tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21108742641719804802024-03-13T08:44:48.720-07:00The Tri-It WomenImcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-16368437887842438552012-03-12T11:37:00.000-07:002012-03-12T11:37:36.191-07:00Water, A True Healer<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgls6jp7yDBuVZCMvHM42Eo9uIUcIzgIQLAcEWpHDeOj8-B9nYVRAWVJzi7tx58QN32Rk3CN1Ht9BaLzLq6Hnc5LL8gJ7RASeVrq7KiUh2D0jePoCXSb8DxUYJbIa8D7a0NXejJpFJOEAKe/s1600/MP900437247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgls6jp7yDBuVZCMvHM42Eo9uIUcIzgIQLAcEWpHDeOj8-B9nYVRAWVJzi7tx58QN32Rk3CN1Ht9BaLzLq6Hnc5LL8gJ7RASeVrq7KiUh2D0jePoCXSb8DxUYJbIa8D7a0NXejJpFJOEAKe/s320/MP900437247.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Who knew that water could be the best stretching tool after running?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all these years, I didn’t even consider this!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until last week that I found out how much of a healer water really is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (For water stretches like the ones described in this post, please see link below at Livestrong.com). </span></div><br />
The mild weather outside, the extra pounds I put on over the winter, the advent of spring, a newfound appreciation for good health once again after pneumonia—any and all of these have given me motivation for pushing myself just a little bit more lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But pushing oneself physically can have its drawbacks; it can result in injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The danger of pain in a joint, leg muscle, or foot is that it can take several days to weeks of staying away from exercises that use those injured areas for it to heal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, last week, after trying spinning class for the first time, we ambitiously decided to run a mile to stretch out the muscles used in spinning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was such nice weather that we just kept running and talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ended up running over three miles after doing spinning!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By nightfall, I knew that was a mistake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My hip was making <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">walking</i> difficult—not something I can afford with four children running afoot!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had overdone it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next day, when the “Tri-It Girls” started making plans for the day, my hip felt a bit better from rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said I’d meet up and run a little bit, but I’d go <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">slow</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the girls mentioned a quick water jogging opportunity afterwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We agreed to try it, of course! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in the back of my mind, I knew that if anything started to hurt in my hip, I would bail out of it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grabbed my bathing suit, met up with the girls, and ran four very slow miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As my hip warmed up, it seemed to loosen, but I was worried about what would happen when we stopped running and even later on, when it had cooled down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My hip still warm, I put on a water belt and jumped into the water jogging mini-class, hoping my hip wouldn’t seize up. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We started to do quick movements that mimic jogging up and down the lanes (you can’t use your hands to help, so this is pretty active for your legs), then we started to do large “monster bicycle” movements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The participant pretends that they are riding a very large wheeled monster bicycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediately, I felt a great stretch in my hip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no way that I could get that big of a stretch in land-stretching, but in the water, my body was weightless; I could stretch better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to repeat this monster bicycle ride all the way up the lane and back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our water workout of 30 minutes, we continued to stretch our weightless legs and arms against the side of the pool in a way that we could not be flexible on dry land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our more experienced running friend (who provided this opportunity) explained that very recent research is showing that when people push themselves, have an injury, or even just take a long run, getting into the water and swimming a little bit then stretching for a good long time has shown a tremendous healing effect on the body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wanted to try it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t agree more with her research!<br />
That evening, my hip, though a little tender, was fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could tend to my house, errands, children, all the busy adventures of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, three days later, I ran six miles for the first time in months and it felt great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But tomorrow, I am soooooo going in the water!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
If you want to try stretching in the water after your workout and see if it has the same benefit for you, I found some great stretches at Livestrong.com: <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/374571-water-therapy-and-hip-stretches/">http://www.livestrong.com/article/374571-water-therapy-and-hip-stretches/</a>. Let me know what you think! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWBXmHUUcDlyI4WTeGH9T9-pu8U6UV6t6gEL28a2SfUWjDevUpuHkobGMKMmX9ZPaZM_-qGvNJEcUB6q8q-Jts95PXAh0GisUFH-GgYdHdC1qb_4HJrWvgkGx7YKsB38wShpfYRTBfXnk/s1600/MP900430443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWBXmHUUcDlyI4WTeGH9T9-pu8U6UV6t6gEL28a2SfUWjDevUpuHkobGMKMmX9ZPaZM_-qGvNJEcUB6q8q-Jts95PXAh0GisUFH-GgYdHdC1qb_4HJrWvgkGx7YKsB38wShpfYRTBfXnk/s320/MP900430443.JPG" width="315" /></a></div>Water--the amazing healer for your whole body. Have a great day!Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-65576918562738508612012-01-18T07:34:00.000-08:002012-01-18T07:34:16.894-08:00Fast Walking in the Snow--Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWzFKSSjq6rgl_4wLh5nBNc7fRxXsAAjTZsu0A9xxlEXQLW8xSavdurIUlPH1lhZKOVLne_AisiaFNbzno-EsmZnX-uhbrxRZmpKXR6KTBozPgzfsnCvU4_ijuX4yBiLVm9ElFAVYkve8/s1600/SANY0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWzFKSSjq6rgl_4wLh5nBNc7fRxXsAAjTZsu0A9xxlEXQLW8xSavdurIUlPH1lhZKOVLne_AisiaFNbzno-EsmZnX-uhbrxRZmpKXR6KTBozPgzfsnCvU4_ijuX4yBiLVm9ElFAVYkve8/s320/SANY0053.JPG" width="320" /></a>Thank goodness for my neighbor who knocked on my door and talked me into taking a fast walk as soon as the snow on the roads had melted. We saw some beautiful sights including this stream still running through the freshly fallen snow. My neighbor, who is an avid fast walker, walked about as fast as I usually run. She pulled us along for a four mile route of sight-seeing and once I was done, I realized why fast-walking is such a great sport--my shins, calves, and all around my ankles were all aching! It seems to me that fast-walking hits some areas of the leg that running does not seem to hit--or that might be just for me! Anyhow, as I've gained at least 7 pounds in the past month due to illness and inactivity, it was so great to exercise a different way, visit with my neighbor, and enjoy the beauty of freshly fallen snow: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdov1BTvj3HUYhy1yCjTnvLPhbACz43A2ArOcrvSUOAfaI-c6tR2Nwat5sfxHFU88RpR9e1T-bdbpuHwHFqlpvimwISrEqKx-3aL5szfRc3wYG6o-zD_rut42_j-6y_6ZX3Fj0S2o1bRBw/s1600/SANY0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdov1BTvj3HUYhy1yCjTnvLPhbACz43A2ArOcrvSUOAfaI-c6tR2Nwat5sfxHFU88RpR9e1T-bdbpuHwHFqlpvimwISrEqKx-3aL5szfRc3wYG6o-zD_rut42_j-6y_6ZX3Fj0S2o1bRBw/s400/SANY0055.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ugezsXCRheKhWrTAPGzsz1wuPwmOBoeM312BSQFwdInFKo69MuDpUbnSBa9fGzhSlTq1mntbWmz_u8FEEHkxyOsPZfinOWZKs_KniTAHbk50WYwzNhu7NYnubsr31BBxE0gvrPbytL83/s1600/SANY0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ugezsXCRheKhWrTAPGzsz1wuPwmOBoeM312BSQFwdInFKo69MuDpUbnSBa9fGzhSlTq1mntbWmz_u8FEEHkxyOsPZfinOWZKs_KniTAHbk50WYwzNhu7NYnubsr31BBxE0gvrPbytL83/s400/SANY0054.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Wednesday Everyone! </div>Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-10345986884957833282012-01-11T12:56:00.000-08:002012-01-11T12:56:55.849-08:00Running With Friends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKp4b5af2L1PmQpGpw25JMO-pTToNgqdI_kv6EVMR1U0WV0iWCsu5FrjhLjlSdYXInoCRNc-7ZUmF_Baq6nLV3BSp9Rh14SVAROaT3bTQ2FbXe4UA4vYPiBkTgwUghl6Jzjk2KdkQu0Wh/s1600/MP900430896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKp4b5af2L1PmQpGpw25JMO-pTToNgqdI_kv6EVMR1U0WV0iWCsu5FrjhLjlSdYXInoCRNc-7ZUmF_Baq6nLV3BSp9Rh14SVAROaT3bTQ2FbXe4UA4vYPiBkTgwUghl6Jzjk2KdkQu0Wh/s200/MP900430896.JPG" width="200" /></a>Thank goodness for friends who can gently push me along past my "comfort zone"! I was able to reach four miles today running--and talking while running. It was cold, but not too cold in the sun. These girls even stayed with me when I needed to take 30 second walks. It makes the hard road back to fitness seem so much more believable to achieve! Thanks for your support, ladies!</div>Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-87098656088567027202012-01-10T11:10:00.000-08:002012-01-10T11:10:36.781-08:00Getting Back Into Shape After A Setback<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJIoqUHfwLP0cF3j6tuKYqeUjYiw4lPLIfaRZkwewzLutmlCRwca-OOeM6ELWdCsjsFqSlLt2OVS_os8c1wkRNe8frbN9i0F7gIOWWNcmTrRCJ5ENM4dprdANlNjsFBPkZ4n_ISljfbNC/s1600/MP900430796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJIoqUHfwLP0cF3j6tuKYqeUjYiw4lPLIfaRZkwewzLutmlCRwca-OOeM6ELWdCsjsFqSlLt2OVS_os8c1wkRNe8frbN9i0F7gIOWWNcmTrRCJ5ENM4dprdANlNjsFBPkZ4n_ISljfbNC/s320/MP900430796.JPG" width="232" /></a></div> Getting ill with a respiratory infection or suffering a long-term injury has always been my fear (that and sitting in a room filled with Christmas cookies!). Both of those situations mean that most exercise must be given up, training regimens must be put aside, goals put on hold, as the focus is getting healthy once again. I've had to focus mostly on eating healthy, which has not been easy during the holidays! <br />
Now that I'm allowed to get back to exercise and to concentrate, once again, on my exercise goals, it's time face my fear. It's time to assess where my current fitness level is and face the uphill road back to my previous fitness and redefine my goals. <br />
This week, I consciously thought about the best way to start back. The "Tri-It Women" had gained a few members now that the holidays were over and these women want to try running. I thought this might be the best way for me to get back into fitness, by moving along with new people. So, when people asked me what I was planning to do, how much distance to run, my response was, "I'd like to try to run as much as I can comfortably." With a very yoga-like mentality, my goal for this first day back was to listen to my own body and to see where my own fitness level seemed to be currently. If I was laboring in my breathing, I planned to slow down. If any of my joints or muscles started to ache, I planned to slow the pace. I was already pushing myself to get back to exercise, so I wasn't going to push myself at all while exercising now, and see how far I could go comfortably, naturally. With a new friend by my side, I was able to jog a slow, super slow, 3 miles before my left knee felt like it was seizing up. So I stopped. So there it is--my current running fitness level after illness. I'm facing the fear. Will I ever be able to do three miles again? I don't know. Will I be able to move on from there? I don't know. But I know what I <em>can</em> do now, after a month of forced hiatus from exercise, I can certainly TRY!Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-69411108620482834022011-12-13T06:40:00.000-08:002011-12-13T06:40:35.120-08:00Nutrition Tips for Exercise--a great link<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8iENyyzfAZePnJxQM8T0MyjKQ9Vv07Aqes-ydptXB_JTCRhtcHrl0xgDGIHU0nL5WkepYWrmhd4NMRxCOFhbJg-1XyPbNUwGJY2M_xUJyryRCuhfoVD65WPskNcevNl6KOETdTpcxZuh/s1600/MP900438718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8iENyyzfAZePnJxQM8T0MyjKQ9Vv07Aqes-ydptXB_JTCRhtcHrl0xgDGIHU0nL5WkepYWrmhd4NMRxCOFhbJg-1XyPbNUwGJY2M_xUJyryRCuhfoVD65WPskNcevNl6KOETdTpcxZuh/s200/MP900438718.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>A little minor setback: I'm laid up with pneumonia. After racking my brain to figure out what I can do at home to make getting back to exercise easier once I'm well again, I figured my best best is to focus on good nutrition right now. Nutrition and hydration are vital to having a good exercise experience, feeling great after exercise, and improving health. Although this link provides nutrition for runners, honestly, I find that it's great nutrition advice for any person doing any type of exercise:<br />
<a href="http://www.mysteps.org/newsletters/runners_nutrition.pdf">http://www.mysteps.org/newsletters/runners_nutrition.pdf</a>.<br />
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You may have to "play around" with what nutrition/hydration choices work best for you and fuel your body the best. I usually start my morning with two big glasses of water at least two hours before I go to meet up with the girls for exercise. It takes two hours for liquids to be absorbed down into the large intestines and then get through your body, so that's why it's so important to drink lots of water at that time. Your body will be much better hydrated when you go to attempt exercise. <br />
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Then about 1/1/2 hours before, I'll have something with a protein/whole grain carbohydrate. My first choice is 1/4 cup egg beaters and half of a whole grain English muffin. I'll take some sips of water during that time, but you really don't want a lot of stuff sloshing in your stomach when you are doing your exercise--and you certainly don't want nothing in your system, either. You want to eat it in enough time so that it gets absorbed into your body a bit. Some of the other women like to eat a banana with peanut butter or a little bit of whole grain toast with nut butter. Some of them have been experimenting with shakes they make with whey powder. <br />
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During exercise, I drink water. Some of the women I exercise with like the G2, zero calorie drinks, especially in the warm months. <br />
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After exercise, again, I like to have something with a little bit of protein and a little bit of carb. It's kind of important to try to have it in the first 30-60 minutes after exercise, but I think that depends on your intensity choice of your exercise. My first choice after intense exercise is a small Greek yogurt about 25 minutes or so after I've exercised. <br />
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Really, nutrition is <em>just as important</em> as regular exercise to keep you healthy--and help you recover quicker when you are set back (like me with this pneumonia--ugh!). Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-54755411497373423382011-12-07T07:21:00.001-08:002011-12-07T07:25:00.591-08:00I Used to Feel Guilty...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdKrjN7TXWsIK-Pu7tsOk5xeqkbGHqmrD_rUqBuNF486HA-K6NHLZa46ixjzGzKgfsPUfZDUsnfhficz0SqyDYaQGKCloK-u8S2SDQwSi5swwY-xQg3aggoh64c0KOdGs3eI6Os5KDv9b/s1600/MP900402316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdKrjN7TXWsIK-Pu7tsOk5xeqkbGHqmrD_rUqBuNF486HA-K6NHLZa46ixjzGzKgfsPUfZDUsnfhficz0SqyDYaQGKCloK-u8S2SDQwSi5swwY-xQg3aggoh64c0KOdGs3eI6Os5KDv9b/s200/MP900402316.JPG" width="159" /></a></div>It is a mother’s conflict:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the balance of time spent on oneself, one’s work, and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exercising/staying active can seem like a dispensable luxury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When there are so few hours in the day to get everything done, it can feel selfish to spend one of those hours on something like an activity for oneself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It certainly felt that way to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I have been back and forth in both situations as a working mother and as a SAHM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt I will be going back and forth in those same situations in the future. Both situations are demanding. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to exercise when my children were little and then, out of guilt in being pulled in so many directions, I gave up exercise… until I realized that I wasn’t spending any more time with my family in that extra hour, I was spending more time feeling exhausted and going through the motions of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t enjoying each moment as it came along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t fully present with each conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then that I realized that exercise for moms is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not a luxury</i>. It’s a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">necessity</b>.<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exercise is one of the most important necessities that all parents need to fill in order to be better parents and better people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it is a generalization, but my belief is that children want their parents to stay healthy and alive for as long as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want their parents to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">alive and well</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are plenty of things that can happen that are out of a parent’s control, plenty of things that can affect health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, exercising to stay healthy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is </i>in a parent’s control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, to keep healthy and active is the best gift we could ever give our children, our relatives, our friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div> <br />
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I realized that I had more energy for the rest of the day when I exercised for about an hour, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at my own body’s pace</i>, for 4-5 days a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m happier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think more clearly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I started to make this realization, I was a working mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started out by walking at lunch time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch/exercise, I felt like I could handle all the work that came my way and then able to handle the family after work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I'm not a skinny-minny or anything even close, but w</span>hen I’m able to exercise and eat healthy (still eating sweets, but in moderation), I am a better parent, a better person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">It’s not selfish. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it is the best thing a woman could ever do for the people who love and depend upon her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I don’t feel guilty anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I leave the dishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I leave all the errands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I leave all the guilt behind and make myself get out the door and do something active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, that huge pile of laundry will be there when I get back—and I’ll have more energy and a brighter attitude towards it then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0n1bUu8lQvZL7ikn1ivkp4pV0Ja1ZUtdWQJzJrMzydUW3KRnRn7qQdNh8PyKALfPD_ImGmkNeBpnuL7_nVYM59W6IWye7RgDPo24JWjIdIxX2oOdzgEGguGMhbPKsWZM4Xa-laGTNmKw0/s1600/MP900431196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0n1bUu8lQvZL7ikn1ivkp4pV0Ja1ZUtdWQJzJrMzydUW3KRnRn7qQdNh8PyKALfPD_ImGmkNeBpnuL7_nVYM59W6IWye7RgDPo24JWjIdIxX2oOdzgEGguGMhbPKsWZM4Xa-laGTNmKw0/s200/MP900431196.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">It’s for this reason that I’m going to launch a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">section</i> of my blog, “The Tri-It Women”, as its own blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will still have posts that discuss active family activities on “I’m Counting to Three!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, Four…” and I’ll still have the back and forth connection between the two blogs (and the other sections).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you so much for your support and I hope you will also read my new blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for now, get out there and do something active!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div>Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-55207619900756406032011-12-02T12:33:00.000-08:002011-12-02T12:33:16.646-08:00Running and Cross Fit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJIoqUHfwLP0cF3j6tuKYqeUjYiw4lPLIfaRZkwewzLutmlCRwca-OOeM6ELWdCsjsFqSlLt2OVS_os8c1wkRNe8frbN9i0F7gIOWWNcmTrRCJ5ENM4dprdANlNjsFBPkZ4n_ISljfbNC/s1600/MP900430796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJIoqUHfwLP0cF3j6tuKYqeUjYiw4lPLIfaRZkwewzLutmlCRwca-OOeM6ELWdCsjsFqSlLt2OVS_os8c1wkRNe8frbN9i0F7gIOWWNcmTrRCJ5ENM4dprdANlNjsFBPkZ4n_ISljfbNC/s200/MP900430796.JPG" width="145" /></a></div>So the Tri-It Women are at it again--mixing up the routine to stay challenging. This week we tried something that anyone can try. Based on emails that one of the group's women had with a fitness friend out in Arizona, we created a run/exercise or run/watered-down-Cross-Fit type of work out. We have a few outdoor running routes that we've already mapped out and have calculated the mileage. Once you figure out a route for yourself, try our work-out on your own, mix it up with exercises that work best for you, and see what you think! <br />
<br />
We did the following along a 3 to 4 mile route twice this week:<br />
<br />
Run the first mile. At the end of the first mile, do 5 sets of 10 pushups, 10 sit-ups, 10 air squats (these can be modified to jumping air squats, etc.). Run second mile. At the end of the second mile, repeat with 5 sets of 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 air squats OR mix it up with 5 sets of 10 tricep dips (great if there is a bench at the second mile), 10 walking lunges, 10 situps. Run third mile. Repeat 5 sets of 10 pushups, situps, air squats. If you have a fourth mile, run it and then cool down. The key to the exercises is that they should be done fast--as in tabata. We were able to do the whole work out in one hour at the most. The fitness friend from Arizona does two miles of running with 20 sets of 10 repetitions of each exercise. We are trying to see if we can work up to that, BUT for right now, this homegrown work out is definitely enough for us! <br />
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Have a great workout! Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-80820173444500683122011-11-24T07:57:00.001-08:002011-11-24T07:57:07.098-08:00Turkey Run PicsHappy Thanksgiving to all! May you be thankful for each day you have. May your day bring all that is good your way. May your blessings be plentiful. <br />
<br />
Here are pics from the Turkey Run earlier this morning. Wa-hoo!!! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgZgWty_4PCxu7diV_fWVfOCohPgmakPqVGVS7DV75EbYhyphenhyphen6xu2GLglAyCU16jcDL3zFF6v6OMlyF-kkbb9s21pd4WJdVgt-A-5YonAZLnkNYTyqzOFYWrlnEqzV3eymp2yQ3b3EjlOj-/s1600/Thanksgiving+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgZgWty_4PCxu7diV_fWVfOCohPgmakPqVGVS7DV75EbYhyphenhyphen6xu2GLglAyCU16jcDL3zFF6v6OMlyF-kkbb9s21pd4WJdVgt-A-5YonAZLnkNYTyqzOFYWrlnEqzV3eymp2yQ3b3EjlOj-/s320/Thanksgiving+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">People starting to fill the street, getting ready to line up and run (or walk). Some people wore turkey hats, some wore homemade shirts with handprint turkeys, some wore Santa outfits, but the person who garnered the most attention was the guy who ran with a 20 pound frozen turkey in his hands, smiling all the way! Yikes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLhw37OV5NF33J0VNlWNCNRdpGUJlI8dxaQj20Ycab04JDazJSMHZ5DLptdx4AaD-6RaBvr9jwaEK7AdNshoxedLcU7RK8mHK0_ztdcN8tOn_pYynWciASNRp_2kuPxmLoTYpzAPtgAMM/s1600/Thanksgiving+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLhw37OV5NF33J0VNlWNCNRdpGUJlI8dxaQj20Ycab04JDazJSMHZ5DLptdx4AaD-6RaBvr9jwaEK7AdNshoxedLcU7RK8mHK0_ztdcN8tOn_pYynWciASNRp_2kuPxmLoTYpzAPtgAMM/s320/Thanksgiving+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphencpFjFd5MPB8hC6flLdBALeeYSmYTdU9nEiNYkb_SgshD-FPthoL8BC_Wqp51_qm_2rHwxcje7UONnyM30Xoi8yGSz5vJT0OMx76tQ2cSuAsUIhg4Eb5sgPnqWbap6RWmpiG4fpSueZm/s1600/Thanksgiving+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphencpFjFd5MPB8hC6flLdBALeeYSmYTdU9nEiNYkb_SgshD-FPthoL8BC_Wqp51_qm_2rHwxcje7UONnyM30Xoi8yGSz5vJT0OMx76tQ2cSuAsUIhg4Eb5sgPnqWbap6RWmpiG4fpSueZm/s320/Thanksgiving+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sjWk8watdK4c_d96b5998mzNt4jwDIk6WBei_p0dquWlkLVs8Div8gX-gRieu6JzrV1Jg2v6KK8SZCNgSE_F2mjyVmvBjSBMliBh0l1Ndg264xzUUyGdijv3pVH33r4yAaKdjsVyEhls/s1600/Thanksgiving+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sjWk8watdK4c_d96b5998mzNt4jwDIk6WBei_p0dquWlkLVs8Div8gX-gRieu6JzrV1Jg2v6KK8SZCNgSE_F2mjyVmvBjSBMliBh0l1Ndg264xzUUyGdijv3pVH33r4yAaKdjsVyEhls/s320/Thanksgiving+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Many people run to honor others.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX6MlPktN8HHQyietlRTbOoBjZlboxGEkWo0IiX5yKLV0zgmb1C4eikTNXDb9o41a_4HjOK7MGeBDl1bgR8lVH3pb83Dq4-j4hAm7ywHymionpk18h13jIkpEa4L7T2ocd2oo9HLjJZnt/s1600/Thanksgiving+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX6MlPktN8HHQyietlRTbOoBjZlboxGEkWo0IiX5yKLV0zgmb1C4eikTNXDb9o41a_4HjOK7MGeBDl1bgR8lVH3pb83Dq4-j4hAm7ywHymionpk18h13jIkpEa4L7T2ocd2oo9HLjJZnt/s320/Thanksgiving+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Two men ran with one American flag and one black flag that read,<br />
"We will not forget...". <br />
(Hey, guy in the orange hat, the race is going the <em>other </em>way... JK )<br />
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone!Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-53703055937762029152011-11-22T10:12:00.000-08:002011-11-22T10:16:16.379-08:00Swimming With Half of Yourself<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qpIMoad3T6pWqKl3H-VQMxOx9gxmCm58awp2kfkyFFHez506OWG8hXzt7H8m8M_230ESznlHm_TWxjZvmddbp_fXHslBxUdYW6ibIktjGqCzz68rFxf5KMxxYGOcFLvBS_Km_uALJx_c/s1600/MP900422849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qpIMoad3T6pWqKl3H-VQMxOx9gxmCm58awp2kfkyFFHez506OWG8hXzt7H8m8M_230ESznlHm_TWxjZvmddbp_fXHslBxUdYW6ibIktjGqCzz68rFxf5KMxxYGOcFLvBS_Km_uALJx_c/s200/MP900422849.JPG" width="159" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">What a wake-up call!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I smell like chlorine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, our swim coach had us work with pool buoys, i.e. swim only with your arms, not your legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Down and back, down and back we girls went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hardest part was trying not to stop at each end of the pool and chat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our coach said we needed to not stop at each end, just continue and try to do a 100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A 100 is down and back twice, without stopping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My son does tons of these.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of my kids swim these lengths in the summer, down and back, down and back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can barely do one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our coach says that we need to use our legs only the slightest bit as we swim or our legs will be fatigued by the time we get to biking and running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s clear that it will take a lot of practice to be able to swim for either one of the triathlons that we are thinking of—February or May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">For now, I’m getting psyched up for the Turkey Run this Thursday with several of the tri-it women!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should be lots of fun--with people wearing turkey hats and feather costumes and houses decked out already for the holidays along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My kind of run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-68933192529059123372011-11-14T12:07:00.000-08:002011-11-14T12:10:31.627-08:00"If The Going Is Easy, Beware. You Might Be Headed Downhill."--Anonymous<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceEtQtWgaVfWfXOuoIqynPx8YfvE4BsNRuQLyY-awG9tgjHSZnLP3z1TYMFc2ENBdm0gJ_ImlIK9sLJHNKNyXCgB13XrRJ1tLwCbhTzgqXYcne8yhMJZYlHrDqjRmEuWpe_woa1bzUD2_/s1600/MP900430794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceEtQtWgaVfWfXOuoIqynPx8YfvE4BsNRuQLyY-awG9tgjHSZnLP3z1TYMFc2ENBdm0gJ_ImlIK9sLJHNKNyXCgB13XrRJ1tLwCbhTzgqXYcne8yhMJZYlHrDqjRmEuWpe_woa1bzUD2_/s200/MP900430794.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Okay, so this is how tired I was this morning--I showed up to meet my running buds with my exercise pants on <em>inside-out</em>! Tags were sticking out and the inside zig-zag stitching was all over my legs <em>outside</em> the pants. I wish I was kidding. We were all meeting where any number of people could check out the crazy lady wearing her pants inside-out. I was waiting for someone to make the remark, once prevalent in high school, "Hey, what happened to you? Your mom not dress you today??"--only now I AM the mom, so thankfully everyone kept their maturity in place and that didn't happen. Luckily, after mumbling to my wonderful friends that I am just so tired, they laughed a bit and then, were kind enough to just wait for me as I went in the restroom and changed. Yes, these are the kind of friends it is so good to have in my crazy life!<br />
<br />
Oh, I was so tired. After a weekend of painting rooms, cleaning, seeing extended family, and ushering to sports events, the last thing I wanted to do this morning was run. Not motivated, I told my friends to just go at their own pace and I would follow. I didn't know if I could keep up. My legs felt like lead. I ran a few slow, very difficult steps, then a few more and a few more, just up to the light, just up to the stop sign, just up to the mailbox and before I knew it, I had run my four miles. I did it. These are the days that are the hardest--the ones it takes more of yourself to get motivated and get out there. Days like this aren't easy, but these are the days that you remember, that you imprint on your mind, and that pull you through future difficult days. If you can do it today, you can do it then, too. Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-74341433964785337332011-11-08T14:27:00.000-08:002011-11-08T14:27:28.862-08:00"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."--Abraham Lincoln<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnXgLFDRCDDiYXNM73ej_nSkspr_ZpgdGMxK_EQf35vkQqOQtTJDGpYTHfjjKBbjbFIlfzUsasVKNvqvuhISiyk7xL-1JpmUSyS4g572PvefgrbPvyfvE-ctkecwYxB3jliNmedR6DDgg/s1600/November+323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnXgLFDRCDDiYXNM73ej_nSkspr_ZpgdGMxK_EQf35vkQqOQtTJDGpYTHfjjKBbjbFIlfzUsasVKNvqvuhISiyk7xL-1JpmUSyS4g572PvefgrbPvyfvE-ctkecwYxB3jliNmedR6DDgg/s320/November+323.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Okay, well I sooooo overdid it today!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, I woke up, did weight-lifting, went swimming with the girls, did a walk/run in the woods on my own, and then watched the kids play and ride bikes outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know why I did it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, I DO know why….the weather is so beautiful out, especially for November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I walked outside today, it just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">smelled</i> alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart skipped a beat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew I was in trouble right then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can it be possible to have such a lovely day here in November?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The squirrels are scurrying around gathering nuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Canadian geese are stopped at tiny pools of water all around our area, resting as they make their way south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The signs are all around that the colder weather is on its way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s coming—soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year at this time, it was already here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today was not something to be wasted indoors, I rationalized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Outdoor days</i> are meant for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">outdoor things</i>, there will be plenty of indoor days for all the indoor things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trouble is, though in my heart I am so young, tomorrow my body will be “creaking” and “crackling” as I pull myself out of bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will have to make myself do it, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will have to make myself get up and push through the aches, because the weather calls for another gorgeous day tomorrow….</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpW19A1bc-PUY_9wU08H1H8YMOkW-yMDnvfVghLmBr9ZwCO4-SHzpz4LmnImOfC8kukfAgK4h8Xa7iUbJ3kcO5OSOhrX92PggbYFMa8gGAz1-iLa25mIJ9R6tuaCBIp2N5swhF-5Itmggq/s1600/November+322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpW19A1bc-PUY_9wU08H1H8YMOkW-yMDnvfVghLmBr9ZwCO4-SHzpz4LmnImOfC8kukfAgK4h8Xa7iUbJ3kcO5OSOhrX92PggbYFMa8gGAz1-iLa25mIJ9R6tuaCBIp2N5swhF-5Itmggq/s400/November+322.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4MbaV53Dhk8pTGfiyzTDunREq8-2Cw98my2sMo0eEmbsgs-4bodFtwYxYiFhjwf_GsRzK60uvH-dPgdkqjvexxbCajecNJtcqbQzPds4EiIT3_YpKFVB6w83y8O4XRJnIwT4FuWS8NHW/s1600/November+324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4MbaV53Dhk8pTGfiyzTDunREq8-2Cw98my2sMo0eEmbsgs-4bodFtwYxYiFhjwf_GsRzK60uvH-dPgdkqjvexxbCajecNJtcqbQzPds4EiIT3_YpKFVB6w83y8O4XRJnIwT4FuWS8NHW/s400/November+324.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-17200398645835121902011-11-04T09:51:00.000-07:002011-11-04T09:51:50.672-07:00Ran in the Cold Sunshine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsx4jAY_D5iqKApgn8PAKs1IVXd2xHPDAfuBSP2l5s9rm-UISdCHtP6Py4hCqZ87h0ZgX9TAjETXSieDThKNfVElBWlhHxbm8Z9wkhrtO3f4t7Knww1kewpHtlf1r4sz-6tmCvKOUpDwgt/s1600/MP900262752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsx4jAY_D5iqKApgn8PAKs1IVXd2xHPDAfuBSP2l5s9rm-UISdCHtP6Py4hCqZ87h0ZgX9TAjETXSieDThKNfVElBWlhHxbm8Z9wkhrtO3f4t7Knww1kewpHtlf1r4sz-6tmCvKOUpDwgt/s200/MP900262752.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>We split up this morning, a third of us did spin (which is something I need to get up the courage to start trying in order to train for the triathlons!), a third did weight lifting, and a third ran. I ran. It was a great morning for it--a little bit windy, but a lot of sunshine. There are clear signs that the colder weather is coming. Groups of canadian geese could be seen wandering around in fields and near the small pools of water. Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-44306762764183809812011-11-03T06:14:00.000-07:002011-11-03T06:17:14.552-07:00Morning Run<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKp4b5af2L1PmQpGpw25JMO-pTToNgqdI_kv6EVMR1U0WV0iWCsu5FrjhLjlSdYXInoCRNc-7ZUmF_Baq6nLV3BSp9Rh14SVAROaT3bTQ2FbXe4UA4vYPiBkTgwUghl6Jzjk2KdkQu0Wh/s1600/MP900430896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKp4b5af2L1PmQpGpw25JMO-pTToNgqdI_kv6EVMR1U0WV0iWCsu5FrjhLjlSdYXInoCRNc-7ZUmF_Baq6nLV3BSp9Rh14SVAROaT3bTQ2FbXe4UA4vYPiBkTgwUghl6Jzjk2KdkQu0Wh/s200/MP900430896.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Well, several of us met to run a little bit. It was a gorgeous morning: cold, crisp air, frost on the leaves still left lying on the ground (after the historical snowstorm snow has melted) and LOTS of sunshine. I'm a sunshine-aholic so I loved that part about it. But my legs moved like lead pipes. I was happy when we were done.<br />
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(Picture thanks to Microsoft Office Clipart)--I wish I could be running on the beach like this!Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110874264171980480.post-46642942487835307692011-11-01T16:18:00.000-07:002011-11-03T06:03:04.285-07:00The Tri (Try) - It Women Have a New Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmi6Ri8OFR_0GpesS1Na0QYTU8yGhjJI8Q66z9JFITqUxtPTYGHk-G2WzlCdjXwNK-GIVAntrbm4JZ1tdagrEHNrrEz0baQQQQd8qTRI1jALV06iH1b7AcbL7Pyd0Jwl0Uku6qRUo1F09/s1600/MP900430831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmi6Ri8OFR_0GpesS1Na0QYTU8yGhjJI8Q66z9JFITqUxtPTYGHk-G2WzlCdjXwNK-GIVAntrbm4JZ1tdagrEHNrrEz0baQQQQd8qTRI1jALV06iH1b7AcbL7Pyd0Jwl0Uku6qRUo1F09/s320/MP900430831.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Today, the “Try-It” women showed up for our first triathlon swim training class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a little splurge, but as we don’t normally take classes like this and several of us have not been swimming since we were children, and some of us have never been swimming at all, this was a necessary splurge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I have to tell you that it felt completely strange to swim in a pool after years of mostly being on guard with kids while near water!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But leave it to these women to get me in that pool doing something I hadn’t done in years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We each swam for our instructor and he said to us, “Well, I can tell you are used to running because you look like a bunch of runners <em>trying </em>to swim.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess we need to learn a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was just happy that he called us “runners”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a name='more'></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three years ago, when I was determined to get healthy once again and splurged on a running class, I met several wonderful women who also had the same goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of those women, Jeanine, expressed the same difficulty that I had—the motivation and determination to reach my healthy goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the goals we shared was to run a 5K for the first time in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We started to email one another to meet to run or do strength training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we trained, other women started to want to be put on our email list to meet together with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our group has gained and lost members over the three years, but together we have formed a group that I now nickname the “Try-It” Women in honor of their new exercise challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It’s a fluid group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us are too busy with family for “girls weekends” or even to get lunch or coffee together. We only have this one hour a day where our kids can be supervised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our weekday splurge is to use our hour to meet together and talk, encourage, and give tips to one another while we exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whoever can meet each day, comes, and whoever cannot, meets up with the group when she can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the way it has been for three years and from that philosophy we have accomplished goals that I would never have been able to accomplish on my own, knowing myself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have tried several different types of exercise challenges such as weight training and tabata, ran our first 5K, ran several different 5K’s and included other women along with us as they trained for their first 5K’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the beginning of October, a large portion of the group recently did their first half marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, the “Try-It” women have added a new challenge:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the triathlon!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the support and friendship of these women, this challenge is one that I’ve decided to push myself to try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I ever see myself considering a triathlon before this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To think it all started with two women emailing to meet each day to exercise a little bit together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, the question is "can I actually DO a triathlon….?"??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s only day one…</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Imcountin23http://www.blogger.com/profile/06691905237318216005noreply@blogger.com0