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Keeping Your Motivation to Run

June 7, 2010 by

After yesterday’s fast 7-miler, I decided to slow it down today with an easy 4-mile run. Post-run breakfast was a bit of Kashi Go Lean and a full cup of a blackberry/blueberry mix – fantastic!

Scott is teaching class this week which means our schedule is totally crazy. In order to run before he leaves for work at 6:45 AM, I must be up by 5:30/5:45 AM and out the door for my run by 6 AM if not sooner! Although I am a morning person, getting up this early is not always easy. Sometimes, I have to psych myself up a bit before a run because I’m so groggy. But, on any given day, I rely on many different motivational strategies to keep me going. Here are some of my favorite ways to motivate myself to run:

Running Motivation

  • I set my alarm at least 20 minutes before I know I need to head out the door. This gives me time to wake up a bit.
  • I get all my running clothes ready the night before so as soon as I wake up, I see my clothes sitting there – almost beckoning me to put them on. I also try to have all of my work-related things ready the night before – clothes, lunch, bag, etc. – so that I have no excuse to skip a run.
  • If I really need motivation, I plan a new route to take. Planning it out and then having to actively think about where I’m running (not just zoning out) helps the time pass faster.
  • And, for those really bad days, I tell myself that if I run, I will reward myself with a treat during the day, whether it’s Starbucks or a muffin. I know it kind of defeats the purpose of the run, but it works every time!

How do you psych yourself up to run or exercise when you really don’t want to?

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Call Me Popeye

June 1, 2010 by

Hello all! Hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. My weekend has been extra looooong – I was on vacation today and I’m taking another day off tomorrow! Because today was the better of the two days (83 and sunny as opposed to tomorrow 75 and rainy), I spent a great deal of time outdoors. My day started with 5-mile run – of course – followed by cleaning up the house then heading out the door.

I ran several errands – all before 12 PM – including trips to Costco and the grocery store. I really do NOT like running “errands” on vacation, but sometimes you just have to suck it up.

Inspired by Fruit Not Fat, I came home from the store with loads of fresh fruit. Seriously, I think people were looking at me because of all of the fruit in my basket:

  • Bananas
  • Pears
  • Peaches
  • Watermelon
  • Blackberries
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries

The blackberries looked fantastic. I wasted no time washing off a handful and making them disappear. Not the most glamorous way to eat, but hey, it was at least 6 g of fiber plus a ton of antioxidants.

For lunch, I made a huge spinach salad – I easily had 4 cups of spinach, as well as 1 hard boiled egg, 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, and a few cucumbers. When I totaled all of the fiber it came out to 17 g! As you can tell from the blackberries and spinach, I’m still on “fiber watch 2010” so I’ve been trying to incorporate as much fiber as I can at each meal. Although I can usually knock off around 10-15 g of fiber at breakfast (love you Kashi!), lunch and dinner are a little harder to fill with fiber. After reading The Full Plate Diet, I learned that spinach is fairly high in fiber for a vegetable – 4g per cup. And anyone who has made spinach knows that 1 cup of the greens does not go very far. More than likely, you’ll eat 2-4 cups at a serving – especially if it’s in a salad. Now I’m addicted to spinach salads!! I think I’ve eaten 5 in the last week – no joke – but I try to make a “different” salad each time. Spinach salads are very versatile – you can either add the normal veggies, or you can spice it up with raspberries, walnuts, various cheeses, etc. I also change up the dressing – sometimes it’s balsamic vinegar with olive oil, other times it red wine vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard – all home made of course!

The rest of the day was spent in the garden and the yard. I would love to go on a rant about how much I detest those spinner things that fall from the trees (which now have made a thousand little trees all over my vegetable garden), but I won’t.

OK, must get to bed. I’m off to yoga at 9 AM followed by a ton of “spring cleaning” – fun, fun, fun – can you believe I’m on vacation?

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A Star-Spangled Evening

May 19, 2010 by

Hey all! Today was my last full day in Washington, DC, and what a day it was! So, what did I do today? Aside from working from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, I….

  • Ran 5 miles around the White House and Washington Monument
  • Got a massage and facial
  • Ate some awesome bread pudding with butterscotch sauce
  • Watched the movie Leap Year, with Amy Adams, on my computer
  • Attended a private after-hours event at the Smithsonian!

At the American History Museum, I got to take a photo with Revolutionary War musicians. They asked me if I could add a little color to my coat – they must be comedians in there spare time. At the Natural History Museum, I was able to rub elbows, err…stones, with an Easter Island statue – me no dum dum (random Night at the Museum reference)…

Plus, I covertly took a photo of America’s own pride and joy – the American Flag – aka the Star-spangled banner…

Whew! All in a days “work”. Now, I’m off to pack. I have to work our 1/2 day conference tomorrow then I’m flying back to Chicago mid-day. See you all tomorrow night as I write from Chi-town!

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All Work and No Play

May 17, 2010 by

Today was day #2 – on my own in Washington, DC. After a brisk run, followed by a little morning work, I headed off to the Smithsonian – a place that I had not been in over 20 years. I spent more than two hours wandering the halls of the Natural History and the American History museums. I even got the chance to visit Julia Child’s kitchen! During this time, I was torn between loving the freedom to come and go as I pleased, but wishing I had Scott with me to share the experience.

On the way back to the hotel, I stopped off for afternoon tea at a local favorite – Teaism in Penn Quarter. Teaism would not be my first choice for authentic afternoon tea (British style) – it’s more focused on Asian tea. But the cafe provided a great atmosphere to enjoy my English breakfast, some cake, and a cookie. Because I had nowhere else to go, I took my time, savoring the drink and good eats, and reading a magazine from cover to cover – something I rarely do nowadays.

Tomorrow I actually have to WORK, but thankfully, not until 10 AM. I’m planning a 6-mile run around the city, then another dinner out tomorrow night. Life is hard when you’re on a business trip – he he!

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Dinner at Circa in Washington DC

May 16, 2010 by

Hey all! Hope you had a great weekend. I was up and at ’em around 7 AM today. I went for a 6-mile run, then came home to finish packing for my trip to DC. I boarded a plane around 1 PM and touched down in DC about 3:30 PM. Whew – all that in just a matter of a few hours! Since my conference doesn’t start until tomorrow, I quickly unpacked at the hotel then headed out to take in the sites. I walked all over Penn Quarter, sampling froyo, viewing the goods at Teasim, and then finally stopping off at the American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery.

Later on, I met Prachi – a DC friend of mine – for dinner at Circa on Du Pont Circle. Circa Cafe is a mix of trendy and charming, and with the weather at 70 degrees, you just can’t beat sitting outside! To start, we split a bottle of Chardonnay and some super yummy risotto croquettes…

These croquettes were awesome! Cheers to the chef who thought up the idea to bread risotto balls and deep fry them! Note to self – must try these at home. Next up, I enjoyed the Rocket salad with cherry tomatoes, arugula, sliced chicken, and more…

As you can tell, I was more than happy with my entree choice, the wine, and the company. Since I don’t see Prachi very often – a couple times  a year – we try to catch up on everything when we do see each other. Sadly, I learned that she is moving to Phoenix for a year with her boyfriend, Jigar. I only say “sadly” because I don’t travel to Phoenix very often so will likely not see her for quite some time. Ironically, Phoenix is where Prachi and I met for the first time about 5 years ago. I have never met Jigar but I’m sure he must be a great catch – after all, he likes Pazo restaurant in Baltimore!

For dessert – Prachi and I shared a wonderful orange almond crescent bread pudding with pistachio gelato. OK, we really didn’t “share”. She ordered a decaf coffee and I ate most of the dessert, but can you blame me…

Who can pass up bread pudding sans raisins with creme anglaise? The only thing that would have made this better is chocolate – hmm, something to think about for next time.

OK ladies, it’s off to bed for me. Planning a early AM run tomorrow!

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Yoga On the Go

May 12, 2010 by

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

Although I travel quite a bit for work, I always find time to fit in a run or a workout. Some people use work-related travel as an excuse to forgo workouts. But I’m a firm believer of the mantra – where there’s a will, there’s a way. Most of the time, it’s easy to just go for a run in the city or to use the hotel gym’s treadmill. However, there are those times when fitting a run in seems almost impossible. I’m sure you’ve all been there:

  • You get in too late to your destination city to fit in a outdoor run and you don’t want to pay the hotel gym fee for a 45-minute run
  • The area where you’re staying is too sketchy for you to run outside; plus, the hotel only has two treadmills, both of which are out of order
  • It’s terrible weather outside, which sends you to the hotel gym only to find it’s too packed to find an open machine

Although I’d choose running over all forms of exercise, I’d prefer to do any type of exercise over none at all. In situations where I can’t run while traveling, I find it good to have a back up plan. Here’s how I cope…

Pack Your Workout: I received a yoga mat for my birthday and it is a wonderful fitness tool to have! It is thin enough to fit in my suitcase and even my carry on, yet still provides a quality yoga mat feel. I just put a hotel towel down on the floor, throw the mat over it, grab my yoga pose book, and I’m good to go.

Try e-Yoga: And speaking of yoga, iTunes has several free downloadable audio and video yoga podcasts (like Yoga Today), ranging from hatha to flow, and more. You can also print out several yoga sequences through Yoga Journal or download sequences at Yoga Download.

Workout Anywhere: Health and fitness magazines and their corresponding Web sites are great resources for workouts that you can do anywhere. Women’s Health magazine has a great list of ipod friendly workouts to download and Shape magazine has several spot-training workouts you can access with an Internet connection. Bonus – most workouts can be done right in your own hotel room.

So, as you can see, even if you’re confined to your hotel room, there’s really no excuse for skipping your workout. Now get going!

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Mother's Day Conundrum

May 10, 2010 by

Happy Belated Mother’s Day everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful day. It was fairly chilly in Chicago yesterday, but I managed to get outdoors, go out to lunch, and do a little shopping – all by myself!

After an awesome 7-mile run, Scott and the kids surprised me with a bag of mother’s day gifts. As you will see from the photo above, they gave me:

  • Conundrum Wine – A few weeks ago, when I was in Orlando for work, a senior staff member ordered a bottle of Conundrum wine for the table. The wine was a little more expensive than the wine I’m used to, but hey, I wasn’t buying! I normally like Chardonnay, but I loved this wine. It is a mix of a variety of green grapes – the makers don’t reveal the exact blend, just to keep you guessing. I mentioned to Scott that I liked the wine and somehow he remembered! Then again, it is wine we’re talking about. I would not be surprised if I drink one glass and he finishes the bottle. Classy.
  • Tea Cup – Yes, I’m a lover of tea cups. And the one above probably looks familiar. I was actually given this anthropologie tea cup for a Christmas present. However, it fell out of the cupboard two weeks ago and broke all over the floor – ugh! I was so bummed thinking it was probably sold out by now. But alas, Scott managed to find one hidden away in the store.
  • Ruffle Blouse – I also received a very cute lime green (although it looks yellow in the picture) ruffle blouse from Anthropologie. The material for this blouse is incredibly soft and very light – awesome for summer. Although, it is a little too big and the color is definitely not idea for my skin tone. No problem, I’ve already seen several other tops from Anthropologie that I like – guess I have to go shopping again!

In other news…I’m leaving for Washington, DC on Sunday for a 5-day trip. I was suppose to go with a colleague from work. However, I just found out that I will be going alone! Traveling to DC for a whole 5 days by myself – oh the possibilities!! I plan to fit in a few runs around the capitol, dinner at an awesome restaurant with a friend, and maybe, just maybe, a fancy cupcake or two!

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French Macaron Friday

May 7, 2010 by

This morning I ran inside on the treadmill for the first time in weeks. I have to be honest, I was not at all excited about running today. I’ve gotten so used to running outside that it’s hard to go back indoors. I’m hoping that this spell of rainy cold weather will not last much longer.

Because of the rainy and overall yucky weather, I spent most of the day inside the house with the kids – save for a Starbucks run around 11 AM. I contemplated taking the kids to an indoor play area, the movies, or the bookstore – all of which would end up costing me at least a little money. But instead, we played legos, built little hammocks for their stuffed friends, and built a fort/castle made out of sheets, blankets, pillows, couches, and little tables. It’s time likes these when I’m reminded that, unlike adults, little children don’t need to spend money to have fun, they just need to spend time with you.

And what did I treat myself to after spending the whole day inside with the kids? A beautiful, fluffy vanilla macaron – it definitely made up for running on the treadmill!

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5 Ways to Avoid Snacking

April 28, 2010 by

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

Hi All! I’m back from Austin and I am tired! I’m so glad that I have about 3 weeks to recuperate until I travel again. And speaking of traveling…

Ma’am, do you know how fast you were going?

This morning, while on my 5 mile run, I noticed one of those radar speed signs that tell drivers how fast they are going. As I approached the sign, I noticed it posted 27 MPH, referring to the previous car that went past. As I came closer to the sign, the number quickly change to 8 MPH…then hovered between 8 and 7! How cool is that – a speed radar sign that seemed to accurately capture my running miles per hour! Next time, I’m going to take a picture to prove it – he he! See officer, I wasn’t speeding, but I’m on track for a PR!

Stress and the Snack Monster

As most of you know, I’ve been a little stressed and frustrated at work these days. There have been significant changes in the staffing model of our group, which is causing great uncertainty and unrest among the troops. As a result of this and other daily stressors, I’ve had the urge to snack more throughout the day. I’ve even found that I need to bring out all of my “tricks” to get me to stop snacking, including:

5 Ways to Beat the Snack Monster

  1. Chew gum – This can provide a temporary fix of having something in your mouth to chew. Although, if you chew too much and too often, you may take in too much air, leaving you with a bloated feeling.
  2. Eat a mint – Again, this gives your mouth and teeth something to do while your mind is resisting the urge to snack.
  3. Brush your teeth – Brushing my teeth gives me that clean fresh feeling in my mouth. Brushing also seems to send a signal to my brain that I’m finished eating for the time being.
  4. Use a teeth whitening strip – I keep these handy at home, in my purse, and on trips. Not only do they make your teeth whiter, but you have to wait 30 minutes before taking them off, which is usually enough time for the snacking urge to pass.
  5. Drink a glass of ice cold water – Sometimes when we have the urge to snack, it’s really because we are thirsty. Drinking a glass of really cold water takes care of that thirst and makes you feel full all in a few gulps!

What are your tricks to avoid snacking during the day?

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A Weekend of Y & R

April 25, 2010 by

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. While many people use their weekends to grab a little R&R (rest and relaxation), my weekends seem to be filled with Y&R:

  • Y = YOGA
  • R= RUNNING

Saturday morning, I made it to yoga 30 minutes before start time to find that there were still spots left – yes! Last week, I arrived 15 minutes prior to class and was out of luck. Because I arrived so early, I claimed my yoga spot in the studio, then jumped on a treadmill for 15-minutes of interval walking. Then, it was time for class…

(photo courtesy of Flickr)

Y is for YOGA

The yoga instructor on Saturday mornings is amazing. She’s just the right mix of cheerful, helpful, and very knowledgeable. Even though it is a basic yoga class, she definitely makes you work. Lots of hip openers, three-legged dogs, sun salutations, and even a shoulder stand! This week, the class was especially warm – almost like we were doing Bikram instead of Hatha!

Whenever I go to yoga, not only to I come home refreshed and very bendy, but I also feel the need to shop for more yoga clothes. That can be very dangerous for your budget, especially when Lucy is just a 5-minute drive away – he he!

R is for RUNNING

Fast-forward to Sunday morning…Sunday is typically my long-run days. This week, I had planned on running 8 miles (last week’s long run was 7) but I ended up running 9 miles! The temperature was cool – about 60 degrees with a slight breeze – perfect for running. So, somewhere around mile 6, the endorphins kicked in and I had that distinct euphoric feeling that runners brag about. This “runner’s high” is different for everyone, but for me, it makes me feel like I could run for miles and miles, with little to no effort. So at that point, I challenged myself to run 9 instead of 8. By the time I reached home, 72 minutes later (that’s 8-minute miles for those of you who are counting!) I realized that I could have probably run another mile or so. Hmm, maybe I’m more ready for that half-marathon than I thought!

Well, I’m off to pack for Austin – I’m there tomorrow and Tuesday. Have a great night!

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