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Fitness, Health

The Hardest 20 Miles

For some reason, when I hit 300 miles, I thought ending my goal would be a piece of cake. What’s 65 miles at that point? Like a walk in the park, right?

I was so wrong. I’m 20 miles – COUNT IT – 20 miles from my final goal of hitting 365 miles in 2013. Every time I go to run, I hit a mile and think, “I’ll do two tomorrow.” I take a day off and then go for a run and do two miles. “Tomorrow I’ll do three. Just do a quick 5K.”

It feels like my body is rebelling. It can smell the pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving, knows it’s getting colder and would rather curl up with a hot chocolate coated in a layer of whipped cream, and dreams of warm blankets and afternoons watching movies.

Please tell me this happens to everyone else. I started this year so strong, and I’m having a few moments of weakness. I’m up a few pounds and no matter how hard I tell myself I worked for this, I’m still slacking.

Looking for words of encouragement or advice. If you’ve got some, please share. Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner. So much food, so little time.

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October 29, 2013 by
Fitness, Health

Let the Workout Madness Begin

One of my best friends is trying to kill me.

No, not in a serial killer way. She’s just trying to get us to work out more since we’ve both fallen off the workout wagon. Pumpkin donuts, apple cider, and ice cream are way too tempting when the leaves turn colors and the temperature drops. Sweater weather also gives the illusion that you can be frumpy inside your big, baggy tops. I’m making excuses, I know. But I bet you’ve said the same thing.

My friend’s idea to ward off fat is brilliant, but brutal. A monthly workout planner with day-by-day routine. The problem is . . . she wants to do three to five days each day. Kind of an accelerated plan, with a death wish. So, on Day 1, I wouldn’t just do Day 1’s workout. I’d do Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and maybe Day 4 if I’m ambitious.

So I tested day one.

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Crunches. Easy. Done in no time doing day 1, 2, 3, and 4. I even threw in some extra bicycles and mason twists.

Leg Lifts. A bit harder, but totally manageable.

Then came the planks. Usually I’m not a complainer. And I usually do three 1-minute planks in a gym session. But doing a short session, then another session, and yet another short session, got really frustrating quickly.

So, being that I’m thoroughly worn out. I’m hoping I get rock hard abs in a month. Or at least that my pants start fitting again. Here’s hoping. If you’ve got some inspiration on staying motivated, send it my way.

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October 15, 2013 by
Food, Health

Salads, Can’t Live Without Them

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Some people might think I’m crazy for overhauling my eating habits.

Condiment smeared, cheese covered sandwich for lunch? No, I’d rather have a salad.

Chicken carbonara with extra bacon? No, salad.

Ice cream sundae? No, I’d rather … wait, I’m not that crazy!

To be honest, I have started saying no to carb-filled food. Instead of two tacos, I’ll have one taco and then put what I would have stuffed in a second shell on the side. The bread I buy now gets checked for calories and fiber before I purchase it. Who would have thought I’d ever be this finicky.

When I was college I used to make huge batches of rice in this gnarly old rice cooker we found at the campus swap meet. It was kinda dingy and needed to be put down, but I couldn’t help myself. It was expected that one day my roomies would come home to a pile of rice on the floor, the ever mounting idea that I would turn into what I was eating.

I didn’t turn into rice. My waistline just ballooned.

So now, when I think of rice, bread, tortilla shells, and anything that could possibly alter my caloric intake for the day, I monitor my other meals. Like lunch the other day, stopped at the supermarket, bought a few ounces of peppered flank steak, a Roma tomato, cucumber, and fresh salad mix. Cooked up the steak on the office stove, diced up those tomatoes very fine (same with the cucumber) and topped it a light splash of Ken’s Light Peppercorn and Parmesan dressing.

Delicious, carb-free, and I could eat that for days!

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September 15, 2013 by
Health

Ladies Weekend

So this post should have been done weeks ago, but being summer, I’ve been slacking a bit. Forgive me. I promise I’ll start cooking again once it cools down and I can handle standing next to the stove.

To back up, my bestie from high school and I planned a ladies weekend getaway and bless her heart, she decided to go along with anything I threw at her. Including a 5K that raised money for Dana Farber. This is half of my summer goal of doing four 5Ks and it was the same 5K I ran last summer, but this year I kicked it up a notch, shaving off 45 seconds on my average mile per minute. Yup! You read that right.

Even after the race both of us were smiles. She’s such a doll for doing this with me.

It probably didn’t hurt that we planned a massage, manicure, and a pedicure immediately following our run. Gotta say, it helps get you to the finish line faster knowing there’s a treat at the end. So what I’m getting out of this is that for the next two 5Ks I’m running this summer, I better plan a treat for the end. All I know is that I’m making white tutus for the next one for the group of us that are running the Color Run in September. Can’t wait!

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July 18, 2013 by