Skinny Tuesday - Recovery Part 2

Part 1 is HERE


Now you know what I do before a run, what about during and after?

This is new to me to replenish during my run. I am learning about this cause running for 2.5 hours straight is going to take plenty away from my muscles and I need my endurance to stay up. I am trying out different sports gels. I call them gel shots. These are little packages filled with gel and in the gel is a hefty dose of carbs, salts, and minerals (some have protein) to replenish your muscles and yet fit conveniently in your pocket. Some gels come with caffeine, but I am not trying those cause caff cuts my energy instead of giving me pep. I have used a couple now, and I can tell the difference after my run. My muscles are not screaming quite so loud. I took the gel 30min prior to my run with about 4-6oz of water. The first time there was more gel than it looked like could fit in the pkg, and at the end there was some forceful swallowing. I guess my mind then realized the delightful caramel flavor was not so delightful.

So for the marathon I will plan to do a gel shot 30min prior, and 2 during. One shot after every 45 min.

I am finding that the citrus flavors of the gel, GU brand, are the best for me while running. The citrus flavors, lemon, orange, etc, don't taste like a wad of sugar forced down my throat. And this brand seems to work best for me on my long runs.

What I do post run:

I like to drink a little bit of water just to quench the parchness. It is usually about 4-6oz. For me, a lot of water immediately afterwards kills my tummy. On long runs, I am doing half watered down gatorade and water. Throughout the rest of the day I drink A LOT (at least 64oz) of water. After my 80z of fluid I down 8oz of protein drink. I am liking the Odwalla Super Protein Vanilla Al'Mondo drink. It gives me 10g of protein in 8oz! I can down that really fast and it sits well on my tummy despite that it is made with soy and oatmilk. Added bonus is it is packed with lots of vitamins and minerals that aid in faster recovery. Bad news - it is loaded with sugar - 19g. I can look past that. :) After the marathon I won't have this drink. :(

Stretch, stretch, stretch. This is so important for me. Keep those muscles loose!

Completed Training Runs for the Half:
Mon - 1 hour
Wed - 1.5 hours
Fri - 1 hour
Sun - 35min
Mon - 70 min
Tues - 1 hour

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK:

I have stopped strength training for the next two weeks. However, unless you are training for a marathon, DONT STOP!

Back to the core, it's my favorite place. You would think I would have washboard abs by now, but I dont. Just goes to show you how hard you have to work to get a flat tummy.

Modified Plank. See demo HERE

Start out holding the pose for 30sec. Then move up your time as you progress.

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Feel like your diet is going nowhere? The pounds are not coming off? Keep a food journal. Write down everything, EVERYTHING, that goes in your mouth. Then review it after 5 days. A handful of M&M's here, crust of the kid's pb&j's, and an extra roll at dinner will add up! This is a great way to help you WAKE UP and take notice to what you are eating. Take it from me......I am notorious for eating 3-4 goldfish at various times throughout the day. Those goldfish can pack a punch if I don't stop NIBBLING and I must make my food calories and nutrition COUNT!!!! Good luck!

Who Fished Like A Champ

I swiped this off of my friend Lori's blog. Who rocked it like a champ catching the silver salmon? Yours truly and my gal pal Lori. How strong are we bringin' it?!

More details and pics coming........I promise.
And Lori is one of my gal pals running the half with moi.

Skinny Tuesday - Recovery Part 1

A topic I mentioned last week but did not delve into was recovery.

Everything I have read says you should take a day off in between long runs/intense workouts for rest and recovery of your muscles and joints. However, when training for a marathon and there being an odd number of days during the week I find that sometimes I have to run 2 days back to back. It is very important to rest your muscles after each workout/run. When you push your muscles you deplete the muscle energy stored. Your muscles recover quicker when you can eat/drink easily digested foods soon after depleting them. I can not eat directly after running 5-8 miles, therefore I need an alternative way to replenish my muscles fast without making my stomach queasy. This is especially important when I do my back to back days. So I am finding that recovery is a combo of three things: what I load into my muscles prior to my run/workout, what I load into my muscles after I run/workout, and a hydration strategy.



Part 1 --

What I load into my muscles before I run/workout:

Of course this is helpful for those who have established a routine of regular intense workouts. Intense workouts can be of varying degrees based on the person. For the sake of confusion, I am going to base this at my level while training, which I think is intermediate intensity. I strength train 3 days a week for 45-50 min and run 4 days a week, anywhere from 40min to (as of now) 1.3hours. A good baseline is that you burn 100cal for every mile ran. So when I take on a nice 8mile run, I am looking at burning at least 800cals, plus vitamins and nutrients.

So, I need to be sure that I am feeding my muscles right. Right now I am eating about 55-60 percent of my calories from carbohydrates. Not 'bad carbs", but complex carbs from fruits, veggies, pasta, bread, rice - I eat A LOT of long grain brown rice. Bad carbs come from the sugars: fructose, glucose, sucrose (table sugar). Another 20% of my diet is protein. I usually eat about 70g of protein/day. Lastly, fats. You need fat. You just got to find the good fat to eat. My diet is about 20%fat. Mostly, my fat is from some dairy, red meat, instant oatmeal, power bars, etc. I roughly eat about 30-50g of fat/day. Because I have high cholesterol - hopefully not much longer-, I keep a watch on my saturated fats, which are in a lot of dairy. My pantry and refrig now carries 98% reduced fat or fat free products. Remember too much fat and your muscles won't use it, instead your body will STORE it - hello...muffin top! I am a creature of habit. Most mornings I eat instant oatmeal, cereal, or a fiber bar. Before a marathon (my only 5.6 miler under my belt) I eat a bowl of weight control banana bread instant oatmeal (loaded with protein and fiber), 4oz of fat free milk(more protein), and guzzle 16 oz of water 1-1.5hours prior. I then for some carbs eat a piece of whole grain wheat toast 45min prior. Also, the night before a run I carbohydrate pack. I will eat a big pasta dish and drink lots of water. The idea is to load up on carbohydrates a few days prior to competition to give energy stores the chance to fill up. "Carbo loading" meals contain 65-70% carbohydrate by calories.

This week, Skinny Tuesday will continue on Wed as well. I have a lot to say this week!

Our First Summer in Alaska

I think this speaks for itself. Click on the pic to make it larger.

Some recent thoughts........

I am thankful for a God who answers prayers. Kevin lost an engine on takeoff today out of Hawaii and was able to land the plane safely. Praise God that he and his crew are safe.

I ran for 1.5 hours today (yes my quads and calves are screaming!) on the treadmill and only God carried me that last .5 hour. He has given me the endurance and capability to be able to achieve some really awesome goals.

Last night, I saw a streetlight come on for the first time in about 4months. It was neat to see some darkness, but that also means summer is coming to an end and the snow will be here soon.

Why do children wake up at 530am? We are going on 3 consecutive nights. AND they refuse to take naps..............yaaawwwnnnn.

Latest phrase on the lighting store marquee:

"May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future."

Too Sweet

As I have previously mentioned my sweet sweet C is no longer the sweet angel baby, but has transformed himself into a toddler tyrant. He comes complete with full on, in your face, arms and legs flailing, able to crack windows screams, and body contortions of another dimension. He tries not to take no for an answer, but can be so sweet when he asks for things he can't have.

Since birth he has been a swatter. He has always taken things and seen what he could hit at his stubby little arms reach. He has swatted so much that he can become reasonably good with his aim. So, when he hits something now, you can see the intentionality (is that even a word?) in his action.

So, while I am balancing the checkbook he decides to swipe the calculator. It has buttons! He walks around aimlessly with it, for a while. I turn around to try and coax the little bugger into bringing it back to me, and I notice his has his sights set. N is putting together a train track and his head is angled down exposing the top of his head, which to C looks like a target. C's eye take aim, stubby legs quicken their pace, arm raises above his head, and I am on the move as the arm makes it descent to hit its mark. I am too late, and I hear the greatest of screams come from boy #1, Noah. C is there with a look of, "Yes! I did it! Whatcha gonna do about it?" I snatch the calculator from C, while holding N, and begin the verbal discipline. Now, for the sweet part. I tell C he must apologize to N for hurting him, C goes over and says "ahh-ree, O-ah" then gives sweet hugs and tries to kiss N, but N does not like C's kisses on the mouth, so N grabs C's face and plants a sweet one C's cheek.

These boys are so awesome!

Skinny Tuesday

Ok, first week down. Just a few things done. Here is what I have discovered so far.......

Good running shoes are a must. I would say that if you are going to seriously take up running, this is a very important topic. I think for the casual runner, a good pair of cross trainers work great and I have had many of those by nike and have always been satisfied and happy. However, for the serious runner this is a topic of serious business. I have researched and researched shoes. Not sure what I needed. Pronation, orthotics, etc. seemed so confusing. Knee pain and shin splints were supposed to be a part of running, so I thought. Insert good shoe store into my life.
So, I find a store that has a whole section dedicated to running. Running savvy folks, who actually know something. Running shoes galore! Even better, they have a treadmill and a camera. Explanation is coming, hold on.
I am greeted by a very knowledgeable salesman who asks me questions like, "How much do you run", "Do you have any prior injuries?", "What shoes have you tried before?". He then measured my foot and knew alot about my arch. I try on several pairs (selected by the running specialist) and each one goes for a test spin on the treadmill. After each short jaunt, he then shows me my feet running on the treadmill, which was recorded by the small camera. Some cause my foot to pronate, while ONE pair gave me a flat landing and a bonus for me, more room in the toe area.
What is pronation? Pronation is to twist the foot so that if walking the weight would be borne on the inner edge of the foot. Basically, your foot is landing at an angle. Meaning joint pain and shin splints would much more easily occur. Making running not so fun.
While talking with said savvy salesman, I was telling him about me taping up my feet to run. I would get blisters and chaffing, so taping them in moleskin was my solution. Well, I been brought into the new modern age of running (for me anyway) and was told about SportShield. It is some sort of roll-on liquid slick-er-upper that prevents chaffing and blisters. Well, I tried it out and it works! I was so surprised and so totally happy. You can use it anywhere, like between your thighs (which is so great when you go on long bike rides in shorts), your arms to protect your skin from the ipod armband while running a lengthy stretch, etc. This may become a new sport staple in my home.
Total cost for the shoes: $120 well spent.

Hydration. Another important topic. For me, I need a lot of water when it comes to a good run. This goes as far as watching sodium intake because if I eat salty foods the night before I run, it directly affects how far I can go and how much water I need to drink. On a normal day, I usually down about 16-24oz before I get in the car for the gym. After my run I usually have about 24-32oz more. This helps in recovery as well. I am still working on that topic. I am learning that when it comes to running and training I want to watch my caffeine intake as well. I still have not given up my morning cup of joe, but sodas are becoming a fading memory. Something about it affects me and reduces my energy, which I need all I can muster. I am now understanding the importance of 64oz of water a day. The body can only really use like 16oz of water/hour. So don't go overboard if you are on a run. Drink, drink, drink!!! water, that is. :)
I am going to look into sports drinks, but I will cover this in recovery. Usually, I don't drink the sports drinks before a run, just during and after. Anyway, I will cover that later.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK:

I will rotate to the upper body this week. We all want to see those triceps firm and strong. Who wants "teacher arm"?? NOT ME!! These burn, but are sooooo worth it.

Tricep Dips with Bent Knees. See demo HERE.

TIP OF THE WEEK:

New found favorite of mine is edamame (ed-uh-mah-mae). They are just baby soybeans still in the pod. They are so yummy yummy. Let me give props to my SIL for the mention of these that drew my curiosity, and has caught my taste buds by surprise! Let me go ahead and present the nutrition for these tasty little pods.....
Click HERE
Fiber-rich carbohydrates such as edamame help prevent mood fluctuations by keeping blood-sugar levels steady. Edamame also contains protein, which further helps stabilize blood sugar, and omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to combat depression - thank you soybeans!!!
I find them in the frozen veggies section of my local grocery.

Oh, and these are especially good dipped in soy sauce. I hope you give them a try!!

1/2 Marathon Training Runs
Miles for the previous week - 17
Mon - 4.5, 45 min
Wed - 3.5, 30min
Fri - 6, 1.2 hours
Sun - 3, 30min

Alphabet Tag

I really don't know why I keep on doing these things.......but let me indulge you....

A. ATTACHED OR SINGLE? bound by marriage to the old man :)
B. BEST FRIEND? the old man ref. above - KJ
C. CAKE OR PIE? seriously, I am a sweets addict, so do you even have to ask? I'll take both
D. DAY OF CHOICE? the days where the kids sleep till 9am
E. ESSENTIAL ITEMS? chapstick, tieback for my hair, gum, and BE lipgloss
F. FAVORITE COLORS? anything really
G. GUMMY BEARS OR WORMS? uhm, not a candy person, give me cake!
H. HOMETOWN? New Hope, Sweet Home Alabama
I. INDULGENCE? Dark chocolate fondue
J. JANUARY OR JULY? HELLO? I live in Alaska. I'll take July please
K. KIDS? 2 wonderful boys
L. LIFE ISN'T COMPLETE WITHOUT? a 3yr old screaming from the bathroom to come and wipe his butt!
M. MARRIAGE DATE? April 12, 2003
N. NUMBER OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS? 1 brother, AND 2 SIL's I consider to be more than that
O. ORANGES OR APPLES? Both
P. PHOBIAS OR FEARS? uhm, never really thought about this. I guess I just face it, whatever it is.
Q. QUOTE? Never stop _______ . Insert verb as needed.
R. REASON TO SMILE? waking up to see my hubby beside me
S. SUPERMAN OR WONDER WOMAN? Wonder Woman. Oh yes I remember the days of running around in my WW outfit.
T. TAG 5 PEOPLE: I shall not.
U. UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: I will leave it unknown
V. VEGETABLES? all of them
W. WORST HABIT? easily de-motivated
X. X-RAY OR ULTRASOUND? Ultrasound - it's how I saw my babies for the 1st time
Y. YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? oooooh, thats a toughie. I love a lot of food.
Z. ZODIAC SIGN? Aries

More of Anchorage

The boys, Becki, and I had a couple days left before she leaves so we drive down to Portage to see another glacier. While on the way we see some dall sheep on the side of the mountain which is right beside the road. How cool! I love living in Alaska.

Lucky for all of us this boat ride was only an hour on a smooth as glass lake. The lake was made by the glacier as it went through the valley. The water was gorgeous. A huge piece of the glacier was up by the visitor center and the color was awesome. Becki went and got a new camera so we wouldn't miss all this beauty. This past winter while the lake was frozen, an avalanche came down and hit the lake. It did not break through the ice but caused an underice wave. It broke through at the visitor center bank and it was 30ft high! CRAZY! Because the glacier made the lake it is a dead lake. There is not any vegetation or fish in it.

We also walked around downtown and the flowers are amazing! The crazy amount of sunlight we get causes things to grow really big and have very vibrant colors! The color of the flowers were so bright that the camera could not do it justice.

More Camping Fun

So, Kevin and I get a real bad wild hair to catch a king salmon. Well, the last weekend to fish for kings was this past weekend. The run is mostly north of here now, and most of the streams are now closed for king fishing because the season has been slow due to the cooler weather.



We make a last second call to load up and go camping/fishing for the weekend. We go to one of the last places open to fish for kings. The campground we wanted to stay in was full - big shocker - so we drive on up the road. Surely we will find a place to stay right?



We chose this little place close to the "fishin hole" where there are other campers as well. Gotta be ok right. It is just for a couple of nights. OH MY AIKEN!! We end up in 4-wheeler H**L!! We were obviously the sore thumbs cause we did not have 4 wheelers to ride around like crazy ppl, since the rest of them were DRUNK driving these 4 wheelers! I could go on and on about the worst place in Alaska to camp. I will spare you any further bad details that may spew from my fingers.



For most of the day on Sat. we were away from the 4-wheeler madness and sat down on the river bank fishin for the last of the king run. Supposedly in the land of the salmon run you are allegedly able to just drop your line in the water and before your lure hits the water fish are jumping up and hooking themselves. Well, not so much. Apparently these not-normal temps are taking its toll on the salmon running. We saw them jumping in the water. We would cast our lines right in front of them, and to no avail. They decided the nice water was better than our freezer. Grrrrrr. So, no kings this year. I have my sights set on next year.



We are loading up and going back to Seward, LW(lord willing), at the end of this month. The next run of salmon are coming through and we are going to start fishing at the BEGINNING of this run. We need more fish in the freezer!

Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise

115 Nautical Miles of wildlife and beautiful scenery. This was a 6 hour cruise of pure bliss. Despite Kevin getting yelled at by a crew member for endangering his children, Me ralphing off the back of the boat, actually spending most of my time at the back of the boat, and we broke 2 cameras. I would do it again in a heartbeat!


We were surrounded by about 12 humpback whales at once. Everywhere you looked you saw spray, flukes, and arching backs. It was incredible. At a tidewater glacier we actually had a humpback whale breech the water directly in front of the glacier. It was very cool! We also saw sea otters, puffins, eagles, glaciers, sea lions, seals, bird sanctuaries, and just incredible views of Alaska's coastline. I really can not believe how beautiful this place is.


So the crew warned us that we could not carry Caleb on our hip near the rails. He had to be secured in a backpack or secured on our body somewhere other than the hip. They were freaking out that if we hit a bump in the water, well over the rails C would go. After 3 verbal warnings, Kevin got threatened and was told to put C in our backpack or he would have to see the captain. We kinda giggled cause it was like he was going to be sent to the principal. However, they were just lookin' out for our kid. So, in the backpack he went.



So Becki and I broke our point and shoot cameras. yay. Thank goodness it wasn't my 20D. I would be in the corner balled up and sobbing, still. Now the hunt is on for a new point and shoot. Any recommendations?



Pics are coming later. We have like a buh-zillion to go through.

Skinny Tuesday

Ok, ok, ok. We are going to take a break from the paradoxes, myths, etc. I have some news. I am not real sure how I feel about this news. But here it goes. I am gonna go ahead and insert foot in mouth cause I have agreed to do a half-marathon! WHAT! hold the phone, cause sista has gone mad.

I know I said that a halfer would never happen. So I will go ahead and say that a full is definitely NOT happening. A full sounds like torture. After my last run in June, at the finish, I felt as though the half was doable. Well, some of girlfriends are doing a half in Aug and asked if I wanted to run too. Well, the inner runner/workout freak started jumping for joy while my legs were screaming at me "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING???!!!" So, you know the answer, I said yes.

So, if my math is correct, it took me 1hour to run 5.6 miles, which means to run 13.1, it will take me about 2hr and 20 min. WHAT?!
Oh yeah, I start training tomorrow. Training for a halfer in 4 weeks, while most take 12 weeks! How strong. This is going to happen after coming off of two camping trips, a family visit,
GI-normous eating hiatus, that has left me, well how should I say this, a big fat blob of pudge.

Well, now I need to learn about hydration, recovery, gel shots, etc. So, guess what Skinny Tuesday will be about for the next four weeks? That's right, running and training.
AND, since one of my bloggy friends has started running for the first time in her life (Go Court!) I hope she benefits from this info as well as the rest of you. Even if you are not going to run marathons, hopefully the info will help you learn how to take care of those muscles after sufficiently working them out and feeding those muscles right so they keep on going STRONG!

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK:

Even though I am training for a halfer I will not give up the strength training just yet. I am going back to the core this week because it is so important in overall health. Getting the weight off of the middle is important not just for our figure but for high blood pressure and high cholesterol and heart disease. (drumroll)...........

Reverse Crunches with Ball. See demo HERE.

If you do not have a ball, use one of your kids, you know, the $2.50 ones that they sell in the main aisle at wal-mart. Every kid has one. If not, go to walmart and get the biggest one. It will work in a pinch. Eventually, invest in an exercise ball. It is great. Trust me, good investment.

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Can I just say the importance of eating right??!! I get off of my meal plan and boy can I feel it in my workouts. Having a balanced diet really does help with stamina, energy and endurance. So, if you are not sure how to start go to http://www.sparkpeople.com/. They can get you started. Already on a meal plan? Check out how you are doing. Plug in your diet and it will tell you the important percentages of carbs, fats, proteins, etc.

C'mon people, it's not about being skinny. Let's get healthy!!

Random catch up

I find out later this week if Noah is getting into the preschool we want. He has been on the waiting list and they are releasing the class lists this week. Please pray he makes it in.

All of this outdoor biking and running has rubbed off on Noah. This weekend while camping he set up his bicycle where his training wheels were set up on rocks, making his back wheel lift off the ground a little. He then blocks in the front wheel and goes to town on his stationary bike. He would then do 10 laps around the pop-up and then ride some more. He told us he is training for his triathlon.

Kevin leaves for a trip on Friday. Please pray he is safe and makes it home safely.

I am sorry if I have not called some of you. You are on my to-do list this week. We have been putting camping before everything else, sorry.

Caleb has completely lost his angelic personality and is now in the throws of toddler terror! I have no idea how to handle him, cause Noah NEVER did it like this. **Disclaimer** his sweet smiles in the photos I post are in between raging tantrums. He is the the true definition of roller coaster.** He had his 18-month well baby and is right on cue. 23lbs and 29.5 inches. Right on.

I plan on posting pics but I am a little sad at being a camera down. And I have a million zillion to go through.

Seward Alaska

WHOA MOMMA! Seward is AWESOME!! I am loving me some Alaska in the summertime (despite the unseasonable cool temps)! We drove down on July 3rd and stayed until the 6th. Kevin's Mom came in for the fun. She was a trooper considering we drug her into the wilderness for 4 days AND this was her FIRST time camping!! We enjoyed the local scene by watching the fisherman bring in their catch for the day. We saw a 174lb halibut. WOW-SA! I was wishing that was going in my freezer! We saw the running of Mt Marathon. A 3.2 mile race that reaches over 3000ft in elevation in those 3.2 miles. The folks running come down the mountain tumbling! The cross the finish line beat up, bloody, muddy and broken. The amazing thing was the youth that ran it. Some of the kids looked 7,8,9 yrs old. They were crossing the line with muddy faces and dragging feet. KUDOS to those very brave kids. They ROCK! We ate our first Reindeer dog. YUMMY! We had dinner at a local joint whose motto was "Stop Here for Cheap Beer and Lousy Food". Can I say that it doesn't get much better than that. We made a short hike to the Exit Glacier. Noah walked the entire almost 3 miles. He mentioned on the way back that he missed his hiking buddy, Cole. We miss you Stice's! The glacier was "cool", pun intended. Har har. The scenery here is unmatched. We took a thousand pics. We also broke 2 cameras on this trip!!! Urgh! We had a moose walk through our camp, how cool?! One of the great things I love about camping in AK is that you can bike into most towns from your campsite. So you avoid the horrendous traffic and get to things easily. Added bonus is you can work off some of those smownies, smores, and our new creation, campfire fondue. Campfire fondue is what happens when you have two choc-o-holics (me and Krista) who have too much chocolate and time on their hands late at night around a campfire! yuuuuuummmmmm. While in Seward we did more than just eat. We visited the SeaLife Center. It's like a big aquarium that also rescues AK's injured wildlife. The kids loved the puffins and the salmon. Caleb was daring and actively participated in the discovery zone where you could touch all kinds of starfish, anemone, and crabs. Noah wouldn't touch the water! HA! The entire walk through the place was filled with resounding echos of "Hey guys over here!" by Noah and Caleb's "ish! ish! ish!!" We also took a sightseeing cruise. That deserves a post of its own. It was a busy weekend but it was a blast.

Skinny Tuesday

Last week was paradoxes and this week I am going to talk about one HUGE myth.

MYTH: Lifting weights makes you bulk up not toned.

Lifting weights IS the way to tone your muscles. Since muscle takes up less room than fat, women tend to lose inches when they strength train. So in addition to the physical benefits (increased metabolism, decreased risk of osteoporosis, increased strength), strength training will help you slim down too! Women, in fact, are more likely to tone up from strength training rather than bulk up. Research shows that women can add up to 30% lean muscle and end up looking thinner, feeling stronger and being firmer. No matter how many repetitions you do, you should be lifting a challenging weight and feel muscle fatigue by the end of each set. Change your thinking - Lift weights to be THINNER!!

EXCERCISE OF THE WEEK:

Forward lunges with dumbbells. See demo HERE. I always have to remind myself that I can hold more weight while doing these lunges. Your legs are usually stronger than you think. However, if you are concerned about using a heavier weight, start small. Just remember your want your muscle to become fatigued for a good workout.

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Remember to reward yourself. Give yourself one day a week where calories and working out don't matter. Instead of rocking it in the gym, take a bike ride and enjoy the scenery and fresh air. Set a goal - like doing 5 extra minutes of cardio - then reward yourself with a long aromatherapy bath. Find a way to make yourself worth it!!

Zoo, Arctic Thunder, Bird to Gird

The Alaska Zoo. Kevin had an off day and we opted to visit the local zoo. It is small but packs in all of AK's cool animals. Noah named several animals after family and friends. Aunt Katie is the snow owl, Tracy and Cole are the 2 black bears, and I am the snow leopard since she was having babies just like I had Noah and Caleb. Noah's fav was the polar bears, it was Caleb's too.

Arctic Thunder. Airshow here on the base. We saw the C-17 maneuver and the awesome F-22. The Thunderbirds also did a show, that was really cool. The night before the show Wynona did a free concert and her mom sang too. So it was like seeing The Judds, which I grew up listening to. We waited FOREVER for a must-have funnel cake and got a cool pic of us in the cockpit of the C-17. Fun times.

Bird to Gird. This is a 14mile out and back, bike ride that is the most beautiful ride I have ever been on. I put the kids in the bike trailer and headed out with some girlfriends. The gears on my bike were giving me some trouble, but this cool guy at a bike shop in Girdwood patched them up enough to get me home. I ran off the trail several times cause I was looking at the scenery. AWESOME!! Despite this cold I have, I made it up and over the 3 mile gradual climb that almost killed me!! It was all worth it.

We are off to Seward this weekend for a camping trip for the 4th. I can't wait. I just hope I am not stuffed up and feeling like poo from this cold. It always seems to hit when we are going camping.

Hope you all have a great 4th!

Skinny Tuesday

***I need a proverbial swift kick in the butt. I ran around the neighborhood last week, one day, uhm yeah, that's it. For the week. One run around the neighborhood. AND did I mention the amount of calories I allowed myself to eat. I had a cheat week, not day, cheat week. sigh. I will not stop brushing my teeth, I will not stop brushing my teeth.......***


This week I am talking about paradoxes for health and fitness. A paradox is defined as: a statement that contradicts itself.

Here are a couple that I read about on SP and when talking with friends these are usually brought up.


PARADOX: You can get more results with less effort.



Opposite of everything you’ve ever been told, how is this possible? Simply put, as you build yourself a strong foundation, you don't have to stretch as far to get what you want. Pretend you're collecting walnuts from a tree by throwing rocks into the branches. At first, you'd have some success, but the effort outweighs the results.

Now, suppose you started to build a ladder by grinding the used walnuts into a woody pulp, a ladder that grew as you collected more walnuts — a cycle of growth begins. The higher the ladder grows, the closer you get to the walnuts. The closer you get, the easier it is to hit and collect more walnuts for your ladder, your foundation. Eventually, you'll reach the branches. Then, just by shaking the branches, you can collect hundreds of walnuts in just a few seconds. Ta-da! Results outweigh the effort. You'll also be in a perfect spot to go after a higher tree.


PARADOX: Perfectionism does not lead to perfection.


Excellence is a good thing.

So is working as hard as possible to create, build, and perform to the best of your abilities. But what you may not realize is that trying to be perfect can actually hinder your chances of being excellent. The pursuit of perfection comes with an ugly flip side: a fear of failure, or fear of making a mistake.

This fear keeps a lot of people from trying something different or learning a new skill. They'd rather not try than go through the anguish of not doing it perfectly. The perfectionist likes to stick with things she knows that she can do. To succeed, you need to grow, learn, and expand your world. By erasing your opportunities for testing the water, perfectionism limits your growth, and takes away your chances of finding a more excellent path. That's why your physical foundation is so critical. It gives you the confidence and support you need to take those chances, to recover from mistakes, and test the limits of possibility.


New addition to Skinny Tuesday will be a suggested exercise of the week. I will be doing this exercise along with my regular workout. Just give it a try and have fun with it.


EXERCISE OF THE WEEK:


Lower Back Extensions - You can find a demo HERE


Our core is very important. Having a strong core helps the rest of the body move and balance more efficiently. For all us with little babies, having a strong lower back helps when lifting those baby carriers and wee ones after a scrape on the knee. Our lower backs undergo a lot of stress when lifting because most of use do not lift with the legs. Added bonus, having a strong lower back helps with those crunches to tone the tummy. Never underestimate the importance of a strong back!!


TIP OF THE WEEK:


When possible, to help portion control, cook your meal in the size portion you want. For example, when making meatloaf use a pan with several small loaf slots, or when making a pie, use ramekins instead of a pie plate. Do not be afraid to use measuring cups and ration out your meals ahead of time - that is why we have tupperware! It is surprising how much 2/3c rice really looks on your plate.

I do not use the "rule of fist" when it comes to portion size. I can make my fist several different sizes. So, I feel as though this leaves me room to eat more of something bad - a built in failure. If you like this rule I would recommend having a portion 1/2 the size of your tightened fist. Always better to start small, in my opinion.