Rocket Turtle

I'm 11 weeks out from my first official 2012 event - the Rutgers Unite Half Marathon.  This will be my 8th half marathon...and while I feel pretty confident in what to expect,  I know I'll still have butterflies the day of.  I'll "officially" start training around 8 weeks out, so for now I'm just trying to get some regular mileage in, and keep my heart rate below 154bpm - which means I have to keep my pace slooooooow. 

It's all based in Phil Maffetone's findings that you can go faster for longer by training your body to stay in an aerobic state.  I did this a bit last winter and felt it helped a lot going into the spring.   I'm all for staying healthy - there's nothing worse than being injured or having significant aches and pains and having to sit things out for a while.  I'd also like to think I'm doing myself a favor in the long run - the less hard stress I'm putting on my muscles, ligaments, joints, etc. the better I'll be in regards to joint issues later in life.  I've known a few individuals who've had joint replacements - and while the "after" is much better than the "before" the recovery and events leading up to surgery seem to be pretty awful.  Here's to hoping, anyway.

I've got a few other events I'm eyeing for 2012...particularly my big "redemption" event...the NYC Marathon.  NYC 2000 was my first (and only for 11 years thereafter) marathon...and I did it in honor of an old HS friend through Team in Training.  Since I already wrote a bit about it already (here), I won't rehash the details...but suffice to say, I was never a fan of my time and always wanted to do better.  Enter Marine Corps Marathon 2011...I beat my time by about 40 minutes...but I still feel like I need to go back and redeem myself IN NYC...and I will now publicly state (yipes!) that my NYC 2012 Marathon finish time goal is UNDER FOUR HOURS.  Can I do it?  I guess only time will tell...I'm banking on staying healthy (c'mon Maffetone Method!) and finding the time to really put a lot into my training (all this with three very busy kids and a husband competing in Iron Man NYC in August!). 

Wish me luck!

Try a new perspective...

So there I was, heating something in the microwave and as I zoned out I saw the whole kitchen reflected in the door (bear with me on this).  I thought how different everything looked - not even really that familiar anymore - the bay window and kitchen table were on the left side now, with the oven, refrigerator and counters on the north side of the house...while everything was identical, it was also very different, chiral, if you will (an Organic Chem term, thankyouverymuch).  Then I got to thinking about how different perspectives can make things - no two people see the same exact thing at the same exact time, and each may have a vastly different interpretation of an event, or occurrence.  Much like when kid #1 explodes at kid #2 and there's a battle afoot...I know I'll have two different perspectives, or sides of the story.  Mostly, by their own claims, both kids are "100% innocent"; all words were said very sweetly - no sarcasm or mal intent meant - so it's completely the other kid's fault.  Sometimes I even think both kids truly believe their own sides of the story, hence the different perspective, but that doesn't really help matters, particularly when I didn't witness the whole incident.  That's what two separate rooms are for...separation works wonders for infighting. 

So where am I going with this? 

We all have our own sets of eyes & ears which are hard wired to our very own gray matter.  What we see, hear, feel, and experience as we grow up shapes us as adults, right?  Some of us can be very stubborn and "set in our ways", while others might be more open to experimentation and trying new things (or somewhere in the middle).  Take for example my Grandfather.  No man I've ever met was more stubborn or set in his ways than he.  There was no point to try to argue or enough money in the world that would change his mind about, well, most everything.  God love him, he was difficult to have any sort of two-sided conversation with - so we just listened to his side of the story (and he had some doozies!) and appreciated his 90+ years of wisdom, whether it mirrored my beliefs or not. 

On the other hand...I've surrounded myself with people who believe that the "sky's the limit" when it comes to health and wellness.  Always eager to learn about and try new things from food to sports...and since I've become part of the group, I guess I have a hard time with the somewhat common "I could never ____" limitation people put on themselves. 



"Bought in July '09/August '05; Never been refrigerated;
Never had any mold; Refuses to decay; Looks like the day
bought; Box and paper falling apart"

So here's my thought:  we as a whole are experiencing an emergency when it comes to our health and quality of life.  Why?  We eat terribly and live a mostly sedentary lifestyle.  I know you've heard it all before, yadda yadda yadda.  But it's 100% true - our food (and lack of exercise) is killing us.  Not only is the quality of our food crappy, but we eat too much...AND we mostly believe we can't live without it.  Or we try to eat a little bit better...but it's not enough...because we just couldn't bear to give up (insert food category here), or life just wouldn't be the same without (insert food category here).  Really?  Our quality of life would plummet because we couldn't eat something?  I hope that sounds absurd, because it is. 
Alright, enough with the negative diatribe...what I'm ultimately getting at here is that we can try new things.  We can reprogram our taste buds to like whole foods - really taste real food.  We can slow down just a little and be mindful of what we put in our mouths [In fact, there's a study out there showing people who chewed their food more times were healthier and weighed less than people who hardly chewed their food at all (link)].  We can prevent some of the very diseases that will likely take us from our loved ones too early. 

Why not try a new perspective on food?  Even if it's using "baby steps" (see my last post), we've got nothing to lose, and everything to gain (or the opposite, depending on your perspective!).

A Resolution for No Resolutions?

Well, the past few weeks have really gotten away from me...Christmas has come and gone, as has New Year's Eve and my "baby's" 5th birthday.  All I did was blink...where in the world did 2011 go?!

Anyway, as I move into a brand new year, I have decided to not make any "resolutions".  New Year's Resolutions have become a joke of sorts in my mind - I've noticed quite a few FB status updates and tweets here and there lamenting that there's no space in the gym or equipment availability because of all the newbies who've made it a resolution to get in shape...but then there's always the snide comment saying "don't worry, things will be back to normal in only a few weeks"...which for all intents and purposes is true.  Everyone knows they can/should "do better" in at least one aspect of life - fitness, food, money, etc.  We might "resolve" to make drastic changes, only to come up short when we feel like it's just too hard to maintain the change...we're so used to our routines and habits, it can seem insurmountable at times.  If we target a specific date...if we psych ourselves up enough...maybe, just maybe, we can leap the hurdle and be home free - a changed and happier person forever!  Not likely.

Don't get me wrong- there are people out there who've managed to cold turkey what ever bad habit they had, and kick it to the curb forever and ever.  But they are definitely few and far between...and who knows their motivation?  Staring death in the face, or some other unthinkable outcome lurking around the corner for sure...

So then, what about the rest of us?  Well, I'm not an expert by any means.  But I do know that drastic changes throw me into a tailspin...akin to torture.  Hence the "no resolutions" resolution.  (Oops - did I make a resolution?!)  It's babysteps for me.  Little, individual changes...slowly introduced one at a time.  Once I get used to something, then I'll bring another small change into the mix...my blood pressure stays relatively normal, I don't get stressed out, and POW!  A change for the better, in the right direction.  All that needs to be done is ignore or talk myself down from the "I want it NOW!" feelings that pop up when, say, my pants feel too tight.  Like right after New Year's Eve.  Let's just say that was my motivation to make a goal to eat a few extra fruits & veggies every day.

So, as I bid adieu and goodnight, enjoy the above clip from "What About Bob".  A true classic.

Happy 2012 to you all!

The Little Things

I've got a lot to be thankful for.  Yes, I know it's almost Christmas - I don't have my holidays mixed up...although after the past few days I just might start confusing things due to lack of sleep.  Kid #3 spent roughly 24 hours at the hospital being treated for pneumonia.  Seven years ago kid #2 (at 12 months old) had the same experience, but this time was vastly different.  As some of you might have already heard the story, I'll explain for those who haven't - after a few days battling a ridiculously high fever (106!) using both Tylenol and Motrin concurrently to try and break it, kid #2's lips suddenly turned blue then pink a few times - it was almost hard to believe I saw what I did -it was an "eyerub" moment - but when I saw it a few more times it was definitely real...so off to the ER we went.  Long story short, after being suspiciously asked where she got the bruise on her forehead (she was a toddler for goodness sake - and even now at almost 8, is still a bit of a clutz), threatened DYFS by the doc because her vaccinations weren't up to date (even though she was started on them), and traumatized by catheterization...they found that she had an "infiltrate" in her lungs via X-ray so we were admitted for treatment of pneumonia.  While our experience with the ER was not one I'll remember fondly, the pediatric wing where we wound up was GREAT.  The nurses, staff and doctors were sensitive, caring and great with her - and thankfully she got much better very quickly.

This past Tuesday, after his cough just wouldn't get better and on the advice of our family doc, we took kid #3 to the ER (oh no - dejavu!) for a chest X-ray to check for pneumonia.  While the wait to be seen was much longer than last time, I never got the feeling that I was being scruitinized or judged by anyone...and it just so happened that the ER doc was the husband of a good family friend (a very welcome, friendly face I might add).  I felt like my kid's best interest was being put first...he was hardly traumatized (the IV line was a bit rough...but nothing a promise of Lego Star Wars toys wouldn't fix).  I suppose it helped that there were some very...ahem...interesting characters around, which definitely kept me entertained for the few hours we waited for a room on the pediatric ward.  After the boy conked out (a thankful break from the incessant "I want to go home") we were finally moved to the 4th floor.  Mike showed up just as we were heading into the room and like a true tag-team effort we switched and I headed home. 

His opinion couldn't be more clear

Fast forward to about 10am the next day...after opening the cafe and getting things in order, I headed out to find some Legos with Darth Vader in them - I managed to find one with lots of clone troopers and Anakin Skywalker, who I figured would suffice since he would become Darth Vader anyway.  Another tag team switch - Mike headed out and I settled in, happy that the boy approved of my purchases...not once in the 2 hours it took me to put everything together did he indicate he needed to "get out of here"...SCORE!  We saw a few friendly faces over the course of the day - his Pre-K teacher stopped by with a present, a doctor who worked in a different area came in at his sister-in-law's request to check on us (Thanks, Jen!), and a friendly face from the kid's school was there for her own daughter's foot surgery.  We felt very special - the kid even opened up and was animated with a total stranger...not a usual occurrence. 

Thankfully, kid #3 was discharged that afternoon, and we headed home...it's really such a luxury to sleep in your own bed and be in a comfortable environment, surrounded by family.  He's made such a speedy recovery, that it's hard to believe he's the same lethargic, sickly looking kid from earlier this week.  At least one worry is resolved for now...and I'm thankful my worries now include when I'm going to wrap and hide all the gifts, make the cookies, finish work stuff, catch up on much needed sleep...? 

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all - may your worries be small and your days be joyful!

Wimp out, or face the music?

So do I face the music, or wimp out and pretend that ignorance is bliss?

As I may have alluded to before, this time of year is a love/hate kind of time for me...LOVE the magic of Christmas, especially when my kids get caught up in the real meaning of the season.  I LOVE Christmas Eve mass...the music is something I look forward to every year...I LOVE the decorations, sights, smells and overall feeling that Christmas is coming...BUT...I really, really, really LOVE Christmas cookies.  I HATE how I feel once I've pigged out on them with reckless abandon - they're everywhere, so it's impossible to avoid them and impossible not to eat them.  I know - nothing's impossible - I choose to act like a kid in a candy shop and stuff my face.  But it sure feels like it's beyond my power of self-control.

Anyway, regarding whether to "face the music"...the super cool folks at our "Pro-Activity Lab" have devised a sort of holiday experiment - we're all faced with high calorie, high fat treats this time of year...and most, if not all of us will freely indulge in the gluttony...but does this roughly 2 week binge really have an overall effect on our blood glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol levels?  In order to find out, they're asking for test subjects to come in early on Wednesday (Dec 21) morning, having fasted from the night prior to take a "before" sample...then come back on Tuesday, January 3rd to take another fasting "after" sample.  Sounds pretty simple, right? (This is just the thing I really miss about being a "lab-rat" - I love being a part of experiments; writing up the hypothesis, putting together the testing procedure, administering the test and then analyzing the results...yep, I'm a geek.  But I'm ok with that...) 

Only problem is, I'd have to be a test subject this time...and do I really want to know what all those goodies are doing to me?  On the one hand, of course!  The more you know, the better- particularly when it comes to our health...if there's something borderline or needs to be addressed, the sooner the better.  On the other hand...I really like cookies.  Will knowing how much (particularly if a lot) damage is being done, ruin a happy part of the holidays for me?  Sigh.  I suppose if that were the case, I'd have to start looking for other, non-Christmas cookie associations to make with this time of year...and I can't think of any right now.  Maybe over time?

So, I'm in.  From lab-rat to...well, a lab rat.  And I'll publish my numbers...stay tuned...Gulp!

(If you're interested in partaking in the study too, click here to register or call 730-6640 for more information)

'Tis the season to be stressed-out

Feeling a bit stressed out by the fact Christmas is only 17 days away?  I am.  Oh boy.

I miss the days where all I had to do was show up on Christmas Eve, eat some pasta for dinner, pick my pre-portioned rice pudding to see if I had a red hot candy* buried in there somewhere...and then help clean up the kitchen (in record time) and then....PRESENTS! 

*Finding the red hot candy in the rice pudding meant you got to open the first present - an old Swedish tradition my mom found in a book somewhere...but you also had to leave a bowl in the garage to appease the mischief "elf" or you'd have a year's worth of trouble (a nice way to have seconds without anyone the wiser - my mom LOVES rice pudding!)

Anyway, now that I'm the mom...there's a whole heckofalot of planning that goes into Christmas; decorating, present purchasing, "Santa-communicating", a couple different types of wrapping paper that must be hidden along with the presents so the worldly kids won't realize Santa and mom use the same type of paper...what a coincidence!  Living with the in-laws doesn't leave very many hiding spots, thus the reason I haven't done much shopping yet. 

So...to keep my sanity, I've decided I'm going to try not to sweat the small stuff.  I'm also looking for something my family and I can do for those less fortunate...I figure that while we live in a great area, they need to see that the world does not begin and end in our neighborhood and philanthropy is a very important and rewarding aspect of life.  Anyone with any ideas for families with kids under 12?  I'm all ears!

As I've also mentioned before, how we're eating is very important this time of year as well - it's almost too easy to indulge in the bad stuff because it's everywhere...just don't buy it.  If it's not in the house, it won't get eaten...

The best things to eat during the winter months are chock-full of antioxidants and vitamins...keep eating lots of fruit and veggies - "eat the rainbow" - and bypass all those highly processed carbohydrates...not only will they make you crash shortly, but any excess will go directly into storage...and 3500 calories of storage = 1 pound...dun dun dunnnnnn...

Hope you enjoy and make the most of these last few weeks of 2011...in the words of Dave Matthews, "Eat (good stuff), drink (lots of fluids) and be merry!" 

Happy Holidays...here's a few lbs!

I'm not quite sure what it is about this time of year...but ever since I can remember, all I want to do is eat, eat, eat.  Doesn't matter what it is, if it's not nailed down, I'll eat it.  I could make excuses and say that my body is trying to acclimate after having been in training mode for various races since basically February of '11...but it's consistent from year to year.  As soon as Halloween hits, look out!
I've read a few scary statistics lately, one of which is that people expect to gain a few lbs over the holidays.  The problem?  The weight stays on, which over the course of a few years translates to a 10-15 + lb total weight gain ramping up risk for some serious health issues down the road (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, to name a few).  No one is immune to the risks.

The other alarming trend I read about yesterday, is that the average American's weight perception has changed a great deal since the early 1990's.   Back in '91, men had a self reported average weight of 180 lbs, with their "ideal" weight at 171.  For women, it was 142 and 129, respectively.  Fast forward to 2011 and men report that their weight now is up to 196 (16 lb gain!) and their "ideal" weight is now up to 181 - almost exactly what they were dissatisfied with in 1991!  For women, they're now up to 160 lbs (18 lb gain!), with a self reported "ideal" weight of 138...only 4 lbs less than what they were back in '91.

Are we becoming so used to carrying around the extra weight that slowly we're becoming ok with it?  And - just a side note- has anyone else noticed that clothing manufacturers have changed their sizing methods?  I'm convinced that a woman's size 4 today was a size 8 twenty years ago.  Smart by the manufacturer...but now we're lured into feeling like since we can fit into a smaller size, we must be ok! 

So...my mission this holiday season through winter?  Answer my cravings with good stuff...if I need to snack, I need to reach for fruit, vegetables and whole grain snacks - I'm NOT buying any goodies or making sweets unless absolutely necessary (kid birthday parties, Christmas, etc.).  Consequently, I'll also be paying attention to how I feel physically and mentally as I always find the winter difficult on my psyche.  Should be an interesting experiment!

Fruitcake?  No thanks.