Green smoothies

My girlfriend Angela sent me a link a few weeks ago, suggesting that I check it out. It was a link to Green Smoothie Girl, a website where the author believes that if you do nothing else for your health but make and drink a green smoothie once a day, you'll be improving your health by leaps and bounds.

The idea of one thing making a big difference appealed to me, so I decided to try it. And I liked it right away. Tim watched what I was doing with some skepticism, but after a few days decided to try it as well. He liked it too. And I've shared the idea with some friends who are now making, drinking, and enjoying green smoothies too!

So what's in a green smoothie? Here's what I've been putting in mine:

In a blender with a tight fitting lid, combine:
2 cups water
2 - 3 giant handfuls organic spinach
1 handful kale or chard
(blend these together first to break up all the leaves)
1/2 of a frozen banana
1-1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
1 - 2 packages Stevia powder (I like mine sweet)
more water to desired consistency

Once you add in the berries and banana, the smoothie no longer looks green. And you can't taste the spinach and any other greens you put in it. This recipe makes about 64 ounces, and Tim and I have been splitting this amount in the morning, and again in the late afternoon/early evening. I try to drink my green smoothie before I eat anything else, because I want the enzymes in the raw food to hit my system first.

That's it! You can change the proportions (more berries and banana for those who are just starting off and want something that's more like a "normal" smoothie), the ingredients (different fruits, different greens), and add some extras (some days I add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice) to make it just right for you. But the base of spinach and other greens never changes, and that's what makes it so great -- you're eating more dark leafy greens (like we always hear we need to do) in a way that just makes it so easy to do!

I feel that by drinking green smoothies, I've opened the door to a willingness I've never had before to examine what I choose to fuel my body with. I'm still on half the caffeine I normally drink (a small cup of coffee in the morning and in the afternoon, as compared with -- well, I don't even want to go there!), and I think that's directly tied to green smoothies. And I'm more discriminating about what I eat, asking the question "Do I really want this?" before just going ahead and eating. And my tastes are changing, so fresh stuff really does taste better than processed (for the most part).

If you do a Google search on Green Smoothies, you'll find tons of links for more inspiration. Let me know if you decide to give this a try. Happy blending and thanks Angela!

Link lists

New blogger makes adding sidebar stuff so easy! I've been working on my link lists, because I lost them (darn it). I'm not done yet -- still don't have my blogger friend links up -- but I'm moving forward and that feels great!

Next post will be green smoothie details and comment apprecation. Till then, sweet dreams!

Food and immaturity

I am not someone who gravitates to a grown-up outlook on things as a first response to an event. And I am very all or nothing/intense about how I see things. So today I was thinking about something I read recently saying that vitamin supplements, in general, do little to promote health, and in some cases appear to actually be detrimental to health. The recommendation? Get your vitamins and minerals from WHOLE FOODS! (Shocking, I know!) And then I read something about how we should avoid all plants from the nightshade family (so tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers are OUT, according to this well-respected author). Ummmm, hello! I live right by Sacra-Tomato, and we grow our own tomatoes every summer. And besides, you are now saying that vegetables will hurt you???

So how is it that my brain goes, "Well if even vitamins and vegetables will kill you, we should all eat Twinkies!" I remember having that same thought years ago when the alar and apple thing was in the news. And again when the healthiest person I knew was diagnosed with leukemia. That immature, all or nothing thinking can drive me to Doritos and Diet Pepsi faster than you can blink. But really what it's about is abdicating responsibility for my own health and an unwillingness to do what I know works, which is EAT FOOD. MOSTLY PLANTS. NOT TOO MUCH!

So my decision is to keep eating tomatoes because I love them. Peppers too. And maybe I need to stop reading so much???

It's tough growing up in your late 40's, let me tell ya!

Run is done!

Races are getting easier for me emotionally. I don't get as frightened beforehand and that's really nice. Today I drove to Lodi, leaving at 6:10, and ran my race. A few thoughts:

• Headsweats hats are fantastic. The race included both a t-shirt (boo -- it was a man shirt!) and a Headsweats hat (yea!). I changed hats before the race, and the new hat is amazing -- it doesn't even feel like you have a hat on. I'm a believer, for sure!
• Getting stuck behind a smelly man (not all men are smelly, I'm talking about a specific one in the race) is tremendous incentive to speed up.
• Running when it's 20 degrees warmer than it was 2 weeks ago feels tough.
• Lodi is flat, which is nice for those of us who run where it's un-flat!
• I don't have race results yet (had to drive right back home after race) but I think I did about a 1:57. At the very end, a 20-something girl and I had a sprint to the finish. She won (darn it!). But I was grateful for the push at the end.

Melange

• Filthy fifty makes you sore. Where? Everywhere! More specifically lats, pecs, abs (surprising because of all the ab stuff we do at boxing camp), glutes & hams, calves (also surprising cuz of the hill running). I think the explosive nature of the exercises (burpees, thrusters, etc.) accounts for a lot of the soreness. Both of my girlfriends did great, but I'm hoping I'm not the only one who's sore today!
• Has anyone seen "Dan in Real Life"? It's an ok movie, but it has some really neat music that's great for listening while writing, cooking, or relaxing.
  
• Also speaking of music, I refound two of my favorite songs and added them to my running playlist: Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode, and Plush by Stone Temple Pilots. And a new favorite is Capital G by Nine Inch Nails. These songs are the opposite of Dan in Real Life!
  
• Tim drives a LOT for work and listens to audiobooks. Recently he recommended The Pillars of the Earth as something I'd enjoy. I don't read much fiction. But I decided to give it a try. I got halfway through the 1000+ page book and decided to stop there. Why? I was tired of really bad things happening to good people! The book really is a good book -- the characters are well drawn, the writing style is fantastic -- but it's just not the book for me. I may have to go back to my all-time favorites for yet another reading: Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic books (and especially The Undomestic Goddess). Yes, it's chick lit, but it's light and fun and perfect for summer!
• I had some bloodwork done this morning and decided to see how no caffeine felt. Verdict? No caffeine, at least at this point in time, makes me feel awful!
• I still want to write about Green Smoothie Girl and green smoothies, but the Cliff Notes version sounds something like this: I've been drinking green smoothies twice a day for the past two weeks, and I feel fantastic, and my skin looks better, and I really look forward to each and every smoothie I make!
• Final thing: I'm running my second half marathon tomorrow. This one is just to get another race under my belt on my quest for six of them this year. The run is in Lodi at a winery, so the scenery should be nice. And I'm happy the temperatures are dropping this weekend -- today is supposed to be 100 degrees, and tomorrow's forecast says 96. Those are hot temperatures, to be sure, but those few degrees can make a BIG difference!
  
• One more final thing: I wish there was another name for the 1/2 marathon. To me, it's the perfect distance, and is complete in itself, and calling it half of something implies that it's not complete. I do have a sticker on my car that reads "13.1. Because I can." But another name besides half marathon would be nice, don't you think?
  

Meeting George!

I pulled Tucker out of school and we headed to U Food to meet George Foreman. We only got a moment with him (there were tons of people there, of course), but I'm told by the owners of the restaurant that he is one of the nicest and most down to earth people you'll ever meet.

When we met, I told him I've been boxing since January and have a tremendous amount of respect for what he's done. He said, "You're boxing? Make a fist!" That's why the picture looks like this:

Here's Tucker with Mr. Foreman:

And here's Tucker with a tricked out SCHOOL BUS that was in the parking lot:

And as if meeting Mr. Foreman wasn't exciting enough, the owner of U Food asked if I could be interviewed for a U Food commercial! Don't know if what I said will make it onto the screen, but the process was exciting, to be sure!

Filthy Fifty and George Foreman

Today two girlfriends and I are doing the Crossfit Filthy Fifty. It's 50 reps each of these exercises:

Box jumps
Jumping pull-ups
Kettlebell swings
Walking Lunges
Knees to elbows
Push press
Back extensions
Wall ball shots
Burpees
Double unders

Then it's time for a quick shower, and I'm off to meet George Foreman, who's appearing at U-Food today!

Time to try something new

Next week is my last week of boxing camp, after 5 months of hitting the heavy bag. I'm feeling a little sad, but I think it's the right decision. In the summertime, we stay up late. And I can't find a way to make that make sense when I get up at 4:45 for boxing. So I'm taking a break for the summer, and returning to boxing in the fall.

Usually when we hit the heavy bag, I pretend that I'm hitting depression. But today I noticed that I wasn't hitting depression because I don't feel depressed. Something I'm doing is working, because I'm really feeling balanced and happy. Possible reasons?

1. Cell regeneration -- I'm still getting one treatment a week and I think it's making a huge difference. (Wish there was a website I could point you to for more info!)

2. Green smoothies -- I'll write more over on my other blog, but the short version is that I've found what I've always been looking for: fresh, fast, healthy convenience food that I make myself!

3. Standing up for myself -- I'm feeling stronger than I've ever felt before and it feels like I've found my voice. So if something's not working for me, I say so. Or if I'm angry, I speak up. And if I want something, I can say it. After many years of trying not to be a bother or be in the way, this way of expressing myself is foreign and feels wonderful.

When cutting down on caffeine...

...it's best to avoid mirrors.

I've cut my caffeine in half this week. And I'm feeling pretty good. But boy do I look tired!

Worth the time it takes to read

Don't you hate it when you have too many thoughts in your head, and not enough time to make it all come out on paper (keyboard!)? Well, I read something today that you should read too. It's from a weblog called Almost Fit, and the post is titled "Eat Real Food -- it's what your Grandma would do." I won't try to dissect or debate what the author has to say, but I think the piece speaks to many facets of the food/nutrition/health Rubik's Cube that we all want to figure out.

And I am happy to say that just the other day, I planted Rainbow Chard seeds. (Those of you who know me well know that this is waaaaaaaay out of the box for me -- I'll keep you posted!)

Trying something new -- KALE

I've heard forever about the benefits of dark green leafy vegetables. And until recently I've been willing to eat salad nearly every day, using the darkest lettuces I can find. But I've not ventured past lettuce in my greens shopping (and I don't even know if lettuce is considered part of "greens"). Anyway, I've been re-listening to the "Vegetarian Food for Thought" podcasts, specifically the ones about food. And I decided to try steaming kale, because Colleen says it's so delicious. And Tracy Reifkind's writings about her love of kale also helped to propel me into action.

Well, they are both right -- kale is delicious! Yesterday I pulled out my steamer and grabbed some kale. I cut it almost like you'd cut Romaine lettuce for a Caesar salad, put it in the steamer basket, and let it cook for about 10 minutes. That's it. It was mild, almost sweet, and would adapt well to any flavor you put with it. (Colleen says she adds some apple cider vinegar and a little olive oil.)

Instead of eating it on its own, though, I mixed the kale with some chickpeas and used that as the base for my taco salad last night. Tim and the kids had the chicken I'd cooked up for them and then mixed in iceberg lettuce (for the crunch), tomatoes, queso fresco, and salsa. Mine was the kale and chickpea base, then some tomatoes, salsa, and a little queso fresco, and it was DELICIOUS!

(There's still some steamed kale in the fridge -- let me try a little experiment here. Back in a sec...)

Darn it! Tim ate the rest of the kale. (I guess that's actually a good thing, right?) I was going to try it with ACV and see how it was. Maybe later today...

Vegan-ish?

I am vegan-ish. What does that mean? Well, it means I don't eat animals, nor do I drink milk or eat eggs. But why the "ish" part? Because I am not so vegan that I'm going to interrogate waiters, or refuse the occasional baked treat because it has one-twelfth of an egg in it, or (today) turn down my mother-in-law's casserole because it's made with cheese, eggs, and milk. I do use whey protein, and whey is a derivative of milk. A touch of Parmesan on a salad is a good thing, I think. I continue to eat honey, and let's not even TALK about my leather shoes, ok?!

What I'm trying to say is that I'm trying to find a sane balance that allows me to eat the way I feel is best for me, and still live in the world in peace. But then the question comes up -- why do I avoid animal products? If I'm asked this, I can give an answer, but my answer will differ depending on if I'm at the dinner table when asked or if it's just in conversation. (I'll soften my answer at the table, to be sure!)

So here's why I don't eat meat (or chicken or fish). There are several reasons, and I've assigned a percentage to each one:

• 35%: I don't want to eat dead stuff
• 25%: I think it's healthier
  
• 20%: I think it's better for the planet
• 20%: I want to be kind to animals

Probably the biggest issue is that when I see meat on the plate, I see a carcass, plain and simple. And from everything I've read, it IS healthier to stay away from animal products, it IS better for the planet to eat low on the food chain, and it IS kinder to animals to not kill them. And I should mention here that I've never been a big meat eater to begin with, so it's not like this is tough for me.

But what about milk and eggs? Well, I've never really cared for milk, and the more I've learned, it seems crazy for us to drink what's meant for baby cows. And sadly, drinking milk is directly related to the veal industry (where do you think all those baby cows go once they're born and have gotten their moms to produce milk?). Plus almond milk is WAY yummier than cow's milk! And eating eggs support an industry that really hurts chickens, and I don't want the way I eat to cause harm.

So that's kind of where I'm at, food-wise. I still have lots of unanswered questions, like how can I make this make sense when my family is NOT vegetarian, and what the heck do I cook beyond "something for them, and a salad for me", and where do caffeine and sugar fit into the whole healthy eating equation for me? My hope is that journaling about all this will help me to find some answers that make sense for me and for my family.

Caught up!

As of today, I've finally caught up with my running goal for the year! Although I've been running all year, it wasn't until March (I think) that I set the goal of averaging 20 miles per week for the year. I had been tracking my mileage, but didn't have any sort of running goal, so when I started I was at 15 miles per week average. So I've had some high mileage weeks (I think the most was 35) in an attempt to get caught up. And with my Mother's Day 6 miles (and yesterday's 8 miles and Friday's 6 and Thursday's 5) I'm at TWENTY!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Busy girl!

I have lots to write about, but in between training clients, putting finishing touches on May newsletter, doing my own workouts, and being a wife and a mom, I just haven't had the time to write!

Every single comment about the race was SOOOOOOOOO appreciated and put huge smiles on my face!

On a slightly negative note, if my period doesn't start soon, there may be no more food left in Rocklin, so if you're a local, you may want to stock up!

Race results

8th place out of 120 women in my age group.
Am I excited? You betcha!
Happy Sunday, everyone!

Race report

Post race, sporting the technical t and my finisher's medal.

The short version is I FINISHED IN UNDER 2 HOURS! Don't know official time, but it was 1:55 when I crossed the finish line, which means I maybe did a 1:53 or something like that. I'm checking to see when results will be posted. My Garmin thinks I did an 8:37 pace for the entire race, and I'm very happy with that!

Here's the longer version.
I got to the race an hour early. I checked my weblog from my Blackberry, and read the comments from Take One and Shelly -- thanks girls -- your comments warmed my heart and were with me throughout the race!

I lined up with the 9 minute mile people, and met a wonderful woman, age 66, who loves to run. She told me she started when she was 35 and hasn't stopped. I asked her how her training has changed, and she said that she's gotten slower (just finished her last marathon in 4:20 -- yikes, that's slower???) but she's still loving running, and is considering ultras. My new running friend looked wonderful and had the kind of energy and enthusiasm for life that I want to have forever. Great way to spend the last few minutes before the starting gun!

Miles 1 and 2 were run WAY too fast. I haven't downloaded Garmin data, but I think I was sub-8:00 for both miles. I tried to run slower, but it was just so fun! (Ok, so now I've downloaded Garmin data, and I was wrong. Although at times my pace was fast, I did the first mile in 8:37 and the second in 8:26, so I didn't run as stupid of a race as I thought!)

Miles 3 - 9 went great. Course is beautiful (click here for photos of the route) and the weather was perfect -- crisp, light breeze.

Mile 10 was when it started to feel hard. But I kept thinking about Tim and Austin and Tucker at the finish line, and that cheered me immensely.

At mile 12, SURPRISE -- there was Tucker! He had walked from the finish line back looking for me, and I guess there was about 3/4 of a mile to go when I saw him. Let me tell you -- my kid is an awesome race partner -- encouraging, sweet, willing to go at my pace (which was about 8:30 at that point -- still gotta download Garmin data!), and just wonderful.

Like I said, I crossed the finish line with 1:55 showing on the display, and hearing the cheers and whistles from my husband!


Me and my last mile partner!

After the race, we took pictures, I ate the BEST oatmeal raisin cookie, and then we headed to my parents house (they live a mile or so from the starting line). Had a nice visit there (although what I really wanted was a shower!). Then Tim stayed to work on their computer, and I headed home with the kids, with a quick stop by Noah's Bagels for my favorite indulgence: a super onion bagel with veggie shmear.

Lucky me -- I have 3 great guys to support my race!

If anyone local wants to run a great half marathon, Parkway is one to consider. It's well managed, there are lots of aid stations, the course is flat and fast, and the atmosphere is super duper fun, with lots of great free stuff at the end!

Now I'm showered and my tummy's full and I think it's time for a nap.

Wish me luck...

I haven't gone running since Tuesday, so I've got fresh legs. My iPod is charged. I'm wearing my favorite hat, shirt, and running skirt. I'm nervous, but that's just part of being me. If this race is anything like every other race I've ever done, I'll have tears in my eyes as we line up at the starting line. The last-picked little girl in me will be amazed and grateful to be standing among all the athletic people, realizing that I FIT IN!!!

My goal is a sub-2:00 half marathon. Wish me luck...

Then vs. Now

May 2004, Hawaii

May 2008, Rocklin

I think I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing now!

The last post of the day

I promise I won't be writing multiple times each and every day. Today was just one of those days where there was an intersection of available time and things to write about. Tomorrow I train 7 clients, plus have 5:35 boxing camp, so you can believe there will be ZERO blogger updates!

But please bear with me for one final post. Tim and Tucker were doing a P90X workout tonight and they were just so cute that I had to grab the video camera:

Lest I be accused of anything other than brutal honesty, I have to confess that yesterday was a day of intense chocolate cravings. And about 9:00 at night, I made up a batch of brownie batter, having absolutely no intention of baking any brownies. Do I feel guilty? Nope. Does my tummy feel happy? Yes in a BIG way! Can it count as carb loading for Saturday's race? I don't even want to answer that one!

Real craziness

This is Austin coming down from a flag hold. Yes, he can hold his body horizontally out to the side, which seems to defy all laws of gravity. Picture was taken outside of Big Spoon Yogurt over the weekend with a phone camera, hence the bad quality and the late capture of the action. But honestly, am I crazy or is my kid crazy??? I vote for the kid!

Recent workouts

Thursday: boxing camp (am), run 11 miles (pm)
Friday: boxing camp (am)
Saturday: run 10 miles (am)
Sunday: P90X chest/shoulders/triceps (am), Art of Strength Providence (pm)
Monday: boxing camp (am), swings with client (pm), Providence (pm)

At dinner I was saying that I'd done boxing camp and a kettlebell workout today, and Austin said I was crazy. That's a normal comment from a 14-year-old, but I was thinking about it last night, and decided to talk to him about it.

Me: I have a response to your comment about me being crazy because of my workouts.
Austin: Wow -- it only took you 2 hours to come up with a response?! (he's sarcastic like that, and it was said with a smile, so it was ok)
Me: You skated (skateboards) yesterday for 5 hours with your friends, and that was play. Well, the workouts are my play. Only it's tough to find friends to play with, which is why I do boxing camp, or DVDs. But if you think of it like that, it won't seem so crazy.
Austin: You're right.

Honestly, I see the physical stuff I do as playtime, pure and simple. Sometimes it's tough play, but it's still play. This morning I ran 7 miles with a girlfriend. We both started the run tired and it felt like the wind was in our faces no matter which way we ran. So it wasn't an easy run. But guess what? It's done. And we had a great time doing it, even when we were coming up Backside (for those who are local and know of this hill -- it's a killer!) and talking about how hard it was -- yeah, it was hard, but WE DID IT! And that feels fantastic!

Big fingers?

My fingers have always been thin. My wedding ring is a 4-3/4, which I'm told is small. Well, my ring no longer fits and I don't know what to do. In the past few months I've been using a recovery drink that has a small amount of creatine in it (200 mg per serving), taking it once a day. Could that be why I can no longer wear my ring? My clothes are fitting with ease and my weight is fine, so it's not a weight thing. Could it be kettlebell workouts? My hands are more callused but not on my fingers. I've switched recovery drinks to one that has no creatine just in case that's it. Any ideas, friends? I want to be married again! :)

New month of boxing camp

Yesterday began another new month of boxing camp. There were 5 new women in the 5:35 am camp and they all looked so nervous. I wanted to give them hugs and tell them it would be ok, but that just isn't what you do at boxing.

My friend's husband started camp yesterday in the class after mine. When I asked her how it went, she said he threw up during camp from the intensity. Oh no!!! She said the trainers were really nice and acted proud of him, which fits with the intensity of it all. But I feel awful. And at the same time, I feel proud -- proud that I can make it through tough workouts. And then I feel a little awful about feeling proud, if that makes any sense at all!

Just the other day, I found some videos from Prime Time Boxing on You Tube. They're just little clips of heavy bag work and some line drills, but if you're interested, go to You Tube and check it out.

Race Saturday

So my first official half marathon of the year is Saturday. It starts and finishes about a mile from where I grew up, and I think my dad's going to come see me at the finish line. Tim and the kids will be at the finish line too. My goal is a sub-2:00 half, and I think that's doable. Two years ago I ran a half in Folsom and finished in 1:47, but I was doing a lot more speedwork then, so I'm not shooting for anything that fast.

I ran 11 miles on Thursday, and then did 10 on Saturday. This week I'm doing 6 today and maybe 4 on Thursday and calling it good. Of course I'll still be doing boxing camp and kettlebell play on my "off" days, but I think my plan will have my legs fresh enough to do well. And if I don't meet my goal? Well, then that's information to use as I prepare for my next half!

Talkative Tuesday and Sleeping In

So the plan is for today to be a day of many blog entries. I haven't been consistent with updating in a while, so if all goes as I hope it will go, I'll be writing quite a lot today.

In the first thought of the day, today is the first weekday in a MONTH that I've been able to sleep in. With 5 days a week of boxing camp, I've been getting up between 4:45 and 5:10 every weekday. I was concerned that I might not be able to sleep late, but it turns out that concern was unfounded, because I got up at 7:00 am today!!!

Regarding comments

Regarding "My First Interview":

To all -- I've NEVER been able to do an April Fool's joke in my whole life, so this was tremendously fun for me -- thank you!
Stacy -- I loved your step-by-step brain tracking through the joke.
Stef -- I'm so happy!
Katie -- Thanks! Yeah, the meat part doesn't exactly line up with my vegetarian thing, does it?
Shelly -- Good one! :)
LizN -- So glad you like it, and I miss you!
Irene -- Hooray!
Jacque -- The short answer to your question about getting enough protein is twofold: 1) I think we vastly underestimate how much protein you can get from a whole foods, plant based diet. There's protein in broccoli and spinach and lettuce! So I think we group foods into protein and not-protein, and it's just not that simple. 2) Because I train as hard as I do, I use a whey protein supplement twice a day where each serving gives me about 20 grams of protein. I will post a sample menu soon, but don't be surprised when you see Diet Pepsi (!) and Raisin Bran Crunch cereal (!!) listed occasionally!
Matt -- You know SO MUCH! Thank you for the comments about getting enough protein, and you're right that the "you must combine beans and grain at a meal or you'll die of malnourishment" thinking has been disproven scientifically, and if you eat enough of the various aminos throughout the day, your body takes care of the protein synthesis from there.
Jen and Laurie -- Glad you laughed!

Regarding "Oh my aching muscles!":

Matt -- Thank you so much!
Anthony C -- Your intensity continues to inspire.
Colette -- Thanks for the words of wisdom. You know what you're talking about, and I appreciate the input. Although my family will assure you that I am NEVER in danger of eating too little! :)
Evelyne -- Thanks for the encouragement and the wise advice.
Regina -- I'm glad you liked the newsletter!

Regarding "Today is gonna be great!":

Matt, Connie, Colette, Irene, Katie, Take One, Evelyne, and Stef -- I'm so glad we're all feelin' the positive energy!!!
Karey -- You should do Women's Tri Fitness -- it's a fantastic experience. Unfortunately I'm nowhere near you, being here in Northern California. I trained with Darla Benfield of Roseville, CA and she was fantastic, and she may do some sort of online training. You can check her website out here. Best of luck, whatever you decide!

Time to head to the gymnastics awards banquet. More tomorrow...

Run? Done!

This is my last week of 5 days of boxing camp and I think that's good. Yesterday I was up at 4:45 for a particularly grueling workout that included lots of lunges and jumping lunges. And I wanted to do my last long run before next weekend's race. So I went out and did 11 hard miles, using every trick in the book to keep myself going. I don't know what anyone else does or thinks to keep going when they want to stop, but some of my devices include:

• thinking of my feet as Pac Mans (you know, the video game from the 1980s) eating up the pavement
• focusing on doing just one mile at a time
• telling myself that I can walk or stop anytime I want to (strangely, this makes it less likely that I'll do either!)
• thinking of Lance Armstrong and a particular story where he does like a 3 hour mountain climb on his bike in the rain, and then, because it didn't feel right, does it AGAIN!
• thinking of ultra-runner Dean Karnazes who ran 50 marathons in 50 days
• thinking of the ease I have with food and the ease I have in my clothes when I run

Today was boxing camp and it was especially brutal, not because of yesterday's run, but because only 2 people showed up, so the ratio of trainers to victims was 3:2. Seriously , I was drenched in sweat and very happy when it was over. And tomorrow I'm running 10 with 2 girlfriends who want to do 10 but have never run more than 8 at a time. They are in shape to do it and I think they're going to feel fabulous once it's done.

So that's it from me for now. I have two more clients today, both of whom are really fun. And the weekend will be filled with kid sleepovers (at our house, different kids, both nights!) and end of season gymnastics banquet (tonight) and maybe a trip to the dog park.

Finally, the next time I write it will be in response to and with appreciation for all comments that have been left here. Be a good one, everyone!

An awesome quote

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded!

Is that the best quote? I think it is! I found it on Charlie Engle's website, after reading an article in Runner's World about how Charlie went from alcoholic/drug addict to celebrated ultra-runner -- yeah, that makes him my kind of guy! You can check out the article here.

Make it a fabulous day, friends!

A Difficult Choice

It's almost 10:00 and I've been up since 5:00, so I'm tired. Just a few minutes ago I was watching Work Out on Bravo and folding laundry. Tucker came into the bedroom.

"Mom, would you rather fold laundry and watch your lesbian fitness show, or help your son study for his science test?"

I hate tough questions like this! Just for the record, I turned off the TV and quizzed Tucker on aquifers and water tables and eutrophication. Work Out will have to wait till tomorrow. Thank goodness for Tivo!

He makes me so happy!

It is good to be married to your best friend, isn't it? We're coming up on 18 years of marriage and still going strong, which is a very good thing! (This picture was taken at Tucker's Tae Kwon Do meet a few weeks ago.)

Take 5 Tuesday

This is a take 5 template from a few months ago, not the current week's entry. But it's one I felt like doing, so...

5 things on your desk right now

• New RED iPod!
• 2 of my favorite pigs
• Client binder and workout plan
• Water glass
• Picture of my family

5 things you need to, or should be doing today

• Planning client workouts for the rest of the week
• Attacking "the pile" on my desk
• Cleaning out my purse
• Planning what to plant beside our driveway
• Ordering art docent supplies for the elementary school
  

5 of your favorite foods

• Big salad with lots of "stuff"
• Butternut squash ravioli
  
• Raw almonds
• Chocolate fondue
• Mexican burrito bowl
  

5 of your favorite drinks

• Water
  
• Diet Pepsi
• Arnold Palmer
• Pellegrino Limonata soda
• Good Earth tea

5 things in your bag

In my turquoise B Makowsky bag, I have:

• Bobbi Brown "brown" lipstick,
  
• a car key,
  
• dental floss,
  
• gum, and
  
• way too many receipts and loose papers!

When life feels hard

It's a new week and I'm feeling great -- well, a little tired, but great nonetheless. But I have a friend who is really struggling and that makes me sad. Anyone have any tips for someone who can't seem to find their motivation or any hope in their life? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Here are mine:

1. Treat yourself with great care. I like to this of this as extreme self care, which is the last thing I want to do when I'm feeling low. But doing simple stuff like drinking lots of water, taking vitamins, showering -- you know, the basics -- can help to put you back on track.

2. Make a list. Years ago during some of my most difficult times, I made a checklist titled "Elements of a Good Day." On it were the activities I deemed as mandatory in a good day. Stuff like this:

Morning prayer
Exercise
Shower
Plan dinner
Call 1 friend
5 fruits and veggies

I printed the checklist on nice paper in a cool font, and had places to mark each activity as completed. This helped when I was feeling confused and didn't know what to do next.

3. Take it a day at a time. If a day at a time is too long, take it an hour at a time. And do something -- anything -- that moves you towards what you want. Here's an excellent quote:

The reason most people
do not succeed
is because they sacrifice
what they want most for
what they want right now.

Don't sacrifice what you want most for what you want in the moment.

4. When (not if, but WHEN) you don't do what you wanted to do, move on. Learn from it. Extra calories give you fuel for a better workout. Not showering proves that it feels lousy to feel dirty all day.

Hoping for a wonderful day for my struggling friend and for everyone!

The best thing about the retreat

I've believed for as long as I can remember that people don't like me very much. And I've been ok with it for the most part. Well, that belief was destroyed at the retreat, not by any specific thing that happened, but just because spending a weekend with 11 women who really like me (we all like each other) healed something very deep inside. That feeling of being loved and accepted was so powerful and wonderful it made me want to roll in it -- that's how great it was and is!

Ok, NOW we're heading to church. Have a great weekend everyone!

Finding some balance

I will respond to the much-appreciated comments in the next few days, but thank you to my smart friends who think I'm overtraining. You're right and I plan to do something about it.

I don't know exactly how I'm going to handle scheduling workouts, but I think I'm going to drop boxing conditioning for May. That will drop me to 3 days a week of boxing which should make a big difference. But conditioning is fun, in a crazy sort of way, so I'm tempted to keep it. But my 1000 miles of running is important to me, and it supports my 6 half marathons for the year, so it makes sense to go to 3 boxing days.

This morning I ran 11 miles and it felt great. I would have gone further but it was super windy, and I was ready to be inside after 11! Got home, cleaned up, took Tucker to Tae Kwon Do, and then he and I headed out to lunch and to Petroglyph where I painted yet another pig and he painted his second gnome. We have fun painting together -- it's very peaceful and sweet.

We're off to church, then heading home to watch one of my all-time favorite movies, The Terminator, as a family, with much popcorn and snacking -- hooray!

Board Breaking

Tucker had a Tae Kwon Do belt test last night. I can't even tell you how proud I was of my kid. Every skill from gymnastics, from paying attention, to knowing where your body is, to balance and coordination -- it all just makes him shine in his new sport.

I missed his first belt testing (Tim went, so it was ok!), so this was my first one. Turns out that you get to break a board at your first belt testing. Tucker was DYING to have me go up there, and I was certainly willing. The Grand Master (main guy? I don't know what you call him) told me what I needed to do, and I just went ahead and did it. I got really close to his face as I came through the board (Tim said he looked scared!). What delights me more than anything is that it never occurred to me that I couldn't do it. And Tucker had his arms open wide with a big hug for me after the board break, and that felt absolutely fantastic!

Gassed or whatever you call it

What's the word for when your body goes, "Nope. We're not doing another single thing today!"? Gassed? Smoked? Finito? Well, whatever it is, it's Friday afternoon and I'm there.

I'm needing to reevaluate my goals because while alone they are all fine, when viewed all together as belonging to the same person (me!), they may not work well. Here's the weekly goal list:

boxing camp 5 mornings
run 20 miles
one 1000 kettlebell swing workout
cell regeneration treatment (with 24 hours of rest afterwards)

Today I got up at 5:15 for boxing (today is conditioning, which starts at 6:00 which is why I get to sleep in), and I was TIRED! But once I got going at boxing I was fine. Workout was hard, but they're all hard. Came home, knowing I wanted to run 14 miles today. Got cleaned up. Trained 2 clients. Had a "window" where I could do part of my mileage, so I went out and did a fast-ish 7 (1:02 overall time). Trained another client. Laid down intending to rest for 30 minutes before doing the other 7 miles. Slept through alarm. Woke up really tired. Decided (with sane husband's help) to not run the other 7. Then I thought, "Well, I can do my swing workout!" Got ready. Did 100 swings. And knew that nothing else was happening.

Although it may sound like I'm obsessed with workout out, I'm really not. Nor do I have freaky body image issues (just normal ones like most women!). I just really want to hit all of my goals and it's getting hard to fit it all in.

So the plan for tomorrow is to go out early and run 10. I'll let you know how it goes.

A super-quick hello

Retreat was great. This week is going great. But I'm super busy and have not had the time to sit and write. Usually when I'm not writing, it means I'm stuck in depression, but not this time (hooray!).

Time to get some miles in, so gotta run -- literally!

A most unusual day

Today I'm not exercising at all. Nothing. Nada. The last time I had a day like this was ... hmmmm ... well, I'm not really sure. With boxing camp Monday through Friday, and 1000 swings one day and a long run the other day of each weekend, it's been a while since I had a day off.

Today wasn't supposed to be a day of rest. I got up at 4:45 to find Tim already up, having gotten up at 3:00! He's been stressed out about work and just couldn't sleep. I started getting ready for boxing camp, when I had the thought, "I should stay and be with my husband." So I sat on the weight bench in the training room and kept him company while he did P90X Core Synergistics. (I would have joined him, but I pulled something deep in my core the other day and have taken a few days off from ab-intensive exercises.)

So then it was time to get the kids up and going for school. Then I trained a client who had some great news. She tried on some bikini bottoms from 2 years ago that she couldn't wear last year, and they fit and looked great! Needless to say, that's exciting news for me. As she put it, her "butt corners" are gone.

Next on today's agenda was a cell regeneration treatment. I have a friend who does this energy work (it's similar to Reiki, I'm told) and while I can't really tell you how light touch and breathing can heal things at a cellular level, I can tell you that my bicep tendon no longer hurts after 2 years of aching daily. Plus I'm told this treatment is highly effective for dealing with depression, which makes it hugely appealing to this girl. So I've been going for treatments for about 2 months now, and here's the thing -- after a treatment, you're supposed to take it easy for the rest of the day, or the energy change doesn't really take hold. Well, there goes my planned 10 mile run for the afternoon.

So here I am with "extra" time on my hands. These are a few things going on in my world:

• The Spirituality of Being Enough. I'm going on a women's AA retreat this weekend. As you may know, I've been clean and sober for 21 years. But since I've had kids, I've rarely gone to meetings. Well, somehow I've hooked up with a really great group of women, and we're heading to a retreat. The title of the retreat is "The Spirituality of Being Enough" and it's being led by a Catholic nun who's in recovery. I am not usually a fan of big groups of women -- too silly, too emotional. But with how tough my kids have been, I can't WAIT to be away for the weekend!

• Veg Tucker? Tucker's told me several times over the past few weeks that he respects me for being vegetarian. It's always been at really random times, and hearing that completely fills me up. Last night he told me he's "going veg." I told him that was great if it is what he wants. I also said that if he changes his mind, that's fine too.
  

• Hawaii is a GO! I will respond to comments individually soon, and I so appreciate the vacation suggestions, but it looks like Hawaii is a "go". We're getting our money back for the flights we already paid for (through the credit card company), and the price for 4 tickets has dropped some, enough that Tim really wants to stay with Hawaii for vacation this year.
  

• No sparring for me. Since starting boxing camp, I've toyed with the idea of actually getting in the ring and sparring. Last week I really gave it some though, and realized that the only reason I'd be sparring would be to brag about it (aka notches on the bedpost) and that is inconsistent with who I am and why I train in the first place. In fact, my plan at this point is to continue boxing camp through May and then go to Bikram yoga for the summer. (I live in a place where it gets over 100 degrees a lot, and I like to feel acclimated to the heat.) That way I won't have to get up so early while the kids are out of school. But I think I'll be back to boxing in the fall.

• 1000 miles. Ten years ago, when I was 37 and my kids were 2 and 4, I set a goal of running 1000 miles. To do this, you need to run 20 miles a week on a consistent basis, and it's that consistency that can be challenging. Well, I've decided that a decade later, I'm shooting for the same goal. That's why on my blog sidebar I'm tracking average miles per week. Since I didn't decide on this goal until April, I've got some miles to make up. But that's ok -- goals are supposed to push you, right?

Probably no more writing till Monday. Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Take 5 Tuesday

5 of your favorite recipes, or things to cook/bake.

• Snickerdoodles

• Tortilla Soup

• Garlic Coleslaw

• Black Bean Chili

• Brownies (because I LOVE brownie batter!)

5 habits you would like to break.

• Thinking that Diet Pepsi tastes wetter than water.

• Going to bed with a full stomach, usually via cereal with almond milk.

• Going into a place of despair when my kids fight. (Right now, older son is smugly playing video games, and younger son is riding his bike to deal with his anger. I, in a surprising plot twist, am writing in my weblog, instead of trying and failing to make it all better.)

• Depending on caffeine to wake up.

• Not washing my face when I go to bed. (I failed girl school on that one.)

5 windows open on your computer right now, (if you have 5.)

• Bizarro.com's essays on why he's vegetarian.

• Tracy Reifkind's Food and Thought weblog

• Cathe Friedrich's STS blog (new pictures were posted today)

• MotionBased.com (where I upload my Garmin data after running)

• Bloglines (how I keep up with weblogs without spending every waking moment on the computer!)

5 of the best gifts you’ve received.

• An engagement ring and a proposal from Tim.

• A Mother's Day plaque from 2000 which reads:

For Mommy
because you read to us when it is late,
you make the best cookies,
you take us to the park,
and you always have a hug and a band-aid.
You are the best Mommy in the world,
and we love you up to heaven and back.
Happy Mother's Day from your boys.
(Tim "interviewed" the kids and then had their words made up on a plaque -- isn't that the BEST?!)

• A ticket to see Aerosmith in concert from my brother and sister-in-law. (Concert was canceled and then marriage fell apart, so I never went, but I still remember how blown away I was!)

• Green M&Ms from the M&M Factory in Las Vegas. Tim gave these to me right after I'd completed the figure portion of the Women's Tri Fitness competition in 2005. Chocolate has never tasted so good!

• My Campus Queen lunchbox. I desperately wanted this in maybe 3rd or 4th grade, and my parents got it for me. It had a game on the back and a spinner, and I still have it!

5 of the best gifts you’ve given.

I'm completely drawing a blank on this one, which either means I've never given a good gift, or I'm just plain out of computer time and need to start dinner. I'll get back to you on this one...

Weekend Update

• Just finished my weekend 1000 swing workout. I felt low energy so I stayed with the 12kg bell, but at the end I did one 7-1/2 minute long set, combining 3 of my 2-1/2 minute (100 swing) sets. It was tough, but doable.
• My kids are really mean to each other and I need to find a way to stay balanced when they're fighting. I think what is most discouraging is that when they're angry, they truly seem to hate each other. And when that's going on, I want to be a part of any family but this one.
• Austin competed in the regional championships in Reno yesterday. He did not have a great meet, but took 5th place in pommel horse among the 30 boys from 4 states in his age group.
• Tucker competed in a Tae Kwon Do tournament today (yes, we're tired!) and took 1st place in weapons and 2nd in his Songham 4 form.
• Tomorrow's workout will be a long run.
  
• We've canceled our Hawaii vacation. We had airfare with one of the airlines that went out of business. And as of Thursday, 4 tickets to Kauai were going to cost $4500. I think we can have a lot of fun here in California for quite a bit less, don't you? (Assuming I'm willing to do a whole family vacation.) :)
• I'd LOVE to hear some suggestions of fun family vacations in California. All input is appreciated!
  

Today is gonna be great!

Why? Because I'm going to make it great!

Happy Thursday, friends!

Oh my aching muscles

Did I overtrain yesterday? Ummmm yeah, if my body has anything to say about it. This week starts 5 day a week boxing training (3 days boxing skills, 2 days conditioning). So yesterday I did conditioning at 6:00 am. Then at 8:30 I trained with a client (my one client I workout with, at her request). And at 5:00 pm I decided to get some running miles in and did 4 hilly miles. And now? Ouch! Where? Ummm, everywhere.

Time for a quick breakfast, then I'm off to boxing. This WILL be my only workout for today!

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!)