New(s) to Me

In getting into the holiday spirit I bought myself (an my mama) a new toy with lots of fun features to help us track our movement. Because sitting on our toosh does nothing good for our bodies or minds! Merry Christmas to me! What else gets me into the Christmas spirit? Christmas MUSIC. I'm a nut... I love it. Even the BAD not so good ;-) stuff.

 Go ahead and watch. It's a hoot and a half. I love Ray Stevens. I have a picture of me with him from when I was about 15. I won't post it. I'm a geek. Here's more about me being a geek.

I did it. Jumped in feet first. Got me a FitBit. Love it. It might be a little like Santa... "it knows when you are sleeping, it knows when you're awake". I wouldn't go as far as saying its creepy but... It also knows when you haven't been out on a run. OOPS! I'm hoping to rectify that today. I do have to say if you are interested I may be able to help you out with that. Stay tuned and I'll dish more when I know more.
24 hours into FitBit life that I should wash my hair more vigorously in the shower to register more "steps". Gotta love accelerometers!  I like the ability of recording how much water and food I consume... although I don't see this as a constant. I just don't like logging that sort of thing but it is a good reminder and a valuable tool when I feel like I'm off track. More to come but I am excited and  nervous and you'll be seeing FITBIT on here more as I am documenting my progress and testing its features.
Do you have a fitness devise/application that measures your movements, sets goals, helps you keep track of your food or hydration? I want to know how you do it, what you think, if you would recommend that product to friends or family.
Now go get your Holiday spirit on that's an order! If you need a present idea I do suggest Fitbit!

Boston in our Hearts

Its one of those days. We should be celebrating our friends accomplishments (my 8 runners from our marathon program), we should be talking about who BQ'ed for next year, what goals are next, what the course looked like, felt like, sounded like, did anyone see their signs from the Wellesley Girls? We should be jubilant and ecstatic! Yesterday was a "runners national holiday!" Now its been cast in a dark shadow... the day but not our spirit. Whoever planned this didn't understand a runners soul. They don't know how our spectators understand the love of running and how much heart it takes to get to Boston. They they stand by the gates and CHEER everyone on!

 The person or people who did this, they have no clue that this tragic event where people were undeniably and irreversibly harmed or killed, it brought us together. Together they help when others needed them more than the importance of a finish line. Runners ran to the rescue of those hurt, race officials and EMS were right there to carry people to safety, to hospitals, to waiting areas out of harms way. Runners ran THROUGH THE FINISH LINE AND TO HOSPITALS to give their own BLOOD! First responders who carried people out in their arms when there was no access for the ambulances. It was the military, firefighters, police, runners, race officials and volunteers who ran TO those who were hurt, not away. You picked the wrong people.

"If you are trying to defeat the human spirit, marathoners are the wrong group to target"  -Mighty Brights status on FB

Yesterday I was fine as long as I had a job to do, track our 8 runners plus the handful of other local runners we knew were there and their families down. That is until I talked to my friend Traci via FB messenger, then I lost it, sitting in the car waiting for my son to get out of school when she asked me if there was something she could for me. I couldn't even reply as I was racked with sobs. She knows that runners are a "tribe," we are a FAMILY, we are a community no matter what city, state, country we live in. She quantified how I felt, that my heart was in Boston, wanting to keep all our "ducklings" safe. In my heart I'm a mom to more than just my children, even if all but one of our runners I helped coach to Boston were older than me. I want to give them the tools to succeed, then watch them do it! To not know what was going on was heartbreaking and scary.

So my question is What Can We Do? What can we do to prove that this terrible day did not define us as a country or as runners? What can we do to support Boston, its runners, spectators, race crew and the city? What can we do to show the person or people who terrorized OUR race that this does not scare us into submission but will lift us up? What can you do? I wore a race shirt today (and probably a different one all week). I will run tonight and ask my runners to run in honor of Boston. I will keep telling people that running is a community and not just an exercise. Running brings us together when these bombs tried to tear our spirits apart. We will not be unraveled, we will not be subdued. We will not be scared because that means you won. We won't let that happen.

 I love this quote by Kathrine Switzer
"If you are losing faith in human nature go out and watch a marathon."



Just Keep Swimming!

I've been trying to be positive about swimming but to tell you the truth it's been a long tedious journey. It comes so easy to so many of my friends but I make such little progress, even when I am consistent, in the pool. I've taken 2 semi private lessons with KE and I'm feeling more confident already. Still struggled today when Jilly and I did our Faux open water swim in the shallow end, across the short direction at One Mile Sycamore pool though.

I did the 24 day challenge from Advicare and I can't believe how good I feel just changing my eating habits... Well I should say routine, not a habit since it still doesn't feel second nature to me to eat 5-6 meals a day. Even today I only had a tall green tea lime refresher from Starbucks and it was WAY TOO SWEET! The only dessert I've had besides fresh fruit was a small root beer float that I didn't even finish. It's amazing how REAL food tastes so much better when your body isn't polluted by all those refined, chemical, over processed crap.

Last night I cooked chicken breast lightly seasoned and pan fried, no oil until a little brown on both sides. I added 1cup of water, lid on and let it cook on medium for 25 minutes. Chicken was perfect! I put the cut up chix in some romain leaves and added some home made mango peach salsa. Next time I'll definitely add some black beans. I felt like it was missing something. What a perfect meal by the pool though!

Morning routine

My friend Shelly asked if I'd like to run 30 minutes on MWF mornings 5:15am with her. I made to 2/3 this week. Not too bad! It feels good to get back into a routine. We tell the runners in our programs that consistency is the key to a healthy running lifestyle. I'm attempting to set a good example.
Of course the dog was another story. She was terrible on and off the leash today. I guess I had better get her fat tooshy back on a running schedule too!

Back in the game

I ran my first race with some of my No Boundaries 5k group today. The Downtown Mile was a 1mile foot race through downtown Chico between the Bike stage race criterium. I am SO PROUD of my coaches, mentors and team. Many of them got a taste if racing before their graduation 5K event in a few weeks. My time 7:58. Not too shabby for not participating in speed work in nearly a year and hardly and running in the last few months.

Star struck

While we were headed home from a whirlwind vacation to celebrate my birthday, and my little sisters too, I made an effort to see my BadAss Mother Runner Mentor and Friend Sarah Bowen Shea read from her (and Dimity's McDowell's) new book Train Like a Mother.

She is so down to Earth honest, witty and sincere about herself, her relationships with her BRB (best running buddies), her kids, her husband, her co-author and dear friend and her "tribe" of mother runners. She even (almost) convinced my husband to train for a marathon.

I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to spend the evening listening to her speak.