feeling-not-so-cute stage, I was having sort of a mid-life crisis. What does one do in such a situation? Chop off 8 inches of hair, that's what!

It's short, it's sassy, it's blonde again (I dyed it for the first time in 4 years), and I'm hoping I don't regret it! Hair always grows, right?

Now that I've gotten the first post-baby blog post over with, I hope to be back much more regularly! And speaking of "regular," I have to say that there REALLY is something to a whole food/plant-based diet. Hemorrhoids? Gone in a week. Baby weight gain? Only 4 pounds left to lose...I haven't done ANY exercise yet. My body definitely still looks frumpy, but the weight is falling off quicker than ever before! All I'm doing is eating TONS of fruit and veggies. Check out a few recipes I've tried here! It feels good to be back. I'm going to start working out on Monday with an early morning spin class. Can't wait! I also let my sis-n-law talk me into running this crazy race in September. Life does continue after a new baby...phew! I'll see you soon!

Sex and the City Sountrack Review...I'm NESTING like crazy over here!

2010-06-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Sorry I've been avoiding you, little blog. My nesting instinct kicked into high gear about two weeks ago, so I've been busy painting, building bunk beds, designing closet organization systems, forgetting dentist appointments, making homemade freezer jam, taking my son to swim lessons and soccer practice, trying to sell a car so we can upgrade to a mini van, reading hypnobirthing books, and trying to avoid my good friend, Murphy. You know, the guy that visits when you don't want him to? I'm due with this baby a week from tomorrow. My husband is running a relay race this Friday and Saturday. So I'm telling myself that the baby isn't coming until Sunday or later. For the first time EVER I'm not in a hurry to give birth!

With my first, I tried EVERYTHING to go into labor. I even resorted to drinking castor oil. With this one, I'm perfectly content to keep her inside. I feel great. I'm really enjoying being a mother of two. And my house is in shambles due to my crazy 39-weeks-and-nesting instincts, so I need a week to get my life in order!

Looming in the back of my mind has also been my obligation to post a review of an album I received in the mail, courtesty of the One2OneNetwork a few weeks ago. I have to be honest. I've never even watched an episode of Sex and the City, I didn't see the first movie, and don't plan on seeing the new one. If I HAD seen the movie, and if I'd LOVED the movie, or felt any sort of attachment to the characters and story, then I probably really would have loved the soundtrack. But I didn't see it, and I didn't love the music. There were a few fun songs, but I probably won't be rocking out to it again anytime soon. (And it definitely won't be my choice labor and delivery music...nor will I be RUNNING to it--I'm so excited to RUN again...in the near future).

But for any Sex and the City fans out there, it might be worth a listen. Here's what you'll hear:

Tracklisting:
1. Alicia Keys “Rapture”
2. Dido “Everything to Lose”
3. Cee Lo “Language of Love”
4. Erykah Badu “Window Seat”
5. Natacha Atlas “Kidda”
6. Michael McGregor “Euphrates Dream”
7. Liza Minnelli “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
8. Ricki-Lee "Can't Touch It"
9. Alicia Keys "Emire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down"
10. Jennifer Hudson and Leona Lewis "Love Is Your Color"
11. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon “I Am Woman”
12. Sex and the City Men’s Choir “If Ever I Would Leave You”
13. Sex and the City Men’s Choir “Sunrise, Sunset”
14. Sex and the City Men’s Choir “Till There Was You”
15. Shayna Steele, Jordan Ballard, Kamilah Marshall “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”
16. Liza Minnelli with Billy Stritch “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye”
17. Cyndi Lauper “True Colors”
18. Aaron Zigman “Divas and Dunes”

When I first saw the names of Leona Lewis, Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Hudson, I was pretty excited to get this soundtrack. And there were definitely a few great songs, but nothing I personally would fork over any money for. But that's just me.

What about you? Are you a Sex and the City fan? And more importantly...any last bits of advice before I enter the world of THREE kids vs. TWO parents? What about labor and delivery? I'm going all natural this time around if everything goes as planned. What are your experiences? Give me some POSITIVE words of advice...I'll take all I can get!

I'll let you know when the baby's here, and I'll check back in before then if I can pull myself away from the major house projects! (And good luck to reader Jill who's also due next week!)

GREEK YOGURT WINNER!

2010-05-31T19:24:00.001-07:00

I hope you've all had a great memorial day! I have a very patriotic husband, so we left first thing this morning for a special service honoring our veterans (something we've done every year of our marriage thus far). We visited a few mortuaries to leave flowers for our deceased grandparent. I'm always hesitant to drag our kids to places where they could create a scene, but they did great! I guess it's better to start them early. We also bought bunk beds, and I feel a teensy bit closer to being ready for this baby to come! I love holidays...if my husband could just be home every day we'd get so much more done!

I'll check back in later this week with some thoughts on childbirth...medicated or natural? But for now, I'll leave you with the WINNER of the Yoplait Greek Yogurt gift pack (provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark). The winner is.......

CRYSTAL who said: "Strawberry is my favorite flavor. However, honey vanilla sounds so yummy!"

Yay Crystal! E-mail me (fitmepink at gmail dot com) with your mailing info, and I'll pass it on to the people at MyBlogSpark!

Happy Memorial Day!

Greek Yogurt...review and GIVEAWAY!

2010-05-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I was sent a gift pack with some coupons to try out Yoplait's new Greek Yogurt. I love trying new stuff--especially food! (Yoplait provided me with the free product, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSpark ).

To celebrate its new Greek yogurt and to encourage women to nourish their inner goddess, Yoplait has teamed up with actress Izabella Miko, who plays Greek Goddess Athena in the epic adventure new Warner Bros. Pictures´ and Legendary Pictures´ film "Clash of the Titans."

I was pretty excited to get a fun, relaxing package in the mail...everything I needed to nourish my inner goddess (since this pregnant belly makes me far from an outward goddess!) I got the package, went promptly to the store to get some yogurt to try, then forgot all about reviewing this milk-based product after reading The China Study (among other fascinating nutrition books...I'll share later).

This yogurt comes in four different flavors: strawberry, blueberry, honey vanilla, and plain. Each container is packed with 12 grams of protein--twice that found in leading yogurts. The only flavor we actually tried was the honey vanilla. I have to be honest--I didn't love it. Vanilla-flavored yogurt is normally my kids' favorite, so we went with that. After a few bites, however, they passed this yogurt on to me. I think I would have preferred the blueberry.

But hey--it was free, and as you know--I love free! Free just tastes better, don't you think? If you want to try out this new yogurt, check out this $0.30 coupon, or enter my giveaway!

*This coupon offer for a free cup of Yoplait Greek yogurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Tennessee. (Sorry, mom!)

For a chance to win a Yoplait Greek Yogurt Gift Pack (pictured at the top), leave a comment telling me which flavor (strawberry, blueberry, honey vanilla, or plain) you'd try OR tell me how you get in touch with your own inner goddess!

For an extra entry, subscribe to my RSS feed (OR become a follower) and leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you're a follower/subscriber.

Contest ends on Sunday, May 30th. The winner will be announced on Monday, May 31st.

Good luck! I hope you win!

Are you a marathoner or a sprinter?

2010-05-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

I just saw this quote on a friend's facebook page...I loved it and had to share!

Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a
sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best. --Michael Johnson (American sprinter and Olympic gold medal winner)

Have a great Tuesday!

Happy Mother's Day with some pregnancy woes

2010-05-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

What is it about being pregnant that makes a woman super approachable? I don't know if it's just me, but seriously EVERY stranger I meet feels completely free to comment on my ever-expanding belly. I'm always asked when I'm due, and when I say "not until June 22nd," eyes start bulging. Yes...I realize that my tummy doesn't look like it could possibly get any bigger, but trust me...it will.

Last week while visiting my sister and family, I went to a few of her Zumba classes. (Best Zumba instructor, ever!) Before going, I made the comment that I was going to look a bit ridiculous shaking my booty with my ginormous front side. My dad said, "You just think everyone's watching you, but they're not." I said, "Normally, I'd agree with you. But when you're 8-months pregnant in a Zumba class, everyone really is watching you." I was right. I went to two back-to-back classes with my cute (also pregnant...just not showing yet) sister, and after each one, several people came up to me to offer their thoughts and advice. "Are you trying to go into labor?" "You really should probably slow down a bit." "When are you due?" "I was watching you during class thinking...that girl's baby is going to pop right out!"

Is it really so odd to see a pregnant girl working out? Dancing and hip shaking...maybe so. But it's not just Zumba. While lifting weights last week, a man stopped and asked me all sorts of questions about whether I felt the baby moving while I worked out, whether my exercise was "doctor prescribed," and whether I thought it was "safe." After a Spin class, a funny lady asked when I was due, then exclaimed "Are you sure there's only one in there? Because I just kept thinking 'That girl's about to have her baby!'" Today in church, a teenage girl saw me and a friend (who's scheduled to have a C-Section in two weeks), and yelled, "When are you guys due, because you both look like you're about to pop!" Watch out, everybody, my belly's about to explode!

Yes, my friends. I have been blessed with a short torso, so there's really nowhere for the baby to go but OUT. I'm just praying that all of the you're about to pop comments aren't predictions of anything soon to come. I've never actually gone into labor before (I even drank castor oil with my first), and this pregnancy is the first time that I really don't want to...until my actual due date! Here's why:

I'm terrified of having THREE kids.
I handle pregnancy a lot better than I handle the newborn-sleep-deprived-engorged-with-milk-out-to-my-elbows stage.
My husband is running the Wasatch Back (a 2-day, 180-mile relay race) two days before my due date.
My mother-in-law (AKA babysitter) along with several other family members are also running the race. If I go into labor, the kids are coming with me...crap!
We don't have a name.
Every other reason in the book that having a baby in June just isn't convenient for selfish-me!

So maybe I should stop Zumba-ing, Spinning, and Lifting. But before I have a baby, my workouts always seem to get more intense. Not because I'm trying to make any body changes, but because I know post-baby workouts are much harder to come by. I'm taking advantage!

And as anti-baby as I sound, I really am actually looking forward to holding my sweet little girl next month. As hard as newborns are, there's nothing like having a piece of heaven in your arms. A piece of heaven that grows all too quickly! One of my favorite quotes on motherhood (thanks to my friend, Evelyn) is this:

Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body. -Elizabeth Stone

My belly is ever-expanding, and my heart is about to split into three. Being a mom is the hardest thing I've ever done. Carrying a child is the rudest thing I've ever done to my body. But I thank my Heavenly Father EVERY DAY that he's loaned me these precious children. I can't imagine my life any other way.

So am I offended by those who take it upon themselves to analyze the shape and size of my body? Not at all (or at least not much)! A miracle is occurring inside of me, and as much as I want to have my old body back, I'm trying to enjoy every last minute of this pregnancy. I get to bring a real person into this world. I am blessed, and I can't wait to meet her!

How much exercise do your kids get every day?

2010-04-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, hi there. You still here? Whenever I go for longer than a week without blogging, I start to hear a little nagging voice in the back of my head. I'm not sure why I feel obligated to keep writing, but I do. For you bloggers out there, why do you blog? Is it because you feel a responsibility to your readers? Is it because you are one of those lucky bloggers that actually makes money blogging? Is it because it helps you have a voice? Is it because of the amazing people you get to "meet" that you wouldn't get to learn from otherwise? For me, it's many of those things (minus the money), but it's also therapeutic...especially during the seemingly endless winter months. But dare I say it? SPRING IS ACTUALLY HERE! So I've been (as MizFit likes to say) LIVING not BLOGGING.

A few weeks ago, I watched my friends' two cute kids while she and her hubby celebrated her 30th birthday on a trip to New York. (I keep dropping hints to my DH that my 30th is coming up in August...having a newborn baby sure puts a damper on the celebration. There will be no trips to New York...I guess I'll just stay 29 this year). Anyway, for the first time this year, the weather was FINALLY warm! I literally could not be happier about the sunshine. I didn't realize how spoiled I was growing up in California--where we could spend time in the sun all year long--until I moved back to Utah. And actually, living in Utah as a college student is MUCH different than living in Utah as a stay-at-home mom.

I love the change of seasons, but let's be honest...once Christmas is over, I'm ready to get outside! Parenting is so much easier when you have the great outdoors to entertain the wee ones. A few weeks ago, I was feeling like the worst parent in the world. I was tired of entertaining, listening to whining, and really had to use all of my self control not to sit my kids in front of the TV all day to pass the time.

But spring is actually here! I never thought I'd be able to say that! While my friends' kiddos were here, we spent all day outside. We walked to the park (about a 3-mile round trip trek) every day. I pushed the 2-year olds in the jogging stroller while the 4-year olds walked. We got to the park, they ran for a few hours, then walked home complaining of tired legs. But they all slept like champs, and I have a nice farmers' tan to prove the sun is actually shining! (I also got to enjoy some nice comments on my ever-expanding belly. While running around with my little boy and his soccer ball, I was asked if I'm trying to make myself go into labor. Thanks...but no...I still have two months left! I know...shocking. And no, I'm not having twins!)

As a fitness-minded mom, it's really hard for me to figure out how to get in the recommended hour each day of physical activity for my kids during the cold winter months. I drop them off at the kids' club at the gym, fully expecting them to play on the little indoor playground, and come back only to find them watching the movie instead. We go to Costco (always a workout for me), and I think they'll be good little listeners so I can let them walk, but after darting in front of one grumpy-old-man's-cart too many, I'm forced to use the seatbelts instead. We go outside to build a snowman, only to come inside minutes later for a potty break, and decide it's too much work to bundle back up. Getting little kids to exercise in the winter is not easy. But warm weather is here, and I'm going to take advantage!

So if you need me, I'll be sitting lazily in the front yard reading a book, and chatting with neighbor friends while the kids run like mad until their hair is sweaty, their cheeks are rosy, their tummies are hungry, and their mouths are thirsty.

Spring is a blessing for all, but at this point in my life, I'd like to think it's a special blessing just for ME! Some Vitamin D is definitely what the doctor ordered for this mama. And after months of beating myself up for not finding better ways to keep my kids moving, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. It's not a work-out; it's a play-out. What could be more fun than that?

How do you keep your kids moving? And how are you living not blogging these days?

The China Study Survival Guide

2010-04-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Although most people I talk to about no longer eating meat think I'm crazy, I have a few friends who have jumped on the bandwagon with me! My husband's best friend (the one who brought him an envelope full of meat to their weekly basketball night to express his condolences for my new way of thinking) happens to be married to one of my best friends. His wife happened to read my library copy of The China Study, promptly went out and bought herself a copy, along with another copy to give to her mom, and is just as convinced as I am that meat, eggs, and dairy consumption really aren't good for us. Sorry, Colby :)

So, in attempt to change the nutritional habits of our families for the better (and to stop boring you with constant talk about my new mostly-vegan-but-we're-calling-it-flexitarian lifestyle), we've started a new blog. (http://chinastudysurvivalguide.blogspot.com/)

We'll post recipes we've tried, we'll let you in on how we modified the original recipes, what we would do differently next time (if there is a next time), and most importantly, what grade our husbands give the dish.

If there's something I really think you should try (whether or not you're living in the raw), I'll still post it here.

This weekend, I tried a dish called Israeli Moroccan Quinoa. My husband gave it a B! You can check it out here.

Kandis posted her version of black bean burgers (which did better than the ones I made that my husband called poop on toast) and a yummy strawberry-pear cobbler.

My sister-in-law is hoping to also post some experimental vegan recipes (hooray for another friend who doesn't think I'm crazy)! So check out The Great Vegan Experiment as we learn how the heck to live without meat!

Kid-Friendly Vegan Food: Hummus!

2010-04-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

When it comes to feeding my kids, there are certain foods I've played around with quite a bit. They'll eat almost anything if it's in smoothie form, pancake form, dip form, or burger form (last week I made "black bean burgers" my husband lovingly compared to "poop on toast." They really weren't very good, but my kids unknowingly--and happily--gobbled up the pureed mixture of black beans, red peppers, onions, and whatever else I threw in those nasty nuggets). If my kids can dip a chip (or occasionally some raw veggies) in it, they'll probably eat it. I've been a long-time fan of hummus, but have never attempted making my own. Until this week. Maybe it's the fact that I'm in the stage of pregnancy where everything tastes amazing, but this hummus was good! And chock-full of FIBER and protein, hummus fills you up with nothing-but-goodness. I was feeling ambitious, so I photo-documented my first attempt at making this Middle-Eastern staple.

First, I rinsed and drained a (15 oz) can of chickpeas. I dumped them into my second true love: my Blendtec blender.Next, I peeled a few cloves of garlic, and threw them right in with the chickpeas.Before the first round of blending, I added 1/3 cup of lemon juice, and 1/3 cup of tahini. (I actually had no idea what this was...it's a paste made from sesame seeds...it looks a lot like peanut butter. I found it in the health food section at Harmons, for all of you local FitMePeeps.)I gave the blender a whirl, sort of (don't tell my husband) wished my blender had a tamper like the VitaMix so I could push the stuff down, but eventually had a nice, smooth paste to which I added 1/2 cup roasted red peppers,and 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil. I blended away until I got this:with which I promptly did this: (I obviously didn't document the actual first bite...sorry...no one likes "see-food").And I wondered why my house was so quiet until I saw this:What a nice surprise. Whether it was the quiet cooking time, the pregnancy-induced love of all things edible, or my determination to find non-meat-or-dairy items my entire family will consume, the hummus was a success. And yes--my kids and husband loved it!

We've been eating it with chips, raw veggies, as a spread on sandwiches (put some in a pita pocket with cucumbers and tomatoes--yum!), with rice crackers, etc. So versatile, so good, and SO EASY to make! (And so great that my funny husband didn't call it poop-on-a-cracker!)

Have a happy (and healthy) weekend!

It's All About The Poop

2010-04-08T19:51:00.001-07:00

With small children around, it's hard not to get excited about the little things in life. Whenever I'm on a kid-free outing, I have to seriously fight back urges to point out every choo-choo train I see, every airplane in the sky, every bug on the ground, every dog with his owner, every motorcycle, truck, tractor, you name it. This has probably been the best part of being a mom for me. Taking pleasure in the little things. Stopping to smell the roses, instead of rushing past the beauties of this world without taking notice.

I love the excitement little ones experience when they see, or try new things for the first time. My two-year old thinks I'm the luckiest person in the world just because I get to push the buttons to turn the dishwasher on every day. And I get to pour the laundry detergent into the washer. I get to spread the peanut butter on the bread. When I hand these small tasks over to her, she is literally on top of the world. This is what being a "big girl" is all about. That, of course, and pooping in the potty.

Remember when I shared some of my potty-training woes with you? After a year-and-a-half of unsuccessful potty training, we put "P" back in diapers. A few glorious weeks ago, however, he finally decided on his own that he was ready to be a big boy. He'll turn four in May, and I am thrilled that I don't have to send him to college in diapers. And my two-year old? She jumped right on board, and decided on her own that she is out of diapers. I was too emotionally scarred from our first round of potty training to even consider her requests to use the potty, but she decided on her own, and is doing amazing. So within weeks, both children are out of diapers. I'm not holding my breath, but I am thrilled that I will actually only have ONE baby in diapers come June.

So added to the list of excitement over airplanes and bugs: poop! You know it...we all poop–and how horrible would life be if we didn't?!?! Trust me--I've had my own fair share of painful troubles in the poop department (I'm talking painful hemorrhoids that made pooping worse than childbirth), so good poops are a big deal for this mama! If you're like me, you analyze your eliminations on a daily basis. If you're like my sister's husband, you want to throw up just reading this post. But wherever you land on the poop scale--let’s be honest--the satisfaction of a great poop cannot be underestimated!

When my kids poop in the potty, they get terribly upset if I flush the toilet before they can admire their work. And my two-year old is so proud of me when I poop. Good job, mommy...that was a big one! Honestly, one of the main motivations for me to eat a healthy diet is just that...the very thought of hemorrhoids makes my spine tingle. I have to eat healthy. I need fiber. I freaked out during my last pregnancy when my husband brought home the wrong kind of bread. I literally can't handle unhealthy poops. In my mind, I am just one hard poop away from a bloody, feels-like-you're-pooping-glass, ouchy bum.

If you're not getting enough fiber, chances are, you're not having healthy BM's. So where do we get the fiber we need for a good poop? We get it from fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. It's the indigestible (cellulose) part of these. Fiber is VITAL for not only a healthy poop, but a healthy body. The colon needs enough fiber to automatically contract and push the poop down the colon and out of the body (and into the POTTY! Not the diaper! Woo hoo!) Fiber IS the thigh master for the colon!

One last thing...if poop is ANY indication of whether I'm really on the right track with my new plant-based diet? Let me just say...hallelujah, and yes! In my little world where I take pleasure in the little things, pooping on a FLEXITARIAN diet is fabulously satisfying! (And I'm calling myself a flexitarian to take the pressure off...I'm mostly Vegan, and haven't had meat for a few weeks, but I won't beat myself up if I happen to take a bite of a nice, juicy burger...say after giving birth!)

How about you? Where do you fall on the poop scale? If you're still reading at this point, I'm guessing you're not totally embarrassed by the mere mention! As my husband likes to say, NEWSFLASH: EVERYONE POOPS! And thank goodness!

Transitioning to a Vegan Diet

2010-03-31T13:01:00.001-07:00

Okay...let me preface this post by saying that I'm not going to start solely blogging about my new meat-free diet. But lots of you have had questions, so I'll try my best to answer a few! But first of all, I'm still feeling great about this new lifestyle change! However, in the last week, we were invited to eat out a few times. And the places we went? Famous Dave's BBQ and Tucano's Brazilian Grill. Probably the last two places I would've picked--they definitely cater to the carnivore's--but I survived! And I actually discovered how good the salad bar at Tucano's really is! I'm usually too full from eating all the meat to go back for more salad!

As for the questions I've gotten from countless skeptics, a few that keep popping up are "How will you get the protein you need?", "How will you substitute dairy?", and "What will you give your baby once she's weaned in place of whole milk?" Good, honest questions, right? Here are my answers...

The Protein Issue
As Americans, I think we've sort of become obsessed with protein. Protein is definitely essential in our diets, as it helps our bodies function properly, but we don't need HUGE AMOUNTS OF IT! Only about 10% of what we eat really needs to come from protein. But here's a newsflash: meat isn't the ONLY source of protein out there! Nearly all vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds contain some, and often a lot of protein. Fruits, sugars, fats, and alcohol don't really provide much protein, so if you were to eat a diet based only on these foods, it probably would be too low in protein.

Protein is made up of amino acids (sometimes described as building blocks). We have a biological requirement for these amino acids, not for protein itself. As humans, we can't make NINE of the TWENTY common amino acids, so these are considered essential in our diets.

Eggs, cow's milk, meat, and fish are usually considered high quality protein because they have large amounts of all the essential amino acids. However, soybeans, quinoa (a grain pronounced KEEN-WA), and spinach are also considered high quality protein. Other plant-based protein sources also have all of the essential amino acids, but the amounts of one or two of these may be low. But it's not something to stress about! As long as you are eating a variety of vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds, the protein issue really isn't an issue.

And here's a link to an AWESOME quinoa recipe (which you can buy at Costco, by the way) that my brother made for me when I first decided on my new eating plan...I LOVED it:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-and-Black-Beans/Detail.aspx

DAIRY SUBSTITUTIONS

So far, we've been drinking almond milk and rice milk. As for soy milk, there's a lot of controversy (about soy estrogens and the havoc they wreak on your hormones), so I'm sort of shying away from that one. My kids, and even husband (a HUGE milk drinker) love the almond milk (unsweetened) and the rice milk. Both are still fortified with vitamins and minerals. Almost all the fat in milk alternatives is heart-healthy, unsaturated fat. Milk, on the other hand, contains mostly undesirable saturated fat (which isn't the reason I'm giving it up, as you know).

I have a few recipes I'm going to try (and if I like them--I'll share) for homemade oat milk, almond milk, rice milk, pecan milk, and even coconut milk kefir (one of the best sources of healthy probiotics...to replace our yogurt). We'll see how it goes.

But to answer the underlying question, will I get enough calcium? Actually, calcium from plants is easier for our bodies to digest than calcium from animals, so yes! (Read The China Study for more reasons why cow's milk ISN'T really good for us!)

NOT GIVING MY BABY COW'S MILK
This is obviously controversial, but here's my plan. With my first two babies, I nursed them until they were about a year old, and eating the same solid foods we were. If all goes as hoped for, I'll do the same with this baby. The reason we're supposed to give our babies whole milk is for the FAT that helps with brain development, not for the MILK itself.

Here are a few sources of healthy fats:

Avocados (so easy to mash up for little mouths)

Coconut Milk

Almonds

Flax Seed

Olives and Olive Oil

Peanuts and Peanut Butter

Sunflower Seeds

Walnuts

My research isn't done, but I'm still feeling really good about my decision to eat a whole foods, plant-based diet. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the amazing things real Vegans such as this mother of five, and this one make for their families. But the good news is, it can be done! My menu for the next week is planned, and I'm excited to try lots of good-for-you stuff! Keep the advice and questions coming!

Should you work out when you're sick?

2010-03-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

The should-be-glorious month of March hasn't been a happy one for our family. Three weeks ago, I came down with the worst cold of my life. It started as an innocent little sore throat, turned into a nasty cough (that still hasn't completely gone away), and a lovely sinus infection. I usually pride myself on NOT getting sick, so I don't even think twice when my snotty-nosed children take sips out of my precious water bottle. All three of us ended up with this nice end-of-winter tribute.

Normally when I'm sick, I don't really change my workout routine. I typically feel better after a good workout. This time, however, a few pain-in-the-lung jaunts on the treadmill changed my mind. I didn't lace up my workout shoes, or put on my fat-girl-in-a-little-workout-shirt (I desperately need maternity fitness gear) for TWO WEEKS!

Did you know, by the way, that exercisers in general tend to get sick less often than our sedentary friends? I don't think this applies to pregnant exercisers. I catch everything! Anyway, experts like to cite a rule of thumb when deciding whether or not to lace up the sneakers when you're sick. It's called "the neck rule." If all of your symptoms are located in the neck and above, you should be okay to exercise...it's probably just a head cold. However, if you have a fever, or congestion in your lungs or chest, or if you feel achy, you need to lay low. But helloooo...would anyone with a fever SERIOUSLY try to work out? Yuck! If you're tempted (please tell me you're not), don't. You'll end up with more serious complications like dehydration.

But honestly, use common sense. Listen to your body. I started out knowing I was getting sick, and I worked out anyway. I felt way worse after the workout than I did before. And if you ever need a good excuse to sit at home watching TV? I'd say that being sick is a pretty good one.

Staying inside for two weeks, however, made me absolutely crazy! The weather is FINALLY getting warm, and I just wanted to leave the house to feel some sunshine on my pasty-white skin!

On Monday, I was super excited to get back into my routine. I dropped my son off at preschool, and headed to the gym. As I sped happily along with my daughter in tow, I couldn't wait to drop her off at the Kids' Club for some ME time. All of my hopes were dashed, however, when she--out of nowhere--threw up ALL OVER HERSELF AND THE CAR. I hate it when my babies throw up. I turned around, went home, spent the next few hours cleaning her (and everything in the car) up. I prayed it would only last 24 hours, but no such luck.

It has been a sad, sad week. We're still stuck inside. My daughter threw up for three days, my son for one. I've been cleaning up lots of vomit and that-which-comes-out-the-other-end. My sweet little girl has fallen asleep on the bathroom floor, the kitchen floor, the couch, my lap, and everywhere else she could get comfortable. Poor thing. As for working out, I'm happy to say that I've been able to use lots of my work-out-at-home "Plan B" options.

Today, I feel like things will be okay. I've had two starving children who have kept everything down for over 24 hours. Next Monday is supposed to be in the upper-60's! We will sit on the front porch if we have to, but we are going outside, dangit! Some Vitamin D--the sunshine vitamin--is just what the doctor ordered to keep these winter sicknesses away! I can't wait!

What about you? Do you work out when you're sick? What about when your kids are sick? Are you as excited about the warmer weather as I am?

Still not eating meat...

2010-03-22T20:56:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I've had a crazy week after posting about my decision to cut WAAAAAAAY back on the meat we eat here in this house. Saying that I'm switching over to a semi-Vegan diet apparently was like saying that I'm joining a new church. EVERYONE has an opinion, and let's face it...people in this country LOVE meat. It's a second religion.

My good friend's husband (who happens to be my husband's best friend) is not about to let me influence his wife (who is reading The China Study right now) to stop eating meat (or more importantly--to stop feeding him meat). Our food swapping days have come to an end. He brought some pork in an envelope to my husband for their weekly basketball night with a note attached that read "Always eat meat." I actually think it's pretty funny, and am glad I've gotten such a rise out of the most mild-tempered guy I've ever met!

If my only motivation to stop eating meat was to save the animals, I don't think I'd last very long. And I'm not doing it to lose weight (for obvious reasons...I'm steadily gaining more than I'd like to admit with only 3 months to go). I'm not doing it to mimic any celebrities, or because it's the "cool" thing to do. In my few short days of announcing my new meal plan, I've actually found it to be quite unpopular. I'm doing it because I really, honestly, truly feel like cutting back on animal products, and increasing my consumption of whole, plant-based foods is really the healthier way to live.

I know I will have uncomfortable moments at social gatherings, and I may still occasionally eat some meat. But I am an extremist when it comes to health, and I'm up for the challenge. My bigger challenge will be to not make anyone else uncomfortable. Don't be afraid to invite us over, or out to eat. I will not be scrutinizing what is on your plate, or what is going into your mouth. And I won't ask you to prepare any special dishes for me. I may eat before I come, or I may leave a bit hungry. That's my decision...not your worry. I'm okay with that.

Lucky for me, I love vegetables. And even the ones I don't love, I love. I'm the weird girl who will drink the nastiest concoction of vegetables, and like it just because it's good for me. But I'm also excited to experiment, and to find some super tasty, super healthy dishes. Last week, I had great luck with a vegetable soup, coconut beans and rice, and Vegan lasagna. My family hasn't starved, and my husband even said he would eat it all again.

Some people are leery of change, but I'm the type who makes up my mind, and jumps head first into the water. I don't mind a total life overhaul every once in a while. It's actually quite refreshing.

As for all of you readers, thanks for all the tips! A few more books I'm going to read (thanks to your input) are:

"Eat To Live" (Fuhrman)

"The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" (Michael Pollan)

"In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" (Michael Pollan)

"Food Rules: An Eater's Manual" (Michael Pollan)

I'm also visiting the following websites for much-needed help:

http://www.cancerproject.org/
http://www.vegweb.com/
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/

I would like to encourage those of you who are brave and willing to just give this lifestyle a try. You can dive in headfirst like me, or slowly add changes to your diet. Add an extra serving of vegetables to every meal. Just go meatless a few days a week. Find some good vegetarian recipes that don't leave you feeling like something was missing (and share them with me!) There are enormous benefits from eating a whole foods, plant-based diet. Try it out! Who's willing?

The China Study in review...I'm giving up MEAT!

2010-03-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

So I finished reading The China Study a few days ago, and have been completely struggling for words to give it justice on this little blog here. I have read several life-changing books in my day--books I would recommend to ANYONE--The Read-Aloud Handbook, The Total Money Makeover, lots of parenting books, fitness books, fiction books, and of course religious books. But the most life-changing NUTRITION book I've EVER read--The China Study--has already (in less than a week) caused me to COMPLETELY change the way I view food. My menu plan for this week is completely different than what I've normally planned as "healthy" meals for my family.

Why did I love this book so much? Not because it was a fun read per se...it actually felt like a textbook at times...quite boring. But it made sense of the nutritional confusion we're fed from so many sources. One day a low-carb diet is the ONLY way to be healthy, the next day we're given another diet that allows you to re-introduce carbs into your diet, which leads you to eating a typical American diet anyway. With all these fad diets, why are two thirds of adults STILL obese? And why are so many children being diagnosed with Type II diabetes?

Dr. Colin Campbell (a professor who spent 40 years in nutritional research) along with his son, Thomas Campbell give dozens and dozens of SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN reasons why diets high in animal protein are linked to "diseases of affluence" (cancer, diabetes, and heart disease). "There is enough evidence now that doctors should be discussing the option of pursuing dietary change as a potential path to cancer prevention and treatment," he writes. "There is enough evidence now that local breast cancer alliances, and prostate cancer institutions, should be discussing the possibility of providing information to Americans everywhere on how a whole foods, plant-based diet may be an incredibly effective anti-cancer medicine."

The book includes a section called The Good Nutrition Guide emphasizing 8 principles of good nutrition and health:

Nutrition represents the combined activities of countless food substances. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health.
There are no nutrients in animal-based foods that are not better provided by plants.
Genes do not determine diseases on their own. Genes function only by being activated, or expressed, and nutrition plays a critical role in determining which genes, good and bad, are expressed.
Nutrition can substantially control the adverse effects of noxious chemicals.
The same nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages (before diagnosis) can also halt or reverse disease in its later stages (after diagnosis).
Nutrition that is truly beneficial for one chronic disease will support health across the board.
Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. All parts are interconnected.

One part of the book--the last section--really angered me. Campbell shows how government, science, medicine, corporations, and the media have concentrated on profits instead of health. Together they have created confusing information about nutrition and have stifled and attempted to destroy viewpoints that challenge the "status quo".

Campbell relates how he personally was almost expelled from a committee of scientists because he dared to suggest a link between diet and cancer. He writes, "In the world of nutrition and health, scientists are not free to pursue their research wherever it leads. Coming to the 'wrong conclusions,' even through first-rate science, can damage your career."

There's SO MUCH MORE I want to say, but what is my point? First, I think ALL OF YOU SHOULD READ THE CHINA STUDY to decide for yourselves what changes you will make. For me, I won't say that I will NEVER eat meat or drink milk again, but it's going to be VERY limited. I will not go hungry on this "diet." I will eat all the fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, etc. that I want. Our meals just won't be based around the meat. I want to be in control of my health, and for the first time, I feel like I have real, solid direction on how to prevent my family from contracting the diseases so prevalent in our society. We will still have treats...they'll just be limited, like they already (sort of) are.

I'm going to be doing A LOT of experimenting with Vegan recipes. We'll probably have to try lots of stuff to find dishes we like, but I'm not a huge meat-eater anyway, so I think it will be fun! My husband is totally supportive, he rolls his eyes thinking it's just another weird phase, but I feel VERY strongly about what I read.

On another note, I've already received opposition! Sometimes to me, that's a good sign that I'm on the right track! When I read something I'm passionate and excited about, I have a hard time not talking about it to anyone who will listen. I have to be reminded that telling people they need to stop eating meat, and drinking milk is going against something we've ALL belived our whole lives to be HEALTHY. Everyone needs to read it and decide for themselves. My cute sister called me yesterday, no less than 3 times, to make sure I'm not going to be TOO extreme with this. She doesn't want my kids to be the weird ones who never get any snacks, so they go to friends' houses, and scour the pantries for a treat. I don't want that either! My response was that ALL I'm doing is adding MORE fruits and vegetables to our diet, and cutting back on milk, eggs, and meat. They will still get cake on their birthdays.

I'll let you know how it's going. If you have any AWESOME meatless recipes, send them my way! What's your take? Am I crazy? Is eating a whole food, plant-based diet something you would EVER consider? Will you read the book? Discuss.

Why I have nothing exciting to say today...

2010-03-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

I have a terrible cough and cold (again). Everytime I cough, I have to concentrate really hard so as not to pee my pants. Seriously.
Girl Scout Cookies. When you had 6 boxes delivered to your door exactly a week ago, and only a few cookies now remain, writing about health and fitness feels somewhat hypocritical.
My "high speed" internet connection is reminding me tonight of my dial-up days. How did we ever survive?
I'm still mad that Jake chose Vienna on The Bachelor last week.
This pregnancy has gifted me with varicose veins in some awkward and unmentionable places.
I just started reading The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health by T. Colin Campbell. I'm pretty sure EVERYTHING I've EVER believed about protein is about to be put to shame. I've only read the first two chapters, and I'm about to go Vegan...no joke. You'll be hearing MUCH more about this book (that my brother's been telling me to read for a few years now.) Very surprising. Very enlightening. Very unconventional (with lots of science to back it). We already know that the foods we eat can promote or compromise our health, but he delves into the exact science of why and how. I can't wait to finish it!
American Idol is back on.
It's the final season of LOST.

How are those for excuses? I'll be back soon with SOMETHING more exciting...hopefully!

When it comes to working out, could LESS be MORE?

2010-03-03T02:00:00.000-08:00

I have a good friend who recently started working out regularly. She wants to lose a few pounds, and is working out three days a week for about 45 minutes. She's not seeing any results, and asked me for advice. I immediately told her that maybe she needs to work out more--more often, and longer. But then I started thinking--more about my own situation than hers--is it possible that less is actually sometimes more?

After the birth of my first baby, I worked out consistently, but probably nearly not as much as I do now. I changed my eating habits (tried the South Beach Diet for a few weeks--HATED it, but lost all the baby weight), and continued working out REGULARLY.

After the birth of my second baby, however, I couldn't wait to start working out. The overtraining probably happened during my pregnancy, and I was working out (intensely) anywhere from an hour to an hour-and-a-half six days a week. Soon after my baby was born, I went right back on that schedule. And guess what...I NEVER lost all of the weight before getting pregnant again. It's possible that I had more muscle, but I actually think I was just overtraining. Looking back, I should have probably cut back on the intense workout sessions, really focused on clean eating, and would've had better results.

I hate to say it, but my heart rate monitor is partly to blame. I'm a number gal, and I couldn't stand the thought of seeing my total calorie burn for the week anywhere under 3,000.

I'm completely guilty of the American mentality that if a little bit is good, then a lot must be better! I made a horrible garlic pasta when I was first married. If the recipe calls for 3 garlic gloves than 7 would make it even better, right? Luckily I married well, and my husband and I laughed for days. Another example--if you're supposed to apply sunless tanner once a day, then wouldn't twice a day work even better? I've been beautifully orange more times than I'd like to admit!

I have the same problem when it comes to working out...if I didn't have little rugrats keeping me grounded, it actually sounds fun to me to spend countless hours at the gym. But I would definitely be overtraining, and would probably look no different than I do now (pre-pregnant now, that is).

Overtraining can be especially harmful if you ARE following a diet plan. Over-exercising and restrictive eating will cause your body to hang on to any available fat for fear of never getting any more!

So what's my point? Listen to your body! Are you logging countless hours on the treadmill without seeing results? Are you losing muscle? Are you completely exhausted? As strange as it sounds, for some of us, working out a little less could actually be the answer!

So come July when I'm waking up at 4 am after a sleepless night just to fit in a super long workout before my husband goes to work, remind me...LESS IS MORE! I'll definitely be experimenting and tweaking my life with the birth of #3. As always, I'm open to suggestions!

Can any of you relate? Do you overtrain? Do you undertrain? Do you wonder why you work out so much without ever seeing results?

Who doesn't love a good freebie?

2010-03-01T20:40:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before that my husband LOVES freebies! I'm slowly converting to his ways of couponing and bargain shopping, but sometimes the effort it takes to get something "free" hardly seems worth it! (Remember economics? "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch") A few times in our marriage, however, we've scored BIG TIME with freebies.

Scenario 1:
I was pregnant with my first child, and we were living in California. My husband's DREAM was to appear on The Price is Right, so for his 26th birthday, we decided to spend the ENTIRE day in line waiting for the show. As part of the process, each member of the live audience is interviewed. Throughout the day, we were honestly the most boring people in line. While others were spending the whole day bouncing off the walls trying to win over the producers, we sat quietly reading, sleeping, and coming alive only for our brief few minutes in front of the judges. After our little interview, however, I knew my husband's award winning Elmo impersonation was more than enough. And I was right! He was the first one called to COME ON DOWN! He went on to win a Big Green Egg BBQ, a hot tub, a portable sound system, my beloved treadmill, a stove/range, and A NEW CAR! Worth the effort? HECK YES!

Scenario 2:

You've all gotten random emails promising a free laptop, free money, free gift card, airline tickets, you name it, right? Well...most people disregard these emails, including me. A few years ago, however, we had a friend tell us about a legitimate offer for a free Plasma TV. Since he'd done it successfully, we decided to give it a shot. HUGE PAIN IN THE BEHIND! We had to complete about 18 "offers," which we traced on a spreadsheet, had to keep track of when to cancel these offers (keeping them long enough to qualify for the 42" Plasma TV but not longer than necessary to avoid extra cost). We probably spent around $100 when all was said and done. I was skeptical until the glorious day our TV arrived on our doorstep. I never thought I would do this sort of thing again, but recently found this blog. The writer of Money Saving Methods, a former-CPA-turned-stay-at-home-mom goes into great detail about how to complete such offers...and makes a pretty good living doing just that sort of thing! I recently spent about $40 doing the same sort of deal (spreadsheet, cancelling offers, etc.) and am anxiously waiting for a $500 Visa Gift Card. Worth the effort? It's debatable, but I'm starting to think it really is.

Scenario 3:

Several months ago, my husband informed me that we were going to listen to a timeshare presentation that would win us a free trip to California. We went into the presentation knowing there was NO WAY we would even consider purchasing a time share. However, as I mentioned before, I AM A HUGE WIMP WHEN IT COMES TO SAYING NO TO SALESPEOPLE. By the time we finally walked out of the meeting two hours later, after saying NO to no less than FOUR pushy salesmen, I felt like the worst person in the world. My family was going to suffer for the rest of my life because our vacations wouldn't be what they could be with a timeshare. But hey--we were going to California! The company actually tried several times to talk us out of the trip...they even offered us $200 NOT to go since we'd be leaving Wednesday night and returning home Friday morning. But we didn't take the money...we went on the trip! And it was GREAT! The hotel was probably the WORST hotel I've ever stayed at, but sometimes bad things make for great memories. It was just what my husband and I needed! We got to visit my hometown, Disneyland, we saw Avatar, and we ate out more in three days than we normally do in three months! It was just what this cranky mama needed! There's no place better than Disneyland to make you miss your kids (and to realize how old you're getting when the making-out-in-line-teenagers disgust you!) I hope I never have to listen to a timeshare presentation again, but was it worth it? DEFINITELY!

What about you? Are you a sucker for freebies, or would you rather just pay the dang money to avoid the hassle?

I'm leaving on a jet plane

2010-02-24T13:21:00.001-08:00

I'm leaving in 1/2 hour for a quick get-away to California! I can't wait...even if it's only for a few days, I'm so excited to get a glimpse of warmer weather. Be healthy for me while I'm gone! I wish we were going on a Cruise, but incase any of you will be in the next little while, here are some tips for staying healthy while on board ... (Recognize these tips? They first ran last May after our glorious cruise. Vacation time is drawing near, so I thought it would be appropriate to publish again! Enjoy!)

TAKE THE STAIRS! We decided on the first day that we would take the stairs E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. Our room was on deck 2, we ate dinner on deck 3, we watched shows on deck 5, we enjoyed the buffet on deck 9, we swam on deck 11, and ran on deck 12. Each day gave us PLENTY of opportunites for stair climbing. (With many an ice-cream cone waiting at the end of the big climb!)
CHECK OUT THE GYM! We made it a point of finding the fitness center the first day. It was at the front end of the ship, with windows looking out. I decided that running on the treadmill while watching the waves crash in front of me would be worth a daily trip. Let me tell you...running on a moving boat is a killer core workout...you never know which way the incline is going to go! The gym also offered several free health seminars and fitness classes (for a fee--I would've gone--but I'm too cheap!)
MAKE FITNESS FUN! I LOVED the days at sea on the ship. My favorite activity of the week was probably the Disco Dance Class taught by the Cruise Director. We spent an hour learning a new dance. I was laughing the whole time, and sweating by the end. We also entered a free-throw contest, a ping-pong contest, and danced every chance we got.
TRY THE LOW-CAL ENTREES. OK...I didn't really do this one, but I did love the fruit and salad bars! I occasionally tried the "SPA" selections at dinner, but only in addition to the three other entrees I ordered. Yes, I ordered A LOT of food, but I never felt obligated to clean the plate! With so much food, a few bites of each entree (and dessert) was plenty.
ON DECK FOR THE CURE! I was really sad that our cruise coincided with Susan G. Komen's Race For The Cure. I was thrilled, however, to find out that a small scale version of this do-good race was on schedule for the week. I walked a mile in my flip-flops for On Deck For The Cure...and yes, I cried.
DRINK WATER! OK...I'm pretty sure the drink servers hated us. But the fact that we didn't spend a dime on a single beverage on board saved us not only a LOT of money, but a TON of calories!
PLAN ACTIVE EXCURSIONS! We hiked, we snorkeled, we swam, and we ran on the beach. (But I was also sore after holding on for dear life to my husband driving a motor scooter on the left side of the road in the Bahamas!)
ENJOY! Don't stress...you're on vacation. If you eat more for a week than you normally would, your body will adjust when you get home. Whatever you do, have fun! Your only real jobs while cruising are to eat and poop. Everything else is extra. Enjoy!

Are any of you gearing up for a Cruise or otherwise fun vacation? Do you try to stay healthy and active while you're gone, or is vacation an excuse to RELAX? I'm usually a combination of both...I'm healthy in moderation. That's what vacation is for, right? Have a good week!

7 tips for reducing stress...and some potty-training woes

2010-02-22T19:38:00.000-08:00

Alright, after a blogless week, it's time for a confession. For a few weeks, I have been an emotional wreck. Yes, I'm pregnant. Yes, I'm sleep deprived. Yes, I expect way too much of myself and definitely don't live up to my own expectations. But I can normally hold it together. A few weeks ago, however, I sobbed on the phone to my mom, telling her what a horrible mom I am. My sister thought I was mad at her, until she finally asked me what was wrong, and I broke down. Today, my good friend came over for a "Do The Potty Dance" house party I hosted and told me that she'd been worried about me, another friend was worried about me, and even my friends' MOM was worried about me. I guess I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I put on a happy face, but apparently to those who know me best, my fake happy face apparently isn't so happy!

Now before you jump to too many conclusions, let me say this...I'm feeling much better! Those of you who have been in my shoes will laugh when I tell you the source of my sorrow, and will say...DUH! when I tell you the new solution.

Here it is: I have a 3-year old little boy "P" who will turn 4 in May. He is still not potty-trained, and there my friends, you have the source of my frustration. He's a brilliant, sweet, loving little boy. And he is Mr. this-is-the-one-thing-in-my-life-I-have-control-over-so-don't-you-dare-force-me-to-pee-in-the potty. We started working on potty training when we was probably 2 1/2. He'd been speaking in full sentences for well over a year, and was my oldest, so of course I thought he was ready. EVERYONE around me was doing it, so I felt a lot of pressure to get him on the pot. And he did great for a while. He pooped before he ever pee'd, so I thought we had it in the bag! Until we didn't.

He got worse and worse, until I was washing 5 pairs of pants every day! My husband and I were constantly frustrated, yet nothing worked. And this wasn't just affecting potty-training. It put a strain on our relationship, caused my sweet little boy to turn into a super defiant 3-going-on-16-year-old, and caused me to feel like a failure as a mother.

Before I continue, you have to know that I feel silly even writing about this, and am praying that those of you who don't know me won't judge me for it! EVERYONE has tips and suggestions for potty training, and TRUST ME...we have tried ALL of them. ALL except one...the one that I haven't been willing to try...until now. And here's what it is...we're not doing ANYTHING.

A few weeks ago, my husband found "P" sitting on the floor in his room peeing on the carpet. That was the last straw. We put him back in diapers, and as silly as this sounds, it has been GREAT. When he came to me that first day to tell me that he pooped in his diaper, I wanted to jump for joy. I know he KNOWS when he needs to go, but he's yet to make that mental decision, and we've never allowed it to be HIS decision. So fine...poop in your diaper, little one. It is way easier to wipe a messy bum than it is to ask if you need to go potty a million times a day. So, he's in diapers, and we're all happier. I'm pretty sure he is constantly shocked when I don't react to the mess. But I can't do it anymore. So my son may be the only child still in diapers when he goes to Kindergarten, but at least he'll know my love for him has nothing to do with where he chooses to eliminate. And maybe I'll win an award for the most children still in diapers with the birth of my third. Just think...maybe he'll even hold off until we're ready for # 4...that would be GREAT!

So what's the point? Why am I posting this on FitMePink instead of the family blog? Well...I'm not sure, really, but mostly because potty training has been a HUGE source of stress in my life. And that's what this blog is supposed to be about...eliminating stress! Everyone says that potty training is easy when THEY'RE ready, but I somehow equated my own success as a parent with my child's success on the pot. So I pushed, and I yelled, and I got mad at my husband for also pushing and yelling, I cried, I did lots of laundry, and finally realized a few things about stress:

If something in your life is causing bucket-loads of stress, figure out how to ELIMINATE the thing. Putting my child back in diapers was EXACTLY what I needed.
A little praise goes a long way. I want to be a big source of encouragement for my children. If all my son hears all day is how naughty he is, then he's GOING to be naughty. If instead, I choose to praise him, to say to others how great he is, and to remind myself of how lucky I am to be the mother of this brilliant little boy, then he WILL be what I truly believe he is. And focusing on the GOOD someone else is doing takes the focus off of ME feeling sorry for MYSELF.
Focus on the important stuff. As hard as it is for me to believe at THIS instant, "P" will be potty-trained. I can either sit back and watch it happen, or I can fight and push and hate every moment until it happens. There are far more important things for me to teach my children, and much more fun things to talk about. Like running, and jumping, and playing, and letting them be little! Stop STRESSING the stuff you can't change!
Reach out to others. When something big or little is causing stress, you can either isolate yourself, and cause everyone who knows and loves you to think something is terribly wrong, or you can reach out and let them help you. Finally talking about my worries and fears to those I love helped me realize that I'm doing okay, and I will survive!
Massage. I haven't had a professional one in quite a while, but someday I'm seriously going to get one every week. For now, my husband will suffice! Massage is more than just being pampered. It decreases the level of cortical which creates the "fight or flight" response in the body. It increases serotonin, the chemical that helps with sleep, anxiety and depression and increases dopamine, which provides the body with pleasurable sensations, smoothing stress away before it can build up. As much as I want to sleep during a professional massage, I don't want to sleep, because it is the BEST hour of my day!
Do something you love...like EXERCISE. I just had to throw it in there. In the past month, I've worked out longer and harder than I have in quite a while. (But I've also eaten worse...I'm a terrible emotional eater!) Working out is one of my true loves in life. I've also found refuge in reading, cooking, singing, cleaning (yes--it's therapeutic), and kid-free nights out with my husband. While we're in the turmoil of parenting young children, we NEED and CRAVE nights without them to reconnect. I adore my husband...especially one on one! We're actually going for a QUICK get-away trip to California this week...I can't wait!
Stop trying to be perfect. This has probably been the hardest for me. In my mind, I have a picture of the "perfect" mom...the one I will NEVER be. I'm trying, and I'm doing my best, but I cannot be perfect. Time to banish that self-inflicted rule!

I won't ask for tips on potty training, because I've seriously tried them all. And I just can't mentally try anything else. Can anyone relate? And what are your proven stress reducers? Hit me up in the comments!

10 Tips for Making Fitness a Way of Life

2010-02-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

I'm often asked how I manage to keep myself physically active as a busy mom. My simple answer is that I take things one day at a time. Each day is unique, and brings different challenges. Occasionally on a morning that I plan a long outdoor run, I wake up to falling snow. Early morning workouts don't ever work when I've spent the entire night awake with a sick child (or healthy children who spend the night playing musical beds...our bed is NOT big enough for the 4 of us!) Things happen, so I try to plan accordingly. Here are a few of my secrets for planning around life:

On a particularly hectic day, don't skip a workout just because you don't have a full hour to spare. Figure out how to fit in 10-minute mini sessions. Roll out of bed, and do some push-ups, jumping jacks, planks, and lunges. Later in the day, go on a quick, brisk walk. If you're reading something, find a wall, and squat while you read. Do seated Tupler's in the car! End the day with some pre-bed stretches. It may not seem like a lot at once, but throughout the day, you can easily squeeze in a full workout!
You may be tired of hearing it from me, but wear a heart rate monitor! At the end of the week, it's extremely motivating to see how much time I spent working out, how many calories I burned, and what zones I trained in. I try not to ever go more than two days without a workout! My heart rate monitor keeps me honest with myself.
Set goals for the ENTIRE year at the beginning of the year. Want to run a few races this year? Schedule them now! Even if the races aren't until late in the year, you'll have them on your mind, and will plan your training accordingly. For me, races aren't just about the race, but about the journey it takes to get to the starting line!
Have a nice stash of fitness DVDs at home. Workout DVDs are almost always my back-up plan. When I just can't pull myself out of bed early in the morning, I can start a DVD nearly an hour later, and still be done with my workout at the same time I would otherwise be returning home from the gym. For one, I don't have to brush my teeth (or put on mascara) to work out at home, and I don't have to account for any travel time. I still get in a good workout (as long as the kids and husband cooperate), and the day can continue as planned.
SCHEDULE your workouts. If you're always hoping to find time to work out, it's probably never going to happen if you have a busy schedule. You HAVE to plan it in. My workout schedule varies slightly from week to week based on my life schedule, but I always know when I'm going to work out the next day. I don't wake up in the morning hoping it will happen sometime that day. I wake up, and get moving. If you need to, put a reminder on your phone, write it on your calender, do whatever you need to do. I normally plan all my workouts a week in advance. Then when a day (or night) doesn't go as planned, I move to plan B.
Add variety to your workouts. If someone were to watch me and my different workout routines, they would think I have serious workout ADD. I don't do the same things day in and day out. I love group fitness classes, because each class is never the same...and I try LOTS of different classes. I LIFT. I CYCLE. I YOGA. I CORE CROSS TRAIN. I POWER PUMP. I TREK. But my own workouts are never the same, either. I run outside. I lift weights with gym machines. I use free weights. I use my own body weight for resistance. I interval train. I do the elliptical. I climb stairs. You get the idea. Variety is key for keeping workouts interesting. Variety is also key for avoiding plateaus. If your body never knows what's coming, it will never stop changing and improving!
Keep company with other fitness-minded people. If you try to place yourself in situations and with people where you won't have to compromise your fitness goals, you're much more likely to stay on track. At work, take breaks with the walkers rather than the donut-shop-frequenters. Eat with the brown baggers rather than with the fast foodies. Invite other health conscious couples over for a healthy home-cooked meal, and vice versa. Find a workout buddy, or an accountability partner. If you're not working out together, you can still report to one another and keep each other in check.
Change your workouts with the seasons. Don't hibernate for the winter just because you refuse to run outside in the snow. Right now I'm SO EXCITED for spring to come because I can truly enjoy the outdoors. Working out indoors, however, is the only thing that keeps me going in the depressing month of January. Winter months are great for snow sports, while summer is great for swimming. If your workouts change with the seasons, you'll have more to look forward to every few months than just changing colors and temperatures!
Forget the all-or-nothing mentality. Just because you may not always have time for a full hour workout doesn't mean you should skip the workout all together. 20-minutes is always better than nothing! The same goes for healthy eating. Just because you splurge at one meal doesn't mean that the whole day should go to waste. One healthy meal is better than a full day of indulging. (Unless indulging for a full day is planned. In that case, one bad day doesn't mean the whole week is shot!)
Just do it! Stop making excuses, and get moving. Use each day as a step towards your ultimate fitness goals. So what if you have 10- 50- 100-pounds to lose. Losing the weight won't happen overnight. It will, however, happen with lots of small steps along the way. Whatever the obstacles, do what it takes to get up and start. You will get better with time. You'll find what you like. Just push yourself to take the first step, to climb out of bed in the morning, to schedule your workouts. Once you make fitness a habit, it will become a way of life, and you will be that much closer to reaching your goals!

What are YOUR fitness secrets?

Apple Cider Vinegar...The Miracle Drug!

2010-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Before I start today's post, if you still have questions about the Tuplers we learned about in Bonnie's guest post, check out the comment section. Also, check out Lose Your Mummy Tummy by Julie Tupler for a complete description of the exercises to do DURING and AFTER pregnancy to close the diastasis recti! Woo hoo! Now on my daily to do list: Seated Tuplers and Kegels! Man, I feel like a woman!

ANYWAY, I need to throw myself a little pity party for a minute. I have the WORST cold in the world! I literally cannot breathe through either nostril. I am so plugged up that my Neti Pot can't even get through. The liquid goes in one nostril, and comes out the mouth (instead of the other nostril). Yuck! Being sick and pregnant isn't very fun...nothing works, and I'm scared to take anything!

Luckily, I grew up in a family where home remedies are never further away than right in the pantry. One of these tried and true remedies my parents SWEAR by is apple cider vinegar. Anytime you feel a cold coming on, you drink up. (It has to be the kind with the MOTHER in it). It seems to help, and definitely doesn't hurt! At this point, I'll try anything to be able to breathe (and chew) with my mouth closed! (My husband, however, REFUSES to even take a sip. It's not that bad, really).

Today, I learned that Dr. Oz is on my side! Not only can apple cider vinegar help fight colds, be used as a replacement hair conditioner, and even help clean your windows, it can also help lower your blood sugar! Woo hoo!

According to Dr. Oz, drinking just 2 tablespoons of vinegar at or near the start of a meal may help prevent the spikes in blood sugar caused by eating starchy carbs (like potatoes or pasta). It does this by slowing the absorption of the carbs in these foods by slowing the digestion. It also helps insulin remove sugar from your blood into your cells. The result? Lower blood sugar levels!

Over the long haul, keeping your blood sugar from spiking will help lower your risk of diabetes. It will also help suppress your appetite, which will ultimately keep extra pounds off. This in turn makes your own insulin production more effective! You'll have more energy as a result, so you'll be more likely to keep that body moving! So take that, dearest hubby! I'm going to keep drinking my stinky apple cider vinegar! Although, I guess I could be a little more creative than just downing a diluted glassful. Dr. Oz suggests splashing new potatoes and vegetables with apple cider vinegar instead of mayo. Or if you're feeling really healthy-ambitious, why not start a meal with a mix of fresh greens and vegetables dressed in oil and vinegar? The benefits are real, people! I dare you to try it!

What weird home remedies do YOU swear by? Or is my family completely nuts?

By the way...we found out today that WE'RE HAVING A GIRL!!! Is it bad that I'm completely thrilled? Don't get me wrong...I ADORE my little boy. But he's...intense. I'm hoping for another angel of a girl. We'll see! :)

NO MORE CRUNCHES! (Guest post)

2010-02-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled that Bonnie from the Beautiful After The Belly Blog is enlightening the FitMePink world with her extensive knowledge of why CRUNCHES are BAD for us! Bonnie is a Prenatal/Postnatal Personal Trainer who specializes in the Diastasis Recti (diastasisrecti.com). Besides blogging about health and fitness (and you really should read her blog...it's chock full of amazing tips), she also teaches and trains in several locations in Chicagoland. Here's what she has to say about crunches...

Yes, its true. Crunches are absolutely TERRIBLE for the post partum woman’s body. Then why are they taught in gyms all over? I call it “False Traditions of our Fitness Fathers.”

A very high percentage of women - as high as 98 % - have a split in their recti muscles (the 6 pack muscle on the abs) following a pregnancy. The split creates a look and condition known as the “Mommy Tummy.” It is caused by continuous forward pressure during pregnancy. The official name for this split is DIASTASIS RECTI.

Doing a “Crunch” or “Rolling like a ball” or “jackknife” or “V sit” or “Teaser” or “Pilates 100” is the worst thing you can do for this condition because is makes the split WIDER!

SO…..WHAT is the answer?

Seated Tuplers and Headlifts are the best bet because they will actually BRING your recti back together and eliminate the “mommy tummy.”

How are they done?

SEATED TUPLERS: Imagine your belly is a sideways elevator and the 1st floor is where your belly is normally at in its relaxed position. Bring your belly all the way back to your spine (5th floor) and hold it there for a second, then release to the 3rd floor (in between the 1st and 5th), then back to 5th floor again (squeeze and hold for a second) then back to 3rd floor. Continuing doing until you reach 100.

100 may seem like a lot, but a set of 100 only takes 2 ½ minutes. Do 5 sets a day, altogether, or spaced out, whatever is easiest. Do this exercise sitting down with firm back support. You should be able to feel this in your back, as it also works the lower lumbar muscles. This is the FASTEST way to repair your recti and bring them back together, closing the diastasis.

Yes you DO breathe. You “sniff” to bring air in, and COUNT as your exhale, which forces the air to work through your body.

Once you get good, you can do this while driving – like at a stop light, or during highway driving. They are EXTREMELY POTABLE exercises.

HEAD LIFT: Lay on your back with your knees bent. Expand your belly to allow air to come into the body, Exhale, bring your bellybutton all the way to the spine (this is working the TRANSVERSE ABDOMINUS – the key to bringing in the recti). Hold the belly there and you slightly tilt your pelvus to bring the small of the back pressed into the floor, tuck the chin, and then lift up your head and bring it back down fairly quickly.

If your abdominals show any movement, then it means your TRANSVERSE is not quite strong enough. There should be no visible movement on your abdominals.

ONE LAST QUESTION: How do you get the transverse strong enough to do the headlift? THE SEATED TUPLERS – it is the fastest way because it strengthens your abdominals in a seated position, which is the MISSING LINK of abdominals. You will not have gravity working against you in a seated position. Then when you begin to do abdominals while laying on your back where gravity is working against you, you will already have a mind body connection to the muscle to tell if your transverse muscle is actually engaged.

Quick story to rap up: I was in a Yoga Class today, and there was a girl who was 33 and pregnant with her 6th child. She is quite fit, loves to run, etc. and was doing some of the worst abdominals you can do while pregnant – ROLLING LIKE A BALL, V SIT, JACKNIFING. I knew she had a HERNIA after her 5th child (which is due to the split in the recti ) and had to have surgery and comprehensive physical theraphy with her abdominals and pelvic floor. I just cringed. The damage you can do with these particular exercises is so much greater when you're pregnant because you already have the forward pressure of the uterus on your abdominals!

Thank you, Bonnie! For more tips on strengthening the abdominals, losing the "mommy tummy," great recipes, and other healthy-living tips, check out her blog!

AMAZING Broccoli Recipe

2010-01-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday night, we had some people over for dinner. When I was planning the menu, I was HUNGRY, so I made lots of good food. I probably shouldn't tell you everything (not so healthy) that was on the menu, but I'm keeping it real, so I will. We grilled steaks, I made potato logs, orange cream jello salad, peach muffins, and peach cobbler. BUT GUESS WHAT EVERYONE WANTED SECONDS (and thirds and fourths...) OF? THE STEAMED BROCCOLI!

I personally thought it tasted amazing, but figured that was mainly due to the fact that I've reached the stage in my pregnancy where pretty much all food tastes AMAZING (hallelujah)! But no, each person at the table asked for the broccoli when their plates were clean. So it is with great pleasure that I present you with the recipe (from dealstomeals...woo!)

LEMON-BUTTER-BROCCOLI

1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds)...make sure it's fresh. I've tried frozen, and it wasn't nearly as tasty!
4 teaspoons unsalted butter (melted)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Cut the broccoli into spears, discarding the thick end. Steam the broccoli for about 10 minutes. (I have a steamer, so I just put it in there. You can also use a steamer basket. If doing this, bring about 3 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Place the broccoli in the basket and add to the pot, steaming until crisp-tender). Remove from the pot. Combine all the other ingredients (besides the parmesan cheese), pour over the broccoli, stirring to mix. Sprinkle individual servings with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Seriously...the BEST broccoli EVER!

Breakfast Anyone?

2010-01-25T19:14:00.000-08:00

I'm not telling any of you anything you don't already know when I say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! You've all heard the quote, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." I love this quote, and I love breakfast. I think it would be MUCH easier to live-like-a-king-in-the-morning if life in the AM could slow down just a bit. Who has the same time available before rushing out the door in the mornings to make breakfast that we may (or may not) have in the evening? Our mornings are packed with getting kids ready for school, ourselves and husbands ready for work, morning workouts, etc. My almost-2-year-old is seriously starving the instant she wakes up in the morning, so if breakfast can't be on her plate in 2.5 seconds, we're all in for a rough morning.

However, if my kids don't get a good breakfast, we're not only in for a rough morning, we're in for a rough day! As much as they (and don't we all) love them, sugary cereals are not an okay breakfast option. The havoc wreaked on their blood sugar first thing in the morning leaves us all in a state of hysteria for the rest of the day.

I do, however, love cereal. A few months ago, when I was still in first-trimester-of-pregnancy hades, I had to stay in bed while my husband fed the kids breakfast. If we didn't have any cereal, they wouldn't get fed, and I'd end up getting out of bed to the sounds of their screams. They were hungry, and ornery. The trick was finding breakfast cereals that are full of healthful attributes, are low in sugar, have no saturated or trans fat, are full of whole grains, and most importantly...still taste great!

If you feel guilty for providing nothing-but-cereal for breakfast, don't! Cereal has lots of benefits! If you're a ready-to-eat cereal eater, you probably consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than a non-cereal eater? Cereals contain important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients. So actually, cereal is a guilt-free top source of key nutrients in children´s diets!

Shopping for cereal, however, is no easy task...especially with kids in tow! The only boxes they want to buy are the boxes that may as well be full of little cookies. Dessert for breakfast? No way! Maybe my kids are missing out on "fun" breakfast traditions like donuts and cookie-cereal, but my life is much easier because I simply don't provide these options in the morning.

A few weeks ago, I received an email with information from General Mills through MyBlogSpark. They offered me coupons for four free boxes of cereal. Anyone who knows my husband knows that this family loves freebies! (He was once the Showcase Winner on The Price is Right to name one of many instances...) I jumped at the chance to score some free cereal, and was even more excited when I read about the changes General Mills is making in the cereal world!

General Mills recently announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain. Yay!

Eating a good breakfast is important for ALL of us, but several studies have shown the benefits especially for kids, including the following:

Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.
Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.
More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.
Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

For more information about kids and cereals from General Mills, please visit the Cereal Health and Wellness page.

Find a cereal that works for you! A few years ago, my in-law-extended-family had a reunion. Everyone was supposed to bring a box of cereal to share. I brought one of my favorites which my husband's aunt tasted. After taking a bite, she exclaimed, "This tastes like cardboard!" So yes, one person's perfect whole-grain cereal with less sugar is another person's bowl of sawdust. If you're one who prefers breakfast cereals that come in lots of colors and artificial flavors, then you might have to choose between taste and nutrition. But if you like a cereal with natural flavors from toasted whole grains, and maybe some nuts and dried fruit, you'll have many healthful cereals to choose from. And according to General Mills, tasty cereal's about to get healthier! I can't wait! Also, if you click here, you can score a coupon for $1 off some cereal! Enjoy!

And just in case I didn't make it clear, General Mills provided me with the free product, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSpark.

What did you eat for breakfast?

Born To Run Review

2010-01-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

It doesn't happen often, but today I feel amazingly enlightened. Two nights ago, I finished reading Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. The only reason I won't tell all of you to RUN out and buy it right away is because the language in the book is terrible! But the insights into the human body and our running potential were amazing! McDougall told an incredible story describing his journey leading up to a fifty-mile footrace in the Copper Canyons between arguably the best runners in the world. But thrown in with the story line were incredible discoveries on the human body, and the fact that quite literally, we were born to run.

Running is actually right at the heart of what it means to be human. Among other insights I gleaned from this book, here are a few thoughts:

The rate of running injuries has actually increased with the existence of more expensive, cushier running shoes. Our feet are looking for stability, and the more padding we land on, the harder we land (in search for the solid ground). The more expensive the running shoe, the higher the rate of injury! Who tells us to buy new shoes every 300 miles? (Besides the fact that I've said that before...ahem) THE COMPANIES SELLING RUNNING SHOES! Worn out shoes may actually be BETTER!
Some of the best college teams train barefoot! Imagine your one-year old is running out into a street, and you are standing in the driveway barefoot. How you would sprint after your child with your bare feet is probably exactly how you should be running with shoes on! Light on your feet, toes striking the ground first. (Have any of you tried the Vibram Five Fingers? I'd love to get my hands on a pair...the bare footing alternative!)
Other animals get in one breath per stride. When they reach their limit, they literally have to stop to pant and catch their breath. Humans can breathe multiple times per stride. We sweat to cool off, and we can continue running as we "rest." Because of this, our ancestors outlived the bigger, stronger neanderthals. They could literally RUN an animal down, and women were just as involved as men in the hunt! (Pregnant on the hunt? No problem...just squat on the side of the trail, pop that baby out, and continue tracking the animals). A typical hunt could last 4-5 hours...very similar to the time it takes most people to run a marathon today. Coincidence?
The best way to eat when training for a big run is to eat like a poor person! Recipes I'm dying to try after reading the book (Pinole and Iskiate--the Chia drink) can be found here!
Running should be sheer joy! It is, after all, the very essence of what it means to be human. Running should make you not only healthier, but happier, and a better person overall.
Running is the only sport in which males and females can participate together, and compete on almost equal levels. It's also the only sport we can actually get better at as we age...returning to our 19-year-old pace at the age of 64.

I drove my husband crazy as I read this book with all the insights I had to share with him every five seconds. He was pretty disheartened at the fact that our expensive running shoes could actually be hurting us, but also happy to know that if done right, running should not be painful at all.

As for my personal application of what I read, I've tried two things so far:

I ran on the treadmill yesterday, and outside with my husband (and the jogging stroller) this morning. Each time, I focused on landing on my toes rather than my heels, and actually letting my toes spread as I landed instead of just relying on the shoes to take the impact. Result? I'm sure I still have work to do. My calves are super sore, but my knees (which have been bothering me lately) didn't hurt a bit! Maybe one of these days I'll brave a barefoot run on soft grass, but not until it's warm.
This deserves it's own post, but I have one 3-year old, super defiant boy. I decided to take my kids to a local park this afternoon next to the trail my husband and I like to run on. Part of the trail circles the park. It's too cold and wet to play at the park, but we went there just for a run. My 3-year old literally ran around the track eight times. He probably ran close to two miles. And the expression on his face the whole time? PURE JOY! He loved the thrill of running as fast as his little legs would carry him. We came home, he was extremely AGREEABLE, took an awesome nap, and has been happy ever since. I don't know if running is the ultimate solution, but it can't hurt. So for my strong-willed child's sake, running around the park is now on the daily agenda. And as I watch him, I'm going to learn.

Running shouldn't only be the means to an end, but an experience. It should allow you to connect with your body, feel air on your face, connect with others, and feel the ultimate joy of what it means to be human.

YAY for running!

What I'm Reading...

2010-01-11T02:00:00.000-08:00

So, it's Monday, and for the first MONDAY in quite a while, I'm feeling super motivated to get this week going! Why? (Besides the fact that I need to post SOMETHING new so that the real me isn't the face you see smiling when you enter FitMePink!) I spent all weekend reading (from start to end) this:

I loved how Dave Ramsey, in The Total Money Makeover compared being "financially fat" to being physically out-of-shape. It's time to take a serious look in the mirror to evaluate all areas of our lives. That's right...look in the mirror, stop sucking in your belly, and see what's really there. Of course, the point of the book is to teach you how to financially "live like no one else so you can later live like no one else," but the principles can carry over to many more aspects of life as well. Read it. Very inspiring!

The other reason I'm excited is that today I'm going to start reading this: Can't wait to learn about the fact that we, the human race, were actually literally designed to run. The author argues that running is at the heart of what it means to be human. Running, in essence, should be sheer joy! Born To Run, here I come! (Thanks, Michael, for the suggestion!)

What has you excited on this wintery Monday morning? What are you reading?

Unapologetically ME!

2010-01-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, my cousin Stie wrote about the parts of our lives we choose to reveal on our blogs. (And if you don't read her blog, by the way, you should. When I first started blogging over on my sad, neglected family blog, hers inspired me to try a little harder to BLOG a little better. Really.) Anyway, Stie's post really got me thinking about who YOU all think I am. As a blogger, I have to liberty to be whoever I want to be....or whoever I want you to think I am. More often than not, I definitely try to put my BEST self out there for the world to see. But how often do I let you in on the other side of me? The one I cover up with makeup and a cyber-smile everytime I log on to blogger?

Okay...so to give myself a LITTLE credit, you all know that occasionally I turn into Monster Mom. You know that I will never brave a 1700-mile drive again with two small children while pregnant. You also know that sleep-deprived-me is not one to invite over for game night. But you probably think that I never miss a day of exercise, that my kids get full servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and that I have no problem waking up at 5 am to get in a full workout each day.

Well FitMePeeps, to even things out a bit, I'm going to let you see much more of the real me than I've EVER shown you before. Actually, the only ones (un)lucky enough to see this side of me are my family, and other occasional household guests. I honestly NEVER leave the house without makeup. So here I am in my just-out-of-bed-greasy-hair-under-eye-baggage-and-no-makeup glory!

Yowza! I'm sure my husband was surprised when he saw me without makeup for the first time. I actually can't remember if I ever let him see it pre-marriage. I'm hoping for his sake that I did. Had to let him see what he would be waking up to each morning...for, well, forever.

And while I'm exposing myself, why not let you in on a few more pieces of the real me.

The main reason NO ONE ever sees me without makeup is that I have blonde eyelashes. I've ALWAYS hated them. Even if I'm going to the gym at 5:00 in the morning, I cover up those beauties with a bit of mascara. I NEVER leave the house without makeup. Ever. Luckily, I actually truly enjoy the makeup and primping, but I really wish I were one of those girls who truly, honestly looks good without makeup. I'm just not. Soon after my wedding, my new sister-in-law invited me to go with her to dye our eyelashes. I was silly enough to put on mascara before she picked me up. I just wasn't ready for her to see the real me. These days, if I don't have my makeup on for the day, I probably won't even answer the door. I guess I'm a bit vain, but if you see me outside of my house, you can bet a gazillion dollars (and win) that I'll have makeup on.

I constantly compare myself to others. If I know I'm not good at something, I have a really hard time doing it. Take last night for example. I went ice skating with the youth for a church activity. I'm a terrible ice skater. I went around the rink twice, and spent the rest of the time standing outside, wishing I were like the amazing 5-year olds out on the ice. Getting better ain't gonna happen on the side-line!

I often feel like my life is completely unorganized. If I haven't decided what I'm doing the next day before I go to bed, I waste most of the day. Before I know it, it's 5 pm, my kids are whiny, I don't know what's for dinner, and the only time I've left the house is to work out (if that).

And finally, what other people think about me matters WAY. TOO. MUCH. I am constantly reading people's faces, gestures, and emotions to make sure they aren't mad at me, etc. I hate salespeople for this reason, because saying "no" to them feels very personal to me. I need to be liked.

There you go. A few bits of reality for you. And now that I've exposed myself, I would love to see the real you. Without makeup. Without a cyber smile. The person you face in the mirror each morning, for better or worse. Post it on your blog, or leave a comment with a few insights into YOU.

Ready, GO!

Selfish Blogging

2010-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I was at my weekly get-together-to-sing-a-little-and-talk-A-LOT night with my girlfriends. It was the first time we've gotten together since before Christmas, and it was great. It's our "singing practice," but we didn't even sing a single note tonight. We talked, and laughed, and relished in the beauty of away-from-home-and-kids time.

Four of us are pregnant, and listening to the two that are still in their first trimester made me SO GRATEFUL to have those 13 weeks of you know what behind me. All night vomit fests should be enough to force every woman to never have a second child, but somehow we forget.

One of my so-miserable-she-hasn't-washed-her-hair-in-five-days friends asked me how in the world I manage to keep working out when I'm pregnant. Honestly, when I wasn't feeling good for those few months, working out was the only thing that made me feel better.

A few nights ago, I was feeling sorry for myself. I had just watched Julie & Julia and was wondering why in the world I even write this silly fitness blog. I definitely don't have the knowledge or skills MizFit has, or the organization SimpleMom has, or the 365-day plan Julie Powell had.

But tonight, after talking to my lovely friends, I realized why I blog. I've started and failed at a lot of things in life. I've dreamed big dreams I've yet to accomplish. But I've somehow mastered the art of fitting fitness into my occasionally chaotic life. If I accomplish NOTHING else in a day, I can almost always (as long as the last two weeks don't count) say that I exercised in some way. And somehow, blogging about it keeps me motivated and accountable.

So for those of you who stop by and read what I have to say, thank you! YOU are my inspiration! I can't wait to share 2010 with you!

Resolutions

2010-01-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

For the first time since I wrote them, I just revisited last year's resolutions. I didn't accomplish all of them, but I came pretty darn close. I'm not going to bore you again with this year's resolutions. I'm sure you've all read enough about making them by now that you didn't even click over to read this post when you saw the title!

I will, however, say this. As much as I hate the month of January, I do love that it gives each of us a chance to start fresh. Whatever happened in 2009 can be forgotten. You now have a clean slate, can move on, and be a little better this year. If you fall off the wagon this month, however, don't think the entire year is headed for disaster! Each and every DAY, WEEK, or MONTH can be a fresh start. If one day you don't eat how you'd like, start fresh the next day. It doesn't have to be a MONDAY! It doesn't have to be JANUARY 1st! Resolving to be better, healthier, and happier can happen ANY DAY OF THE YEAR at ANY MOMENT! If the whole day has been a disaster, there's nothing wrong with going for an evening stroll to get back on track.

Make every day this year count. Heaven knows I made more failed resolutions last year than I'd like to admit. Chocolate fast? Lasted one day. Sugar fast? Maybe one week. And here I am at the beginning of another year hoping to be a little better.

And as for resolutions? I lied. I'll let you in on ONE goal I'm hoping to keep:

Do not DRIVE from Utah to Tennessee for any reason. If we can't fly, we're not going. Vacationing after a 28-hour drive feels how I would imagine a never-ending hangover would feel. I'm still recovering! Four entire days spent (with my lovely children) in the car is more than this expectant mama can handle!

Happy New Year! What are YOUR resolutions?

The TWELFTH Day of Fitness...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the TWELFTH Day of Fitness, FitMePink Blog gave to me, a day to be MERRY!

I can't believe Christmas is already here. I have nothing more to say than to wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS! We'll have much more to discuss in the coming year, but for now, enjoy the holiday GUILT-FREE! Christmas only comes once a year, so celebrate! Eat some goodies! Don't work out! Enjoy your families! And check back in 2010. Thanks for helping make my 2009 even better, FitMePeeps! I am truly grateful for each of you.

Merry Christmas!

The Eleventh Day of Fitness...ZUMBA!

2009-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the ELEVENTH Day of Fitness, FitMePink Blog gave to me...a ZUMBA dance PARTY!

For you FitMePeeps who have been around for a while, you remember that I (Robyn) am not the only contributor to this blog. I know...I've missed her, too. My sister, Kimberly has had a busier year, and has accomplished more than I've done in the last three years. So I guess I'll forgive her for not writing a post for...well...at least a year! Her husband has a little break from school, and for the first time in months, she actually had some free time on her hands, so she wrote about the benefits of ZUMBA...or as she put it...ZzzUUuumMMmBAa! For those of you who haven't met her yet, she's a certified Zumba, Pilates, Step, Dance, and Power Pump instructor. Yes...she's amazing!

A few months ago, I went to my first Zumba class. I LOVED it! My hips don't quite shake the way they're supposed to, but everyone else was worried about what THEY looked like, so it didn't matter what I looked like. I only wished I had a friend with me so I didn't feel so silly laughing the whole time! Here's what Kimberly had to say to about Zumba...

Zumba is a Latin-inspired, dance fitness class that incorporates Latin and international music and dance movements. The combination creates a dynamic, exciting, and EFFECTIVE fitness system! ZUMBA combines fast and slow dance rhythms that sculpt and tone the body. The cardio-based dance movements are easy to follow steps that also include body sculpting. These moves target areas such as the gluteals, legs, arms, core, abdominals, and the most important muscle in the body: the heart!

If you have never attended a ZUMBA class, the atmosphere feels like a PARTY! This healthy, fun, party-like environment makes the time pass quickly so it doesn't actually feel like exercise! The Latin music is exhilarating and exciting, so each participant naturally wants to move, and return to class again and again!

If you've never tried ZUMBA, here are some reasons to try:

It's Fun! Zumba is exercise in disguise! Each participant has so much fun they don't even realize they are exercising.
It's Different! The music, the steps, the moves, the class, the feel... are like no other!
It's Easy! Zumba is designed for everyone. Participants of any fitness level or any background, or any age can start Zumba right away.
It's Easy To Follow! Zumba is a cardio-based workout with components of resistance/ sculpting training to tone the entire body and achieve desired fitness goals.

When you attend your first Zumba class you will experience Merengue, Cumbia, Salsa, Reggaetone, Calypso, Samba, Hip Hop, and much more. Each of these dance styles will have you wanting to go back for more. The steps are easy to follow, fun to learn, and help you achieve great results! Zumba is also great for the mind, body, and soul!

A few of my favorite parts of class you should look forward to are:

The Booty Circle--Fantastic moves that work the quads, butt, and core! (Not to mention, super fun shaking that BOOTY!)
The Reggaetone Bounce--great for the arms, legs, butt, and core too!

If you're looking for some great Latin music to inspire you
and help you shake that BOOTY...here are a few of my favorites:

1. Quete Mueve
2. Santa Que
3. Rompe
4. Ketchup Song
5. Belly Danza

Long live ZUMBA!!!

Have any of you tried Zumba? What did you think? One of my New Year's Resolutions is to attend more "fun" and less "serious" classes. Zumba's at the top of my list. Thanks Kimberly!!!

The TENTH Day of Fitness...teaching your kids to love exercise!

2009-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the TENTH Day of Fitness, FitMePink Blog gave to me...workouts for the family!

As I've mentioned, we're currently visiting my parents for Christmas. I'm a little strange in that vacationing for me just means more time to work out! My husband happily watches the kids while I do my thing, or my parents watch the kids so we can go on a run together. It's great!

Yesterday morning, however, things weren't quite working out as planned. For some reason, my P90X DVD's won't play in my parents' player. So I've been using the computer. I woke up, changed my clothes, and started into a session of Plyometrics. I'm not sure I was mentally geared up for an intense workout anyway, but was super irritated when my kids found me upstairs in my sweaty state.

If they're in the room while I'm working out, I normally don't mind. But it's never very long before they're in need of something. I'm definitely a happier mama after working out, but during my workouts I often turn into monster mom. Leave me alone for 10 more minutes! Raaaaar!

At first, things started out okay. The kids were even jumping around with me. But then my almost two-year old found the computer. And before I even knew what she was doing, she turned it off. I freaked out, yelled for my husband to come get his children, started turning the computer back on, and decided to go for a run instead. The weather was beautiful, and I needed a place where I couldn't be bothered.

My 3-year old asked me where I was going, and I told him I was going running. He rushed off to get his shoes on before I could remind him that I was going alone. He came back in a few seconds all ready to go. I told him that I wanted to run by myself, and the tears started. I glanced at my heart rate monitor, irritated that I had already recovered from my first attempt at a workout, and started to walk out the door with a crying little boy still inside.

But then I remembered. This isn't really all about me. My THREE year old wants to go running. I should be jumping with joy that he, at his young age, thinks that running just to run sounds fun! I decided that I needed to be okay with the fact that I only got in a 40 minute workout instead of the full hour that I had planned. I am on a FAMILY vacation!

We grabbed our coats, and my little 3-year old and I set out on a "run." We went for about a mile in my parent's hilly neighborhood, and it was great! I got to hold my little guy's hand and listen to him as he told me to watch out for cars, as he counted airplanes that flew by overhead, and as he inspected all the neighbor's mailboxes for spider webs. I watched him run as fast as his little legs would carry him up the final descent to my parent's house, and laughed as he told me that he needed to lay down on the street to take a little nap when our run was over. I smiled as he put his hood on to "protect his face" if he fell. I marveled at his confidence as he bragged about what a great runner he is. And I loved that he wanted to eat a banana when the run was over to "give [him] back [his] energy".

One of my BIGGEST goals in life is to train my kids to enjoy living a healthy life. I'm pretty sure letting my 3-year old join me on my run did a lot more good for both of us than a solo run would have done for me. I may have burned a few more calories, but I would have ignored the passing planes, barking dogs, flying birds, and crawling bugs.

How selfish of me to think that my workout would be lacking if I let my little boy come along. I hope this experience will remind me of why I wanted to be a mom in the first place. As we walked up the steps to the front door, my son said, "Mom? You know why I wanted to run with you? Because I love you." All it took was ONE mile. If that's all it takes to bond with my kids, we're running every day! I love you too, little buddy!

How do you encourage your kids to be healthy and active?

The NINTH Day of Fitness...another healthy recipe!

2009-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the NINTH Day of Fitness, FitMePink Blog gave to me...another AWESOME recipe!

Obviously food is on my mind these days. I love eating! And I really love eating when I'm eating something that tastes good, and also has nutritional value!

One of my all time favorite things to eat is grilled pineapple! I love pineapple for all of it's health benefits (such as protection against coughs, colds, indigestion, and even blood clots. Pineapple juice is also a great post-workout recovery drink!) But even better? It also satisfies my sweet tooth!

A few months ago, I came across a recipe for grilled pineapple that I absolutely love. Here it is:

Paradise Grilled Pineapple

For the Glaze:
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

4 slices fresh pineapple (about 1/2 inch thick)
4 scoops vanilla icecream (optional...)

To make the glaze:
In a small saucepan, combine the glaze ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Keep the glaze warm, or reheat when ready to serve.

Grill the pineapple slices over indirect medium heat until well marked (6-8 minutes), turning once halfway through. I actually used a George Forman to grill mine, so the cooking time was cut in half.

Serve each pineapple slice with some glaze drizzled over the top, and a scoop of vanilla icecream on the side. (Try the Breyers Double Churn Free Creamy Vanilla fat-free icecream! Yum!)

The EIGHTH Day of Fitness...Disease Fighting Foods

2009-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the EIGHTH Day of Fitness, the FitMePink blog gave to me...foods that keep you healthy!

So we made it across the country with no major incidents. My husband was pulled over in Colorado, but there was no ticket! Hooray! Kids in the backseat must be good for something. I wasn't in the driver's seat, so no tears were shed. We drove a lot slower the rest of the way, but eventually still made it to our destination. Woo hoo!

Despite packing healthy snacks, I ate a few too many greasy hamburgers on the road. And I'm feeling it! One reason I try so hard to be healthy is because my digestive system seriously can't handle loads of junk. I. NEED. FIBER. Hemorrhoids are not my friends.

So this week, along with the treats I'll surely eat, I'm going to try to pack in some good stuff as well.

You've all surely heard the buzz about antioxidants. We all literally need them to help prevent certain diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and those caused by aging. Little is known about how they work, or what makes them function best. Some antioxidants are believed to be more potent than others, and that their potency can be affected by cooking and digestion. For example, blueberries are most potent when eaten raw. Tomatoes, on the other hand, are more potent when cooked.

Here is a list of 20 foods with the highest concentration of antioxidants to add to your diet. For the best results, eat a wide variety! It's my personal philosophy that the better we eat and exercise, the more wiggle room we have for treat allowance! Eat this stuff, and you can have some of the eleventy billion treats left on your doorstep this week! (Feel free to go snag some off my porch, too! )

Pomegranates
Small Red Beans (dried)
Wild Blueberries
Red Kidney Beans
Pinto Beans
Blueberries (cultivated)
Cranberries
Artichokes (cooked)
Blackberries
Prunes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Red Delicious Apples
Granny Smith Apples
Pecans
Sweet Cherries
Black Plums
Gala Apples
Black Beans (dried)
Plums

Lots of these foods are probably already a part of your holiday diet. What's Christmas without cranberries, pomegranates, and (chocolate covered) cherries! Eat up!

The SEVENTH Day of Fitness...7 reasons to drink water!

2009-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the SEVENTH Day of Fitness, FitMePink Blog gave to Me...7 tips for when you're THIRSTY!

That's right, FitMePeeps...today, I'm talking about WATER! I don't know about you, but when it's 2 degrees outside, the last thing I really want is ice-cold water! That's exactly how freeeeezing it was a few weeks ago as I headed to the gym at dark-o-thirty in the morning. But I drank anyway. When I'm exercising, it's usually easy to remember to drink. But whether you're exercising or not, it's so important to stay hydrated! Here are a few reasons to keep you drinking this winter (WATER, that is...)

WEIGHT LOSS! If you're trying to lose weight, water should be your best friend! It's an appetite suppressant, and ZERO calories! Sometimes when you THINK you're hungry, you might just be thirsty! Drink water before eating...always!
ENERGY! Water is a form of fuel for the body. If you're dehydrated, you're much more likely to feel tired. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Keep drinking!
NATURAL HEADACHE CURE! Often, a symptom of dehydration is a splitting headache! Before reaching for the pills, drink some water!
DIGESTION! Water helps keep you regular...'nuff said!
HEALTHIER SKIN!
BETTER EXERCISE! You'll be able to work harder, and more efficiently if you're drinking water while you work out. Even if you're a swimmer, you still need to drink water...at least a cup every 15 minutes! Drink some before, during, and after exercise.
YOUR BODY CAN'T FUNCTION WITHOUT IT!

If you have a hard time drinking water, try these tips:

Carry a bottle with you. My favorite is the Camelbak. I just bought some for my kids, too. They LOVE them, and carry them around to drink all day. It's more fun to drink out of a cute bottle!

If you don't like the taste, add flavor! Try fresh fruits like lime, lemon, orange, blood orange, tangerines, pineapple, or whatever fruit you like. You can also add mint leaves, or cucumber like they do at the spa.
Start slowly. If you're not a water drinker now, start by upping your water intake by one extra glass a day.

One extra motivation for me right now, is that water helps relieve pregnancy nausea! When I start to feel sick, I take a few sips, and I usually feel better! Yay for water!

The SIXTH Day of Fitness...More Natural Remedies

2009-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the SIXTH Day of Fitness, FitMePink Blog gave to me...MORE NATURAL REMEDIES!

Remember when I tried going shampoo-free? I still wash my hair with baking soda and rinse with apple cider vinegar, but I realized that doing it every day doesn't work for me. So most days, I still use shampoo and conditioner. But once or twice a week, I do the baking soda and vinegar wash. For now, this works for me.

For a lot of people, it seems they're either green, or they're not. I'm sort of in-between. I'm slowly adopting more and more green habits, but old habits die hard. In theory, I would love to be all green. But for me, most "green" habits are experimental. I learn about some, I try some, I keep some, I throw some out.

If I care so much about not letting harsh chemicals enter my body through my scalp, then shouldn't I also worry about what I'm putting on my face, body, and teeth? The following natural remedies are those I've read about, but haven't actually tried yet. I will definitely try them (sometime in January when there's nothing more exciting to do than make my own deodorant), and we'll see which ones stick. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking, and possibly experimenting with me:

CLEAN YOUR FACE NATURALLY via The Oil-Cleansing Method! Yes...it sounds a little strange to consider cleaning your face WITH oil, especially if your skin is already oily. But OIL isn't actually the culprit of oily skin! According to acne.org, oil actually dissolves oil, and when done properly, the Oil Cleansing Method can clear the skin of issues like oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, blackheads, whiteheads, and other problems caused by mild to moderate acne. Your skin will be properly balanced, moisturized, and healthy. The most popular blend of oils for this method is castor oil and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO).

If you have normal skin, use a one-to-one ratio of castor oil and EVOO.
If you are acne prone, or have oily skin, use less EVOO. Try three parts castor oil to one part EVOO.
If your skin is dry, try using one part castor oil to three parts EVOO.
Apply a small amount to DRY skin (don't splash with water first). Gently rub it in for about a minute.
Wet a washcloth with hot (not scalding) water, and apply it to your face for about a minute as it steams out your pores, removes dead skin cells, and other impurities.
Rinse the washcloth, and wipe your face off.

MAKE YOUR OWN TOOTHPASTE! Simplemom uses this recipe:

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
2 to 3 Tablespoons Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon of Stevia Powder
A few drops of pure peppermint extract

Mix it all together until it's just like toothpaste!

MAKE YOUR OWN DEODORANT! (As found on eHow.com)

Mix 1/4 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup cornstarch in a small bowl.
Add coconut oil, a Tablespoon at a time until all the dry ingredients have been mixed in (about 4-6 Tbsp.)
If you want more scent, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
Make sure your coconut oil is in it's solid form. It has a melting point of 76 degrees F. You may need to refrigerate it at first.
The easiest way to apply the deodorant is to pack it into an old, empty deodorant/anti-perspirant container. Shape into a curve with a spoon, and apply as usual!

What natural remedies have you tried? Which of these are you going to try next? Or do you think it's all ridiculous given the modern conveniences of our day?

The FIFTH Day of Fitness...TRAVELING SNACKS

2009-12-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

On the FIFTH Day of Fitness, the FitMePink Blog gave to me...HEALTHY SNACKS FOR TRAVELING!

Today and tomorrow, I am traveling. Yes, driving. Across the country. With TWO small children. For 27-ish hours. Sound fun? I'm hoping we survive. Strangely, I'm actually really looking forward to this road trip. I love seeing new parts of the country. It brings my little bubble of a world into perspective.

I grew up on road trips. The drive from Southern California to Utah used to feel so long, but now I would love to have my parents only 10 hours away instead of 27! Before becoming a parent, I didn't realize how much planning and preparation a long road trip could require. Twenty-seven hours worth of snacks and entertainment is no small task. If I could only just let them eat gas station junk, my life would be easier. But I can't. And actually, that much sugar in their systems for two days really wouldn't make my life easier in the long run. So I've shopped, and I've baked, and I've packed things that I'm okay with feeding my kids for the next few days on the road. (Not to mention 27-hours worth of movies for them to watch...how did our parents survive without DVD players in the car growing up?)

I'm going to let you in on a few of the goodies packed in the car. (That I'm choosing to share with you because I love them...not because any company has given me any incentives to share their products!)

SUN-RYPE fruitsource Mini Bites I HATE fruit snacks! The name is deceiving...they (for the most part) are NOT made of fruit! They are pure sugar! But these little fruit snacks are AWESOME! They are made of nothing BUT fruit! (And I buy them at Costco!)

This is another FAVORITE that my kids like even more than the Sun-Rype Mini Bites: Stretch Island Fruit Leathers. I buy a box of 48 from Costco for about $10. The flavors are awesome, and there's nothin' but fruit in them! They're a bit sticky, but I'm always prepared with lots of wet wipes! (Especially on road trips)!

With this pregnancy, I've actually had a major salt tooth. While these Sensible Portions "Veggie" Chips probably aren't the healthiest snack option out there, they are a great choice when you just need some chips! Yes...they are made with some veggies, a little salt, and they're baked. So less fat than regular potato chips! Yum!

I've also packed an assortment of trail mix, Chex mix, dried mangoes & berries, string cheese, apples, oranges, fresh pineapple slices, carrot sticks, and homemade goodies and muffins. Here are a few muffin recipes we'll be eating...enjoy!

Pear Muffins (From The Best Life Diet)

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/4 cups nonfat milk

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups All-Bran cereal (Original, not Extra Fiber)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large unpeeled pear, shredded (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup chopped prunes (dried plums) with orange essence

2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and place the rack in the center of the oven. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix the milk, maple syrup, oil, and egg. Stir in the All-Bran and let stand 5 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the bran mixture. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the pear and dried plums.

Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of wheat germ over each muffin. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins feel springy when pressed gently. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Serve warm or cool.

Pumpkin Muffins
(made in my blender!)

2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup pumpkin cooked
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 cups flour (I use 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place all the ingredients in the blender in the order listed, or mix all together in a bowl. Pour into muffin cups, 1/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

How do you survive long road trips? Wish me luck!

The FOURTH Day of Fitness...Pregnancy Tips

2009-12-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the FOURTH Day of Fitness, FitMePink Blog gave to me...TIPS FOR YOUR PREGNANCY!

When I was pregnant with my daughter a few years ago, I was determined not to stop working out. I received a lot of slack from a lot of people. I needed to take it easy. I was hurting the baby. It wasn't healthy to work out so much. Blah, blah, blah. I felt pretty in tune with my body, and thought I knew what signs to look for to tell me to slow down. The first time I knew I needed to calm down a bit was pretty early on. I'd run 6 miles that morning, and my husband and I were outside visiting with a neighbor in the evening. I started blacking out, said I needed to sit down, and the next thing I knew, I woke up to my neighbor pouring water on my face while my husband tried to wake me up. I'd never passed out before. The nurse reassured me that passing out is actually normal when you're pregnant. Who knew?

I continued working out like I had before, and let my growing body gradually slow me down. When I was in the hospital, the nurse told me that I had an awesome baby. My contractions didn't phase her one bit. Her heart rate remained constant no matter what my body did. She attributed it to my working out.

Last April, I found out I was (unexpectedly) pregnant. I found out on a Thursday morning, and went on a long 13-mile run that Saturday. Later that day, at a family Easter party, I started bleeding. I had miscarried. For a while, I blamed the long run, although my doctor and nurse both told me it was completely unrelated. I couldn't help but wonder, though.

When I studied to be a Personal Trainer several years ago, I remember learning about pregnant women and exercise. I even told women not to let their heart rates go higher than 140 bpm. But myself? I've completely disregarded my own advice with each pregnancy, and continued exercising at a high intensity. And (so far), this pregnancy is no different. I'm 13 weeks pregnant (hallelujah...welcome back, energy!) Two days ago, I cycled. Yesterday, I ran. My heart rate went as high as 180 bpm as I sprinted for 3 minutes. And I feel great! BUT...should every pregnant woman exercise this intensely? The answer is a resounding NO!!!! Should I? Probably not for long, but for now I feel okay. Your level of activity BEFORE getting pregnant should help determine your level of activity WHILE with child.

Traditionally, pregnant women have been cautioned to stop intense physical, high-impact activity. Dr. James Clapp III, author of Exercising Through Your Pregnancy, however, has studied the effects of frequent, lengthy, intense workouts on athletes. He actually found that pregnant athletes' bodies were not only conditioned to handle these strenuous workouts, but that they actually had easier, healthier pregnancies! And the babies? Healthy and fine!

The key is listening to your body, and slowing down as it needs to! I definitely won't run my whole pregnancy...somewhere between 20 and 32 weeks I'll NEED to stop. But I will cycle. I will lift. I may switch to lighter weights at some point, but I won't stop (that is if all goes well...if my doctor says "STOP," I'll listen! But if the lady next to me on the treadmill says "STOP," I'll just politely smile and keep running!)

But what is my advice for other expectant or future-expectant mommies?

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR! If you want to excercise, get the go ahead, then GO AHEAD! If you have certain medical conditions, you may have to stop or modify your exercise. Just ask!
DRINK LOTS OF WATER! You don't want to raise your core body temperature...especially in early pregnancy, so stay hydrated! (Even while swimming...you may not feel thirsty, but drink up!) Dehydration late in pregnancy can cause pre-term labor!
Don't skip the warm-up, or the cool-down! Avoid injury! And remember that the pregnancy hormone relaxin softens tendons and ligaments, so overflexing or extending the knee joints isn't a good idea unless you're conditioned for it.
STOP EXERCISING IMMEDIATELY if you feel light headed, chest pains, or if you experience vaginal bleeding, uterine contractions, or if your membranes rupture.
Eat a balanced diet! You NEED to replace the calories and glucose used during exercise!
AVOID EXERCISES ON YOUR BACK after the first trimester, or if you feel light-headed or dizzy.
Enjoy the miracle that is happening inside of you, and listen to what your body tells you!

And BEFORE getting pregnant, CLOSE YOUR DIASTASIS! Read more about this awful gap in your recti muscles here!

How do you feel about pregnancy and exercise? Do you use pregnancy as an excuse to slow down, or as a reason to keep on? Am I crazy for continuing to work out intensely? Should I stop? Discuss!

The THIRD Day of Fitness...TRADITIONS!

2009-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the THIRD day of fitness, FitMePink Blog gave to me...TRADITIONS in my family!

What is it about traditions, especially around the holidays, that make them so important to us? I remember getting married, and being a little worried when Christmas came around. What if the husband didn't like the idea of pajamas on Christmas Eve? Or what if he hated our Christmas morning breakfast casserole? Or what if he wasn't okay with spending every holiday with my family? Somehow our lives have merged just fine, and I'm even okay with spending an occasional Christmas Eve with my awesome in-laws!

As a child, I remember looking forward to each of our holiday traditions. But looking back, it wasn't necessarily the fulfillment of each ritual that brought value to Christmas. It was the stability and trust I gained from each activity. When a certain thing happened year in and year out, I had something to rely on. Everything else in life changes, but certain things around the holidays should never change! They give each individual a sense of belonging, trust, and identity!

I grew up in California, but all of our extended family lived in Utah. More often than not, Christmas was actually spent away from our own home. But that didn't matter! Regardless of where we were, my family made a point of carrying out all the necessary traditions!

This year is the first year as a parent that I actually have a child old enough to sort of understand what's going on! While this has definitely made Christmas shopping trickier, I've thought a lot about the importance of establishing some traditions for my own family. Most will probably continue from my husband's and my families. But I'm hoping to start some of my own as well!

Some things I've tried haven't gone over so well this year, but hopefully as we continue, they'll catch on. For example, I truly believe that Christmas is a time to teach our kids to be giving and generous. Unfortunately this year, my son has cried every time we've purchased a present for a child other than him. At our church, for example, we chose an item off a "giving tree" to purchase for a family in need. We have no idea who the "Transformer Toy" will go to, but my son is NOT happy about it. He was also the only child at the party who cried after sitting on Santa's lap because he didn't get to tell him ALL the presents on his list. As a 3 1/2 year old, Christmas is still a time of selfish wanting, but as the years pass, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there's hope for the wanting heart of his!

I definitely believe there are ways to incorporate healthy living into the holidays, but I don't think it's the time to stress over it! And for the record, it's a myth that the average person gains 10 pounds over the holidays! It's more like 1 pound...easily lost with healthy living once the New Year begins!

So here's a can-definitely-be-modified-to-create-a-healthier-version Christmas morning casserole. To me, Christmas morning just isn't Christmas morning without it!

1 lb. sausage (Jimmy Dean Regular) feel free to substitute turkey sausage

8 slices of bread (remove crust, cut into cubes) I use whole wheat

6 large eggs

3/4 tsp. dry mustard

2 1/2 cups milk

2 cups sharp milk

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 can milk (c. of mushroom soup can)

Brown sausage, drain well.

Spray 9X13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Sprinkle bread on bottom.

Sprinkle sausage over bread.

Whip 6 large eggs, then add 3/4 tsp. mustard and 2 1/2 cups of milk.

Pour egg mixture over the bread and sausage.

Grate 2 cups sharp cheese, and sprinkle over the top.

Refrigerate over-night.

Pour 1 can cream of mushroom soup mixed with 1/2 can of milk over entire dish.

Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting it.

YUM! Eat while sitting in your new jammies opened the night before.

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

The SECOND Day of Fitness...MUSIC and FITNESS!

2009-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the SECOND DAY OF FITNESS, FitMePink Blog gave to me...MUSIC HELPS SLIM THE HINEY!

That's right! I'm not sure we needed an official study to let us in on this secret, but it's official! This recent study found that people who cycled in sync with music needed 7% less oxygen than those who biked while just background music played.

If I'm going for a casual run, I actually don't mind running without music. Did any of you catch the quote in Bride Wars about iPods? If not, here it is:

"We can't run with an iPod because iPods are for people who
can't be alone with their own thoughts."

I love that quote! But I also sort of disagree! If I'm running a race, going on a long training run, or just need some extra motivation for a tough workout, I. NEED. MUSIC. And not just ANY music will do! Music really should actually be tailored to the workout itself.

Researchers suggest the following criteria for choosing a play list:

strong, energizing rhythm
positive lyrics having associations with movement
rhythmic pattern matched to the movement pattern of the activity
uplifting melodies and harmonies
associations with sport, exercise, triumph, or overcoming adversity
musical style or idiom suited to an athlete's taste or cultural upbringing
choose tracks with different tempi to coincide with alternate low-, medium-, and high-intensity training

Blah, blah, blah. Great advice, but here's mine: Choose music you like that motivates you to work as hard as (or harder than) you plan on working! Here are a few of my playlist favorites:

I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe) I love having this as my FIRST song in a race
I Run For Life (Melissa Etheridge) Another must-have race song!
Pork and Beans (Weezer)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) (Beyonce)
Hot and Cold (Katy Perry)
Irreplaceable (Beyonce)
Jai Ho (A.R. Rahman)
Unwritten (Natasha Bedingfield)
I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)
Life Would Suck Without You (Kelly Clarkson)
Party In The U.S.A. (Miley Cyrus)
Lose Yourself (Eminem) Great for hill climbs!
Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood)

The list could go on. I get excited when each of those songs comes on...every time! So for your next workout, feel free to Pump Up The Jam! We all know it doesn't mean you're not comfortable with your own thoughts...you're just training efficiently! Woo hoo!

The FIRST day of fitness...interval training!

2009-12-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

A year ago today, the 12 Days of Fitness began. I wasn't sure whether it would happen this year, but my Father-In-Law somehow magically brought my computer back from the dead, so the tradition will go on. YAY!

Today is already the FIRST DAY OF FITNESS! Can you believe it? Christmas is only 12 days away. Yikes! For most of us, fitness will probably be on the back burner until the new year. But check in when you have a minute between sips of eggnog, holiday parties, crowded malls, stocking stuffing, goodie eating, and Christmas caroling! For the next 12 days leading up to the most joyous of holidays, I will have some sort of something health and fitness related for your reading pleasure. (How's that for vague?) Enjoy! And let the countdown begin!

ON THE FIRST DAY OF FITNESS, FitMePink Blog gave to me....AN AWESOME INTERVAL WORKOUT!

This morning, in honor of the 12 Days of Christmas, my cycle instructor led us in an awesome interval workout...with TWELVE 4-minute intervals. I loved it! I've mentioned before why I love spinning, AND why I love interval training.

Interval training is basically SUPER HIGH intensity work alternated by periods of lower activity. For me, the "lower activity" is more like an active recovery. You don't stop...you continue working, just at a lower intensity while your heart rate slows a bit (without fully recovering). Many believe that interval training is more effective at inducing fat loss than just training at a moderate intensity for the same amount of time. Interval training is the secret weapon for endurance athletes, body builders, and those of us who just need a good fat-burning workout (especially after all the goodies I ate last weekend!) It's the ultimate training tool...whatever your goal!

Here's the basic workout we did today (which could be modified for a treadmill, elliptical, or even outdoors!) If you don't have a heart rate monitor to tell you what level of intensity you're working at, go by your own Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). 100% effort would basically be the speed you'd run or cycle at to save your life!

0:00-6:00: Warm-up

6:00-9:00: Cycle at 60-70% effort

9:00-10:00: Sprint at 90-95% effort

10:00-11:00: Active Recovery

11:00-13:00: Cycle at 70-80% effort (adjusting the resistance and speed...more resistance, slower speed will bring your heart rate up just as less resistance, higher speed will)

13:00-14:00: Sprint at 90-95% effort

Continue this pattern (3 minutes 70-80% effort, 1 minute sprint) until you've done this TWELVE times! That's 12 minutes of sprinting, which all at once would be impossible, but broken up in intervals is totally doable...and you'll feel fabulously sweaty and great when you're done!

54:00-60:00: Cool down and stretch! (Then go eat a truffle...you earned it. Just kidding! I would NEVER justify such a thing. Especially not today. Ahem.)

Come back tomorrow for the second day of fitness!

SOF SOLE WINNERS!!!

2009-12-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest for Sof Sole insoles and PINK socks! Maybe next time I'll get enough freebies to send along to everyone! For now, random.org has spoken, and here are the winners:

Sof Sole Insoles: TRENDA

PINK socks: HEIDI

Send me your mailing info, and your presents shall be on their way! (Fitmepink at gmail dot com)

Have a great weekend!

P.S. Our computer crashed, so I'm at my in-law's. Hopefully we'll be up and running again soon!