My first interview!!!

I can't believe it -- I was contacted by a local radio station to do a Q&A interview on fitness. They taped my segment yesterday and I think it went really well. Here's a transcript of their questions and my answers. Let me know if you happen to hear the broadcast!

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... Don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, which means they take the water out of the fruit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: You're not listening....Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO -- Cocoa BEANS! Another vegetable. It's the best feel-good food around!!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape! !

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

Happy early April Fool's Day!

Comment appreciation

Regarding "Quick Check-in"
Matt -- as always you crack me up!

Regarding "Lovely lovely comments"
Stacy -- HI! I miss you!! Great job on the kb swings!!!
Colette -- Thanks for the healthy thoughts for Tucker. He was 100% within 24 hours. Kids are amazing like that.
TakeOne -- Thanks for stopping by, and for the encouragement about comments. Playing the Take5 thing is fun -- hope you try it soon!
Jennifer -- I appreciated your honest thoughts on my language. I've been more mindful about it recently because profanity doesn't really line up with who I want to be.
Matt -- best wishes to you always!

Regarding "Take 5 Tuesday"
Rhea -- I have that quote on my license plate frame and over the interior door in my kids bathroom. I love it because it speaks to excellence in whatever you do. Thanks for stopping by!
Matt -- best wishes to you, my friend!
Cat -- Thanks for stopping by! Glad you liked the quotes.
Shelly -- DO let me know what you figure out about big-ass ropes! (That's not profanity, because I really do want a big-ass rope!) Isn't it fun to think of workouts as play-outs?!
Colette -- Carmel with your husband and no kids -- DREAMY!
LizN -- I look forward to your Five for Friday's!

Regarding "Quote for the Day"
Irene, Evelyne, and Matt -- glad you liked it, and thank you!

Regarding "Randomness"
Matt -- thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. I think I'm going to eat mostly vegan, but not call it vegan, because that just would feel far more limiting and I just don't want to be that restrictive. Also I'm not willing to give up my yummy whey protein powder!
Katie -- hi!
Irene -- I've got my fingers crossed for the NWHM. Tim is hoping he doesn't get in (!) but when I reminded him that we registered as a team, he felt conflicted about his desire! Let's keep each other posted.
Colette -- I'm not eating any animal flesh, and am not drinking milk (almond milk is the BOMB!) or eating eggs. But I still use whey protein powder and eat cheese occasionally. Also, the 1/2 I'm signed up for isn't the Folsom one, but I will be doing that in November. And yeah, singing with your kid at the top of your lungs IS the best thing!
Anonymous -- you SHOULD have a blog, as you know a TON of stuff! I've been listening to podcasts (The Joyful Vegan) that have given me loads of great information, so I'm not freaked out by some of the concerns I've heard from well-meaning friends and family. Again, thanks for taking the time to stop by -- I hope you'll come back!

Regarding "Feeling Mensa-like"
Matt, Stef, and Irene -- sending brainy thank-yous your way! (jk)

Regarding "Two tough workouts"
Tracy -- thanks for the words of encouragement. You really do know your stuff, so hearing that my workout makes sense to you means a lot!
Colette -- I know the scale isn't the most important thing, but I get so fixated on the number. I'm trying though!

Regarding "Go Speed Racer!"
Matt -- thanks!
Anthony C -- I didn't know you were vegan/veg. I'd love to talk more. I will drop you a note soon -- thanks!
Katie -- hugs to you!
Irene -- thanks so much. I still think your running group sounds great, though, and probably better for working on speed than my occasional run with Tim. : )

Regarding "Comment appreciation"
Noelle -- thanks for stopping by. (Noelle is the author of Take 5 Tuesday, which is a lot of fun and everyone should play!)

Regarding "San Francisco"
Matt, Irene, Colette, Sunshine, and Katie -- thanks for the happy thoughts. And Colette -- next time we'll have to try the Sony store!

Regarding "Greetings from the ladder"
Eileen -- you were right about me not listening to the CDs yet. But today I put them on my iPod, and listened to the entire 1st CD on my 10 mile run. (And thank you again for sending them to me -- I'll send them back asap!) Thank you for pointing me in the right direction, my friend! And you are SO right about planning for summertime NOW!
Irene -- thank you! I feel virtually hugged!
Colette -- thanks for the hugs!
Matt -- as always, THANK YOU!

To anyone who takes even a moment to read a word of what I write -- thank you from the bottom of my heart! Have a great week, friends!

Greetings from the ladder

I feel like I'm on a ladder, climbing out of a hole. What's the hole? It's a depression brought on by stress, poor food choices, and not much balance in my life. The good news is that I can break this cycle any time I choose, which is why I'm now on the ladder and not just sitting in the hole!

The truth is that the kids being on break is hard for me because of how I react to it. And this time it's harder because I'm training clients while the kids are home. So once again I'm figuring out what works by experiencing what doesn't work -- kind of part of the whole game of life, right?

The day in San Francisco was wonderful. Cafe Gratitude was quite an experience for this suburban family. The menu is all vegan and mostly raw, and you order things like "I am Fun" (onion sunflower bread) and "I am Fulfilled" (large cafe salad), so the ordering process is quite different. The unbleached muslin napkins look like they've been pre-used (but they're weren't!). The food was wonderful -- flavorful, fresh, and very satisfying. And I so appreciate that my family was open minded enough to try this.

We also had a great time at MOMA, Ripley's Believe it or Not, and the Apple store. We ate dinner in North Beach and our niece, who's just graduated from college and moved to the city ran down to meet us, and we hiked the (very hilly) 10 or so blocks to her new apartment which was very fun.

The other eventful day of the week was Thursday when I rented a mini van (my car wouldn't hold everyone) and took five-6th graders to Marine World. The day started out great -- kids were really fun, and I managed to sneak my vegan lunch into the park (thank you Laptop Lunchbox!). But after lunch one of the girls got violently ill and I spent hours with her in the infirmary, while the rest of the kids were checking in via cell phone. Then one of the boys lost his cell phone, and then his friends lost him for about 30 minutes. The day did have a happy ending with sick child feeling better and lost boy found (sadly, no cell phone was found though.)

(I know I'm writing a lot, but I just need to get this figured out...)

So I think a combination of inconsistent workouts, not enough sleep, and using food to deal with stress (cotton candy and a King-sized bag of M&Ms were the foods of choice at Marine World) is what contributed to my own personal black cloud. So today, after more indulgence last night, it's time to get back to what works. And what works for me is healthful nutritious food, workouts that make me sweat, and doing things I love. Nutritious food is on today's agenda. Writing in my weblog is something that I love to do. And today's workout was this:

1000 kettlebell swings
2-1/2 minute sets w/1 minute of rest
Round 1: 12 kb, 100 swings
Round 2: 12 kb, 100 swings
Round 3: 12 kb, 100 swings
Round 4: 16 kb, 100 swings
Round 5: 16 kb, 50 swings, 12 kb 50, swings
Round 6: 16 kb, 100 swings
Round 7: 12 kb, 100 swings
Round 8: 16 kb, 50 swings, 12 kb 50, swings
Round 9: 16 kb, 50 swings, 12 kb 50, swings
Round 10: 12 kb, 100 swings

Total time: 35 minutes

Tomorrow will be a long run, as it's been a week since I've gone running. And Monday school and the more predictable rhythms of life begin again.

I just looked over what I wrote, and to me it seems fragmented and I'm tempted to just delete it. But that's where I'm at, and fragmented actually makes sense with how I feel. Fragmented, but hopeful.

San Francisco

We're heading to San Francisco for the day. Kids are on Spring Break, and our plan is to take BART into the city, and hit the Museum of Modern Art (Austin's request), Ripley's Believe it or Not (Tucker's request), Cafe Gratitude (my request) and the Apple Store (Tim's request) plus anything else that strikes our fancy.

The picture is from last year's San Francisco Marathon (SFM). SFM was Tim's first marathon. In fact, he started training when I was pregnant with Austin, so as my waist was expanding weekly, he was buying new (smaller) belts to keep his pants from falling down. I had very little sympathy for his plight.

This year, for the first time SFM is offering a half marathon. Actually they're offering two of them -- 1st half and 2nd half. I think I'm going to sign up for the first half. It starts REALLY early in the morning, but you get to run across the Golden Gate Bridge, which sounds fabulous (and Tim assures me it IS fabulous!).

Time to get a quick workout in before we head out. Have a wonderful day!

Go Speed Racer!

After Easter festivities yesterday, Tim and I did a quick 4 mile run. Neither of us was feeling very energetic, but we ran anyway. Running with Tim pushes me, since his pace is faster than mine, which is a good thing. Even with some walking, our overall pace was 8:35 per mile, and towards the end we were running at about a 7:15 pace! Glutes and hams are sore today, so I'm hoping it's all upper body and abs at boxing camp.

Feeling Mensa-like because...

...I fixed my weblog! Hooray!!!

I messed up my weblog

I was thinking of posting a week's worth of workouts on the sidebar of my weblog, and instead I ended up creating a bogus copy of my blog header (scroll down and you'll see it on the right-hand side). Does anyone know what I need to look for to undo my mistake? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Two tough workouts and heavier, but smaller

Yesterday life worked out so that I could do my usual long weekend run on a Friday. So I did 13 miles, listening to and thoroughly enjoying the Compassionate Cooks podcast the entire time. I finished in under 2 hours, which was a very nice thing, since many of my runs have been slower than I'd like.

Today I decided to do kettlebell swings. Heeding Tracy's advice, I decided to do something a little more sane than 1000 swings with heavier-than-I'm-used-to kettlebells. So here's how the workout worked out:

10 rounds
3 minutes swings with 12 kg kb
1 minute rest
Final result = 1200 swings

I don't know if it's boxing or running or kettlebells or what, but my weight is up by 2 or 3 pounds, and yet my clothes are looser than they've been in a long time. The other day I weighed myself, pouted, and then crossed my fingers as I went to put on some capris from last year, thinking they'd get stuck on my butt or not zip or something. Surprisingly they fit with some room to spare.

I really do love the intensity and the variety of what I do. And as a woman who's closing in on 50 (that doesn't EVEN feel possible!), I love that my workouts give me a great deal of ease in what I eat. I still try to make smart choices most of the time. But I'm delighted to tell you that today's food included a heavenly piece of baklava, and a Cadbury's cream egg with my name written all over it!

Randomness

• I'm dressed in grown-up clothes because I get to go to the elementary school today and talk with a panel (they're deciding if our school will be awarded a "California Distinguished School" award) about our Art Docent program.
  
• Yesterday's high point was driving with Tucker, sunroof down, singing at the top of our lungs. What were we singing? My favorite Beatles songs (the progression on Abby Road that starts with "Mean Mr. Mustard" and ends with "The End." It always brings me to tears, and yesterday was no exception.)!
• Today I'm working out with my girlfriend Laudon. We push each other, and what I have planned for us today even has ME nervous!
• Boxing camp is still going well, and it's much better now that I've adjusted to daylight savings time.
  
• I'm working on the 3rd issue of my fitness newsletter, and should be sending it out tomorrow.
• I don't talk about this too much, but I've been vegetarian since last August and am moving towards vegan. Eating this way seems to really agree with my body (and if I could just ditch the Diet Pepsi, I'd be in even better shape!). And I've found a podcast I'm in love with -- yesterday's quote came from it. The founder is Coleen Patrick-Goudreau, and her website is compassionatecooks.com. Check it out!
• I'm signed up for my first half marathon race of the year. It takes place in May, and goes along the American River bike trail, which is right by where I grew up! Another half I'm seriously considering is the San Francisco half marathon. This is the first year they're offering a half, and you get to run ACROSS THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE which will be closed to traffic. (Doesn't that sound fabulous?) This takes place in early August. I'll keep you posted.

Ok, I'm off to elementary school! Have a great day, friends!

Quote for the day

Don't do nothing just because you can't do everything.
(Heard on this week's "Vegetarian Food for Thought" podcast.)

Take 5 Tuesday

It's Take 5 Tuesday, but Miss 5 is having a super busy day, so I grabbed some questions from previous lists that she's published. Best of luck getting everything taken care of, Noelle (aka Miss 5), and I look forward to next week's list!

• 5 of your favorite snack foods
  

1. Hummus
   
2. Baby carrots
   
3. Raw almonds
   
4. Bell peppers
5. Tasty Little Crackers (TLC's)
   

• 5 of your favorite quotes.

1. "Whatever you are, be a good one." Abraham Lincoln
2. "A happy family is but an earlier heaven."
3. "Hard work pays off."
4. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" Aristotle
5. "Someone who is busier than you is running right now." Nike ad campaign
   

• 5 things you like about your job.
  

1. I get to make a difference in women's lives!
2. I meet fabulous people and get to really know them!
3. It's a fun challenge to come with with workouts that work for each individual.
4. It keeps me active and out of trouble.
5. Because of my job, I get to buy cool fitness toys and write them off!
   

• 5 places you would like to live.

1. Carmel, CA
2. Hawaii (but only for a while, not forever)
3. Italy (because it seems really really cool!)
4. Denver, CO
5. Santa Barbara, CA
   

• 5 things you like about blogging

1. It connects me with wonderful like-minded people.
2. It gives me a chance to write.
3. It (to some degree) keeps me accountable.
4. It helps me to feel like I'm not alone in my struggles.
5. It makes me feel appreciated.
   

Lovely lovely comments

Ok, so I have a few minutes while the chili simmers (3 kinds of beans, 3 kinds of peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, corn -- what's not to love?!), and my not-quite-as-sick child is engrossed in a video game.

Regarding "Comment appreciation":
Irene -- I signed up for the NW1/2M lottery. Fingers crossed for both of us! And I'd love to have more time together too!

Regarding "1000 swings":
Colette -- thanks for the nice words. I got much of my equipment from Sac Exercise Equipment (it just moved to the location on 80 -- before that it was on Auburn Blvd off of Madison). You're right in saying they're great to deal with!
Cave-Matt -- thanks for the food for thought on vegging out!
Shelly -- THANK YOU for the links. I'm now going through the archives of both weblogs. What fun fun stuff!!!
Colette -- you are absolutely right! But you already knew that!

Regarding "Belated Video":
To everyone who said they liked seeing video -- thank you! It was scary posting post-workout no-makeup just-as-you-are video, but your comments really put my fears to rest!
Matt -- thank you for the encouragement.
Colette -- the dinner was Cioppino (sp?) and it was pretty good, not great. Flavoring was too vinegary for my taste, but it was dinner nonetheless. And thanks for the nice words!
Tracy -- your words mean a lot, especially the cooking encouragement. (And I still have to write about the wonderful afternoon of cooking with you and Fawn!) 1600 swings?!?! Wow!!!
Jen -- yes, Tim's cinematography methods are fun, aren't they?!
Eileen -- you should post video one of these days!
Katie -- thanks so much! Austin took 4th place at State, and now he's gearing up for regionals in Reno on April 4th.
Evelyne -- THANKS!!!
Irene -- thanks for the kitchen comment!

Regarding "Austin's results":
Colette -- you're right -- I should have gone home and come back, as Natomas is not where I want to hang out for hours and hours!
Katie -- thanks!
Matt -- merci, beaucoup!
Evelyne -- thank you!

Regarding "Take 5 Tuesday":
Katie and Evelyne -- aren't these fun?! I wish everyone would play! Again, the lists are at www.take5.lifes-adventures.net.

Regarding "2 more reasons to love Costco":
Evelyne -- yes, the snap lids are wonderful. No leaks!
Matt -- Jammy Dodgers? You mean, there's an indulgent food I have yet to find?!?!?!
Colette -- I think that for us, the containers come filled with colorful bell peppers!
Pamela -- without a ticket to the concert, there was no way I could shadow the kids and drive them crazy. And they had the best time!
Katie -- great shopping list, girlfriend!
Matt -- Chocolate-coated Jammy Dodgers? You're killin' me!

Regarding "Video from the 1000 swing workout":
Colette -- if you didn't hear bad language, then I didn't say a thing! And yes, I did finish, and right after that we drove to Stockton. Getting out of the car after over an hour of sitting was FUN!
Jen B -- your words are so appreciated!
Anthony C -- I KNEW you would have to try it too! Best of luck, is all I can say!
Matt -- thank you!
Tracy -- thank you for taking the time to comment. Why haven't I built up to it? Because I just wanted to see if I could do it. You're right about my form breaking down, and I will be doing longer sets with less weight as you suggested. As for the breathing -- I am a loud breather, whether I'm running or swinging kettlebells, or doing anything that takes effort. Anyway, your feedback is very appreciated!
Takeonestripperpole -- We all start somewhere, right? Good for you for doing 50 swings in a row! You may catch up sooner than you think...
Greg -- well hello! No offense taken on the maniac comment, but I think from what I've seen you do, same comment could apply to YOU! (No offense, of course!)
Evelyne -- thanks girl!
Irene -- you've so got to try kettlebells. I think you'd love them!
LizN -- stop avoiding kettlebells! Did you know that the folks from Original Bootcamp Au are trying to intro kbs in Australia? (They were in my kb cert in December.) And I've been LOVING the Cathe blogposts, but I feel a little like a stalker as I refresh my browser several times a day just to see if there are any new photos!

Regarding "Quick check in":
Irene -- Here's how I accidentally ran 15 on Saturday. My girlfriend wanted to run 6 (which is her long run). But since that's my base run, and Saturday is long run day, I decided to run before we got together, and then I was going to run home from her house. I wanted to do maybe 5 before her house, but I really did get lost in the enjoyment of a podcast and some trails, so I ended up doing 7 miles before we ran. Then we did our 6. And it was 2 from her house to my house. So it doesn't feel like an "honest" 15 because I stopped for 10 minutes each time at her house. But I did cover the mileage, so I logged it anyway.

In other news, Tucker is doing much better. Still a fever, but thank goodness no more stomach flu-like symptoms, which makes both of us very happy!

Quick check in

Hi friends! Quick random thoughts:

• Ran 15 miles on Saturday by accident. Longest run in probably 10 years!
• Love the comments -- thanks everyone. Will respond today or tomorrow.
• Big group dinners are not very veg friendly. Saturday night I had iceburg lettuce salad and dessert. :)
• Found a wonderful new podcast and website -- more later.
• Tucker was up most of the night sick. Fingers crossed that today is an easier day for him.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Video from the 1000 swing workout

Please ignore the bad language in this video -- I was tired and feeling sassy. Here's a little peek at what 1000 swings looks like at my house.

Again, my apologies for the harsh language. I can't figure out how to edit it out, or it would be gone.

I think I'm going to keep 1000 swings as a regular workout. Maybe Saturdays will be my long run day, and Sundays will be for max swings. I'll keep you posted!

2 more reasons to love Costco

I do love Costco. When my membership is managed properly (by buying off the list, not just because, and by not thinking of it as the $300 store!), it's a great money saver and helps me to economically feed my family some great nutritious foods. Today I found two more reasons to love Costco:

1. They have containers like these that I love from Sharper Image. I think they really work at keeping food fresher, and I have some in my fridge right now, one with ready to go salad greens, another with cut up carrots, and another labeled "rainbow peppers" with cut up red, orange, and yellow bell peppers.

2. My friend Doug greeted me today with, "How is it that you get younger every time I see you?!"

Gotta love that Costco!

Austin's results

4th place in Northern California!!! (The state championships are divided into Northern and Southern CA because the state is so big.) So now he heads to regionals in April, which cover all of California, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii.

Although he enjoyed the meet Sunday and was pleased with the results, Austin was more excited about last night's Linkin Park concert. He and his teammate went and had a phenomenal time. It was Austin's first concert, and it sounds like it was just wonderful! (We could only get two tickets, so I drove, then hung out in Natomas for 3-1/2 hours till it was time to pick them up. I think I earned some mom brownie points there!)

Take 5 Tuesday

• 5 things you are looking forward to

Getting the upper hand on my depressive tendencies
Becoming a better trainer
Getting and staying in the low 130s
Completing my 6 half marathons this year
Going to Hawaii in June with my family
Note -- I am actively working on the first 4 things.

• 5 of your blogs (if you've had more than 5)

I've only had two blogs. One I started as I was getting ready for my first (and only) fitness competition. I kept it for a year and a half, and then it caused some problems with a family member who I love, so I deleted the blog to prove that the person was more important. (Impulsive move. I regret it. But relationship was salvaged. Now most family don't know of weblog, which is good.) Then there's this one!

• 5 of your favorite kinds of soup

Tortilla soup
Gazpacho
Minestrone
Mulligatawny
Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable (from my childhood)

• 5 jobs you’ve had, or would like to have

Jobs I've had:
fabric store salesclerk
radio station DJ
fax machine salesperson
computer company tech support
fitness trainer (best job ever!!!)

Jobs I wish I'd had:
surgeon
dancer
chef
nurse
fitness trainer (oh wait, I have that one -- hooray!)

• 5 of your favorite breakfast foods

Fresh mixed fruit
Egg white omelet with LOTS of veggies
Steel cut oatmeal
French toast with LOTS of maple syrup
Donuts

Belated video

This was taken last weekend right after I tried to do as many swings as possible.

1000 swings

Workout completed. Very hard, but doable thanks to Regina's and Tracy's hand protection suggestions (gymnastics tape and cut-off socks). Here are the results:

12K = 250 swings
16K = 500 swings
20K = 250 swings

I mostly did sets of 100 swings at the beginning, and 50 swings towards the end, with a minute of rest between sets. I didn't know how many I'd do with each kettlebell, and in fact I started the workout thinking I'd only use the 12K and 16K, but about halfway through I decided to use my heaviest kettlebell. What I wanted was a starting point for a 1000 swing workout, and now I've got it, and I'm very happy about that!

Tim came in with the camera when I was maybe 600 or 700 swings into the workout. But I have to see the video before I can commit to posting it.

Time to get ready to head to the gymnastics meet!

Comment appreciation

It is so nice when someone reads what you write. And to have someone take the time to comment? That's even better!

On "Comments":
Jen -- I'm so happy I can read your weblog again!

On "Doing Much Better":
Shelly -- thank you! Getting stuff out is much better!

On "A quote worth pondering":
Colette -- thanks for the encouragement and for another clean meat possibility.
Katie -- thanks for the sweet thoughts!
Matt -- thanks for the wisdom and encouragement.
Regina -- I'm glad you got a kb sticker too!
Irene -- glad you liked the quote.

On "Do I get any bonus points?":
Evelyne, Shelly, Pamela, Colette, Katie, Sunshine, and Laurie -- thank you all for the awarding of bonus points, and for the encouragement for my son. TODAY we're heading to the state meet, and I'll let you all know how he does.
Matt -- you crack me up!
Laurie -- so happy you tried the pigtails!

On "Take 5 Tuesday":
Katie -- if you don't iron the lapel (of the flannel PJ's) it looks and feels icky. And I am so NOT a fan of icky in my life!
Matt -- if I missed eating meat, I might not do the vegetarian thing, but I don't miss it at all. If you need meat, you should eat it, Cave-Matt! :)
Colette -- I do think eating less meat, like you said, is a good thing for all concerned (us, the animal in question, the planet)
Pamela -- thank you!
Noelle -- I do love your questions on Tuesdays! If anyone else wants to play, Take 5 Tuesday is here.
Regina -- I'm so glad someone else irons flannel pjs! But even better was you including my blog on your list of favorites -- that made my day!

On "The Good, Good Pig":
Evelyne -- thank you!
Matt -- thank you!
Christine -- this week, I need to refocus on cleaning up my diet, so it's about to (again) become my mantra. Glad it's helping!
Pamela -- I think all good moms try to stay connected with their kids in any way possible, including reading their books, listening to their music, or just being available. Glad to hear you do the same kinda stuff as I do!
Katie -- thanks!

On "Busy week":
Regina -- that your website is up is HUGE! Great job!!! And my fingers are crossed for the job.

On "Friday Night Fun":
LizN -- hooray for flannel ironers! And have you seen all the cool blog posts on STS??? I can't wait!
Eileen -- of COURSE you have a red couch! Have you bought us some cool sexy work clothes yet? We really ARE the same person in two different lives!
Matt -- thank you!
Irene -- thank you!
Colette -- THANK YOU!!!

On "No snowboarding today":
OsteoFitKit -- thanks!
Katie -- Tim really does make it look easy and fun, doesn't he?
Matt -- You're thinking of snow that just hangs around, not snow you drive to. The image of you as Penguin from Batman made me laugh! And yes, snowboarding is attaching both feet to one big fat ski-like board, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

On "Trying to keep up with Tracy":
Matt -- thanks!
Irene -- thanks, and no I haven't signed up yet. I'm trying to decide if I'm doing TNT or just taking my chances on the lottery. Did you sign up?
Donna -- hope your hand is healed. I'm trying another max swing workout today!
Eileen -- I think Regina answered this, but a rip is where a callus rips open, so it's like a blister but intensified, since it's more layers of skin. I'm going to try max swings today, but with gloves!
Regina -- thanks for the excellent hand care suggestions!

On "Take 5 Tuesday":
Matt, LizN, and Noelle -- thanks!
Everyone -- you should try Take 5 Tuesday. It's fun!

On "The Sweetest Compliment":
Matt, Irene, Jen, Katie, Pamela, and Colette -- thank you!!!

Ok, it's time to do my max swing workout, then it's off to Stockton for the State Championships. I'll let you know how it all goes!

The sweetest compliment

My client's 14-year-old daughter wrote me this note. It is on a piece of construction paper with a candy wrapper pasted on one side that reads, "Make "someday" today." On the other side it says this:

"Dear Leslie,
I was eating a piece of chocolate (again) and there was a message inside the wrapper. It was inspirational and I thought you might like it!! Thank you 4 helping my mom achieve her goal. She looks hot!!
Love, E"

Nothing more to say, right?

Take 5 Tuesday

1. 5 names you like
• Melinda
• Duncan
• Jamie
• Anthony
• Hillary
2. 5 names you don't like
• Julie
• Clive
• Russell
• Floyd
• Martha
  
3. 5 of your most overused words or phrases
• "Hugs" to sign off on an email -- it seems friendly but I probably use it too much
• "3, 2, 1, go" -- all of my clients will be familiar with this one!
• "Good" -- always in response to "this is hard" "these are heavy" comments
• "Fuck" -- this makes my husband laugh, which is why I say it
• "Say again?" -- my hearing is NOT what it used to be (darn Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith) and I ask people to repeat themselves a lot
4. 5 things you do, or should do, daily
• Eat lots of fruits and veggies (I do this)
• Wash your face before bed (I never do this and I feel bad about it)
• Exercise (I don't feel quite right if I don't break a good sweat)
• Pray (I'm good about this one, but could always be better)
• Meditate (thanks to Holosync, I do an hour of meditation probably 4 days a week)
5. 5 of your favorite stores
• Nordstrom
• Costco
• Amazon.com
• Ann Taylor
• Nugget Market

Take 5 Tuesday courtesy of Take5 Tuesday.

Trying to keep up with Tracy

Inspired by Tracy's 1000 swing workout (click here to check it out), I thought I'd try some swing play of my own. Here are the results:

5 sets
30 seconds 12k swings/30 seconds rest

5 sets
30 seconds 16k swings/30 seconds rest

5 sets
30 seconds 20k swings/30 seconds rest

5 sets
30 seconds 20k swings/30 seconds rest
30 seconds 16k swings/30 seconds rest

(this is when my hand ripped, so no more swings)

10 sets
30 seconds 12k squats/30 seconds rest

Totals: 500 swings (100 with 12k, 200 with 16k, 200 with 20k)
200 squats
1 rip
1 blister

Tracy, you are amazing. This workout kicked my ass, and I didn't do half (literally) of what you did!

No snowboarding today :(

We were thinking of heading up to the snow, but the kids are tired and didn't really want to go. And as it turns out, it's really windy here, which means it would be kinda rough on the mountain. But here is a video of my handsome husband snowboarding. The video doesn't really do justice to how fluid and athletic he is on the slopes though... (yeah, I'm a proud wife!)