Healthy Every Day

Definitely back into the groove

2011-06-30T20:02:00.003-05:00

So it's been a while since I've been in this space, but I must say my healthiness journey hasn't lacked. I completed the Crescent City Classic 10K in late April. I didn't complete it in the time that I wanted, but I did it despite the excessive heat that morning. Since then I've completed a 5K in mid-May and numerous runs just to keep me on my healthiness journey.

I just checked my stats and as of today, June 30th, I have 208.24 miles. The end of June 2010 found me with 163.12 miles. I'm 45 miles ahead! Sweet!

I've tried to embrace the treadmill since it's been excessively hot. There were two days over the past month where I ran in the evening and it was brutal. Brutally difficult! If I'm going to log miles during the workweek, it's going to have to be at the gym on the treadmill. Not ideal to me, but there are some benefits. I think the treadmill will help me developing a consistent stride and with my pace.

Yesterday I did a 30 minute interval run: 1 min at 6.0 speed and 1 min at 5.0 speed. That was my first time pumping the treadmill up to 6.0. I was pretty impressed with myself! I'll continue to do the interval run as such and gradually increase the time for 6.0 speed. It can only help!

I'm still going to run on the road, mainly on Saturday & Sunday because I'll get out early in the AM. I wish I felt comfortable running early in the AM during the week, but I just can't see getting out there when it's too dark. Must stay safe!

Anywho, just wanted to provide a brief update on my running.

Back into the groove

2011-03-27T19:40:00.002-05:00

So last week was a wash regarding returning to training due to illness. I'm all better now and I've already gotten my week started off right by heading to the gym earlier today. I got in 50 minutes of cardio by completing 40 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes on the bike. It felt really good to be back in the gym after 6 days away. I thought it would be difficult to accomplish what I planned on doing, the 40 minutes, but it wasn't at all. Impressive!

My plan for this week will include weight training in the morning and running in the evening (if the weather cooperates *fingers crossed* I really don't want to run on the treadmill). I'm 4 weeks out from my 10K, and I need to step up the training. No half-stepping. It is likely I won't be able to run the entire 10K due to my lack of training, but I want to be able to run at least 4-5 miles. We'll see....

Sick

2011-03-22T19:11:00.003-05:00

Soooooo....my exercise plans this week, thus far, haven't panned out as planned.

Yesterday I wanted to do a full weights workout at the gym. Unfortunately, the lights at the gym conspired against me. When I rolled up to the gym at 5 am it was totally dark. Normally, all of the lights are blaring. I saw a few guys milling around outside so I assumed the guy who normally opens wasn't there. What to do? What to do? After about 5 minutes, I saw them go in. Huh? It turns out he was there, but for some reason the lights wouldn't come on. He couldn't get into the main office where I don't know what could take place, but no lights until someone else showed up. The electricity in the building was working and lights were on in the locker room, but not the cardio room or weight room. Needless to say, I couldn't do weights in the dark. To dangerous. So I did cardio in the dark. I did 22 minutes on the elliptical with the lights coming on about the 15 minute mark.

I moved to the weight room then and did a lackluster leg workout as I was extremely tired from the cardio. Normally, I'm not that tired from that amount of cardio, but I was also a bit under the weather. I've been fighting a cold and I'm not winning. :(

Then I ended up spending much of yesterday evening in the emergency room with my Mom. All is okay now, but I didn't get to sleep until 1 am. Needless to say, no gym today. I attempted to go to work mid-day and had to leave due to a massive cough bout which ended with my vomiting (though I had very little on my stomach).

Not sure about tomorrow just yet. Perhaps I should rest one more day.

Changing it up

2011-03-20T18:42:00.003-05:00

I've been really bored with my workouts lately. So bored, that I haven't been doing much weight training at all. I've always like weight training, but I haven't really been into this year at all. Therefore, I need to change it up. Starting this week I'm going to switch to 3 days of weight training in the morning, 2 days of cardio in the morning (the elliptical or bike), and 3-4 days of running outside.

I really need to get back into serious weight training as I think it helps with the running. I recently read an article in Fitness magazine where a lady training for a marathon incorporated weight training to build her upper body strength for endurance during the marathon. I never thought about that! Reading her training for the marathon helped me to realize the importance of weight training in my overall routine, not that I didn't know it wasn't important, but I just wasn't focused or into.

I have a 10K I'm participating in next month, 5 weeks away. I have the opportunity to really make a difference if I focus over the next 5 weeks. That's my goal. To really focus.

Green Monster

2011-02-20T17:34:00.003-06:00

I finally got the nerve to try a Green Monster, and just like everyone has stated, you really don't taste the spinach. At least I didn't with the combination of items I used and I didn't go overboard with the spinach. I mean, this was my first time and all, baby steps! Here's what I included:

8 oz light cranberry juice
1 banana
strawberries (a handful)
blackberries (a handful)
8 oz plain yogurt
spinach (a handful)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein
ice

That's it. It was quite good! I'll try it again with more spinach next time. Not sure if I'll ever get to the point of trying a green monster that is truly green, since the color isn't too appealing to me, but perhaps in time. For now, I'll stick with my concoction with a limited amount of green coloring.

Blue Level

2011-01-28T07:11:00.002-06:00

I've reached the Blue Level (syncing 621+ miles) on Nike+. Sweet!

Only Rant

2011-01-21T06:25:00.000-06:00

"Jason only completes 12 minutes of cardio."

"I only walked 1.5 miles."

"Maxine only bench pressed 50 pounds."

Sometimes the term only is self-depreciating or others use it in a depreciating manner when speaking about what someone else has done. meaning. Personally, I think that word should be banned or not used as such.

The example statements above are prime examples. Jason did 12 minutes of cardio! That's great for Jason. The term only makes it seem like 12 minutes is not a lot. It is depending on the person. That could be someone for whom 2 weeks ago 12 minutes seemed like an hour. One shouldn't assume that 12 minutes of cardio is not an accomplishment.

The other day someone said that a guy at my gym was only on the treadmill a short while. That's what prompted this post. I responded, but he's on there and that's what he can. That's what's important! He's making the effort (my mantra). He's at the gym most mornings and putting in his time to get healthy. One must admire that. Once I said my speil the other person agreed.

You see, it's not always about doing what you feel is the most. It is about the individual. One has to do what is safe and comfortable for them. Who am I to judge? I don't know what Jason, Maxine, Shawn, or anyone else for that matter can do. I only (used in a good way!) know how far I can push myself. I don't know about others. Yes, I can encourage, but that person knows what he/she can do. Therefore, I choose not demean what others can do by using the term only to describe what a person did. I choose to state exactly what that person did and see it as an accomplishment. I do so because it is an accomplishment!

Timing at the gym, redux

2011-01-18T06:26:00.000-06:00

Since I wrote this post, my timing has improved at the gym. I'm putting in 20 minutes of cardio then a weights workout. I've reduced my time between sets which helps to keep my heart rate up and reduces idle time. At present, I'm going 5 days per week. I'll do that this week so that I can finish out the month (I'm out of town next week).

Here's my routine:

Monday - biceps & triceps
Tuesday - legs
Wednesday - back & abs
Thursday - chest
Friday - shoulders & abs

I complete 20 minutes of cardio, the weights workout, and end with stretching.

Next week, I'm only in town Monday & Tuesday. I haven't decided if I want to do a full body workout each day or just cardio each day. We'll see how I feel come Monday.

Pound it Out!

2011-01-17T07:31:00.000-06:00

This past Thursday morning I awakened with a pounding headache. I debated for a moment about staying home from the gym, but decided against knowing I couldn't go after work. So off I went after eating a waffle w/ peanut butter and a glass of water.

I jumped on the treadmill aiming for about 20 minutes of a run/walk interval. It was difficult because with every run interval I could feel the pounding of my headache. However, by the time my 20 minutes were up the headache was gone! That was an awesome feeling! I'm so glad I forced myself to go and get my workout in. It was SO worth it!

Radio Silence

2011-01-16T19:29:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the radio silence. Life called. Didn't have time to update this space. I'm still around (check the twitter stream over there-->>) and doing my workouts.

Timing at the gym

2011-01-04T18:53:00.004-06:00

I think I need to adjust my timing. Yesterday and today I put in 20 minutes on the treadmill then moved to the weight room. I then moved to the weightroom for 30 minutes. That seems like a lot of time, but when you consider the 15-30 seconds of rest time between sets, moving around the room, doing abs, and stretching - it's not a lot of time.

Yesterday I did 6 exercises and today I did 7 exercises. That seems like a fair amount, but I don't enough time to do abs and stretch. I either need to do less cardio or adjust to weights 3 days per week and cardio 2 days per week. I'm going to finish this week out as is so that I can become familiar with the machines in the room. I'll reevaluate at the end of the week.

January Plans

2011-01-03T20:19:00.005-06:00

As stated over the weekend, I was successful with my cardio blitz in December and now it is time for a change. I'm going back into the weight room this month and will continue to cardio as well. Since I'm still at a new facility (today was first day in weight room), I still have to learn what's all available. I don't know what's in there and how to set-up my weights routine just yet. Therefore, this week I'll play it by ear until I learn what's there.

This month, I'm also going to get back into a regular routine of moving my body by walking/running. I've already started with the walking/running by putting in 3.6 miles on January 1st. Yay! This morning I put in some time on the treadmill and logged the miles with Nike+ GPS. I've never done that before, but decided why not since there's the treadmill option in that app.

I then moved to the weight and did an arms workout (biceps, triceps, & shoulders). I finished out with some abs, push-ups, and stretching. All in all a good workout.

I hit the pavement after work for some more miles:

By the numbers:

3.62 miles
25 minutes of weights (upper body), abs, push-ups, stretching

All in all, a good day!

1st miles of the New Year

2011-01-01T17:37:00.003-06:00

Started the New Year off with a walk/run with my guy!

It was much needed after yesterday's workout. Oh gracious am I sore in places I didn't think I could be sore. I had no idea that muscles on the top of my feet could be sore, but they are! Lesson learned. The workout today was a 1 mile run to my guy's house then a walk for the remainder of the time (he's not a runner). We walked onto local HBCU's campus which is close to our neighborhood and included a walk over a bridge. That might not have been a wise decision as when I got to the top I informed him that it was painful, and of course we had to walk back over it! Sheesh! Am I glutton for punishment or what?

2010 Mileage recap

2011-01-01T09:06:00.004-06:00

2010 was an up & down year for walking/running for me. Mo total mileage for the year 330.97:

Not too bad considering I didn't log any miles during the month of June (did a lot of traveling that month including Europe! much fun). July was also pretty sparse along with December. I logged the least amount of miles in December although I did get a lot of exercise in due to cardio blitz.

I took an account of where I was for 2010 back in September. Although not stated there, I really wanted to surpass my 2009 mileage (239.17) by 100 miles. I didn't quite make it (8.2 miles off), but that's okay. I'm not going to belittle what I did accomplish. I did a lot for a person that didn't start running for exercise until my mid-30s, and then I only did so halfheartedly. It was only until 2009 that I really started keeping track and pushing myself. I'm really proud of what I've accomplished and I look to continue the effort in 2011.

The majority of the mileage I logged in 2010 was training mileage either. I did participate in 2-10Ks and several 5Ks, but I didn't really train for them. I just did them because I knew I could due to my running consistently.

For 2011 I've already signed up for 2-10K events (February and April). I'm sure I'll sprinkle in some 5Ks in there as well. Not sure if I'm going to train for them or just have fun with the event. Only time will tell. I'm enjoying the adventure of running and I don't want to make it seem to tedious by forcing myself into an uncomfortable position. I want it to be fun! When it ceases to be fun, I'll resent the exercise and not want to do it. Therefore, I'm just going to go with the flow.

Happy running!

Hello 2011!

2011-01-01T06:26:00.000-06:00

Cardio Blitz - recap

2010-12-31T11:11:00.004-06:00

So December has come to an end and I successfully achieved my goal of 40 minutes of cardio for at least 4 days per week. I did that for 5 weeks! Go me!

The first 2 weeks, I exercised in the morning prior to work, Monday through Thursday. I rested on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. I changed it up, not intentionally, during week 3. I did the normal AM workout Monday-Thursday for 40 minutes. I also added a Zumba class that Wednesday night, and on Saturday I ran to and from the gym and did a Zumba class. All in all, I got in 7 workouts of (on average) 40 minutes.

During week 4, my workout changed just slightly. I still got in the 4 days of 40 minutes, but my rest day came in the middle of the week. I exercised Monday-Tuesday and Thursday and Friday. I also did a run to and from the gym on that Friday.

This last week, I changed it up again. This, to me, was the most intense week (again unintentional) in that I did 4o minutes of cardio on Monday and followed that up with a boot camp class. Whew! It was quite intense and the soreness was major. I made it the gym the next day, Tuesday for 40 minutes, but needed to rest on Wednesday. I was back on Thursday and Friday (today) for a short session on the elliptical and another exercise class.

All in all, I'm really proud of myself and glad at what I accomplished:

2 Zumba classes
1 boot camp class
1 HABIT class
running to and from the gym
engaging in group exercise classes
utilizing the treadmill

This was a good month! I'm looking forward to doing more in 2011 since the gym is so much closer to my house. That, I think, makes a world difference and will allow me to increase my workouts and offer diversity (more on that later).

So glad I ended 2010 in this manner.

Cardio Blitz - day 20 - 75 min

2010-12-31T10:45:00.002-06:00

Whoa! This last day of my Cardio Blitz was a doozy! I started off with 15 minutes on the elliptical knowing I was going to take a group exercise class at 8:30 which was 60 minutes. The title of the class is HABIT: Hips, Abs, Butt, & Incredible Thighs (oh my! - I think they should add that to the acronym, it would be most appropriate considering how you feel at the end.)

It was quite the workout. Kinda similar to the boot camp class I did on Monday, but without the treadmill part. We did front squats, lunges, side bends, side squats, leg lifts, inner thigh lifts, butt lifts, several abs exercise on the ball, and reverse crunches. That may not seem like a lot, but we did them with weights and many, many, many times. Oh, I shall feel it later today and most definitely tomorrow especially since the soreness from Monday was still lingering slightly.

Ended the blitz on a high note!

Cardio Blitz - day 19 - 40 min

2010-12-30T07:09:00.003-06:00

My rest day yesterday was needed. Though I'm still store, I don't feel quite as bad as yesterday. This morning's workout was quite refreshing, and I'm ready to get my butt kicked again tomorrow. There's a class called HABIT: Hips, Abs, Butts, & Incredible Thighs! (oh my!) I'm sure that class will work muscles I haven't worked in ages, and I'll be cussin' & fussin' about the soreness come Saturday. Oh well, no pain, no gain, right?

This AM I got in exactly 40 minutes of cardio. 20 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the treadmill. I didn't do the cool down at all.

One more day and I will have reached my goal of 40 minutes of cardio at least 4 days of week for the entire month of December. Almost there!

Cardio Blitz - day 18 - 44 min

2010-12-28T07:03:00.003-06:00

I was a trooper this AM and made the gym despite my body wanting to just lay around and not move due to soreness. I knew, however, that I needed to go so that my muscles could stay loose so off I went. I completed 32 min on the elliptical and 12 min on the treadmill. On a scale of 1 to 10 my soreness is an 8. I knew those squats and lunges would do me in!

Cardio Blitz - Day 17 - worn out!

2010-12-27T14:23:00.002-06:00

I'm off work today so I knew I didn't have to go to the gym at my usual 5 AM time. I slept in and headed over there about 7:40. I looked at the group exercise schedule and saw there was a Boot Camp class at 8:30. If I had known that earlier, I probably would have just taken the class instead of the machines. But, I was there so I got on the elliptical and rocked out 20 minutes. I then moved to the treadmill for 20 minutes. I was about 15 minutes in when one of the worker sidled up to me, and asked if I was planning on taking the boot camp class. I said that I had thought about it, but since I was already on my way to 40 minutes of cardio, probably not. He said okay.

I looked at the time, and the time left on the treadmill and realized that if I really wanted to, I could do the bootcamp class since I didn't have anywhere to be this morning (or day). I finished up the 20 minutes and headed over. I had no idea of what I was getting myself into, but I did it with as much gusto as I could muster up.

Oh my goodness! I'm going to feel it tomorrow! The squats, lunges (forward and sideways!), arm curls, front raises, side raises, abdominal exercise, push-ups, and running on the treadmill will cause me to be majorly sore come tomorrow AM. I just know it! She really pushed us, and I pushed myself (running on the treadmill!).

So today's workout consisted of 40 minutes of cardio + 1 hour of boot camp = WORN OUT!

Cardio Blitz - day 15 & 16

2010-12-24T14:02:00.003-06:00

I failed to update the blog yesterday even though I completed cardio yesterday. I was too busy baking and prepping for a party last night.

So, yesterday I completed 44 minutes of cardio, 22 minutes on the elliptical and 22 minutes on the bike. I didn't go as early as normal since I was off from work, but I did go in the AM.

Today I did 30 minutes on the elliptical, but I book-ended the workout with a run to and from the gym. Doing so gave me 35 minutes of running for just over 1 hour of cardio today. Bonus! So, although I didn't make the gym 4 straight days this week, I did get in 4 days of cardio. I guess Wednesday was my rest day!

Cardio Blitz - no go

2010-12-22T06:57:00.002-06:00

No workout this AM. Stayed up waaaaayyyyyy to late last night so there was no way I was going to be at the gym for 5 am this morning. I'm okay with the miss. It's one day when I've made all of the other days I aimed to go, and got in 2 bonus workouts last week. I'll be back at it tomorrow!

Cardio Blitz - day 14 - 44 min

2010-12-21T06:55:00.002-06:00

Today is a Great day! It's my Birthday! Despite it being my birthday, I didn't take the day off from the gym. Health is still important! I'm grateful to have lived another year and started the day I was born off with 44 minutes of cardio. 22 minutes on the elliptical (forwards & backwards pedaling) and 22 minutes on the stationery bike. I'm feeling good!

Cardio Blitz - day 13 - 44 min

2010-12-20T08:20:00.003-06:00

Week 4 of cardio blitz, and all is well. I really haven't been paying attention to the scale all that much, but I know I'm doing something right due to how my clothes are fitting. I had on a pair of slacks yesterday that were quite loose in the waist. That's a good feeling!

Today I did 22 minutes on the stationery bike and 22 minutes on the treadmill. I'm slowly building my stamina on the treadmill doing the random hill program.

Cardio Blitz - bonus day

2010-12-20T08:01:00.003-06:00

I decided to get in an extra day of cardio over the weekend. As I stated before, I joined a new facility which is quite close to my house. It is so close that I can walk, run, or ride my bike. I debated about using my own power (not a car) to get there on Saturday morning, just to see the distance and time it would take me. I left it up to the weather on Saturday morning as to whether that would take place. It turned out to be pretty nice, so I set out to do a walk/run.

I needed to be there for 9:30 as that is the time the Zumba class I wanted to take began. Now, you may think I'm crazy to do a walk/run to the gym, do an hour Zumba class, then walk/run home, but that's what I aimed to do. And I did!

As you can see, from the images, the walk/run there took me just over 1 minute longer. I can only assume that was because I was engaging in exercise on the way to the gym on a cold body. Whereas on the way back, I had the walk/run, then a full hour of cardio so my body was warm and much more ready to move on its own power for the walk/run back.

My goal is to be able to run the entire distance to the gym in about 12 minutes. That will probably take some time since the only day I can really run to to the gym is on Saturday. It gets dark too early to do so during the week. In due time though!

Cardio Blitz - rest day

2010-12-17T09:05:00.002-06:00

I've made to the end of week 3 of my cardio blitz. Two more weeks to go! Come January, I'll change up my routine, once again. Change is good for the body!

Actually, I'm going to change it up next week, somewhat, since I'm going to add in a few group exercise classes to my routine. I did a step class this past Wednesday night (which kicked my butt!) and tomorrow I'm going to do a Zumba class. I plan on doing 2 group exercise classes in addition to my morning cardio workout. I'm kickin' it up a notch!

Have an excellent day!

Cardio Blitz - day 12 - 45 min

2010-12-16T06:49:00.002-06:00

Did you read about the additional cardio I completed yesterday evening? I attended a step class at my gym. It was quite the workout! I don't feel the soreness yet, but I'm sure it's coming.

This morning I broke up my routine by completing 15 minutes on the three machines in the cardio room: elliptical, bike, and treadmill. I completed the random hill routine on each of the machines. Worked up a good sweat and the time just flew by!

Cardio Blitz - day 11 - 60 min (part 2)

2010-12-15T19:49:00.003-06:00

I decided to head to the gym this evening to attend a Step-n-Tone class. Normally, I don't attend group exercise classes, but I decided to try something different tonight. Oh boy! What a workout! We'd only been at it 15 min. and I was thinking at least 30 min. had passed. It was definitely a good cardio workout. I'm sure I'll go again.

There's a Zumba class right after the Step class. A lady I knew was staying for that one also. She tried to convince me to stay, but I couldn't do it. Maybe next week.

With this morning's workout and this evening's class I got in about 1 hr 45 min of cardo. Good deal!

Cardio Blitz - day 11 - 40-45 min

2010-12-15T07:38:00.004-06:00

Over the past few years I would listen to various podcasts while working out. The past few months, probably since October, I've been reading while on the cardio machine and listening to a podcast while doing weights. Well, since I'm doing strictly cardio I'm getting a lot of reading done. This being a new gym and all, they don't have book holders for the cardio machines. Yes, the machines have a little ledge fro the book to sit on, but the book won't stay open without holding it awkwardly (especially on the elliptical).

This morning I got on the elliptical, per the norm, and began my workout. At some point, as I was adjusting the book I inadvertently hit a button and cleared out my workout! Argh! I have no idea of how long I had been on there. I reset if for another 10 minutes and went about my workout. This makes me glad I purchased one of those book holders for myself. It should arrive today. I heart Amazon.com. :)

Today's workout:
Elliptical - 15-20 min.
Bike - 10 min.
Treadmill - 10 min. (all walking)

Cardio Blitz - day 10 - 46 min

2010-12-14T07:20:00.002-06:00

Nothing new to report except I did the same routine as yesterday. 23 min on the elliptical and 23 min on the bike.

Again, this is getting boring. I may try my hand at the treadmill. Not really sure if I want to go that route, I'm afraid it will aggravate my knee. It has probably been over 2 years since I stepped on a treadmill. We'll see....

Cardio Blitz - day 9 - 46 min

2010-12-13T07:07:00.002-06:00

Entering week 3 of my December Cardio Blitz. So far so good.

This morning's workout consisted of 23 min on the elliptical and 23 min on the bike. Those 2 machines are getting boring. I miss the stairmaster. Unfortunately, there isn't a stairmaster at this new facility. The cardio machines they have are the elliptical, bike (recumbent and stationary), treadmills, and spin bikes. My preference is to stay away from the treadmill. I've not tried the spin bikes so that leaves only 2 machines for me to use. Ho hum.

Cardio Blitz - rest day

2010-12-10T09:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I've made it through another 4 days of cardio for my cardio blitz to rest day. I'm not as hobbled as I was last Friday so that's a good thing. My body has adjusted to the extended cardio. Yay!

This week I joined a new gym (see day 6) that's closer to my home. Whenever one goes to something new, it's different and hard to adjust. As I became acquainted with the facility, of course, I found myself comparing it to the gym I've been utilizing for the past 3 years. It wasn't always a good comparison in that I thought it was inferior or found things I didn't like. I had to take a step back though. Change is difficult. I wanted this change since it was close to home. So I need to adjust. Which, I'll do.

The one thing, I feel, that I won't adjust to is the locker room. More specifically, the lockers in the locker room. Take a look:

They are TINY! I mean small! My gym bag doesn't fit, clothing is cramped, and the shelving is limited. I don't think I'll ever like the locker. No question about it. Will I use them? Yep. Will I like them? Nope!

I think whoever designed these lockers didn't do quality assurance testing on them. If they did, they ignored the results. If a person, like me, goes to the gym prior to work we need various things to get ready for the day, including clothing that may be on hangars. Well, clothes on hangers will not fit in those lockers! If there wasn't a the L shaped part, then possibly clothing could fit, but as it is now? Nada.

It has been cold here this week so I've had to take in my coat. It takes up ALL of that space on the right. I mean all of it! Ugh. I'm not happy, but I'll deal.

Cardio Blitz - day 8 - 46 min

2010-12-09T07:08:00.003-06:00

Living really close to the gym is AWESOME! I get there in no time less than 5 min. This morning I left home at 4:53 and I was there right at 4:57. I was able to go in and be on the machine about 5:02. I did the same routine as yesterday: 30 min + 3 min cool down on the elliptical and 10 min + 3 min cool down on the bike.

It is interesting how 5 or 10 min can make a difference. Because I'm there right at 5 am I'm on the machine about 2-3 min after 5:00. At the other gym I may or may not have arrived by 5 am, most of the time it was 5:05 which meant I wasn't on a machine until 5:10 or so. Those 10 min. make a BIG difference! I looked at the time when I finished the elliptical and it was about 5:35. I quickly moved to the bike and I was done by 5:50. Last week, at the other gym, I wasn't finishing my 40-46 min workout until 6 AM. I chalk it up to having to drive less distance.

Cardio Blitz - day 7 - 46 min

2010-12-08T07:34:00.002-06:00

I joined a new gym and today was its first day of operation. It opened at 5 am and I was there at 4:50. I was there so early because I followed my normal routine of awaking and leaving for the gym, the only thing is, this gym is 5 minutes from my house. Therefore, I don't need to leave as early or get up as early! Sweet!

I did 30 minutes on the elliptical with a 3 minute cool down followed by 10 minutes on the bike with a 3 minute cool down.

Cardio Blitz - day 6 - 45 min

2010-12-07T07:22:00.002-06:00

It was extremely cold this AM and still is for South Louisiana. Check out the screen shot taken at 4:31 AM:

Brr! I didn't let it stop me. I made the gym and got in 20 min on the stairmaster and 25 min on the bike. I tell ya, the last 7 min of the workout (not the cooldown) were tough to get through. I SO wanted to get off of that bike, but I kept pedaling. Must.stay.focused!

I check the temperature when I got in my car and the temperature had dropped 1 degree!

Do does the cold weather stall your workouts?

Cardio Blitz - day 5 - 43 min

2010-12-06T07:14:00.002-06:00

I continued my December goal this morning by completing 43 minutes of cardio this morning. I was running late so I knew I wasn't going to get the cool down on both of the machines, which was fine as I don't always do the cool down on both machines. Anywho, I did 25 min on the elliptical (backwards & forwards pedaling) and 18 min on the bike.

Cardio Blitz - rest day

2010-12-03T06:24:00.000-06:00

Today, thankfully, is a rest day. It is needed. Yesterday afternoon my knee started hurting. By the time I left work I was in serious pain. It was even tender to touch on the left side of the kneecap. So today is the perfect rest day and truly needed. I've been taking my arthritis medicine each day this week to prevent this type of thing from happening, but perhaps the stress of doing that much cardio each day was too much. I may need to adjust next week.

I used the stairmster 3 of the 4 days. I probably shouldn't use it that much. Hmmmm...will make changes next week.

Next week will also bring changes to my workout location. More on that later! I will say that I'm excited about the change!

Cardio Blitz - day 4 - 43 min

2010-12-02T08:07:00.003-06:00

I jumped on the elliptical for 25 min this morning. When I do the elliptical I generally start with pedaling backwards. I try to do at least half of the time in that direction then switch to forward motion. Sometimes I end up doing more time pedaling backwards due to my not looking at the time. Today was one of those days. When I finally looked at the time I was 18 minutes into my workout. woo! That left 7 minutes for forward pedaling. That time went by quickly!

I immediately jumped on the bike for 15 minutes and it went by with the quickness. I did the 3 minute cool down for a total of 43 minutes today.

I can definitely feel the workouts in my calves. That always happens when I go backwards on the elliptical.

Cardio Blitz - day 3 - 45 min

2010-12-01T06:57:00.002-06:00

I wanted to do an even split with this morning's cardio. The stairmaster lady was there, but she was on an ellpitical machine. Yay! I hit the stairmaster first for 20 minutes of cardio with a 2 minute cool down. I moved to the elliptical for 20 minutes and a 3 minute cool down.

I stepped on the scale yesterday morning to document my weight. At the end of the month, I aim to either be the same or slightly lower. The goal is no gain!

Cardio Blitz - day 2 - 48 min

2010-11-30T07:07:00.002-06:00

The stairmaster was open when I arrived at the gym this AM so I took advantage. I did 25 min of cardio with a 5 min cool down. I then jumped on the bike and did 15 min with a 3 min cool down. Those last 6 min of the bike were a struggle, but I got it done.

Cardio Blitz - day 1 - 43 min

2010-11-29T19:02:00.002-06:00

So this morning, as apart of cardio blitz, I did 43 minutes of cardio. I did 25 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the stairmaster with a 3 minute cool-down on the stairmaster.

My favorite machine, at the gym, is the stairmaster. I would have preferred to do most of the time on there, but there was a lady on it when I arrived. There are actually 2 stairmaster machines, but one is really old and awkward to use. It used to be that when I arrived at the gym, somewhere around 5 am, no one was on the stairmaster. Over the last few months a lady has been on there when I get there at 5, she must get there when the gym opens or shortly thereafter because she gets off somewhere between 5:05 and 5:10. Depending on my timing, I sometimes appear at the machines when she's exiting. Sweet. Other times, I don't. In those instances, I adjust. Like today.

Cardio Blitz

2010-11-29T18:36:00.001-06:00

To combat holiday weight gain last year I did strictly cardio during the month of December. At the start of 2010, I hadn't gained any weight due to holiday eating, drinking, & gallivanting. I hoping for the same this year.

Starting today and concluding with the last week in December, my aim is 4 days of at least 40 minutes of cardio. I'll do a combination of the bike, elliptical, stairmaster, and arc trainer. I'm also going to include running as I'm going to do a 10K come February. So 2-3 days per week, I'll get out on the road to run 30-40 minutes at a time.

I'm also going to attempt to blog regularly (as I noticed I hadn't been in this space since late October!) over the next few weeks noting my progress. I probably should have stepped on the scale this morning, but I forgot. I'll try to do so tomorrow morning.

Stomach Shrinking

2010-10-28T19:02:00.002-05:00

I feel like I'm channeling Yum Yucky with this title, but I think she's right when she speaks of stomach shrinking! Over the past 2 days, my dinners have consisted of appetizer portions at restaurants and they have totally caused me to feel extremely full. I don't think they were extremely large appetizer portions, but more than enough for me. Amazing. Change happens with healthy habits.

On track

2010-10-17T06:32:00.000-05:00

Despite, changing my routine, I'm still on track to reach my goal of 40 miles for October. As you can see, from the image above, I'm 16 miles from 40 and I still have 2 weeks to go. My running goal is up to 12 miles during the weeks. So, I got this!

Changing it up

2010-10-16T11:49:00.004-05:00

This past week I decided to change up my workout routine. Over the past few months, I've been going hard with workouts 5-6 days per week with double workouts 2-3 of those days. Generally, my schedule looked like this:

Sunday - 4 mile run/walk
Monday - gym (weights)
Tuesday - gym (cardio & weights); run/walk in the evening
Wednesday - gym (all cardio)
Thursday - gym (cardio & weights); run/walk in the evening
Friday - gym or rest day
Saturday - 4 mile run/walk

That was a lot and I could feel that I needed a change. So I did. Here's my new routine:

Sunday - 4 mile run/walk
Monday - gym (10 min cardio & weights)
Tuesday - 3-4 mile run/walk
Wednesday - gym (20 min cardio & weights)
Thursday - 3-4 mile run/walk
Friday - gym (10 min cardio & weights)
Saturday - rest

Thoughts after doing that routine this week: pretty good. It did feel funny not heading out for a run this AM, but I was determined to let my body rest. I'll follow this routine at least until the end of the year.

Victory! 45 miles!

2010-09-28T21:13:00.004-05:00

With 4 days to spare I logged 45 miles in 4 weeks! Yay!

Eggplant Casserole Redux

2010-09-23T06:50:00.000-05:00

This past Friday night I made my first ever Eggplant Casserole. It turned out okay, but could have been better. I gave it another go on Sunday and it came out much better. In fact, this is how I'll make it with meat from now on:

2 eggplants
1 lb ground meat (I use the extra lean)
onions
green onions
garlic
bellpepper
seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's)
plain breadcrumbs

Bring large pot of water to boil. Cut eggplant in half, then in slices. Peel eggplant. Place in boiling water for 10-15 min or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from water reserving 1 cup of the liquid.

Brown ground meat in a skillet with onions, green onions, bellpepper, and seasoning. Drain.

Combine eggplant, ground meat, and bread crumbs in a 9 x 13 pan until you reach your desired consistency. You may need to add more seasoning to taste. Add some of the liquid from the boiling of eggplant as needed to add some moisture to the dish. Top with a thin layer of breadcrumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until you feel it is set.

Enjoy!

At some point, I'm going to add some mushrooms to this dish. I think I'll cook the mushrooms with the meat when I do.

No Comparison

2010-09-19T08:27:00.000-05:00

The walking/running I do is a means of staying healthy for me. Personally, I'm not trying to win a 5K, 10K, or any other race. Therefore, I don't compare myself to what others do. I'm not interested in competing with what others are doing. Leading a healthy lifestyle is my aim.

I only make one comparison, to an earlier, unhealthier me.

I think about what I couldn't do in 2002:

walk a mile
run a mile
walk up 5 flights of stairs without stopping
complete a 5K
complete a 10K
spend 40 min on the stairmaster
zero push-ups

To what I can do in 2010:

walk a mile
run a mile
walk up 5+ flights of stairs without stopping
5K done
10K done
40+ min on the stairmaster
10 push-ups (though I don't like doing them!)
and many other things....

Overall, I'm really happy with what I have accomplished and what I continue to do regarding leading a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, I don't need to compare myself to others. I know what I did and I'm doing is working. That is all that matters.

Eggplant Casserole

2010-09-17T20:46:00.004-05:00

Over the last few years, I've been obsessed with all things eggplant.

Fried eggplant.
Eggplant parmigiana.
Baked eggplant.
Eggplant chips.

You name it! If I'm at a restaurant and eggplant is on the menu, that's what I'm having. Over a year ago one of my colleagues brought an eggplant dish to work, eggplant casserole. Yum! I had to know how to make it. Her mom sent me her recipe, and I'm just now trying it out. I was always intimidated by the sheer idea of picking out an eggplant. From what I've been told, you just pick one up. There's no rhyme or reason to selecting one. So that's what I did. Here's the recipe as I prepared it tonight:

Ingredients
Eggplant
1 lb ground meat
breadcrumbs

Cut eggplant in half, then cube. Peel.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Place eggplant cubes in water. Boil until tender, about 10 min.

Brown ground meat with onions, green onions, & garlic. Season meat to taste. Drain.

Drain eggplant in colander.

Combine eggplant, ground meat, & breadcrumbs in a casserole dish. Add more seasoning to taste.

Top with a thin layer of breadcrumbs.

Bake 30-45 minutes or until top and sides have browned.

Here's the recipe without images:

Eggplant Casserole
1 eggplant
1 lb ground meat (I use extra lean)
breadcrumbs

Boil a pot of water.
Cut eggplant in half, then into slices. Peel and cube.
Place cubes of eggplant in boiling water.
Boil until tender when pierced with a fork. Approximately 10 minutes. Drain.

Brown ground meat. Season with onions, green onions, garlic, and seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's). Drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine eggplant, ground meat, and bread crumbs in a casserole dish. Add additional seasoning to taste. Top with thin layer of breadcrumbs.

Bake for 30-45 min or until top & sides are done.

Changes I will make next time:

use 2 eggplants for 1 lb of ground meat, I wanted more eggplant in it
add more seasoning (onion, garlic, green onion, and bellpepper)

I wonder how good this would be with mushroom instead of ground meat. I think I'll try it with 1/2 pound of meat and add mushrooms to fill it out. Just a thought...

15 more minutes

2010-09-15T07:29:00.004-05:00

My clock chimes at 4:30 am. Yesterday morning I turned it off and went right back to sleep. I awakened again at 4:45. I emerged from the bed, dressed, and headed to the gym. I got in a good workout, and felt fine the remainder of the day.

Clearly, I needed those 15 additional minutes. Sometimes you just have to listen to your body.

I listened to my body again this morning and decided it needed a rest from the gym. Yes, I was packed for the gym and ready to go when I headed to dreamland, but I knew at that point I was going. My body was tired and needed the rest.

Right now I feel refreshed.

500 Miles!

2010-09-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, I had no idea I was close logging 500 miles total since I began using Nike +. Well, I crossed that threshold with the run on Monday evening. Go me! Here's my congratulatory video from Nike +:

Planning

2010-09-12T20:49:00.003-05:00

I'm already packed for my gym workout in the morning, and my lunch and snacks are packed for the day. My plan was to also get in, at least 2 miles, of running after work. Unfortunately, my car decided it wanted some attention so I need to take it in for some service after work. Then it hit me! Run while the car is being serviced.

So I packed another bag of clothes to change into at the end of the workday. I'll change at the office then head to the car place, which happens to be at the mall. I'll run the outskirts of the parking area while they work on the car. Score! I'll also take some water so I have some when I'm done.

Planning. Yay!

Reached the Goal!

2010-09-02T20:32:00.002-05:00

Reached my goal! 40 miles in 4 weeks! Woo-hoo!

Mileage update

2010-09-01T06:57:00.000-05:00

Last year I logged 239.17 miles for the entire year. By the end of August I had 170.77 miles. Not to bad as I logged some miles each month from January to August. Wasn't a lot of miles for June & July, but some miles nonetheless.

Looking at the chart for 2010 and I should surpass the total mileage for 2009 by early October, perhaps in later this month. We'll see. I'm at 207.58 (well ahead of the total at the end of August, 2009!) and I'm going to aim for 30-40 miles for each of the next 4 months.

Parking

2010-08-31T14:30:00.000-05:00

Where do you park when approaching a store, building, or some other location? I tend to park in the first spot I see that is a distance away from the structure I'm seeking to adorn with my presence. Why? So that I can get extra steps. Parking close is not a priority for me. For one, most days I wear a pedometer. Even on days I don't wear the pedometer, I find that I park a distance away from the entrance.

Parking a distance away is so automatic that I don't limit to doing so when it is not just me. I don't take into account the others that in the car with me, unless it is my Mom*. Otherwise, I feel that folks can walk. Unfortunately, not all share my enthusiasm for parking a distance away from the entrance. Case in point, a few weeks ago I drove a friend and I too a restaurant for take-out. The parking lot was pretty full and there was someone walking to a vehicle. Instead of following or waiting to see where the person was going, I kept moving and parked at the end of the lot. As we exited the car and walked toward the building the car began to back out, my friend stated we should have waited. I made no response. In my mind, however, I'm thinking the time we would have waited on the person to pull out would have been wasted time.

That's my thought. Wasted time. The amount of time it takes for me to circle a parking lot looking for a close spot or waiting for someone to put their items in the care (if any) is wasted time. I could already be in the building with the amount of time I'm waiting! I dislike wasting time.

Basically, if I'm driving - expect to park and walk a distance.

How about you? Where do you park? Do you circle and circle and circle? Or do you park and walk?

8 more

2010-08-30T13:39:00.003-05:00

I set a goal on August 7th to complete 40 miles in 4 weeks.

I'm 8 miles away!

I'm sure I can get those 8 miles in by Saturday. Of course, the weather plays a part. Let's hope the rain stays away. That's why I have not runs from the 16-21!

There's walking and there's aerobic walking

2010-08-04T16:12:00.001-05:00

I'm attending a convention this week. In fact, I've been here since Friday and there's been a lot of walking.

Walking to the convention center.
Walking in the convention center.
Walking to get something to eat.
Walking to various shops in the downtown area.

A lot of walking has been. Despite the oppressive heat & humidity, meaning folks are sweating while doing all of this walking, the walking is not aerobic.

Let me repeat, the walking is bot aerobic. It is not the type of walking that will lend itself to decreasing weight or offsetting a person's caloric intake.

The walking is casual. It is at a leisurely pace. People are strolling from one place to another, although the distance may be long.

I just overheard a lady state, "we don't have to worry about gaining weight with all of this walking." This was stated as she was downing a cupcake. Actually, you do.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Crackerfuls

2010-07-12T17:02:00.001-05:00

Have you tried Ritz Crackerfuls?

A co-worker had a box last week and gave me one to try. I finally downed it this afternoon and I was pleasantly surprised. The package states it has 140 calories, 7 g of fat, & 3 g of fiber. 1 package is a serving. Not too shabby, in my book.

Take a look at their website, there are 4 different flavors:

Classic Cheddar
Four Cheese
Garlic Herb
Cheddar Cheese & Bacon

The Garlic Herb has the most calories of the 4 varieties, the others are 130 calories.

All in all, it was a good afternoon filler as I wanted something to get me through the afternoon.

I'm sure I'll try the Classic Cheddar & Four Cheese. Not a fan of items that are bacon flavored unless it is actually bacon.

Choppity Chop!

2010-06-27T16:00:00.001-05:00

Last October my sister-in-law decided that she was going natural. No more relaxers (perms) on her hair. She, another friend, and I started discussing it and she began transitioning at that point. Fast forward to May and she underwent the Big Chop (general term for cutting off of the relaxed hair)! During those intervening months, from October to May, I considered making the transition, but really waffled with the idea. I wasn't sure if it was something that I could maintain.

You see, I've always gone to the beauty salon from the time I was a really young girl. That's me over there ---> probably age 3. See the hair? Pre-relaxer and it would never sta in a plait. I don't know at what point I got a relaxer, but I'm sure it was in elementary school, and I've had one ever since.

Every other week throughout my formative years found me in

the hair salon. It was a love-hate relationship. I knew it had to be done as I was not equipped to do hair, but I dreaded sitting on the dryer and getting a relaxer. I would stretch out getting a relaxer for 3-4 months because I just despised it, yet I did it. Let's have a look back over the years.

I was probably 11-12 years old in in this image (that's when I had braces). Look at the length and yes, it was (still is) quite thick. I didn't do much with it but wear it like that or in a single ponytail.

Here's one of my senior portraits from high school:

This image was taken in 2000:

2005, the first time I put color in my hair. I had it like that for about a year:

2009:

As you can see, I've always had length and thickness! My previous post has an image of me earlier this month when I was in London. Well, at some point in May I gave serious consideration to going natural. I had a long conversation with my stylist about it, knowing that I wanted to amp up my workouts this summer, and do something different. I began to read natural hair care blogs and follow some on folks on twitter. The more I read, the more I was ready to do it.

My plan was to transition over a period of time. To keep cutting my ends every 1-2 months. Well, that didn't happen. A month after deciding to go natural, I chopped off the relaxed ends. I did that this past Friday! I feel So.Very.Free! Here's a montage of my new cut:

I'm luvin' it!

One day

2010-06-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

...soon I will get back to posting in this place regularly. For now, I've got to get back in the swing of things professionally.

I was off for 2 weeks beginning May 28th. I went to London & Pairs! Here's a photo of me with the London Eye in the background:

We had a great time in London, Canterbury, Dover, and Paris. I'll have more pics at some point!

I returned on a Wednesday evening and by Friday I was traveling again to my college reunion. That was over the weekend. I got back fairly early Sunday afternoon and did a few things around town (like grocery shopping!).

I was all ready to go get back into the gym after a 2 week hiatus on Monday morning. I packed my gym bag, packed my lunch, and laid out my workout clothes. I awakened prior to my alarm clock at 4:15 (clock set for 4:30). I got up then and decided to get a head start. I was in the car and ready go go by 4:45 and the car wouldn't start. Huh? This can't be happening. I just had it serviced it on Thursday upon my return!

15 min. later and I was still at home. Mad! I was so looking forward to my gym workout. I resigned myself to the fact that it wasn't going to happen and I moved on. I used my mom's car as I'm in a training this week that I can't miss. It may not come around again for another year, and it is a valuable training. Therefore, I have yet to get my car back into the shop which means no gym workout this week before work. Booooooo!!!

On top of that, I haven't walked/run in the evening. By the time I get home, prepare my lunch for the next day, and prepare dinner, I'm whipped. I'm ready to go to sleep by 7 pm. I really think I'm not over jet lag or the time difference yet. The weekend trip to my college reunion didn't help as we up way late into the night and up really early in the morning. Plus, the training is quite intensive so I must be own the entire time I'm there.

Next week, I'm in New Orleans for another event. So I don't foresee a return to my regular schedule until another week or so.

My Tipping Point

2010-05-19T19:43:00.004-05:00

Mary, over at A Merry Life, posted today about her Tipping Point for getting healthy. I commented that my Tipping Point occurred in 2002. During the fall of 2002, I was starting my first year of grad school at UGA. That part of GA is a bit hilly and my parking area was at the base of hill, and the building I needed to be in was at the top of that hill. It wasn't a big hill, but there was an incline. By the time I got to the top, I was winded. There was a red light and I was really glad when the light was red. It allowed me to catch my breath.

Taken in 2002

I didn't quite get it together that fall. Though I started to exercise, I didn't change my eating habits. I was of the mindset that if I'm exercising, I could still eat whatever. Well, this image from 2003 will tell you that not much changed:

Nor in 2004:

This image, from 2005, was the one that put me over the edge. It was taken on the beach in Hilton Head, SC. It was on that trip that I rode a bike for the first time in years. I really liked it, but again, it was hard! That was it. A change was needed.

Upon returning to Athens, I made a change. I really committed to working out and eating healthy. I worked with a personal trainer at the rec center on campus, I joined Weight Watchers, and I tracked everything I ate. It paid off! I lost 60 pounds and transformed myself!

Taken in 2006:

13.3 miles

2010-05-10T10:59:00.002-05:00

That's how many miles I've logged thus far since May 1st. Not too bad considering I only achieved 16 miles in the entire month of April. Of course, that was due to injury. I'm determined to be go beyond those 16 miles this month, and I'm well on my way! Yippee!

Last Monday I was fitted for orthotic inserts. I'll pick them on Wednesday of this week. Next week I hope to add in some jogging to my walks.

Do you

2010-05-05T07:39:00.004-05:00

I'm of the mindset that one should figure out what works for you and do just that!

Yes, there are many guides out there about weight loss, living a healthy lifestyle, and this that & the other. However, one person's panacea is another's worst nightmare. Therefore, find what works and stick to it.

Last week I was listening to a radio show where the guest was talking about how she lost 146 lbs in her year to renewal. One of the tips she gave was to eat every 2 hours and drink water. Water, she stated, not water w/ Crystal Light added to it. <--Those are the kinds of things I'm talking about when I say that's not everyone's panacea.

If someone needs Crystal Light added to the water, so be it! That's what that person needs and only that person knows what works for them.

When I'm asked what my "diet" is the first thing I state is that "I'm not on a diet." (I don't like that word). I'll then tell them what works for me, stressing that what I'm stating is for me. I encourage them to explore and determine what works for them. To me, the key is finding a comfortable plan that one can maintain.

Yes, I lost the majority of the weight following Weight Watchers. It worked for me because I had a variety of foods to select from, basically what I was already eating. I just changed how I was eating. I found out what would work for me.

The key to me is doing you.

Getting back to it!

2010-04-29T19:31:00.002-05:00

Can I just tell you how ready I am to get back to running/walking?

It has been 3 full weeks since my ankle was swollen and I was sidelined.

This limited exercise has not been good for me. I'm missing moving of my own willpower. Biking is good, but I much prefer running/walking.

I think enough time has passed, and I've rested my ankle that I can ease back into it. Which I plan on doing come the 1st of the month. Of course, that is dependent on the weather. Rain is in the forecast starting tomorrow through next Wednesday so it may until then. We'll see...I'm just ready!

Sidelined

2010-04-11T09:44:00.002-05:00

My left ankle began to swell this past Thursday. Over the course of the day, the pain increased steadily and I was unable to put weight on it. I took some Tylenol PM, elevated it, and went to sleep. It was not as swollen Friday AM, and I was able to stand on it with not as much pain.

I went to work, stayed off of it as much as possible. I iced it Friday afternoon and relaxed the evening away. It was still swollen on Saturday morning, but not as painful to touch. I decided to get it checked out anyway since I'm about to start some travel for work.

I was diagnosed with Achilles tendonitis. Bummer. The symptoms listed on the linked website is exactly what I felt. I've been told to ice & rest my ankle. Therefore, no running/walking for the next few weeks. Actually, that is not so bad since I'm traveling for work over the next few weeks. Yes, I'll do a fair amount of walking (I'll be at a conference), but it won't be at a fast-pace, it'll be leisurely.

I've also been told to get some custom orthoctic inserts from my shoes. I know a few people who have those items, and they speak highly of them. So, I'll get those in the next few weeks.

Needless to say, I'm not going to reach my goal of 45 miles for April. I also may not reach my overall goal of 480 miles for the year. We'll see how well I rebound from this.

One More Mile

2010-04-08T07:50:00.001-05:00

The cute shirts I purchased at the expo last weekend came from One More Mile.

Walking

2010-04-07T08:12:00.002-05:00

I've talked about this before, walking is the easiest form of exercise one can do! No lie! It is!

Just put on some good walking shoes and start moving! They don't have to be fancy or expensive, just whatever is comfortable to the individual.

Today is National Start Walking Day promoted by the American Heart Association.

My employer sent an e-mail about an event today at noon promoting walking. The flyer stated to wear your tennis to work today, then walk to the capitol at noon for a group photo. The head baseball coach from LSU will speak and there will be a group photo. I'm in!

My office building is probably a half-mile from the capitol, but I want to at least get in 1 mile on the way there, so I'm going to take a circuitous route. I have a feeling not many people from my office area will participate. No matter! I'm doing it for my health!

Cute shirts

2010-04-04T08:23:00.001-05:00

Purchased these 2 shirts at the expo on Friday night:

CCC 10K Recap

2010-04-03T19:55:00.002-05:00

I was a participant in the Crescent City (New Orleans) Classic 10K this morning. This was my 2nd 10K this year and my pace today was slower than the first one. No matter, it was the completion that was most important! Right? :~) Of course!

From Healthy Every Day

I completed this race the same as the other one. My plan was to do this one the same way as the last:

run 3 km
walk 1 km
run 3 km
walk 1 km
run 2 km

It didn't quite workout like that due to the sheer number of people. From where I was in the pack, it took me 6 min. to get to the actual starting line. Once there, I really couldn't get a good running pace until well into the 2nd km. I probably should have just walked the 1st km. There was a lot of people and a lot of walkers. Nothing wrong with walking, but it was extremely hard to maneuver around them at times. I walk as well, but I move to the outer portions of the street so as not to be in the way.

The first time I did a 10K was the Peachtree (Atlanta) Road Race. One good thing about the Peachtree is they encourage the walkers to stay to one side of the roadway. The Crescent City organizers should do the same.

I think the slow start really prevented from keeping a good pace. The other 10K I did, in February, wasn't quite as crowded and it thinned out pretty fast.

Overall, I'm still excited about the finish! I mean, that is what it is all about! Finishing what I start and I did it!

3-month check-in

2010-04-02T15:17:00.000-05:00

1/3 of the way through the year, and I'm at 116.19 miles. I should be at 120 miles, so I'm not doing too bad. Notice the short bar for February? Well, it was too hot of a month. I only logged 22.89 miles during that month.

I made up for some of those miles this month though by going 11 miles over the 40 miles I planned on doing. Hooray!

So, I'm well on my way to logging 480 miles for 2010. My goal for April is 45 miles. I have a lot of travel this month so I'm not sure if it'll be accomplished, but I will definitely try!

51.73

2010-04-01T15:47:00.004-05:00

11 miles over my March goal of 40 miles! Hooray!

Pumped!

2010-03-20T13:18:00.002-05:00

I can't begin to explain how PUMPED I am about my race outcome this morning. Check this out:

Focus on the last 2 columns which offer my race time and average pace per mile! Do you SEE that!?!?!

I finished in 35:33! My average pace was 11:28 per mile! Whoa!

I've never been that fast before! I'm so fricking proud of myself!

I ran the first 2 km, walked 1/2 km, and ran the remaining 2.5 km.

For some reason, again, my Nike+ didn't start off right so it didn't record the full 5 km. It only got 4.63 km and it states I ran 11:53 per mile. Still not bad!

17 to go

2010-03-15T15:07:00.002-05:00

I need 17 miles by 3/29, two weeks from today, to reach my goal of 40 miles in 4 weeks.

I'm on track to reach the goal!

I may reach it early. That would be sweet!

Portion control

2010-03-10T08:38:00.005-06:00

I've learned that I must control for portion in order for me to be successful at weight loss. When I initially lost those 60 pounds from 2005-07, I was very strict on portions. I utilized a food scale, measuring cups, and measuring spoons for everything. Measuring has become second nature for me. I don't use the food scale anymore, but I do use the cups & spoons.

In fact, I have some at my office. I use the measuring spoon to measure 1 T of sugar for my coffee. I find that I will put too much sugar if it is not measured out.

The measuring cup is for my cereal. I believe in only eating one serving so I measure it out. If I just pour into the bowl, I'll end up with 1-1/2 or 2 servings. Too much! I bring my milk from home each day and I only bring 3/4 cup. Therefore, I need only 1 serving of cereal.

I also purchase those single serve containers of coffee cream. Yes, those things cost more money, but it costs less on my caloric intake. Some may say, I can't believe she drinks coffee! Yes, I do, each and every day. It is likely the one thing I will never give up (unless there's some dire health need to do so). I limit myself to no more than 2 cups, most days it is only 1 though and I control the sugar and cream. I have the mini-moo's at work, but on the weekends I measure out the liquid cream with a measuring spoon. I'm consistent, if not anything else.

Some people may say, oh that's too extreme! All that measuring and what not. Fine, it doesn't work for you, but it works for me. That, too me, is key. Finding what works for the individual.

I've found mine, measuring. What's yours?

22.89

2010-03-01T19:31:00.002-06:00

I didn't reach my monthly goal of 40 miles during the month of February.

As you can see, I only earned 22.8 miles. Not too bad considering February, to me, was a cruel month. I had a lot of personal stuff happen that really impeded my walking/running. Additionally, the weather didn't help. It was brutally cold here in the South and I just could bring myself to get out in it.

I'm happy with what I did, although it was all toward the end of the month.

Today begins a new month and I've recommitted to 40 miles for the month. I've already set a goal:

While I won't log any miles today (rain!), I will over the course of the week and Saturday will be topped off by a 5K. I'm also participating in another 5K later in the month. I have every intention of earning those 40 miles and possibly more!

Investing

2010-02-23T14:15:00.004-06:00

Earlier today I read Pat Barone's post titled The Olympic of Permanent Weight Loss. Do check it out if you get a chance. I read through her 8 elements of what it takes for permanent weight loss and the 5th one called out to me with bells! It reads:

5. Investment. To reach their goals, world class athletes invest in themselves by finding excellent coaching, support, training, education and equipment.

I am totally in agreement with that statement. If you aren't willing to invest in your own health, then what are you willing to invest in? You only have one body (yes, cliche, but oh so true)! Why not take care of it?

One way I invest in myself it is by trying to be a mindful eater. I am not a dieter. In fact, I don't like the term diet. I see it as limiting or eliminating foods, and that's something I can't get with and will not do.

I just do my best not over indulge. I am a self-described cookie monster. They are, by far, my favorite sweet. I can't pass up a warm chocolate chip cookie. It makes me happy just thinking about them...but I digress. Even with cookies, I can eat them without going overboard.

For example, the evil goodness of Girl Scout cookies arrived yesterday. There was a point where I could open one of those sleeves of cookies and devour the entire sleeve in 20 minutes flat. Not anymore. The cookies were delivered about 10 am yesterday morning, and I didn't open the box until 8 pm last night. Even when I opened the box I didn't eat one. Instead, I took out 1 serving (5 cookies) and placed them in a baggie for my lunch. I then placed the remaining cookies back in the box.

It was that easy!

I'm investing in myself by controlling what and how I eat.

Mardi Gras Mambo 10K

2010-02-22T13:57:00.001-06:00

Below is the image that is on the t-shirt participants in the Mardi Gras Mambo 10K received.

10k race #

2010-02-22T10:11:00.002-06:00

Here's my race # from this past Saturday's 10K:

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Not so hot this month

2010-02-21T18:06:00.003-06:00

My running/walking petered out this month. Not that I'm not doing it, just didn't do it as intensely as I did during January. I'm not giving up though! I'm sticking to my goal of getting 480 miles by December 31, 2010. It can still be done, I just have to get in more miles in the coming months.

The weather this month was just awful. At least awful for us Southerners. Outdoor activity was really limited. Anywho, I'm back at it. This past week I did two personal 5Ks, and I did a 10K yesterday. With each run/walk, I lowered by average pace. So I'm pretty impressed with myself.

So far this month, I'm at 13 miles. I aim to get at least 20 by the end of the month. The weather this week is supposed to be really nice, so I think it can be done.

Some months are better than others...

40 mile goal reached

2010-02-04T12:57:00.002-06:00

I set a goal on Nike+ to run/walk 40 miles during the month of January. I accomplished the goal with 2 days to spare despite the unusually cold weather we had during the month.

Hooray!

Too much?

2010-01-27T07:09:00.002-06:00

Recently my gym has decided to charge rental fees for lockers. Which is not something I'm opposed to paying if the price is reasonable.

Tall locker - $19/month or $228 for the year
Features a shelf at the top, a mirror on the door, a drawer, 3 hooks, and a shelf on the door

Short locker - $9/month or $60 for the year
Features 3 hooks

Am I crazy in seeing thinking that price for the tall locker is not a deal, but a rip-off?

Walking. Walking. Walking

2010-01-26T08:46:00.002-06:00

The simplest form of exercise that many refuse to do. Why is that? One doesn't have to belong to a gym or purchase fancy equipment to lead a healthy lifestyle. All one has to is walk.

Walk it out!

This posting on NPR's Health blog, Women and Walking: The Benefits of Picking up the Pace, focuses on the benefit to women, but that shouldn't limit men. No matter the gender, walking is an excellent form of exercise and it is done of your own power!

All it takes is 30 minutes of day. That can even be broken up into 2-15 minute segments. Just a little bit helps you in the long scheme of things. Eventually, you may add to your time and not even realize it.

Do it! Your body will thank you!

40 mile goal - halfway point

2010-01-16T20:37:00.001-06:00

I set a goal back on January 2nd to run 40 miles in 4 weeks. This is the mid-way point and I'm at 23.6 miles. Nike+ states I'm 4.82 miles behind my target. I calculated that I need to do at least 2 miles each day for 11 days. Now I know that I can't do that each of those 11 days. For example, I have a conflict on Tuesday that will prevent me from running/walking that evening. Also, we never know about the weather. In fact, it is due to the extremely cold weather we had here the week of January 4th that prevented me from completing more runs/walks.

I hope to get in 3-4 miles at some point tomorrow and also on Monday. Weather.com tells me to expect rain Wednesday and possibly on Thursday. Sunny on Friday and rain against next weekend. I need to get in at least 10 miles over the next 7 days. Here's to hoping the weather cooperates.

Posted via web from giving thought|giving sight

Unbelievable!

2010-01-04T20:07:00.001-06:00

One day last week, I saw a blurb on twitter about something to do with Taco Bell and hoping it didn't catch on. I didn't follow up with the tweet, not thinking much of it. Then I was with some friends later in the week and someone brought it up. What? You've got to be kidding me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Really? Eating at Taco Bell for health?!?!

Then I saw the commercial. Oh gracious!

Now, I will give it to the commercial and the website in that they specifically state results are not typical and the "drive-thru-diet" is not a weight loss program. Yet, they use the term "diet" which is widely thought of as a means to lose weight. Are they using doublespeak to confuse folks? Methinks so.

Let's dissect this a bit more.

7 of the 9 items are under 9 grams of fat. More specifically they are 7-8 grams of fat with 2 of them being 4 and 4.5.
the average amount of sodium is 910(mgs) - what happens if you add sauce?
the 2 items with the least amount of fat has the least amount of fiber (2 gms)

The website with all of this information doesn't tell us what else Christine did to lose weight. It states that she didn't want to cut out fast-food so she choose those specific items. Now, I'm no Taco Bell enthusiast (I don't know when the last time I ate there), but I don't recall seeing that particular menu advertised before (though I could be wrong). So how long has those items been available? For more than 2 years? Just curious.
Additionally, what else did Christine do?

All in all, this seems like false advertisement to me. Just a means of getting more customers when a lot of folks pledge to lose weight.

40 miles

2010-01-02T09:11:00.003-06:00

Thought I don't set resolutions, I do set goals for myself. I've decided to get 40 miles of walking/running for the month of January. That's less than 2 miles a day. Thinking about it that way makes it feasible since I generally try to get in 3 miles per walk. Of course, there will be some days that I can walk due to inclement weather or activities that I'm involved in. Overall, I think it is a goal that is attainable. I've connected by Nike+ account to twitter & facebook so that I can track my progress publicly.

I started today off with a 3.74 mile walk so I'm well on my way!

No resolutions

2010-01-01T08:45:00.000-06:00

I don't know when the last time I set New Year's Resolutions. I was probably a teen, and it was then that I realized that it makes no sense. Why should I only attempt to set goals at the beginning of a new year? What if I want to make a random change come May? Is that not acceptable?

Personally, if I seek a renewal it will be something that I can do. For example, when I decided to lead a more healthy lifestyle I never used the "d" word. I see that as a temporary thing and I started my healthy lifestyle mid-year, I think it was April (and I stuck to it).

Therefore, I don't set resolutions. For one, it seems that most people don't keep them and they don't seem to be realistic (i.e., doable). I'm all about doing what I know I can do. I'm a realist and there are some things I may as well not attempt. If I'm not going to give my all, I don't see the point of my taking part.

10Ks

2009-12-28T07:42:00.004-06:00

Last night I bit the bullet and signed up for two 10K events in the coming months. I really want to get back into walking/running and this is the best way to do so. A friend of mine posted (on Facebook) that she was doing the Crescent City Classic 10K in New Orleans. I stated that I would consider participating and I am! While browsing the Active.com website, I found a 10K in my city, the Mardi Gras Mambo 10K. I'm doing that one as well! Eek!

The last time I did a 10K was in 2007 (the Marine Corp 10K). I did a few 5Ks early in 2009, but that's about it. Well, I'm back to it. My goal for 2010 is move, move, move. In order to do so, I have to do something that will get me moving. Therefore, participating in 10Ks and 5Ks will commence in the coming year.

Week 1 workout

2009-12-06T18:04:00.001-06:00

So here's the workout I did last week...I'm going to do it again in the coming week...

Superset with: do the first exercise immediately followed by the with exercise then rest 1 min. repeat for the number of sets

sets/reps

High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) workout - cardio exercise further explained at bottom

__________________________

____

Workout 1 – Monday & Thursday
Chest
Incline Bench Press 3/9-10
-superset with-
Incline Flye 3/12-15

Flye 3/12-15
-superset with-
Dumbbell Bench Press 3/9-10

7-minute HITT workout

Shoulders
Barbell Overhead Press 3/9-10
-superset with-
Bent-Over Lateral Raise 3/12-15

Lateral Raise 3/12-15
-superset with-
Dumbbell Upright Row 3/9-10

7-minute HITT workout

Triceps
Pressdown 2/9-10
-superset with-
Cable Overhead Triceps Extension 2/12-15

Lying Triceps Extension 2/12-15
-superset with-
Close-Grip Bench Press 2/9-10

7 min. HITT workout
______________________________

Workout 2 – Tuesday & Friday
Legs
Squat 3/9-10
-superset with-
Dumbbell Lung 3/12-15

Leg extension 3/12-15
-superset with-
Leg Press 3/9-10

Leg Curl 3/12-15
-superset with-
Romanian Deadlift 3/9-10

7 min. HITT workout

Calves
Standing Calf Raise 2/12
-superset with-
Seated Calf Raise 2/15

7 min. HITT workout

Abs
Hanging Leg Raise 2/to failure
-superset with-
Crunch 2/to failure

7 min. HITT workout
______________________________

Workout 3 (Wednesday & Saturday)
Back
Barbell Row 3/9-10
-superset with-
Seated Cable Row 3/12-15

Straight-Arm Pulldown 3/12-15
-superset with-
Wide-Grip Pulldown 3/9-10

7 min. HITT workout

Traps
Behind-the-Back-Smith Machine Shrug 2/9-10
-superset with-
Smith Machine Shrug 2/12-15

7 min. HITT workout

Biceps
EZ-Bar Curl 2/9-10
-superset with-
EZ Bar Preacher Curl 2/12-15

Incline Dumbbell Curl 2/12-15
-superset with-
Alternating Dumbbell Curl 2/9-10 -

Forearms
Barbell Wrist Curl 2/12
-superset with-
Barbell Reverse Wrist Curl 2/12

7 min. HITT workout
_____

High Intensity Interval Training (HITT)
complete a cardio exercise for 7 min at the following levels:
Time/Intensity
1 min./high
30 sec./low/rest
1 min./high
30 sec/low/rest
1 min./high
30 sec./low/rest
1 min./high
30 sec./low/rest
1 min./high

Mantra: Make the Effort

2009-12-05T08:54:00.004-06:00

Diane, at Fit to the Finish, asked the following question on Twitter yesterday:

Here's my response:

I think it is a great question, and it is one that I didn't have to ponder on. In fact, on my personal e-mail account, and facebook page that is my tag line. When I communicate with friends and loved ones about becoming more healthy (I'm all about changing your mindset long term so no diet talk around here), I encourage them to make the effort.

Make a small change one day. Do that for at least 5-7 days, then add another change. Keep making the effort and eventually you'll reach your goal. Yes, it take dedication, time, and a mindset change, but it can be done. One just has to make the effort!

Resistance is futile

2009-12-01T12:09:00.003-06:00

Are their certain foods where resistance is futile?

cookies (as discussed in this post)
deviled eggs (lately and perhaps because I don't make them or get them often)
brownies (w/ pecans)
red velvet cake (especially if it is moist)

What about you?

My weakness

2009-11-25T10:33:00.006-06:00

Cookies!

I

Cookies!

They are my all time favorite snack item to consume.

While I like pie, cake, chips, candy, and other items that have an abundance of calories, I can limit myself with those items. I can turn them down without a second thought. I attended several dinners a few weeks back where everyone ordered desert except me. Why? Because the extra calories weren't worth it. Yes, the desert items appealed to me, but not enough. Now, if a warm cookie had been on the menu I would have succumbed. I guess that is a plus to that being my weakness....knowing that most places don't serve cookies for desert. :)

I'm kind like Cookie Monster.

I. Want. Cookies!!!!!

If they are there, I will consume. No doubt about it.

I reflected on how I ended up at a weight of 236 pounds and one of the reasons was cookies. I used to make cookies on a weekly basis, either from scratch or those break and bake ones from Nestle (those were just too easy). I would also purchase cookies from the bakery in the grocery store of they were sold on the counter at the place I was eating lunch. That would be my desert.

Suffice it to say, I knew I had a problem with cookies. And I still do. It didn't go away because I lost weight or began eating more healthy. What happened, was I became better able to control my impulse. Yes, it is still there and I do cave at times, but not as often.

I don't keep cookies in the house and I don't purchase those break & bake cookies anymore.

I do purchase those 100 calorie cookie packs to feed my desire. Yes, they are expensive, but they work. They give me my cookie fix in a limited quantity and limited caloric quantity. I do what I have to do!

What's your weakness?

No derailment here!

2009-11-23T08:22:00.003-06:00

I don't know about you, but the upcoming holidays will not derail my healthy lifestyle! I refuse to let that happen. I just read about her Thanksgiving Plan and it is perfect. In fact, here's my comment on her post:

Your plan is similar to mine: to continue to do what I know is right for ME!

I think my gym is open on Thanksgiving Day so it is likely that I will go per the normal (just not as early).

I’m going to a family gathering, as well, and I don’t plan on returning home with any leftovers. Generally, we don’t have any so that is a good thing. I’m not going to limit myself, just eat like I normally do and don’t overfill myself.

I’ll hit the gym on Friday as well and if weather permits will go for a 2-3 mile walk on Friday & Saturday.

Thanksgiving is just another day. It is another day for me to live a healthy lifestyle and the over abundance of food will not cause me to lose focus. I'll eat my normal breakfast, continue to drink water (though it won't be as much since we have a bit of a drive to our destination), and eat what I like. I'm not going to limit myself as I don't believe in denying myself, but I will only eat until I'm full. I will not be gluttonous and eat just because it is there.

Since our family gathering is about a 3 hour drive from here, we generally don't bring home leftovers. In fact, normally there's not a lot of leftovers to bring. So we're all good there! Friday will be just another day of living a healthy lifestyle.

So very sore

2009-11-12T13:45:00.004-06:00

Although it has been quite awhile since I last posted in this space, I'm still around and still doing my thing. Trying to eat healthy every day and be an active person. Well, yesterday I was so active that I'm really feeling it today! Here's what I did:

3.2 mile walk (really dislike that I can't post from nikerunning.com anymore

Then I head to the gym for a leg workout:

Warm-up
Squats
Romanian dead-lifts
Lunges
Leg-press & calf-press - 1 set of leg press then a set of calf-press
Abs
Stretch

For each of the exercises with weights, I did 6 super-sets, increasing the weight by 5-10 pounds with each set and decreasing the number of reps with each set. It looks like this:

Squats:
Set 1: 65 lbs, 8 reps
Set 2: 75 lbs, 7 reps
Set 3: 80 lbs, 6 reps
Set 4: 80 lbs, 6 reps
Set 5: 75 lbs, 7 reps
Set 6: 65 lbs, 10 reps

I rested for 90 sections between sets.

I alternated the lunges with the Romanian dead-lifts doing 10 reps of lunges.

Oh.My.Goodness. I am extremely sore today! So sore that I'm walking slowly, sitting & standing gingerly, and stretching throughout the day.

Despite the soreness, I made it to the gym this AM for more abs and 25 min. of interval cardio on the stairmaster.

I'm feeling the burn!

ETA: I forgot to mention that I'm only taking the stairs at work-that's 3 floors up and 3 floors down. Plus whenever I have to go anywhere in the building, I take the stars. So far today, I've gone up & down 10 flights of stairs (3 more will be added when I head home for the day). Despite the soreness, I'm pushing forward. I also plan on getting in a 2-3 mile walk this evening when I take my nephew to soccer practice. Not letting the soreness stop me!

Walking

2009-10-28T08:45:00.003-05:00

I don't know what it is about cooler weather, but it gets me going with the walks. So far this week, I've walked 6.85 miles.

Monday evening I set out to complete 2 miles and end up doing slightly over: 2.18 miles. I continued my activity by dribbling & kicking a soccer ball with my nephew for another 30 minutes or so. I was worn out!

Yesterday, I set to do 3 miles and ended up doing 3.64 miles in 47 min.

I may get in a 1 mile walk this afternoon, but that's probably it. I think I will set a challenge on the nikerunning site for the month of November.

3.83 miles

2009-10-18T14:18:00.002-05:00

I awakened this AM about 5:30 having to go to the bathroom. I checked the temperature and it was a cool 44 degrees. I love to walk in the cool weather, but it was still to dark to head out at that time. I laid in bed until about 6 am and decided to get up and get moving. I finally headed out at 7 am. I don't know why, but that to me is the perfect walking weather.

I set my Nike + to do a 5K. I ended up doing 6K or 3.83 miles.

2 walks

2009-10-16T08:25:00.003-05:00

I got in 2 walks this week. One was during a 15 min break at work: 1.09 miles. The other was last evening at a local park: 3.05 miles.

It appears that Nike+ is now forcing all to use their new beta site, which really does look much better than the old site. I can't, however, seem to find the code to post my walks to the blog. That really bums me out because I really liked the information that those widgets provided.

There is a way to link your account to twitter and/or facebook, but that doesn't seem to be working for me either. Oh well..

What's your routine?

2009-10-12T19:54:00.002-05:00

One day my nephew asked me, "Auntie, why do you come home and immediately make your lunch? Why don't you rest a little while and do that later?"

He's right. I come straight home and prepare my lunch & snacks for the next day. Then I immediately unpack my gym bag and repack it for the next day. My answer to my nephew was that if I do it as soon as I get home, then I'll have more time to rest later. I don't have to worry about doing it at 8:30 or later and pushing back the time that I want to go to bed. Basically, it is not a task that I have to do later.

Doing so keeps me on my toes and insures that I am going to make the gym the next day and eat healthy throughout the day.

What's your routine? How do you keep yourself accountable?

3.7

2009-09-30T21:23:00.001-05:00

My usual walk is on Thursday night, but assistance was needed tonight with soccer practice. Also, I can't do my normal soccer practice duty tomorrow night. So a walk tonight it was!

What's your motivation?

2009-09-30T11:14:00.004-05:00

I'm at the point in my journey to being healthy that one could easily lose motivation. In fact, many people lose motivation at the very start. They go really good and hard for about 2 weeks and slip up. That slip up can lead to a downward spiral that takes them right back to where they started. It is unfortunate, but a lot of times if we take that wrong turn we think it is pointless to try to get back on the right road. So how does one keep it years into that journey? How does one continue to lead a healthy and active lifestyle? I think it is important to have some sort of motivation.

Well, I have 2 motivators.

1. I want to live a long life. I basically outlined all of that in this post.
2. I never want to go back to this:

Yes, that's me back in 2004. Those were my favorite, favorite pair of jeans. I think they were a size 20 (or maybe 18). I still have those jeans and they are my motivation. Though I loved wearing those jeans, I never want to fit into them again. I keep them in my closet so that I see them each time I go in there. I see them catching dust and not being lovingly worn like my other jeans, pants, skirts, etc. They are just hanging out with nowhere to go, and that's the way I want to keep it!

4.25

2009-09-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

Two walks today...