Pumped Up Kicks

It's not a secret that "a few of my favorite things" are cheese, bread, chocolate, wine and shoes.  Since I'm attempting to minimize the time I spend with the first four on that list I was pretty jazzed about the prospect of getting some new shoes last week.


Truth be told, the salesman probably could've given me any pair at any price point and I would've been thrilled, but luckily  at Ragged Mountain Running Shop I not only was blessed with a really cute knowledgable salesperson, but one that I knew wasn't going to take advantage of my desperate state.   Since I've been really happy with the Adidas Supernova Glide for the past few years (especially since getting my orthotics from Blue Ridge Foot and Ankle) we decided to stay with that.  "But," he smiled at me, "I think we have the brand new model for you." 

Waiting for him to come out from the backroom felt like an eternity. I was like a little kid on Christmas - giddy, giggling and grinning from ear to ear. Recalling now what happened next I am somewhat mortified, but remember, I really love shoes. So when he opened the box my response went something like this: 

 "Oh, they're so pretty and shiny! Ummm...I mean, they look fast." 

Pretty, aren't they?  And shiny too!

Oh No I Didn't

Oh yes I did!  

I not only ordered, but actually drank a entire 
Starbucks Grande Caramel Frappuccino

WTH was I thinking???

So here's how it happened. I started the day with eggs, whole wheat toast and a small glass of orange juice.  I've found that kicking off the day with a fair amount of protein keeps me going all morning and is helpful on days when I have a substantial workout planned (today is a "Long Run" day).  We usually load our eggs up with veggies but we were running late and low on options (today is also Whole Foods day) so they were pretty naked.

For some reason (lack of veggies?) around 11 o'clock I was dragging so I popped in to Starbucks for a cup of coffee.  I still had a few errands to run before heading home for lunch so thought a little caffeine wouldn't hurt - especially with that Long Run ahead of me.  I don't do Starbucks often, but when I do I usually just have Tall Skinny Latte (I did live in Seattle for four years). However, when I got to the front of the line what came out of my mouth was

"Could I have a Grande Caramel Frappucino please?"  

Before I knew it I handed over an exorbitant amount of money and was walking out with a cup full of sugar, coffee and ice, topped with...whipped cream!!

I honestly have never ordered one of these things before because not only I am fully aware of how many calories and fat grams just one of them contains (410 and 15, respectively), but I've always assumed they'd taste so damn sweet and wonderful that the sugar addict in me would want more. (Avoidance isn't always a bad tactic).  But today some section of my brain - the sabotage section maybe? - jumped in and took over. And there it was, in my hand.  What else could I do besides drink it?

So, here it is in writing.  I f'd up. What do I do now?

I forgive myself and get right back on track, that's what I do.  I eat the nutrient-packed tuna, spinach and red pepper salad I had planned for lunch and enjoy how good healthy can taste.  I head out on my run this afternoon and push myself a little harder than I might have had I not overindulged this morning.  And...I stay far, far away from Starbucks!

10 Miles

Well, I did it - I registered for the Charlottesville Ten Miler!  

Truth be told I was really hoping to do a half marathon this year, but Hyam and Callie thought given my current maximum distance of much less than 13.1 miles, my propensity for shin splints and the fact that the race is a mere 4 months away it was in my best interest to shoot for the 10-Miler instead.  


I'm not going to lie - I was a little disappointed when I heard their idea.  I mean - ten miles is a great race but a half marathon? Now that's kick ass.  


Nevertheless, I trust them. So at the start of the month I embarked on a new training plan designed to get me to 10 miles by the March 31 race day.  The plan incorporates a 10% distance increase each week, as well as the current training I am doing at Clay of one day of each cycling, personal training and athletic training.  The days I'm not at Clay I focus on one "Short" run and one "Long" run and two "Rest" days. Wow - that sounds like a helluva lot of training.  Who knew I was so bad ass? 


Ideally I would be doing yoga or pilates on my "Rest" days. But at this point I feel that getting out of bed on those days is a feat in itself so finding my inner chi is going to have to sit on the backburner for awhile. 


Half way through week three of training things are going pretty well.  I'm still standing, haven't cried once and as long as I ice, stretch, foam roll and use the "Tiger Tail Rolling Muscle Massager" (love this thing!) religiously my shins don't hurt too much. While I don't think I'll ever be one of those people who loves to run (because I still kinda hate it) I'm up to 3.6 miles and I'm not whining too much yet.  Hey, maybe I'll train for a full marathon next year....


Just kidding!

"What Can You Do with 30 Seconds?"

30 seconds.  It's not a long time.  Not even a minute, as a matter of fact.  But when you've been on a bike for 45 minutes, sweat is dripping from your entire body, and your heart is pumping at 90% of is maximum rate - 30 seconds can feel like an eternity.

Your legs are aching.  Your heart is racing. Everything inside of you is telling you that you cannot keep going. Wait. You know this song.  It's almost over.  You could easily let go right now.  What do the last few second matter anyway? You'll just slow down a little....Then you hear Hyam yell: 

"30 more seconds - what can you do with it?" 

At that moment you have a choice.  You could slow down, lighten your load, get a little relief.  It's only 30 seconds, right? Or you could dig down deep, find that strength and power you didn't even know you had.  It's only 30 seconds, right?

I used to give up on those last 30 seconds. Somewhere along the way, however, I finally got Hyam's message. Those 30 seconds are my chance not just to take my workout to the next level - but to take my life to the next level.  And you know what? I'm not going to waste them.

What are you going to do with your 30 seconds?

Take Back

So it' the New Year!  If you are one of the millions of people across the world who - like me - is resolving to make positive changes to your health this year I have an event for you!

On Saturday, January 7, I invite you to seize the opportunity to not only kick-start your health and weight loss goals for 2012 but give back to your community at the same time!  If you're in Charlottesville join us between 1:00pm and 4:00pm at EAT! in Belmont for the Take Back 30-Day Challenge (sponsored by Tracey Webber, owner of EAT! and of Ivana Kadija, owner of Yourishment)  -  your opportunity to TAKE the weight off and give BACK to your community

You can visit the Take Back website at www.takeback.me for complete details but here's the Cliff Notes version to get you started:

Take Back is a 30-day community challenge that costs just $10 - all of which will be donated to a local charity at the end of the program. For that $10 you get an entire month of daily nutritional, exercise and motivational information on losing weight, getting healthy and - most importantly - staying healthy. This information comes from Tracey Webber  (whom you've heard me talk lots about) and Ivana Kadija, two amazing local health coaches who wanted to find a way to share their knowledge and expertise to as many people as possible this year.

And added bonus of being in the program is that you will get coupons and discounts to local businesses like Relay Foods, Belvedere Healing Arts, Clay Fitnes & Nutrition, Ragged Mountain Running Shop - and many others who are supporting this great program. So not only will you lose weight this month - you'll actually receive more than you donated! 

And...there are prizes!  You can sign up as an individual or a team.  Individuals are eligible to win great prizes and teams get the ultimate prize of choosing which non-profit receives the donation money at the end of the challenge. I've teamed up with some friends and friends of friends to be on Team Rockstar.  If you'd like to join us we'd love to have you - or we're always up for a little friendly competition.

So if you'd like to join me and many others in the community, head on over to www.takeback.me to sign up for the Challenge - and then come kick off in style with us at EAT! at 407-D Monticello Road in Belmont on Saturday, January 7.  Sponsors and participating non-profits will be on hand to provide tips, Take Back coupons, and info but mostly it will a fun and inspiring way to kick off a month of taking back your life while giving back to your community! 

*For a fabulous article on the Take Back Challenge and what it's REALLY all about visit the Relay Foods Blog - Relay Life.