Saturday stairs !

Looking going up.. 
down... sucked !  You know I'm a dork ... however,  I didn't fall !
Up was way easier than I thought... that's rob truckin' along !
272 stairs one way... rob counted.. not including the landings !  NICE !!  It's a great work out.. and honestly,  not as bad as I thought it was going to be.  That thought seems to be a recurring theme ... 

I did 5 times up / 5 times down !

Loved it !!

After,  we hit REI for a new computer bag for me, and to stock up on Shot Bloks (margarita... yum !)  

OK... people,  tomorrow is Super Bowl.  And not that I care about the game,  it tends to be snack central time. Go for a walk or a run, or get your weight workout in first thing in the morning.  Watch your calories,  watch your intake,  think before you drink and remember you can have a great time... if you you moderate moderate moderate :) 

xxoxoxoxo

GET MOVING !

for those of you not in the FaceBook world...

My friend Rachel deemed it appropriate to locate, scan, and then post this picture on Facebook.  God bless her,  no really... 

Yes, it's me, and yes,  i was terrified,  and the hair style is "mom, get all, i mean all, the curls out of my hair please" and the dress is hand me down from JC who didn't like it and yes it's from Sears and Roebuck.

And for future reference,  that terrified, somewhat confused look I have ?  Yep,  still get it today right before any run. Seriously...

xoxoxox

Things to remember

1. There are good races and there are some not-so-good ones.Often, you can’t tell the difference until you start.  (or when you get to mile 9 and decide your best option is to NOT pass out)

 

2. Sleep is not overrated. For proof, try training for a marathon on three or fours a night and see how well you do.  (um... I only sleep 4 - 5  hours a night.. .this must be why I don't run marathons !)

 

3. Don't forget to breathe often and deep. It’s important. (yep... got this !)

 

4. Just because it's raining doesn't mean you shouldn’t enjoy your run or race. Some of the best training runs are in the rain or other lousy weather.  (true statement as JC can attest to.... that's why we have baseball hats people !)

 

5. Nobody ever said it was easy. If running a marathon was easy, it wouldn’t be much fun.  (even a half marathon,  not 'easy'... but completely 'do-able ' !!)

 

6. Pain is temporary. Pride lasts forever. Finish a marathon and you’ll see for yourself.  (my shin might disagree,  but for now,  we're stickin' to this)

 

7. Create a training and race plan and stick to it. It may not always work as perfectly as you hope, but if you stay focused and relaxed, it'll all end up just fine.

(always have a training plan, but a 'race' plan... for me, is just get across the finish line,  it's a good plan  !!)

 

8. You need to try and do your best. No matter what the results are, you'll have bigger regrets if you don’t try and run your best.  (this is VERY true... even on bad races / runs / workouts,  I know I did my best !)

 

9. Ski the conditions. Run your best according to the weather, terrain and your condition.  (three words  Jingle Bell Run... bbrrrr....)

 

10. Pay attention to details. Sometimes its the little things that make the big differences in your training and racing.  (how you lace your shoes,  what you hydrated with... easy things like that !)

 

11. Getting to the starting line healthy and rested is the most important aspect to doing well in a race. It’s often harder than getting to the finish.  (um yeah,  try living that in Vegas... but, we, as a team in Vegas, always made sure we ate well, ate early, and were in bed early... you can party after you cross the finish line !!)

 

12. Listen to your body and listen to your mind. If they’re lying to you, tune them out.   (mind over matter... HOWEVER... know / learn the difference between 'uncomfortable' and 'pain that's gonna cause damage')

 

13. You can't change the past and you won't alter the future. Enjoy the moment, right now.   (I LOVE THIS ONE... I live it every single day,  but I do think you can bend the future just a little and make your days ahead a little brighter by doing things now, eating right, working out .. you know... easy stuff like that !)

 

14. Think process, not results. Don’t worry about your time before you consider how to get to the finish line.   (and again,  one of my favs... time / pace / whatever.. finishing is a huge huge accomplishment !)

 

15. Be supportive of your fellow runners. We're all in this together.  (yep... I dragged all of you with me !!  ha !)

 

16. Real runners do cry. But only after finishing.  (um.... i don't... and ol batt doesn't,  and JC , RC, CC don't... soooo.... I'm not so sure about this one... hhhmmm)

 

Keep working gang !! xoxoxoxoxo

Have I mentioned that I hate math....

However... this is truly one of the easiest math problems I can do... 

Just in case you didn’t already know, weight loss is simply a mathematic equation.  It takes 3500 excess calories to add one pound of weight to your frame.  By contrast, your body must burn 3500 calories to lose one pound.  You can do that by consuming fewer calories than your body requires to function and/or burning additional calories through daily activity. To determine if you are consuming the correct amount of calories, you need to know your body’s Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The common equation used to calculate your BMR is called the Harris Benedict equation and is based on weight, height, age and gender. The formula is above and you can easily find a Harris Benedict equation calculator on the internet. While the weight loss industry can sound complicated and confusing, in actuality the process should ultimately remain simple.  Once you know your target BMR, you can set a goal of how many calories you want to consume daily, and how many additional calories you want to burn through activity.  For weight loss, it is reasonable for a woman to consume 1200 calories per day and burn an additional 350 calories through activity, resulting in a one pound per week rate of weight loss.

My BMR is 1288

An average food day for me (with no cheating !!) consists of something like this:

Pria Bar 110 calories

Grapefruit  120 calories

Lunch is usually soup or a salad or a sandwich - always around 300 calories - no more than 350

snack - 100 calories

Dinner - protein and veggies - rarely more than 600 calories

My total for the day is usually between 1200 and 1400 and I try to keep it to no more than 1500.

Harris Benedict Formula

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows: If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2 If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375 If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55 If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725 If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

Total Calorie Needs Example
If you are sedentary, multiply your BMR (1745) by 1.2 = 2094. This is the total number of calories you need in order to maintain your current weight.

Let me know if you have any questions !

Count 'em up people !  Write it down !!  Everything !  liquids too !

Sunday - still on a Mexican kick...

For some reason I believe that Mexican is possibly the  best food ever.  Interesting since I don't like onions, peppers or anything overly spicy.  Hmmm...  maybe it's the margaritas and chips and salsa.. you know the UNHEALTHY stuff.  

So in my quest to attempt to locate healthier stuff... I found this:

Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Quesadilla

INGREDIENTS

• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 2  cups thinly sliced onion
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 9  ounces baby spinach
• 4  8-inch whole-wheat flour tortillas
• 4  ounces semisoft goat cheese
• 2  medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, sugar and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is dark golden brown. Remove from pan. Add the spinach and 1 tablespoon water to the skillet; cook 2 minutes, or until spinach is just wilted. Remove from skillet and turn off heat. Spread a quarter of the goat cheese on each tortilla and top with spinach, tomato and onion; fold closed and press lightly. Heat the skillet and place two folded quesadillas in it; cook two minutes per side, or until golden brown and lightly crisp. Repeat.

And the best part... 337 calories,  38 carbs,  7 grams protein.

That's pretty snazzy :) 

OMG... and check out the drink mixes I found from a bar in Detroit (of all places ! )

diet orange soda + vanilla Vodka (stoli, absolut, etc)  =  A creamsicle !!! 

diet coke w/lemon + bacardi limon =  yum !

and last... a diet mojito !!

Start with a clean glass and half a few limes and cut them into quarter wedges. Squeeze the lime quarters into the glass as you drop them in. Next add about a dozen mint leaves and a shot glass filled 1/3 of the way with a sugar substitute. Grind the ingredients together at the bottom of the glass before filling the glass with ice. Pour in a shot of Bacardi rum and fill with club soda before stirring and savoring. 

And just remember that a shot (1.5 oz) of vodka in general is around 90 calories.

xoxoxoxox

A sunny saturday :)

Of course... I ran on the treadmill on this sunny saturday,  because it wasn't sunny yet at 7:30am.  But.... I was LOOKIN' sunny in my snazzy pink compression socks,  my gray and blue running shorts and my neon pink t shirt.  Brilliant.. nothing like being color coordinated in the ol' gym.   Got the run in , and currently,  just waiting for the Rebels game to start.

I found a shirt today that said "running is my happy hour"...yeah....don't get that at all. That's just possibly one of the most un-true statements ever written,  but someone

must think it's true.  

Check out www.gizmosocks.com  for more snazzy stuff...   They do have really great technical socks.

Since I've been finding some cool recipes and posting them,  I figured I'd let you know what my lunch consisted of today ... this is yummy... and filling... and makes me think I'm eating really snazzy mexican food.

One low carb tortilla - La Tortilla Factory Sonoma 60 calories,  11 grams carbs, 5 grams protein

One spicy black bean burger - Morningstar Farms 120 calories, 13 grams carbs, 11 grams protein

and about 1/4 cup of mild organic salsa

heat it up in the microwave... boom .... mexican !

Morningstar Farms makes a ton of 'burgers' that aren't burgers at all.  The spicy black bean burger is a veggie burger with duh, black beans, corn, tomatoes... soooo good.  My other fav is the Asian Veggie Patty.  Through one of those in a big bowl of lettuce / cabbage with some grape tomatoes, edamade,  and a soy ginger dressing and it's pretty darn good !  

www.seeveggiesdifferently.com   for more of their good stuff. 

Thank God it's FRIDAY !!!

This is Jillian Michaels... .I love her... because she doesn't let you whine...  

She's also one of the trainers on "The Biggest Loser".  Again... she doesn't let you whine.  All trainers should be like that...

On Monday,  we start a "Biggest Loser" competition at work.  I'm not competing,  although,  after stripping down and looking at the scale,  it's not a bad idea.  However,  I am the 'moderator'.  Meaning,  if you're in the game,  you have to report your weight to me every monday.  And I trust you will be honest.  There's other rules.. but me being the moderator is the coolest one ;) 

That being said,  I need to STEP IT UP !!!   I can't be a moderator when I'm having grapefruit margaritas and eating pizza (oh wait... I did that tonight... ).  So,  I'm buckling down.  I'm usually "buckling down... staying buckled down" ... but sometimes,  I can wiggle out of that buckle :)   So less sweets,  less happy hours (what ??),  less bad food.  Think of the money I'll save :) 

I've only done 4 miles this week of actual running.. on Thursday (40 minutes on the trainer on Tuesday),  time contraints and neck kinks have hampered training.  But, tomorrow,  kink in neck, major broken 

tooth,  I'm out... going for a waterfront run. 

Sunday - heading to the old work gym to do some arms and maybe jog on the treadmill.  I'll see what I feel like.  

And if don't get outside,  check this out for a treadmill run !  easy !!!  less than 30 minutes !

 

Potato soup.. yum

Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup

PER SERVING (1/5th of recipe, about 1 cup with toppings): 130 calories, 1g fat, 564mg sodium, 22g carbs, 2g fiber, 2.5g sugars, 7.5g protein 

Imagine taking a loaded baked potato and turning it into a bowl of creamy, thick soup. Here it is!

Ingredients:

For Soup
3 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 cup plain light soymilk
1 large potato (about 14.5 oz.)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. chopped onion
2 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
1 tbsp. real bacon bits (like the kinds by Oscar Mayer and Hormel)
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

For Topping
5 tsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
5 tsp. fat-free sour cream
5 tsp. diced scallions
2 1/2 tsp. real bacon bits

Directions: 
Pierce potato with a fork in multiple places, and then place it on a paper towel or microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 8 - 10 minutes, until potato is soft. Once cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin (either by peeling skin off or cutting potato open and scooping out the insides). Mash the potato pulp with a fork and set aside. 

Bring a medium pot sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, until onio n has softened. Add broth and soymilk. Slowly add the flour, continuously stirring until it has completely dissolved. 

Add mashed potato and stir until fully blended. Add all other ingredients for soup, but not for topping (cheese, sour cream, bacon, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper). Mix well, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. 

Divide soup among five bowls. (Or pour about 1 cup into a bowl now, and refrigerate the rest for another day.) Top each bowl with 1 tsp. each of cheese, sour cream, and scallions. Sprinkle each bowl with 1/2 tsp. bacon bits. Enjoy! 

MAKES 5 SERVINGS 

For JC.... from dad and Tobey the terrible POA... xoxoxoxo (turn off the playlist on the right and then click play here !)

ability / motivation / ATTITUDE

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”

1- we all know my running ability is that of a manatee

2 - my motivation is always high... I'm a dork like that.  Mostly,  I love to motivate other people.

3 - my attitude is generally good... i'm for sure the 'mind over matter' kind of girl

4 - speaking of motivation -  for the St. Pats Dash,  I need green drink ideas... I know,  I know, green beer... but c'mon... there's gotta be something else and I don't want 'sour apple pucker' stuff.  CC - help me out here my little leprechaun. 

5 - Kink update - wayyyy worse today than yesterday.  I attempted to run on the treadmill,  and what do you know,  the arms swinging back and forth DO NOT help with the kink.  Duly noted.  

6 - Kink in neck translates to riding the bike on the trainer.  I'm good with that.  Although,  I don't really think it's as good for training as running.  I did watch one of my fav movies - Casino and I sang outloud to myself... me and Mary J. Blige should duet... 

7 - I don't want to right this week off,  and I won't... I'll get a run in before sunday... I'm planning on like 5 miles.  So there better not be anyone on my treadmill in the gym !

8 - Summer is a 'comin... check out www.bajabobs.com for super low calorie drink mixes

9 - Vitatops - have you had these ???   100 calories of yummy.... www.vitalicious.com   soo good for breakfasts

10 - NEW U2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Seriously... good stuff... I love them... 

Last - as previously posted,  today is 21 days into the new year,  the time it takes to make or break a habit.  How are you doing ??? 

GO TEAM WENATCHEE !

gray grumpy cranky

Wow...there's 3 positive upbeat words huh ??  Sheesh,  that's not like me is it ?  But today,  it's gray out... the sun never burned thru the fog in downtown.  And it never really warmed up (i know jc, you wish it was this weather) but outside currently,  it's 36 here.  blech... 

And my kink in the neck has returned with a vengeance... I think it's work related.

Yesterday - i was supposed to do an easy 2 miles.  I didn't ...  i was sore from the weekend 3 mile run on cold pavement and the 100+ flights of stairs I did.  My fault.  But my quads / hip / piriformis demanded a rest day.

Today - is an official rest day,  but I'm gonna get on the trainer and ride for 30 minutes.  That's a good thing.

Wednesday is an easy 3 mile run.  Got that... I'll be good by Wednesday.

Trying to motivate myself...  I found this... I like it... it's going on facebook as we speak...  and I'm wipin' sweat...   YOU ?   Quit reading about me whining and go stretch, run, ride or something !  xoxoxoxox

You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face. 

stretch ?

Interesting... although one of the running coaches at Seattle Fit said something similar. Basically,  it's better to run around a bit than stand and stretch.. .HOWEVER... my lower back does appreciate a good touch-the-toes stretch before a run :) 

Next time you are chasing a PR at a race, you might consider skipping the popular standing quadriceps stretch. In a recent study published in theJournal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers found that static stretches like these actually decreased leg power. So instead of holding your usual stretches for 30 seconds, opt for more dynamic stretches like lunges or head for a warm-up jog to fire up your muscles.--Jeana Durst 

play list # 1

34 songs  2.1 hours 

Be Somebody (Acoustic Version)	3:12	3 Doors Down
Circus	3:12	Britney Spears
Corona and Lime	3:55	Shwayze
Do Somethin'	3:24	Britney Spears
Gives You Hell	3:35	The All-American Rejects
Good Life (feat. T-Pain)	3:27	Kanye West
Good to Go	3:56	John Corbett
Green Light (feat. André 3000)	4:44	John Legend
Hands Held High	3:53	Linkin Park
Here I Come	3:21	Fergie
How Far We've Come	3:31	Matchbox Twenty
Human	4:10	The Killers
I'm Coming Out	3:57	Diana Ross
Jane Fonda	3:40	Mickey Avalon
Just Dance	4:02	Lady GaGa & Colby O'Donis
Just Fine	4:02	Mary J. Blige
Keeps Gettin' Better	3:03	Christina Aguilera
Let It Rock	3:56	Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne
Let Me Entertain You	4:21	Robbie Williams
Life Ain't Always Beautiful	3:46	Gary Allan
Live for Now	3:51	Daphne Willis
Love Don't Live Here	3:53	Lady Antebellum
Mile In These Shoes	3:18	Jennifer Lopez
More Than Fine	4:15	Switchfoot
Mr. Brightside	3:43	The Killers
Now That You Got It (Main Mix a.k.a Remix)	3:27	Gwen Stefani
Poker Face	3:57	Lady GaGa
September	3:56	Kirk Franklin
Slide Show (feat. John Legend)	3:43	T.I.
Sunshine	4:13	Buckcherry
U + Ur Hand	3:34	P!nk
Whatever You Like	4:12	T.I.
When I Grow Up	4:05	The Pussycat Dolls
Womanizer	3:44	Britney Spears

a schedule... stairs... and other tidbits

Ahhh.... a stairmill... haven't been on one of these since Gold's in Smokey Point,  yep, that's like 2 years ago.  But I've got the Big Climb coming up so I figured I'd see how I could do.   In 2007 my time for 69 flights of stairs was 15:25.  Decent ;)     Today,  I did 70 flights in 18 minutes.  That's not bad considering I haven't done any stairs in 2 years.  I'm totally impressed with myself for that :)

Yesterday was a 3.08 mile run.  It was good ... and I threw some hills in there (lord knows not intentionally.. but the waterfront is down the hill, and the condo is UP the hill).

I have to admit,  I'm not a good one at keeping a schedule.  I tend to switch it up, and then forget what I switched up... so this training program for the half is actually going well for me.   I worked at it 5 days this week.  3 run days and 2 workout days.  Wahoo !

Having to report to you guys makes me accountable ... I suck at lying, so if I post it, then I have to do it :) 

Point to ponder - with everyone's 'new years goals',  they usually include breaking an unhealthy habit.  "Experts say it takes 21 days for a habit (good or bad) to form,  which could mean the difference between making fitness a regular part of your routine or letting your gym membership collect dust" (from the March Oxygen mag)

OK people... it's the 18th... we aren't 21 days into the new year yet... How ya doing on your good or bad habits ????   

OK.... what's your plan for this coming week ?  what are your goals ?  what about your meals ?   Plan it out, pack it up, and go people go ! 

xoxoxoxoxox

calendar o' events

• Feb 8th  the Love 'em or Leave 'em 5K around Greenlake  .. how fun is  jaunt around Greenlake on a Sunday morning ??
  
• March 15th   the St. Pats Dash baby !  While you freaks are drinking green beer,  I'll be having lovely lime margaritas or green martinis :) 
• March 22nd  the BIG CLIMB !!  I'm so excited for this one.. I haven't climbed stairs forever.. wish my quads luck
• March 29th   the CanDo 5k in Bothell ... love it !
• April 18th -    WAHOOOO  !!  Half Marathon in Wenatchee !  Who knew I could so excited about wenatchee ?? mostly, as usual,  it's the group that makes it good !

My week... 12th - 18th

Monday  12th 2.1 miles @ 11:30 

Tuesday 13th off

Wednesday 14th 2.3 miles @ 10:59 

Thursday 15th 5 miles on the wind trainer - so I guess on the miles but it was 37 minutes

Friday 16th  off

Saturday 17th 3.1 miles @ 11:00

Sunday 18th gym day  arms / back !

fartlek....WHAT ?? heheheh she said fartlek...

I love words,  and I get to work with the world so I get all kinds of fun words to play with.  For example,  my latin countries, they don't write "hehehehe" to show me they are laughing,  they write "jajajaja"... and instead of "thank god we got the part"  I get "thanks god we got the part"... thanks god... so TGIF is now "thanks god it's friday"... ANYWAY.. 

Fartlek is indeed a humorous foreign word.  It means 'speed play' in Swedish... and it relates to running.. or cycling .... or walking on a tread mill as a way to get your heart rate up, and make you a little speedier... for me... just a   l i t t l e speedier would be a good thing.  

Funny word, great training tool. Fartlek training has been around for about 50 years and is very effective in increasing a runner's speed and endurance.

Basically, Fartlek involves varying your pace throughout your run. In other words, you integrate intense sprints into your workout, followed by a recovery run or slow jog slightly below your normal running pace.

For example, if you are a beginner, you might include five short sprints -- that's every 6 or 7 minutes -- over the duration of a 45-minute run. As your fitness level improves, you can increase it to 10 sprints. I usually run 4 to 5 minutes followed by a 30-second sprint.

You need to keep in mind that this is a pretty advanced form of training that requires discipline and running experience. You must be willing to really kick up the pace of your run for a brief period -- about 30 seconds -- in order to make the intervals work effectively.

It's also a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning this training method. Being fit doesn't make one immune to potential risks.

Here is a suggestion for an intermediate program for a Fartlek session:

As you head out for your regular run (or if you are using your treadmill), keep up the same pace for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then, kick up your pace for about 30 seconds, going as fast as you can. After 30 seconds, bring your pace back to normal until your breathing is no longer labored.

The idea here is that each time you kick up your speed, you are putting stress on your cardiovascular system, which allows your system to improve its threshold. Thus, you will be increasing both speed and endurance.

If you decide to introduce Fartlek to your regular training, just remember: Listen to your body and avoid doing too much too soon.

You can use hills for your sprint work as an effective means to elevate your heart rate and work on strength, speed and endurance.

You have to be your own coach, so push yourself to make sure you're putting out the necessary effort

Nicki Anderson from Active.com

do it

 

irony

The irony of my life... 

I don't like cold... yet I said in December of 2007 that I want to climb Mt. Rainier... and I will in July of 2009 

I don't swim or bike (and I'm still iffy on the run !!) ... yet in October of 2008 I said I want to do an Olympic distance triathlon ...  and I will in May of 2010

I don't run ,  but in January of 2007 I said I wanted to run a half marathon... and i did in December of 2007 and again in December of 2008 ... and the third one is just around the corner in April of 2009.  

Crazy huh ?  

I guess... if you say you want it,  and you say it outloud,  then it really can happen.   Not easily,  and not without hard work, and maybe not with the outcomes you expected,  but it will happen.  And you'll be happy :) 

(however,  I must clarify that this formula does not work with vacations.. I say outloud all the time I want to go someplace tropical,  but it never happens 'cept once a year !! and I'm thankful,  very very very thankful for that once a year... but I guess I need to work harder at that !)

xoxoxoxo

An Inaugural easy peasy 5K

hola !

Hey -  I know I know... I am constantly having some race to sign up for,  but this one is actually for a great cause.  One of RC's running buddies is an organizer for this... and is also personally affected... so take a look and then...  take a jog !!

www.cando5K.org

March 29th

I'm signed up and ready run around Bothell :) 

last post o' the day

Here's what under armour running shorts,  pink compression socks,  under armour thin socks and bike clippy shoe thingys look like...   now,  imagine that fashion mess on a bike in your living room... frightening isn't it !   ha !