Three Things I Learned in Zumba

Yes, me with the two left feet ... I went to Zumba this morning. As long as I was already awake for the 5:30 a.m. Girls Got Grit Friday group, I figured I might as well hit Peggy's 7:15 a.m. Zumba class on the same side of town. In for a penny, in for a pound or something like that.

(Well, that and since I ate more than my fair share of calories yesterday ... the best of which was oddly not the sliver of cherry pie and a sliver of French Silk, but the yeasty rolls from Sam's Club ... it seemed like a good idea to burn a few extra on what is normally my "day off" of exercise.)

I had to wonder, "Who is this woman?" as I walked into St. William's gym. I was about to dance in front of a group of women I'd never met before, wearing workout clothes and bed head. This is not like me. At all.

I settled into the back row and set my chin. Off we went.

Here's what I learned:

1. I don't have what was referred to as Meringue Hips. 
2. It's good to have an older lady and a spitfire in front of you. The older lady reminds you that you simply MUST make enough effort to out-do her since she's 20 years older than you. And the hoppy, jumpy spitfire inadvertently taunts you ... "Pick it up, Lazy Ass. You don't have to look like Peggy to be good at this." 
3. The "packaging" of exercise fads might change, but the basics are the same as they have always been. Want your butt to look better? Do butt lifts and leg lifts and get on your hands and knees and kick out behind you. Want your abs to look better? Do crunches in any configuration you can think of. Chest? Push-ups. Add some zippy fiesta music with people yelling "Arriba," and it's Zumba. Give the instructor fatigues and a whistle and it's boot camp. Hip hop? R.I.P.P.E.D. 

It was fun. I wasn't good, and because I concentrated a bit too much on getting the steps right, I didn't get my heart rate as high as I do in R.I.P.P.E.D. But I bet my sister would be awesome at it.

She has, as they say, Meringue Hips.

I am pretty sure I looked exactly like this. You can see how coordinated I am, even in a still photo. Oh, and my abs look like that, too. 

Gobble, Gobble

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. The universal day of eating.

My favorite holiday, hands down. (Even though I essentially vaporized a 22-lb. bird today and had to start over ... oy vey. Nothing like a little crisis to get the heart pumping!)

For those of us trying to eat better, to eat mindfully, it can be a bit of a problem.

My best advice? Make a plan. Know what you're going to do before you get there. Tell someone your plan so you're more likely to stick to it.

Here's how I have handled the big event in years past. My perspective has not changed.

Thanksgiving Cometh
Do You Have Your Thanksgiving Game Plan?

New Runner, Chapter 17

(I am behind on my New Runner posts and there is good news to report. So, without further adieu ... )

NEW RUNNER: I did it!!! 2 1/4 miles!!!

I did walk three times for about 20 steps to catch my breath and get a swig of water ... but I (almost) did it!!!!

I got out of work early, so I came home, changed my clothes, went out and ran. It FEELS GOOD!

Now, if I can do without the little breaks, I'll be good to go!

MISS DAISY: Yee haw!!! That's sooooo awesome! And remember, even MARATHON RUNNERS walk the water stations. So you are TOTALLY running!

NEW RUNNER: Damn weather. Resorted to the elliptical on Saturday. Too cold and windy.

MISS DAISY: I skipped my long run on Saturday, too. WAAAY too cold and windy to be outside. Better to use your head. I also firmly believe it's good for your body to switch it up every now and again ... don't let it get in a routine. I am sure hoping for some sun on race day.

TAKE NOTE, CC READERS: New Runner started running less than two months ago. Her first post was October 1 and her first run was October 2. She's running three times a week, using a Couch-to-5K program. That's three days a week for 30-45 minutes each time. Completely doable. And she's RUNNING. She's perfectly ready to run a 5K now, though I'm not sure she's ready to believe that in her head.

My point? It can be done. It doesn't take a lot of time. It doesn't take a bunch of equipment. You can do it anytime, anywhere, in most weather conditions. It's doable! You can do it, too!

Food is Love ... and So Much More

I'm in a strange place right now with food. I kind of hate it. I hate the "power" it seems to have over me. Or, more correctly, the power I give it.

I thought a lot about food this weekend. I know food is fuel. I know food is necessary. Functional. It can also be dangerous ... you know, in a PMS-and-a-pan-of-brownies kind of way. It can be celebratory, like wedding cake and birthday steak.

But it is also so much more than that.

I spent this weekend with my best friends from childhood. We try to get together at least once a year for a weekend away from husbands and kids, schedules and responsibilities. It's often in the fall, and almost always involves lots of talking, even more giggling, shopping, just a few drinks and eating. Occasionally lots of all of those things.

This weekend was a bit different. One of us is going through a very difficult time. She's losing her dad. While the original plan was to head to the Fox Cities and have a light-hearted couple of days, that agenda simply couldn't work for her and what she's dealing with. So, we moved the getaway to her, knowing we may not see her at all, but hoping that if she needed a break from her situation or if it took a turn for the worse, we'd be there, support and hugs ready to administer.

Friday night, we picked up pizzas from the same pizza joint we frequented as teenagers, stopped at the grocery store where half of us worked during those same formative years for snacks and a few adult beverages. Then we went to her house. We sat around her table and we talked and listened and laughed and cried. We cried a lot. And we ate.

The food mirrored the conversation ... it was familiar and comfortable. How many times in our lives had we sat together and shared a meal? This meal? I know we ate pizza 30 years ago and discussed break-ups, parental injustice and whatever else we thought was so important way back then. I am sure we did the same when we graduated college or on the night before our weddings. I am willing to bet there was pizza when our babies came. And though the pizza was different, I know it was there this past summer when those same babies graduated from high school. And here we were again, facing the death of a parent, seated around a table, trying to figure out how to help one of us get through this awful time. Together. Eating.

And then, after a short few hours of sleep, we woke up and went back to that grocery store, this time for actual ingredients. While there was no way we could make the situation any better ... no words we could say, no function we could perform ... we could make some food and take one thing off the family's list of things to worry about.

We cooked together. We danced around the kitchen, like a well-rehearsed ballet. One stirred. One diced. One measured. We talked. We laughed. We welled up. We nibbled. And in a couple of hours, we had two full meals, with two pans of Scotcharoos, ready to deliver. All of our love and all of our support in four disposable foil pans.

That night, after dinner, we pulled together again. We sat as our dear friend talked about her very difficult day. We toasted to our friendship and to her dad. And yes, we cut into one pan of Scotcharoos.

Nothing we ate all weekend was healthy in a PX90 sort of way.

But it was all good for the soul. It fortified and nourished us in a way that not much else can.  ... because it was shared with people we love at a time when we needed it most.

Guest Post: What Do You Love?

Today's post came in the form of a message to me via Facebook. I hope the writer will not be angry that I have shared it. I think she's dead on and I would love it if you'd use the comment section below or the CC Facebook page to post YOUR responses to her challenge at the end. 

As women, we need to give ourselves more. That means developing better relationships with our self. It's a daily job and there are hundreds of opportunities throughout the day to be kind to ourselves, but unfortunately, we usually do the opposite. 

We are all unique and at the same time, we are all one. You should not be any different; you should not be anywhere other than where you are at this very moment. Everything is fine. Everything is just as it should be. 

Breathe and think of three things you love about yourself. I'll go first: 

I love my body. I love me just as I am. I am a woman and I am me. That is enough. I am enough. Everything I need, I have it now. I love my body. I am not perfect, I am me. I am a woman and I have padding, but I am also strong and work hard at it. Nothing comes easy to me and I like it that way because I appreciate it more. I can still smile and be happy for everything I have and everything I am. Each of our imperfections are perfect. They make us who we are. Today, I am (I took out her name, and even using her CC handle seemed too personal) and that is enough. Your turn ...

Miss Daisy will go next to get your started: 

I love that I now know I am strong. Inside and out. My legs can carry me. My head understands that I am capable. And my heart knows what I am doing is right for me. My body is not the thinnest. It is not the most perfect. But it is MINE. I earned it ... all of it ... good parts and "bad" parts. I love that I know I am in charge. I can change what I don't like and celebrate--without apology--what I do like. And, if I'm being totally honest, I love seeing my collar bone in the mirror as I run on the treadmill in some hotel fitness center at 5:30 a.m. ... because every time I see it, I think, "Ha! That Miss Daisy is one tough chick."

Eating, Week of Nov. 10, 2013

(I am keeping track of my food for the Girls Got Grit program. And it was easiest for me to do it here.) 

MONDAY
7:30 a.m. Whole wheat sandwich thin (100 cal), 1.5T Skippy Natural Peanut Butter, 1c red seedless grapes, 1 can Cherry Coke Zero

10:15 a.m. Two cucumber sandwiches. Each contains 1 slice cocktail rye, 1t cream cheese, 1 slice cucumber

12:45 p.m.-3 p.m. 2C raw veg, 1t dip, two hard boiled egg whites.

3:45 p.m. Spark

Exercise: 6 p.m. Melt with modifications.

7 p.m. Stir fry with half head of red cabbage, onion, garlic, olive oil; whole wheat sandwich thin with 1/2t butter, 1 pretzel.

8 p.m. 1 square Dove dark chocolate.

TUESDAY:
Exercise: 5:30 a.m. 45 minute bike ride with intervals.

7:30 a.m. Whole wheat sandwich thin (100 cal), 1.5T Skippy Natural Peanut Butter, 1c red seedless grapes, 1 can Cherry Coke Zero

10:30 a.m.  3/4 C aw carrots/cauliflower, 10 almonds, Diet Coke

12:30 p.m. 1 C raw carrots/cauliflower. I string cheese. 2 pretzels. 4 almonds. 2 17-calorie Ginger chews.

3:30 p.m. 1 apple, 10 almonds. Diet Coke.

Exercise: 4:30 p.m. 25 minutes elliptical.

Exercise: 5 p.m. RIPPED.

6:30 p.m. Whole wheat tortilla, 3 oz. turkey deli meat, 2 slices pepperjack cheese, 1C raw cauliflower. 2 pretzels.

8:30 p.m. 1 Dove Dark square

WEDNESDAY
6:30 a.m.: Whole wheat sandwich thin (100 cal), 1.5T Skippy Natural Peanut Butter, 1c red seedless grapes, 1 can Cherry Coke Zero.

10:30 a.m. Snack: 3/4 C raw carrots/cauliflower, 10 almonds, Diet Coke

12:00 Lunch: Sabre pretzel/hummus combo, 3/4 C carrots/cauliflower

3 p.m.: 10 almonds, 1 apple

Exercise: 5 p.m.: Run 4 miles

6:30 p.m. Italian stirfry: summer squash, red pepper, red onion, chicken, pesto, whole wheat spaghetti

8:30 p.m.: 2 Dove chocolate squares

THURSDAY
Exercise: 5:30 a.m. Ride bike 45 minutes with intervals

7 a.m. Whole wheat sandwich thin (100 cal), 1.5T Skippy Natural Peanut Butter, 1 can Cherry Coke Zero. 

10 a.m. 10 almonds

11:45 a.m. Milio's Veggie wrap in low-carb tortilla, no mayo (provolone, lettuce, sprouts, tomato, guac), Diet Pepsi, snack size Heath candy bar

3 p.m.: 10 almonds and 1 apple. Diet Coke.

Exercise: Two sections of Advocare DVD

6 p.m.: Bowl of brussel sprouts, edamame, sliced turkey, Parmesan cheese slivers. 3 pretzels. 10 cherries. 1 Sprite Zero.

9 p.m. 1 Dove dark square.

FRIDAY (Warning! This get ugly!)
Exercise 5:30 a.m. Strength circuit with GGG team

7:30 a.m. 3/4C oatmeal with craisins and almonds

9:30 a.m. 8 almonds

11:30 a.m. Two hard boiled eggs with a smidge of fat free mayo and Dijon to turn them into deviled eggs, 1C raw veg with dip, 1C popcorn

1:30 p.m. 90-calorie Fiber One bar, 10 almonds

4 p.m. WAY TOO MUCH Crack-like homemade caramel chex mix

6:30 p.m. Baked fish dinner, Bennedetti's ... included bread, coleslaw, baked cod, drawn butter, french fries/American fries, three drinks and ICE CREAM after dinner drink. Ridiculous.

8:30 p.m. MORE Chex mix. And another drink. With Cherry Coke Zero, of course.

SATURDAY
7:30 a.m. MORE Chex mix. Must get this out of the house. Handful of pretzels

9:30 a.m. Apple. More Chex mix.

Exercise: 11:30 a.m. Walk/run 3.25 miles in the rain.

1 p.m. Grilled cheese, light on the cheese with whole wheat. Handful of peanuts in the shell.

Exercise? 2 p.m. Set up tables and chairs for 4H banquet, etc.

3:30 p.m. MORE FREAKING CHEX MIX! And a few handfuls of Doritos. (The weekend is lost at this point, or at least that's what my brain is saying.)

6 p.m. Potluck dinner ... roast pork/bbq pork (no bun ... as if that matters after eating all the damn Chex mix), spoonfuls of a few casseroles and salads. Go back for very small brownie. Eventually eat a piece of chocolate cake.

Exercise? 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Dance a little. Tear down chairs and tables and make 10,000 trips to the car.

EVALUATION: 
Ummmm, tooooooo mucccchhhhh fooooooood! The beginning of the week was fine. It all came off the rails on Friday. And once I screw up, I throw the towel in. I know better. I have done better. It's embarrassing to put this out there. You already know my history with this damn Chex mix. It is the most addicting thing ever and that's why I only make it during the holidays or when I'm taking it to a potluck. I can't have it in the house. (I won't even tell you I added popcorn and M&;Ms to this batch ... "camo corn" for a 4H banquet with a camoflage theme ... could I be more creative? It was truly amazingly awesome and horrible all at the same time.)

I think in my head this week I was saying ... I added workouts, so I get to eat more. Man, I love to eat. The truth is "scheduling" snacks made my workdays easier. I felt like I was always eating. And therefore always full.

This writing it down, seeing it and knowing you all are reading it is really eye opening. Let's see what next week brings. 

I Made Granola

Just for kicks, I thought I'd try to make granola. And it sort of worked. And it was pretty good mixed with some yogurt.

I'm going to give you the "recipe" ... but it's not really a recipe at all. It's merely a suggestion and you should adjust to your taste.

Granola
5 cups old fashioned oats
3/4-1 cup slivered almonds
3/4-1 cup walnut pieces

1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
Cinnamon

New Runner, Chapter 16

Just to catch you up ...

New Runner is getting used to running in the cold (layers!) and is at the point in the C25K program where she is running a total of 2 miles. She's battled a cold, daylight savings (hitting the road before it gets too dark), and now has a new speed bump in the way.

NEW RUNNER: I had a hard time with my 2 miles today ... with a break in the middle. To start ... my husband work me up early to tell me it was not raining YET and if I wanted to get out and run, I'd better get up. (Thanks, honey!) It was misty. Sort of yucky. But out I went.

I just can't seem to get to that 2 mile point ... even with the break in the middle. I have tried repeating a day of the program. The next time out I am supposed to run 2.25 miles, no stopping. I don't get it. I feel so good when I head out, but when I hit the 1-mile mark, I peter out. And it's not because I'm running too fast. I'm looking for suggestions to help my stamina.

MISS DAISY: TWO MILES! TWO FREAKING MILES! You are RUNNING TWO MILES! First of all, that's awesome. (And I know you're saying, "With a break in the middle ..." as if that doesn't count. It counts. You're running two miles.) Be proud of that and celebrate it!

To run farther, you just have to run more. It sounds so simple, but that's the real truth. I think it's great that you repeated a day. That makes perfect sense to me. But before you say you "can't" do it, think about this:

Don't let your HEAD run your body. You CAN get over that 2-mile point. You absolutely CAN. When you're ready to stop, just add one more minute. You won't die. Or even pass out. Or if you don't want to add a minute, add 50 steps. Or 100. Or just get to the next road sign. Or recite the states in alphabetical order. Do something to take your mind off your watch/C25K program playing in your ears.

And think about how your body is perfectly capable of doing this. If you're "fit" enough to run 2 miles, you're fit enough to run 2.25. The truth is, you're probably fit enough to run 3.0 -- and would if someone was chasing you. It's so hard to be your own cheerleader when you're out there by yourself. But that's part of the game. Running is only partially in your legs and in your lungs. Much of it is between your ears. Your brain is the hardest muscle to train, remember?

I took my niece out for a "training run" on Saturday. We did about 3.25 miles. She wants to run hard, then gets tired and walks. I wanted to keep a slow, steady pace. So what I started doing for her was ask her to set the walk/run distances before we changed pace. Example: She'd say, "I need to walk." I'd say, "Keep running until you tell me where we're going to start walking and where we're going to start running again." And she'd pick the spots. That way she was in "control" and that gave her a little confidence. (Small, achievable goals.)

Then, toward the end when she was tired, she picked a really short distance to run. I let her start and then part-way there, I said, "Think you can get to that stop sign?" She said she could (never back down from a challenge!) and then as we got close to it, I asked her if she could make it to the next one. The whole way, I'm telling her what a great job she's doing and reminding her that it's only about 40 sidewalk squares to the end ... "How many do you think there are? Count'em!" ... anything to get her mind off how tired she is.

She's 11 years old and easy to "fool/encourage." But when you have someone in your ear telling you what a good job you're doing, it helps so much. That's why people run with friends. When you're on your own like you are, you have to be that cheerleader for yourself. You have to think of all the things that DON'T hurt or how proud you are of yourself or whatever ... to keep you going.

Think you can come up with some cheerleader skills? :-)

Stress and CC Girl

In light of the week month I'm having, I've been thinking a great deal about stress. Well, actually, I'm not choosing to think about it. It just sort of creeps in and actively thinking about it is the only way to make it go away.

I received the little ditty below via email this week. And while I'm not one to repost/resend this kind of thing, I found a few nuggets of truth in this one:

 A young lady confidently walked around the room while explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?' She fooled them all. "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied , "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm."

"If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "And that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Pick them up tomorrow."

There are times when I'm not even aware of my stress level. I think I'm "handling" it OK and then all of a sudden I'm screaming in my car at no one or crying over something small and insignficant. I try to offset it by making sure I'm getting good sleep, eating well and exercising to blow off a little steam. But there are days that's just not enough.

We talked about it this morning at Girls Got Grit. I learned that stress can do crazy things to your body ... make you "hold" weight. I haven't taken time to find scientific evidence for that, but it makes sense to me on a "duh" kind of way. If you're whole self is not working properly, it makes sense to me that your weight loss/maintenance efforts would be thrown out of whack. The WHOLE of you has to be working for the whole of you to WORK, if that makes sense.

So how do you manage stress in your life? Are you carving out time to take care of you? Are you practicing setting them aside? Are you calling on your support system (here in CCland) to help?

We're here. If you need us.

AAAAaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!!!

I am sorry for the lack of posting. I'm swimming in a sea of stress, with a long list of to-do's and no scuba tank.

The truth is I started a post detailing that list of issues, fears and tears. And then I realized that you don't want or need to read about that. You know why?

You all have your own stressors. Your own crap. Your own junk that life is handing you. And the truth is I know that some of you are dealing with stuff much worse than mine.

Chemo. Hospice. Dementia. To name a few.

I had the good fortune today to be able to come home after a brief bout of tears at my desk late this afternoon and get a workout in. It didn't solve a single thing, but it helped me clear my head enough to tackle the next issue.

Not all of you get that break.

Know that you are in my prayers every single day.

Girls Got Grit Pre-Test

So, Girls Got Grit is underway. Saturday afternoon, my two co-workers, D1 and D2, met Peggy at my house and we officially kicked off the program. I'm running short on time tonight, so I'm going to give you the fast version of what happened and what's to come.

WHAT WE DID:

• Talked about the program ... what it is and how to keep expectations realistic (you're not going to lose 30 lbs. in 6 weeks, for instance)
• Reviewed the workout plan ... Five 24-minute workouts, each with a different theme (stretch, strength, melt, something and something else). 
• Tasted one of the two supplements ... it's the powder you mix in with water. From what I can tell, it's a super-duper vitamin load. And it doesn't taste that good, no matter how hard I try. But I can get it down 1x/day. I have to ask more questions about this ... my understanding of how vitamins work is that your body just flushes what you don't need, so I don't get the point. Plus, I already take a daily multi-vitamin, in spite of the fact that I think my eating covers the nutritional basics pretty well. The other supplement is a pill form. Will get that tomorrow.
• Took measurements, got weighed and had photos taken for our "before/after" comparisons. Also had to share our goals. I'm including my goals below. 
• Decided on a weekly meeting time/place where we'll get our individual workout info ... 5:30 a.m. on Fridays! Doesn't that sound fun? 
• Learned it's encouraged to keep a food journal. I'm actually going to keep mine here on the blog because it's the easiest place to do it. I'm sure it will be fascinating reading ... not. Feel free to skip it. And, if you do read it, you have to promise not to laugh or poke fun at me behind my back. 

That's the basics. More to come later. I think I'm going to post about GGG one time a week. Should be an interesting ride. 

GOALS: 

1. I want to run one marathon. Preferably in the spring. (I like training outside in the winter.) My orthopedic surgeon and physical therapist have both told me it's not going to happen. They say I won't be able to do it and that I shouldn't because it's going to hurt too much. But I know I can do it and it hurts now ... so what's the difference? Ha! I know I can find a way to train to do it. I have to be smarter about it. I can run a maximum of three times/week. 

2. I want to be lean. I have never in my life been lean. At my lowest "consistent" adult weight, I was 147. I was leaner, but still not lean. I think I know the difference between lean and skinny. And I'm pretty sure skinny is not in my DNA. But I want to get to a point where I KNOW what part of me is extra, leftover skin so that I could, if I chose to, get rid of it.

3. I want to be strong. I don't want body-builder muscles. But I want to know I am as strong on the outside as I am in the inside. I am limited because of my knees. No/limited squats and lunges. But I can do a little with a quad press machine. 

4. And I want to know I can maintain this forever. Well, at least until I get to be an old lady and then I'm going to eat a lot of cheeseburgers and brownies and bacon and not give a rip. This body is still "new" ... and I have put on 15-ish from that 147. I am not afraid of the work. I understand the core of the eating. I want to get to my final destination and be done. I never intended to stop at 147. I thought I'd shoot for something in the 130 range, knowing I would likely put on 5-10 over time. But I got stuck. And I got lazy. And I didn't have any real consequences for a while. But now I have 15 pounds of consequences and I'm hoping this program is the change of scenery I need to get back on the horse. 

New Runner, Chapter 15

NEW RUNNER: My Saturday run was great! I finally felt well enough to get outside. It was WINDY!!! And I should have dressed warmer. I wore my typical yoga-ish pants, two long-sleeved NorthFace shirts, nothing on my ears or hands. I was FREEZING! Although it was 50-some degrees, the 30-mph wind was horrible. My ears were fine, as were my legs, but my hands were really cold and my upper body was really, really cold.

After not running all week because I was sick, I was surprised that I could do what the C25K program wanted me to do. It did include some walking, which I was grateful for, ... and I made it! My Monday/Tuesday run will be week 6, day 2. It's mostly running. I hope I can do it.

My scale was down again this morning! I have hit a landmark 15 lbs! I may hit that 20-lb. mark (or maybe 25 ... wishful thinking) by Christmas! I even went out for dinner to a yummy Cajun place last night. I had a salad and a cup of Cajun chili ... so proud of myself for making a good choice.

I have a crazy week at work and know I need to make sure to make time for exercise when my schedule allows. The stress level will be high and exercise will be essential ... along with standing strong against the old habit of stress eating.

MISS DAISY: I hate to say "I told you so," but ... "I told you so!" You spent six weeks building up and it doesn't just go away in the snap of a finger. Isn't that good to know? It can be a little scary to trust your new power, but it feels good to know you can.

Now, on to being outside in the cold. (And, holy hell. Windy doesn't begin to describe Saturday! My return loop was uphill and against the wind and there were times I wasn't sure I was moving forward!) This is where I begin my lecture on Wicking Fabric. No matter how cold it is, wicking fabric is a MUST. In fact, it might be more important for the cold than it is for the heat. Running makes you sweat. If you don't have wicking, your layers get and stay wet. If your layers are wet, the cold wind feels colder and your body will be colder. If you get too cold, you can put yourself in a whole bunch of trouble. ("Cotton kills" is how the saying goes.) Think heat stroke in reverse. So the trick is to layer up appropriately with insulating and wicking fabrics and a wind-resistant shell if Mother Nature is a blowin'!

And since we have cold coming this week, let's talk degrees. I have found that I can still be outside in the 18-20 degree range if the sun is out and the wind is calm. At that temp, I'm wearing four layers: sleeveless, long-sleeve wicking T, long-sleeve wicking fleece-like layer and either a windbreaker or one more wicking layer. I also add a fleece beanie, gloves, two pair of tights, two pair of socks and winter running shoes (without the "holes" and airiness of regular shoes).

I hope your crazy week goes well and I am glad you've discovered that exercise isn't the thing you cut when you get stressed. It's the thing that helps you reduce the stress. Funny how simple that is and how quickly you crave it, isn't it?

Me, Einstein and a New Goal

Once upon a time, Einstein said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

I think he's been reading this blog.

In case you haven't noticed, I've been doing the same thing over and over again (trying to out-exercise mediocre eating), and getting the same results (13 pound gain from my "old" standard and still 30 pounds away from my original goal).

So, I'm going to try something different. Something I'm actually kind of excited about.

I have a trainer!

Her name is Peggy and she's my R.I.P.P.E.D. instructor with the killer shoulders.

After jumping outside of my comfort zone to ask for help, I have decided to join a program of hers called Girls Got Grit. It's a 6-week deal, where we'll talk about diet, exercise and the challenges that come with both, I suspect. I'll get 1 hour a week of her time, a customized weekly workout plan, weigh-in and measurement recording and a dietary supplement (protein powder) to boost muscle retention.

I will admit to being a little leery of the supplement thing. Not because I am against it, but because I really know very little about "how" to think about it. I know what a healthy diet looks like. We all do. What I don't understand is how to maximize it or use it to support the activity that I'm doing. I am hoping Peggy will teach me her perspective on just that.

What I know is that doing what I'm doing now is not working. I need to follow a plan again. I need a list of rules. I need to try something new.

The oncoming holidays have me a bit worried and this plan will give me a roadmap to navigate them.

The best part? You get to come along for the ride!

She's Disappearing Before My Eyes

Once upon a time, we hired a quiet, young recent college grad into our work group. She was polite and industrious and put in a LOT of hours. She busted her butt on that entry-level job and was soon promoted.

She got married. She had a couple of kids. She got promoted again. And then again.

Over the years, we learned she wasn't nearly as shy as we first thought. She was, however, one of those folks who always stayed until it got done, always wanted to do it better and never gave a less-than-full effort.

And she's disappearing before my eyes.

Our jobs have taken slightly different turns. I don't get to see her every day like I used to.

A few weeks ago, I spotted her speed walking on a sidewalk near work. Arms pumping, pony tail swinging ... she was hauling! And I noticed then that she was noticeably smaller. More fit.

Yet when I caught her this morning coming out of a break room, I wasn't ready for the woman before my eyes.

She looked great.

I want you to meet her, too. I want you to learn how she's approached this "get healthier" thing because, as you know, I believe there is no ONE way to do this. Her experience may help you in a way mine or New Runner's does not.

I hope you'll join me in welcoming her when her first post arrives.

And I hope she'll let me post a picture of her pony tail. It's freaking awesome.

New Runner, Chapter 14

NEW RUNNER: After the fog lifted Sunday morning, I went out. I was coming off a good run in the rain/mist on Friday, and feeling on top of the world. (Two months ago, I wouldn't have set foot out the door in the same situation!)

My C25K program wanted me to run for a full 20 minutes. My body failed me.

I've been battling a cold and sore throat for about three days. I had to take breaks two times to walk for about a minute, then ended my run early ... by about two minutes.

I'm not happy with myself. But, I just couldn't do it.

My next program has longer running times with walks in between. I think that works best for me right now. And I hope this cold/sore throat thing goes away fast. I don't have time to be sick ... and I want to keep my body going at the pace it has been. So frustrating!

MISS DAISY: The first thing to remember is that you are challenging yourself every time you go out there. Every single time. The program is designed to be HARDER every time. Which means you're not going to just be able to do it easily. That's the whole point. The harder part is what makes you stronger. Repeat it over and over and over in your head. You are not failing. You are TRAINING. If it was easy, you wouldn't get stronger.

OK, so now that you have that locked in, time to talk about your cold. Isn't it simply amazing how much you now notice the "toll" something like that takes on you? I think it actually serves as a good reminder of the simply astounding mechanical system your body is. When you are healthy, and feeding/fueling yourself properly, getting enough sleep, moving an appropriate amount ... you feel GREAT! But when one of those levers gets out of whack, the whole system suffers a little. When your body is fighting a bug, it doesn't have what you need to be 100%.

In my heavier years, I wouldn't notice that a cold would slow me down much. Sure, I felt like crap, but it didn't prevent me from going grocery shopping or whatever. But when I really began to listen to my body ... to FEEL what it was doing or not doing ... I began to understand those levers better. Inputs, outputs. Being AWARE of your body and how it reacts in different situations is part of this process, too. The more you FEEL and understand, the better you will want to treat yourself in the future. You know that eating right, sleeping well and exercising makes you feel better. So it becomes the reward, not the punishment.

Yes, your muscles and cardio system are getting better. But your head has to learn to think better, too. Does that make sense?

So cut yourself a little slack.Push through the cold the best you can. The rule is if it's in your head, you can do as much as you want to/are able to. If it's below the neck, in your chest, affecting your breathing ... you might want to scale it back or rest. Rest is a very important part of healthy.

You are NOT going to lose ground in a few days. Or a week. And let's, for the sake of argument, say you do. So what? You just do that C25K week over until you feel good about it. This is not a timed-test. This is about you being a better you.

Stronger AND smarter.

P.S. Running 20 minutes in a row is a LOT! And you are going to get there. Much quicker than you think. Be proud of yourself ... you have come a long way!

Cherry Coke Zero Update

Fail. Epic fail.

I cannot (rather choose not, I know, I know) live on one soda per day.

My new goal is two per day.

And I even failed at that today. And most of the weekend. OK, all of the weekend was a fail.

But I'm still thinking about it.

Sort of.

I could give you some lame excuse. Tell you how stressful my life is, how I'm gaining weight and this doesn't seem like the time to give up my biggest vice, how if I'm not drinking, I'm eating, how you really have to drink 7 or 8 gallons of aspartame-laced carbonated beverages a day for it to have any significant and detrimental effect.

Though much of that is true, none of it is an appropriate excuse.

The truth is I like Cherry Coke Zero and I'm still drinking it because I choose to.

I bet my acid-worn teeth and artificial-sweetener-esophagus-polyp-producing GI tract aren't happy with that decision.

F#*k 'em.

New Runner, Chapter 13

NEW RUNNER: First run of the week was fairly uneventful. I came home from work early that day because I had a late meeting and wanted to squeeze the run in beforehand. And I just didn't want to miss out on the opportunity of a nice day to run ... seeing as how it's supposed to rain most of the week. I couldn't stay running for the last 5 minutes as intended. Darn it! I got a cramp/muscle pull under my butt cheek and it hurt soooo bad ... grrr! Stretched it out when I got home and it stayed a little sore. I knew the plan called for a longer set of running intervals to start on my next time out, but I was hopeful I could do it.

To offset that frustration, I got an encouraging email from a colleague ... she made me feel so good! Here it is:

"I just saw you walk by. WOW! You really do look amazing! You have no butt and your legs look so skinny! I'm envious!" I think I should hang out with her more often!

Later in the week, I was lucky and got my next run in before the rain. Hooray! My muscle felt a lot better. (I put BioFreeze on it the night before). I actually ran the whole time I was supposed to ... at the longer intervals! Woo hoo!

I'm a little sad my colorful "celebration" tree has lost most of it's beautify leaves, which means winter is coming. I don't know how running in the snow will be, but I'm not looking forward to it.

Burgers on the grill tonight and my hubby made taco salad fixins' for tomorrow's lunch. Gotta love him!

MISS DAISY: Sounds like you had a great week! I especially like how you didn't let not finishing as strong as you wanted to on one run affect the next one. The truth is some days are just harder than others. Sometimes I'll know why a run feels so tough ... if I ate badly for a few days before, if I didn't get enough sleep, if I had to skip a workout/lost a bit of forward progress, if I was sick, etc. But usually, I can't tell why a "random Monday" will feel so hard.

For me, this week, it was Thursday. I hit my treadmill at 5 a.m. for my normal 4-miler after a solid night's sleep ... and thought I was going to die. I actually ended up running 3.25 miles and walking 1 mile. Sweating like a whore in church. (I'm so dainty!) The last quarter mile was "punishment" for not running the whole thing. (If I was going to walk, I had to go farther. It's a game I sometimes play with myself.)

When this happens, you just have to keep moving forward. The bad run is still training for the next run, no matter how good or bad it feels.

And, I love the email from the coworker. Those little surprises can mean so much!

As for running in the snow, it can be done. With any luck, your neighborhood will get better plowing service than it did last year! Ice is harder to navigate. Be smart, go slow ... and when in doubt, YakTrax!!!! https://www.yaktrax.com/