Set Your Mind Tonight!

Tomorrow is the National Day of Eating--my favorite day of the year and a perfectly wonderful holiday. Happy family, no gifts to buy, wine. What could be better?

Do you have your strategy planned for the day? You know, the rough outline that allows you to enjoy everything that's great about Thanksgiving and still keeps you in between the lines so you don't panic, feel guilty or worry.

Having a plan, and getting it set in your mind tonight, will help you stay on track tomorrow. You'll be surprised at how powerful it is to literally make a decision before you go to sleep. When you wake up, think about your decision. When you get to your gathering, think about it again. While it might sound silly, it will change the way you feel about tomorrow ... and the way you behave tomorrow.

Here's the way I choose to think about Thanksgiving:

1. It's just one day of the whole year. If you're eating relatively healthy most of time and you're exercising smart, one day of eating anything you want is really not that big of a deal. 
2. That being said, stuffing your face all day with crap you aren't hungry for or stuff that will make you feel bad later is just not worth it. 
3. Denying yourself a piece of pie or a big plop of mashed potatoes and gravy--if that's what you really love and really want--is equally ridiculous, in my opinion. 

So this is my plan:

1. Eat smart before the big event. Tomorrow is not the day for the Lumberjack Breakfast. I'll save my calories for the fully loaded table later in the day. Dinner tonight was also a bit on the light side. 
2. Work out like normal. Maybe throw a little extra in. I am debating between the 5K in Evansville and just staying home and doing 5 or 6 miles on my treadmill. While I'd like to be outside and part of the fun, I will get better work done at home, so that's probably where I'll be. (Notice that I am NOT debating whether or not to workout, and have already decided that one of those options is mandatory.) I will also throw an additional 30 minutes onto Friday's workout, just to be safe. 
3. Enjoy, as in truly savor, the stuff I love most. You can keep that goofy pumpkin pie; I don't like it. I will likely also skip the French silk variety if one shows up. But if there is an apple on site, you can be sure I'll be in it. Up to my elbows. Corn? I can get that any time. Green bean casserole? It's beans and soup, for heaven's sake. Why spend my calorie dollars on that stuff when there's stuffing! You get the idea. I will do the majority of my noshing on turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberries, because that's what I love most. Oh, and wine! 

I do hope you have a wonderful day. I am thankful for so much in my life ... and knowing you read this silly little blog is one of those things.

Fitbit Guilt

Yesterday, I logged a measly 3,000 steps. And I had anxiety about it all day long.

Angst, in spite of the fact that I did 13 miles the day before. (Which, when added to normal daily activity is more than 26,000 steps.)

Trepidation, in spite of the fact that I did a complete small group workout early in the morning. (Weight-lifting doesn't add up to many steps, but it did equal some sweat.)

Irritation, in spite of the fact that I know this is about a week, a month, a lifetime, not just a day. (Mind you, my daily/weekly/monthly average is just fine and above the recommended 10,000 steps per day.)

So, I woke up today, hit the 5:30 a.m. RIPPED class, and then came back home for a 4-mile visit with my treadmill. I got the magical Fitbit buzz/vibration long about mile 3 telling me I'd hit that 10K mark.

And all is right with the universe again.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday wasn't a great day ... in my head. I had decided on Friday to make Saturday a complete rest day, since I hadn't had one in more than a week and it messed with my brain. Bad. Then I ate a few things I shouldn't have and even though I didn't blow it, I started pummeling myself for it.

By 4 p.m., I was in a funk and that's when I wrote a post for CC.

It was sort of pathetic.

Whiny. Sappy. Over-dramatic.

It was about how it feels to beat yourself up. There was a great deal of "poor me" in it. Life is so hard. Losing weight is so hard. Beating yourself up for not losing weight is so hard.

Wah-wah.

And I was getting ready to post it, pretending I was justified in doing so because I knew some of you face these same feelings ... blah, blah, blah.

And then I remembered a story I had just read in Runner's World magazine. It was about a guy they call Backwards Bill.

Bill Reilly is 62 years old and just completed his 29th NYC Marathon ... representing his 38th marathon overall.

But wait. There's more.

Bill also has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair.

But wait. There's more.

Because of his disease, he does not have full use of his arms, either, and therefore can't push his wheelchair with his hands.

Read this carefully: He uses his feet to push himself backwards. For 26.2 miles. And he's done it 38 times. At 62 years young.

Suddenly, my whiny, sappy, over-dramatic ditty didn't seem so soul-baring, noble or commiserating. It felt just like it was: BS.

So I got up this morning and did a half marathon. 13.1 miles. I didn't run them all. In fact, I ran "only" 7.5 and not all in a row.

That's not even a good training day for Mr. Bill. And I've got two good legs.

Imagine how far I could go if I chose to not carry the load of excuses and headgames along on every mile.

This photo is from a news story about Bill and was credited to a
non-profit group that encourages disabled people to remain active. 

Winter 5K/10K Options

Think that just because it's a bit chilly outside that your outdoor running/walking options are gone?

Wrongo, buckaroos! Even in sub-arctic Wisconsin, you have plenty to choose from. All. Winter. Long!

You tell me which of these races you want to do and I'll meet you there, with bells on. (And layers of performance fleece!)

This is by no means a complete list, but something to get your planning started:

Nov. 22, 2014
Grinch Chase and Jingle Jog, Evansville WI, 1 p.m.
http://www.active.com/evansville-wi/running/distance-running-races/grinch-chase-and-jingle-jog-2014?int=

Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 2014 
Gobble Wobble, Jefferson WI, 8 a.m.
http://www.active.com/jefferson-wi/running/distance-running-races/the-gobble-wobble-2014?cmp=39-28&ltclickid=11_96804916_b4a63645-3721-4044-bae9-f950b7f95add&ltcmp=194590

Turkey Trot for MS, Evansville WI, 8 a.m.
http://www.active.com/evansville-wi/running/distance-running-races/3rd-annual-thanksgiving-5k-turkey-trot-for-ms-2014?ltcmp=194590&ltclickid=11_96724224_f2be77a9-c3ae-4e04-b68c-e7952494c11a&cmp=39-28

Turkey Trot, Northpointe Wellness, Roscoe IL, 8:30 a.m.
http://northpointewellness.org/turkey-trot/

Nov. 29, 2014
The Big Chill Run, Waukesha WI, 5K starts at 10 a.m./10K starts at 10:50 a.m.
http://www.greatlakesrunningseries.com/#!bc-athlete-guide/c1mcg

Dec. 6, 2014
2nd Annual Reindeer Run (you can take your dog!), Elkhorn WI, 9 a.m.
http://www.roadracerunner.com/re_160531/2ndAnnualReindeerRun.html

Dec. 7, 2014
Nearly Naked 5K (the medal might be worth it!), Whitewater WI, 11 a.m.
http://nearlynaked5k.com/whitewaterwi/

Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis, Verona WI, 10:30 a.m. start for 5K and 10K
http://jbrmadison.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1110742

Dec. 31, 2014
Race Into the New Year, Franklin WI, 5K starts at 10 a.m./10K starts at 10:50 a.m.
http://www.greatlakesrunningseries.com/#!riny/c1f0b

Feb. 15, 2014
Cupid Shuffle, Brookfield WI, 5K starts at 10 a.m./10K starts at 10:50 a.m.
http://www.greatlakesrunningseries.com/#!cupid-shuffle/cvfz

March 1, 2014
Snowball Shootout, Oconomowoc WI, 5K starts at 10 a.m./10K starts at 10:50 a.m.
http://www.greatlakesrunningseries.com/#!snowball-shootout/csqn

March 16, 2014
Shamrock Shuffle, Madison WI, times TBD
http://www.roadracerunner.com/re_137020/ShamrockShuffle2014.html

March 21, 2014
Luck of the Irish, Hartland WI, 5K starts at 10 a.m./10K starts at 10:50 a.m.
http://www.greatlakesrunningseries.com/#!loti/cczd

My Holiday Plan

I'm not sure how it happened, but the holidays are upon us.

Again.

Which means it 's time to make the plan for not gaining another few pounds. And I have a new strategy this year that I'm super excited about!

(You can read strategies from other years here. It's a search on the word "holiday" ... so there are a couple of Holiday Inn posts that made the search results page, along with Christmas and Thanksgiving posts. Ba haha!)

Along with three other lovely ladies, and led by my friend Peggy, I am embarking on an 8-week down and dirty program to keep things in check over the holidays. The small group will meet once a week for a hardcore workout, review of our food journal and general support/encouragement. We have individually discussed our goals with Peggy and committed to them. She's there to cheer us on and bust our asses if needed.

We weighed in and measured up last Friday morning's inaugural session at 5:30 a.m. and will weigh in and measure up again at the end of 8 weeks.

I like the idea that I'm accountable to someone, or a group of them. I love the small group workout. Talking through my hopes, fears and goals helps me get right in my head and that's appreciated, too.

So far, I'm keeping up my end of the bargain from the workout side. I'm not journaling my food yet, but I'm going to get there before the week is up. And I will admit to two pieces of chocolate today when my goal was one.

But I'm on the right road.

Bring it on, Holidays. I'm ready for you.

Want more information about creating your own small group workout program? You can find Peggy on her new/still-in-development Facebook Page here. "Like" it to get updates on everything she has going on!

Did You Guess Sweet Potatoes?

I LOVE trying new things ... in the kitchen, in the grocery store, in my workouts. So when I saw purple sweet potatoes in the big bins at Pick N Save, I knew I had to give them a shot.

Good news: they taste just like normal sweet potatoes! But they look weird as hell, right?

Thanks to a recipe from my friend RIPPED instructor Peggy, here's a riff on the traditional Thanksgiving sweet potato side dish that does NOT involve all that extra sugar, cream nor bag of mini marshmallows! Which also means it doesn't involve the calories and guilt either!

And, guess what? It's freaking yummy.

Apple-Topped Sweet Potatoes
5 lbs. of sweet potatoes, baked until soft
1 Tbsp butter
2 medium apples, cored, peeled, sliced in 1/4" thick crescents (Truth: I didn't peel my apples.)
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling on top
1/4 tsp black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 1-1/2 to 2-quart baking dish. Bake potatoes in oven or microwave until soft. While the potatoes are cooling, slice up the apples and cook them in a skillet with the butter until they are golden and tender, about 7 minutes. Set aside while you prepare potatoes.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scrape the insides out into a big mixing bowl. Mix in the orange guide, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper, mashing it all together with a potato masher or you could use a food processor. (Truth: I don't own a potato masher and was too lazy to get out the food processor. So I used my pastry cutter. Don't tell Elda Hoyt!)

Spread the mixture into your greased baking dish. Artfully arrange the apples on the top and sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon. Bake until heated through/bubbly around the edges, about 30 min. Cut into "slices" or just scoop out each serving.

Now, this is not as gloopy and gooey as that mashed/marshmallow version. But you'll feel better when you eat it, I promise. It's sweet and salty and I love the "crustier" outer edge.

Part 2: Filling Our Bellies in Kansas City

We were six women in two cars, packed fairly full with overnight bags, hotel snacks, a couple of coolers with adult beverages, walkie talkies, 40+ years of memories and giggles. Lots of giggles.

The first day started with a 7:30 a.m. Subway breakfast, included standard road food (Twizzlers, turkey jerky, lots of Diet Coke) and by 2 p.m.-ish, we were starving for lunch. A fortuitous stop in Des Moines took us down a random I-35S exit into the suburb of Urbandale, looking for a local joint. We took a quick spin down the main drag to get a good look at what was available and turned back around after deciding on a spot when it happened.

"Mayday! Mayday!" rang loud on the walkie talkie from the car that was supposed to be behind me. A rearview mirror check came up empty. They'd vanished.

"We're in the car wash!" They shouted again, this time more garbled.

"You turned too early," I radioed back. "Go one more block."

And then I heard nothing but laughing and static. "No! We're in the parking lot of the car wash," Deb tried to explain. "Maria ran out of gas!" More static, some gasping, more laughter.

After a trip to the gas station by my car to get a 1-gal. can with one precious gallon of gas and another trip back to the same gas station for the stranded car, we ended up at a Noodles. Not local. Not gourmet. But perhaps one of my favorite meals ever because of the circumstances.

We depended on the hotel for breakfast the remaining three days. Standard powdered scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, frozen potatoes, pancakes, danish and a small bowl of fresh melon just to make it look good.

The best lunch in KC happened at our friend Lara's house. She welcomed the whole tribe in, and greeted us with delicious tortilla soup, served in beautiful bowls lined with a tortilla. While the soup was fantastic, the appetizer (sitting around her family room, catching up on our lives, families and memories) and the side dish (sitting around the kitchen table, with much more chatting, while we ate soup and eventually pie) were worthy of many Michelin stars.

Dinner Friday night was a brew pub treat that featured a local/farm-to-table emphasis. McCoy's Public House treated us well. Collectively, we had a grilled chicken sandwich, macaroni and cheese, a bleu cheese burger, almond-crusted halibut and two orders of vegan masala. Good reviews all around. Best of all, this place was walkable from our hotel.

After no lunch and a heavy day of shopping, dinner Saturday night was our splurge: We were on the hunt for barbecue!

Everyone knows KC is famous for barbecue. It's the home of KC Masterpiece (the restaurant that borne the sauce or vice versa), Arthur Bryant's, Oklahoma Joe's, Gates Bar-B-Q, Jack Stack and so many more. We knew of the history of these places, but we had a few conditions.

We wanted quality, authenticity ... and someplace we could walk to or someplace the hotel shuttle and its 2-mile radius could get us to. Vanessa at the front desk recommended Q39 and she was oh so right!

Maria and I went whole hog, almost literally with ribs, pulled pork and brisket, while some of the other ladies had more demure pulled pork sammies.

Before.

After.

I'm pretty sure we all won. No calorie regrets. Not a single one. It was all So. Freaking. Good!

But, again, the best part of the meal (and that was a LOT of meal!) was that we spent it together.

Love you, Kansas City. And love you girls!

Part 1: Filling Our Hearts in Kansas City

I'm still smiling.

Our now-annual girls' weekend trip is in the books and I'm still smiling as I remember the past few days.

I haven't laughed so hard, smiled so much or had my heart full in so long. Maybe you can't really "go home" again, but you can sure find home when you spend time with the people who helped you become, well, you.

Yes, we shopped. Yes, we ate. (Man, did we eat! That Que39 place was so freaking yummy, I'm still dreaming about out and will tell you more tomorrow.) Yes, we got a little silly and loud and giggly. Oh, and we ran out of gas and had a nail in a tire. (Thank you, Skull-and-Crossbones-Belt-Buckle-William-with-the-Pretty-Eyes!) But the very best parts were just sitting around talking, learning about each others' lives, sharing our hard stuff and celebrating our good stuff.

And those plans I made to stay on track? They were good plans, but destined to change. Here's what didn't happen:

• No 5K ... we were lucky to get out of our hotel room by 10 a.m. Six women, one bathroom ... you get the idea. I did manage hotel fitness center treadmill runs on two of the three mornings we were there, however, to keep it in check. And on our heavy shopping day, we walked more than six miles on top of that. 
• No carrots ... I forgot one of the healthy snacks at home. We did kill a bag of pretzels and a whole lot of Werther's candy mix, however. We took full advantage of the free hotel breakfast mid morning and probably ate dinner too late each night.  
• No strength training ... it just didn't fit into the schedule. But my abs and glutes took a beating because I spent approximately 9 hours a day laughing my ass off as the old stories rolled and the new ones were created. And I think it's important to remember that shopping bags can be heavy and carrying them around counts for something! 

Six of my favorite people in the whole world. In fact, this photo
is nearly the whole Fort Atkinson Junior and Senior High
School basketball team, circa 1980-1986. And Jane. LOL.  

And while these things didn't happen, so much more did. I'll tell you more tomorrow.

What is a Runner?

I set out Monday morning to get a long walk in.

Why walk? When I run a few days in a row, I try to give my knees a break. And, I knew I had RIPPED coming up on Tuesday and Wednesday ... which often includes a lot of the lunging, bouncing and side-to-side movements that are tough on those joints.

So walking seemed like a good idea. But I wanted miles, so I set my head on 8 miles and started.

Now, I can walk at about a 4.2 or 4.3 mile per hour pace, meaning I cover 8 miles in a little less than 2 hours. As such, I hunkered in for a nice, long hike.

Somewhere around mile 5.75, I couldn't take it anymore.

I kicked up the pace. My legs, almost "stiff" from walking, had to readjust to the faster pace and it took a minute or two for them to loosen up. But before long, I was running and I finished my 8 miles in no time.

At the end, as I was covered in sweat, I allowed my brain to entertain the thought that maybe, just maybe, I'm a runner.

Sure, I have run in a handful of organized events, but I've never done anything remotely as big as a marathon. I do get at least three days of running in each week, though the distances are not very long when compared to those I would consider "serious" about the sport. My speed certainly isn't fast and would probably be considered a nice jog in most circles. I don't have what most would consider to be a runner's svelte, lean physique.

But tell all that to my legs.

They want to move. My lungs want to burn. My arms want to pump.

Some days, I simply can't stop them all from doing what they want to do.

And because of that, I guess I am a runner.

Thank God I found out before it was too late.

This is a John Bingham quote and I love it. 

Almost Three Weeks with Fitbit

My hubs got me a Fitbit for my birthday. I've been wearing it for almost three weeks and I thought I'd give you an initial review. And since I know I'm a bit late to this party, I'd love to know what you think of yours, as you have had more time to use it.

What I like:

• It's black, so it goes with just about everything I wear. 
• It counts my steps and lets me know when I hit my goal. Plus, it can serve as a reminder to get off the couch when I have not yet met my goal. 
• It measures my sleep/restless periods during the night. 
• I have the option to record my food and exercise online.

What I don't:

• Since I'm not logging my food ... I'm just not into the minutiae/detail of that ... I'm not taking full advantage of the calories in/calories out capabilities. 
• It's sort of big and clunky. The Jawbone is a bit sleeker. 
• It's not REALLY telling me anything I don't know about my exercise regiment. And it doesn't accurately capture strength training or biking activity. Yes, I can log those things, but as I've already mentioned, I'm not into/not good at keeping track of stuff.  

How I think it will help:

• For me, the sleep tracking has been the most interesting. I have learned that I average less than 7 hour per night ... and remember, this is me without an alarm clock 5 days of the week. What's more, in that 6-ish hours of sleep I am getting, I'm "restless" or moving enough 5-10 times per night to register as awake ... meaning I'm flailing around and perhaps not actually getting good rest while I am sleeping. 
• Since I know sleep is important (the third leg of the stool, remember this post?), I'm more aware and now trying to go to bed earlier. 
• Being able to see the patterns of my active and sedentary times helps me understand in a new way what being off work is doing to me. It's great to get up and run 6 miles, but if I spend the rest of the day sitting still, I'm sort of cancelling it out.

Do you have a Fitbit or a Jawbone or something else? What do you like? How does it help? Tell me! 

Last night's sleep. Or lack thereof, I guess. The pink lines indicate restlessness and/or
awake. I officially woke up at 4 a.m. and pretty much stayed that way until 5 a.m. 

Yesterday's workout. I walked 6, then ran 2, per my treadmill.
When I logged on immediately following, the Fitbit indicated I'd
gone 7.4 miles. So my treadmill and the Fitbit don't agree on
distance. Then I didn't leave the house for the rest of the day. 

Prepping for a Girls' Trip

I'm headed out with some old friends (old as in we've been friends for a long time ... not one of us is actually old! LOL) and doing what I need to do to make sure things don't go off the rails.

This is what I've done so far:
1. Grocery shopped for snack/breakfast food. My Woodman's cart included baby carrots, Twizzlers, pretzels, Cherry Coke Zero, Oktoberfest beer, apples, clementines and Cliff Bars. I purposely left chips, cookies, crackers and additional candy at the store.

2. Booked hotel with fitness center.

3. Researched weekend 5K runs in our destination city on the chance that I can talk someone into going with me.

4. Planned meals thoughtfully for the days leading up to departure in an effort to "save" some calories for the weekend.

5. Began mindfully thinking about the weekend and strategizing my eating plan. I know that might sound sort of ridiculous, but I like having a plan formed ahead of time so I don't mindlessly cram calories in my craw.

My goal is to enjoy the weekend fully ... and not bring home any regret from overindulging. Instead, I will truly fill up on the laughter, memories, and chatter that hanging with old friends invariably brings.