From Fat To Finish Line

IronGirl Tri training and coupon codes for you!

2013-05-18T10:15:00.000-04:00

I'm very excited for to start tri training for my first triathlon: The Iron Girl Sandy Hook event!

I have purchased a pair of googles, identified a bike I can borrow from my friend Roxy and just got these sweet sneakers:

I love new sneakers!

I am still figuring out the pool. :/ Thankfully I have a little time still.

Baby steps. Got the goggles
now just have to find a pool

The most exciting news at least 10 of my Mom In Motion running buddies have decided to take the plunge and sign up too! We'll be representing at Iron Girl :-)

So….

If you're ready to take the plunge too - you can sign up for any of these races near you and when you use the coupon code IGFINISHLINE you'll save $10! Visit the IronGirl site and pick your location!

Lake Zurich – June 16^th

Webster – July 21^st

Pleasant Prairie – August 11^th

Seattle – August 18^th

Cherry Creek - August 24^th

Sandy Hook - September September 8th

Bloomington - September 22^nd (Duathlon)

Clermont – Septmber 29^th

Las Vegas – Oct 26^th

Keep me posted!! Tell me if you'll be doing Iron Girl this season!! :) Hope to see you at the finish line :)

Jen

Stop fat-bashing Kim Kardashian

2013-05-14T18:46:00.000-04:00

Stop fat-bashing Kim Kardashian already.

Seriously. Just stop.

I'm sick of looking at magazine covers and seeing them beat up Kim. Really. It's not cool.

No. I am not a fan. I don't even watch the show. (Well, there was that one rainy Sunday where I got sucked into a season marathon of episodes but that's not the point.)

I think it's absolutely disgusting that we are picking on a pregnant woman. I mean this is a girl so scrutinized in public for so many years and so used to having to meticulously worry about her diet that I wouldn't be surprised if she did let a little loose now that she's eating for two. I know I did. Many women do when they are having a baby. Is it necessary to make a villain of her because she's been having a few cravings?

I regretted my decisions to over-indulge because I faced gestational diabetes and the daunting challenge of taking it all off and Kim may or may not have the same challenges.

Yeah, yeah. She "reaps what she sows." Yeah, yeah - she "signed up for it" when she decided to become a celebrity but can't we as people have a little more class for a mother-to-be? Can't we imagine ourselves or our mothers, sisters or friends in her shoes and have a little compassion? I am sure that any pregnant woman with a changing body and tons of hormones surging that a little less cattiness and a little more kindness would be welcomed.

I don't know why it bothers me so much. Perhaps it's because, I was Kim Kardashian. I watched my body become something I wasn't familiar with and I battled with my own emotions of feeling out-of-control, insecure and not comfortable in my skin even though I was thrilled to be carrying my precious child. I don't know if I could've handled one person saying an unkind thing to me about my weight, never mind being publicly beat up on magazine covers. It just doesn't seem cool to take cheap shots at a woman's weight for any reason but particularly when she's pregnant and nourishing a baby.

Did you struggle with body issues when pregnant? How hard was it for you take off the weight? Do you think Kim is getting beat up or getting what she deserves?

XO
Jen

Victory! New Jersey Half Marathon Anniversary race report

2013-05-06T22:08:00.002-04:00

In case you've missed the million times I've mentioned it in this blog, the New Jersey Marathon is very, very special to me. It's the half marathon that started my running life and I consider this race to be one of those dates that I look forward to every year.

This year was no exception, except - I was not very trained and a little concerned over that.

No matter. I decided a few days ago that I was going into this race with joy. This race was going to be extra special because a whole bunch of my friends from Moms In Motion were going to be running. A few were doing the relay and a few were doing their first 13.1 races. One of the Moms going for her first half was Rox.

Hot Mammas: Me, Rox, Coach Dana, Monica, Jen and Kerry at the Expo

I decided to pace Rox in this race. It was her first half marathon and poor girl had only ran 4.5 miles up to this point in her running life. (Her own training got derailed because of illness and other life stuff that comes up.) So, I figured that she could use a little friendly support and I could use a little friendly support with all of my non-training nonsense. I had no doubt Rox would cover the miles even if her training was lacking. She is one tough chick.

We got to the site early - before 5 AM! This year things threatened to be backed up because of added security but truthfully, everything was very smooth and the race was extremely well-run as always.

I'm so glad Rox and I ran it together. The first few miles flew by as we chatted, danced/run, thanked spectators and chuckled over some creative signs. We walked, hydrated and kept our pace around 12:20 for most of the early miles just to make sure we'd be OK by the end. Several times I'd look down at my garmin and we'd be in the ten's or eleven's and I had to pull us back as to not 'over-do' it. Those early miles felt great.

Right around mile 6 we saw my "running angel" Alison. I used to work with her years ago and she is a Team in Training coach. I seem to always see her just when I need to at random half marathons. I even saw her in San Diego during a very rough patch during my full marathon and she was a gift sent from heaven then. The second time I saw her on the course yesterday she got her fellow Team and Training coach friends on the sidelines to cheer me on as I ran by and that was awesome. I love seeing her out there!

By mile ten my troubles started. The cramping started, in spite of gels, salt tablets, hydrating, magnesium supplements leading up to the day, lots of walking and stretching. I was OK enough for miles 10 and 11 but mile 12 was really tough and both legs were seizing. Now Rox was really helping me! It was a bit humbling because I felt like I was holding back this girl who had only ever run 4.5 miles as a long run. This was my 11th half and I had even covered 26.2 once! I should not be the one falling apart right now. I stretched, walked when I had to and was fortunate enough that she was by my side. I told her to go on. She refused. She said "We start together, we finish together." Her goal was to do this thing under 3 hours. And if it weren't for me having to stretch out my cramping muscles, we would've made it but we did it in 3:03. Rox was awesome and I was so happy to be by her side as we crossed the finish line.

The Moms ready to get in motion!!

I am learning that some people can half train for a half and be OK. I cannot. No amount of slowing down or popping salt pills will ever take the place of banking the miles and building up the distance gradually for me.

Still smiling

In any case. All in all it was a beautiful day. I had a blast. I loved hanging out with my Moms in Motion friends and the bling this year was particularly beautiful.

The middle flips - side one

And the other side of the medal:

Run*Restore*Rebuild

I also LOVED that I thanked the race on their website and they personally responded to me. It's just a nice touch:

Is there a race that is very sentimental to you?

Jen

Book review: Honey, Do You Need a Ride?

2013-05-03T09:20:00.000-04:00

When the team for Jennifer Graham's book, Honey, Do You Need a Ride - Confessions of a Fat Runner contacted me to read and review the book I eagerly accepted. Judging a book by its cover - I immediately felt connected to this person and thought this was a book that would speak to me. I wasn't wrong.

The book, like many races you may run, takes you on an emotional journey of highs, lows and everything in-between; she talks back to "the voices in her head" and she pushes herself to keep going. She made me laugh with some of her more witty experiences (think scrambling to wrangle two pet donkeys as they trot down the street with abandon) and she made my heart break as she candidly discussed the crumbling of a marriage that she desperately wanted to save.

Jennifer Graham with Foggy and Jo-Jo

I could relate to so much that the author has been through. She too has struggled with her weight and has been up and down. She too needs to run.

Graham says:

"In running, there are starting lines, and there are finish lines. Then there's another line universal among runners, whether or not they enter a race - the Never-Going-Back-To-My-Old-Life line. Once you cross it, you won't stop running until you are in jail, vegetative or dead."

This rings so very true. It's actually the whole point of the From Fat To Finish Line documentary film we are working on. I personally know this truth.

During the book Graham talks about her running coaches, two running greats who 'live' in her head and pushes her along her journey. I could relate to that too. There's been one or two times Jillian Michaels has taken up a training place in my head shouting that her "Biggest Loser contestants who are still 100 pounds overweight run faster than you in their sleep! Pick it up." Or something like that.

Graham also discusses how 'sensitive' us 'fat runners' can be. I would add that many in our tribe also often compare ourselves to one another. I couldn't help but to find myself comparing and feeling a little sensitive at parts! (I think its in most 'fat runners' DNA!) For example her 'fat weight' is dangerously close to my 'goal weight.' And her slow, "gee, I wish was my pace was faster" half marathon time is right around my PR time. But then, I thought, well this is the point - isn't it? Someone will always be faster, slower, thinner or fatter than us. It doesn't take away from our own journeys and someone's "fat" is another's "goal'. It's how it goes. I'm sure that my own slow, "wish my pace was faster" is someone else's PR.

I also felt a bit sensitive when she wrote about those oval 13.1 stickers for your car, "I'd never put one of those on my Jeep. To me "13.1" means, "Can't run 26.2." She went on to say it was kind of like advertising mediocrity.

I deeply disagree. I proudly put my 13.1 right next to my 26.2. There's nothing mediocre about making the commitment to move your body 13.1 miles. Nothing. There's nothing mediocre about making the decision to move your body even 3.1 miles or 1 mile. Especially as a "fat runner." Especially when you've convinced yourself and others have convinced you that running would be impossible for you.

But again, I don't fault Jennifer Graham for her view on this and to be fair I think she said it half in jest. I also appreciate her honesty. It struck a chord with me because I've had to fight to acknowledge my accomplishments my whole life. The urge usually being, "Yeah, I only run an 11 min mile. I only ran the half (not the full), I only whatever." We all need to take pride in the things we accomplish and I wouldn't take 13.1 away from anyone. 13.1 is what started this blog and changed my life. Without 13.1 I wouldn't be the person I am today.

I also think that the author does herself a disservice too by not allowing herself to bask in her accomplishment - by somehow finding it 'mediocre' on some level. She trained hard for her halfs. I know because I read the book.

But I digress. See, it's a book that will make you self-reflect and 'discuss amongst yourself.' :)

I actually read this book during my last business trip to KY - I finished it during my first flight home and the day of the 2013 Boston Marathon. While flying, the marathon was just starting - I had no idea what was to come. I read about Graham actually living on the marathon route and how every year she'd go and cheer on the runners. I thought to myself, "how lucky!" I also thought it was such a coincidence I was reading about her going to the marathon on marathon day. I envisioned her there at that very moment. My runner's heart swelling with excitement for her and the day.

When I got off my flight and learned of the bombings, along with my friends who were running, I thought of Jennifer, spectating and rooting on our tribe. I could only imagine what she must've went through.

All in all, I loved this book. It was funny, honest and often poignant. I would recommend it. I think most will really like it but I think it's particularly for you if you've ever trudged along, thighs rubbing, wishing your turtle pace was just a little faster and know the struggles and joys of going from couch potato to running tribe member.

If you want to order the book or learn more, click here.

XO
Jen

NJ Half Marathon at the Shore - Bring it on!

2013-05-02T10:26:00.000-04:00

As I told you in my last post. I am woefully undertrained for this half.

And I have had some tough experiences when not properly trained.

But - WHATEVER. I am super excited for Sunday.

It's going to be a beautiful day. At race start it'll be around 58º and the high expected to be around 68º.

I'll be running through the streets of our beloved Jersey Shore, that was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy but we're showing that we are "Jersey Strong" and coming back.

I will think about the Boston Marathon. About the runners and spectators affected. And how they are coming back, "Boston Strong."

I will think about Heather Boyum, the runner (and Mom in Motion member) who lost her life when a drunk driver struck her on her bike during triathlon training.

I'll be running amongst my fellow Moms In Motion runners - many who will be running their first half and I can't wait to see the joy they experience when they cross that finish line.

And as important to me, this is a significant race for me. It'll be my fourth time running it and it was four years ago, at this race, when my life changed forever. It was my first finish line. The first goal I set in running and the first time I proved to myself that I could do things I never dreamt possible. It was a life changer for me and I will forever have a place in my heart for this race and place.

after my first half with Angela who flew in from CA to pace me!

The second year I did the race, I had this incredible experience and last year was when my husband crossed his first finish line! This race has never let me down.

last mile of year number two of this race and experiencing complete
joy in running

On Sunday, thanks to not being trained, I won't break any PRs, I will be doing a lot of walking, taking some breaks for stretching and will definitely be amongst the back of the pack. And it's gonna be fabulous and beautiful and awesome.

Hubby and me last year

First or last, I'll cross the finish line and I can't wait.

My friend Linda reminded me of this awesome lady this morning. There is no quit, just moving forward until you get there.

XO
Jen

Getting back in the groove - kind of

2013-04-28T21:07:00.001-04:00

Well after being totally laid out with the flu for more than a week, I finally began my trek back into running.

It hasn't been the greatest last few weeks/months of running. With being back and forth to KY with a full work load, it wasn't easy to keep up with the miles I wanted to be running in preparation of my next half scheduled for a week from today. I was managing a few miles here and there and had hoped to come back from KY with at least time for one decent longer run of 8 miles - but with the flu I couldn't make that happen.

Oh well. It is what it is.

So on Friday I finally decided that the flu had passed enough. I was not (still am not) 100% but feel that it wasn't unreasonable to give a short run a shot.

Well, Friday was rough. I just did one test mile and everything was on fire. My legs felt heavy and my chest was screaming. I finished that mile in a coughing fit and all that carrying on only netted me a 12'26 pace. Which is OK. I guess. Again, it is what it is.

The lungs on fire feeling and the coughing fit passed and I felt like I could do it again. So yesterday I set out for two miles. It was good. My lungs still burned and I still ended with a coughing fit but the same 'feeling' effort resulted in a 10'55 pace. A little better. Tomorrow I will attempt a 3 or 4 miler.

Being that I literally only ran 26 miles for the whole month of April and more than half of that was within the first 7 days of April, i am shitting a brick about my half next Sunday. I've got no goal but to finish it and I'm still not sure what my plan to do that is - walk/run? Run really slow? Just run and hope for the best? Hitchhike the last 3 miles? I just don't know.

April's unimpressive milage. Yeesh.

The last year seems to have been tough for me to train the way I've really wanted to for these halves and I'm kinda bummed about that. I was really looking forward to perfectly executing (or at least coming somewhere near the vicinity) of my training plan this time. I am dying to run a race where I feel "ready" or as ready as I can be - I want to go in feeling strong and capable of running my fastest race - not trying to figure out how much I'll need to walk to get to the finish line :/

Oh well. It is what it is.

Maybe next time.

Have you ever felt under-trained for a race?

XO
Jen

Wordless Wednesday

2013-04-24T13:25:00.000-04:00

Jen

In a funk

2013-04-23T21:01:00.000-04:00

The last post I put together was pre-flight last Monday on my way back from KY. It was a semi-fun/boring blog post talking about how I ran a few miles in the hills of KY, waved at cows and enjoyed Spring-like temps. I also talked about making my first "tri" purchase - a pair of goggles (actually a three pack) that I picked up at Walmart.

I then went on to say how my heart was swelling with runner's excitement because though I couldn't be there or watch it, The Boston Marathon was going on at that very moment.

I didn't post that blog at that minute because since I wrote it at the airport and the pictures couldn't load, I figured I'd just post it that night when I got home.

As I landed in Philly and hurried for my next flight the texts started to come in - "OMG are you OK?" "You weren't running were you?" "Are you in Boston or NJ?"

Clearly, this was from non-running friends because every person on the planet would know I was running Boston if I was. But you know. Anyway, I had no idea what this barrage was all about until my friend spilled the gruesome and unbelievable news via this text message: "They bombed the Boston Marathon."

What? They what? Speechless is an understatement. Horror and then fear as I worried for my friends who were actually running it. I had to board my next flight and I had no information.

I don't have to tell you what happened next. I got home and have felt nothing less than shaken by this since - as all of us runners have.

I was slammed with work but made the time to run one mile on Tuesday for the people of Boston.

And then I started my downward spiral into the worse case of the flu I've ever had. It has knocked me on my ass. I'm not even motivated to eat and even in my darkest hour I can muster up an appetite.

So I've had this awful chest and flu thing forever now. I haven't run since that one mile. I can't shake Boston, I can't shake this flu. I feel weak and depressed and just want to run because when I feel yucky that is what I do but now I've got no place to go with this yucky-ness because up until today I couldn't even get my head off the pillow, never mind my feet in a pair of sneakers.

I'm sorry to whine and I feel guilty for my funk. I have the flu, eventually I will run again. I wasn't in Boston. I have all my limbs, I am shaken but won't feel the post traumatic stress that some who ran that day might.

Anyway, sorry for the poor me fest. I wanted to update you in case you were wondering where I've been.

Hopefully I'll be back soon.

XO
Jen

Just signed up for my first triathlon!!! Iron Girl Sandy Hook here I come!

2013-04-09T21:51:00.000-04:00

Yeeeeehaaaa!

Whoooo hooooo!!

I did it, I did it, I did it. I signed up for my first triathlon!

Yippppp. Whoa. Wait a minute. I did what?

Um. I don't even have a bike or a place to swim or a training plan or really a clue of what I'm getting myself into.

Gulp.

I mean I did have this kinda "Tri" week. Remember? It was my first time on a bike in a loooong time and I wasn't the steadiest.

It's not the first time I've signed up for a race and went from exuberance to gripping fear. I mean it is how this blog started in the first place. Right? I felt the same gripping fear about running my first (only) marathon too.

But doing a tri is different. Training is different - there's water and wheels and transitions. Wetsuits and stuff. Lots and lots of stuff it seems.

I've been liking the idea of doing a triathlon for a very long time. I silently get a little jealous every time I see someone sporting a "swim, bike, run" sticker. I also have very good friends like Jen and Jason who do epic things like Ironman and Rev3 and even my friend Angela has made the leap.

You're gonna be mine!

So, when I pulled up to my Weight Watcher's meeting for my monthly weigh-in this past Saturday and saw an afore-mentioned sticker on someone's car, the slow burn of want began again.

As I stepped to the scale, I heard my weigher say to her co-worker - I'm so excited for my next triathlon. Oh. She was the owner of said sticker.

I looked down at my race tech tee from a previous half marathon, and said softly, "I've always wanted to do a tri." She looked at my tech tee and said, "if you can run half marathons, I bet you could do my favorite tri!"

She went on to tell me of the Iron Girl Triathlon in Sandy Hook, NJ scheduled to take place on September 8, 2013. She said it was AWESOME and welcoming to newbies. She said that I could even swim with a noodle and bike with training wheels if I had to (Uh, I'll be doing neither, for the record.) And went on and on about how wonderful of an event it was.

Best part? All girls. Which will be fun and take a little pressure off for the first time out. And is it wrong (don't answer this Jason) that I'm secretly a little giddy that it's called "Iron Girl?"

Some things are just fate.

I never go to WW on a Saturday morning and have never seen this weigher before. I wouldn't have signed up if it wasn't for this woman gushing but before I even heard the good news that I was down .4 pounds (and still steadily (barely) but steadily holding onto my weight loss goal and lifetime status) I knew in my heart of hearts that I was sold.

So I'll have to figure out a bike and swimming and the stuff.

I contacted the folks at Iron Girl and told them about my blog. They were super excited to hear I'll be documenting my training journey and get this - they are offering you, my darling readers, a coupon code to sign up too if you want to join me!

A coupon code! I feel so fancy.

You can save $10 off your registration by registering here and entering coupon code IGFINISHLINE

The event is a 1/2 mile swim / 10 mile bike ride / 3 mile run. Perfect amount of attainable and challenging for a first event I think.

Here's a video that shows the essence of the Iron Girl event:

So here goes nothing! I'll be blogging my journey. First up? I guess I need to get a bike of some sort.

XO
Jen

4 people at the gym I just don't get

2013-04-02T15:25:00.002-04:00

When the weather sucks I head to the gym to use a treadmill - one of the upsides to using a treadmill is the opportunity to people watch.

While the majority of my fellow workout peeps are just going through their own workout there have been a few folks that have made me scratch my head and go "hmmm." I see these type folks EVERY time I go to the gym and every time I see them I think, I need to blog about this. So here it is.

Here are four gym goer types that I just don't get:

photo credit

The dude in jeans. Uh. I don't get you, sir. I admire your commitment to fitness but I can't see why you're in jeans. They are heavy, don't breathe and let's not begin to consider the chafing that can occur. It wouldn't be so weird if it was a fluke thing (I mean I even did a little run in snow boots when I was in Kentucky just because I was desperate to run and didn't have sneakers with me) but I've seen a few jean-clad dudes at the gym and it just seems like an unusual wardrobe choice for working out.
The text-ercisers. I get it, once in a while something important happens and you might be interrupted in the middle of your workout to take a call or send a text. I'm not talking about that guy. I'm talking about the guy who drags at a 1.1 on the treadmill, texts for 20 minutes and goes home. Huh? I've seen a few people do this and it always makes me scratch my head. If you're going to bother to get to the gym don't you want to make it count a little? I guess it's better than just sitting on your ass and texting which leads me to…
The seat warmers. These are the folks who got their asses to the gym to apparently warm seats all day. They sit on the exercise bikes or a weight machine and seem to never actually use the equipment. Often they are text-ercising or chatting with other seat warmers. Sometimes they are the dudes in jeans or they are…
The prom queens. These are the girls who show up in very fancy workout clothing or short-short shorts and a Victoria Secret bombshell bra under a tank top. They sport perfect hair and makeup and usually have something written across the ass of their short-shorts. The prom queen almost never works out alone. (To be fair I'm usually pretty jealous of the prom queen's legs - perfect even though they don't work out hard.) Prom queens can usually be found side-by-side on an elliptical machine having a conversation about something like last night's episode of The Bachelor. Even though they are on an elliptical, they move slowly as to not have their makeup melt or a boob pop out. If one goes to the bathroom the other immediately becomes a seat warming text-erciser.

Anyone at your gym that you just don't get?

Jen

Why the little things matter

2013-03-31T09:06:00.000-04:00

So March was an interesting month of highs and lows.

High - I got to go to Kentucky to help produce a new pilot my production company is doing for DIY network. This is a big deal and we are very excited about a project that is turning out great!

Lows - being out of my fitness/nutrition routine. (And of-course dealing with being away from my family, especially my five year old, Ben.)

birth place of Abe Lincoln? Who knew?

I was just getting into a groove of my training for my next half marathon. I was perfectly following my training program and feeling good - and then poof. Just like that. I'm all out of whack.

With very long days and no real place to run I was forced to put my running sneakers in a corner. They came out 3 times in two weeks for small little runs but those little runs mattered. My nutrition was challenged but I found ways to have a few decent meals. And it mattered.

The little things matter.

The old me would've never bothered to do anything. I'm away after all. But striving to steal the time when I could run was important to me, even if it wasn't as often or as far as I would've liked.

The other little thing I made a priority was getting in the 30 day March "Hot In Your Tank Top Challenge" that I signed up for on Facebook. It was 10 - 15 mins. of strength training a day and there were many days that I wanted to blow it off. But it was only 3 reps of about 5 exercises and I wanted to not just give up. I wasn't eating on point and I was barely running. I needed something to keep me grounded and connected to health and this was it.

Each day I gave myself a little star for doing the workout and yesterday, the last day of the challenge was no exception! :)

Even on the days I dreaded it, I always felt great after I did it. I didn't eat my greatest (but it could've been worse.) I still expected a tremendous weight gain upon getting home though because that's how my brain works. Luckily I'm only up about a pound so it's fine. But I do think it's some of the little things I did. - the little runs, the daily strength exercises and burpees, the days I chose a rice cake and peanut butter snack with a fruit instead of a bag of chips (though the chips won a time or two.)

These little things all added up to me being able to easily begin to slip back into routine and still feel OK with myself rather than feeling like "I blew it" and have to start all over again. I made a few mistakes but I think I learned a few things and next time I'll be a little more prepared for a similar type of trip.

What are some of the little things you do that matter?

By the way in case you're interested in the April challenge (which I'm doing) It's called the "Gorgeous Gams and Bangin' Booty challenge"and you can find it here. And here is her blog that actually demonstrates the moves!

XO
Jen

Lucky in Kentucky

2013-03-23T11:16:00.000-04:00

The last two weeks have not been awesome in the world of running for me.

Right now I'm living the dream and in production in Kentucky on our first television pilot for network. It's a big deal. After 3 years of working really hard my partners and I did it - we are getting a show on the air!

a pretty morning in KY

However, being away from the family, working 12+ hour days, 7 days a week, experiencing bad weather and having limited places to run has left my running pretty woeful. I managed to squeak in 1.25 miles two days ago during a little downtime and that helped to clear my mind but wasn't nearly enough. Besides not getting to really run the bigger challenge is being away from my family. I miss my son and hubby so much! They are making such a sacrifice for us but I do believe it will all pay off in the long run.

The other tough thing out here in rural KY is the food! It's not like there are Whole Foods to roll up on or even a nearby grocery store - 15 miles away for a little one - and not so shockingly no gluten-free or organic section ;) I found some rice cakes so I've been living on oatmeal, rice cakes, a little peanut butter, hard boiled eggs and potatoes. We are going to journey out to Walmart tonight after we quit for the day and hopefully replenish our fruit. We are trying. Local fare is mostly fried.

While I feel pretty bummed about the running I am proud of myself for making my "Hot in your tank top" March challenge a priority. It's only 4-5 strength training exercises for a set of 3 (about 10 - 15 mins of exercise total) but it's enough to get me sweating and though every night I want to sit down and have a glass of wine, I force myself to do this circuit first. I definitely feel happy about sticking to that commitment and if I didn't have that, there would be a good chance that I wouldn't be doing anything at all. :/

In other news, I got very lucky in Kentucky! I bought a PowerBall ticket for this past Wednesday's drawing and on a fluke I checked it - I hit 4 out of 5 numbers and won $100! Yippee! That's a 1 in 19,000 chance so that's pretty cool. If I had hit 5 (odds jump to 1 in 5 million) I would've one 1 million dollars!

I go home sometime this week, looking forward to getting a few good runs in.

How are things with you? Do you do monthly fitness challenges to keep on track?

XO
Jen

Cheesy rant: Stop the madness

2013-03-07T08:41:00.001-05:00

I don't eat Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Aside from the fact that I avoid processed foods, I can't eat gluten or dairy so it's not like this stuff makes its way in my home often. I'll admit that every so often my son will sneak a box in the cart and he'll get a little for lunch, but that's not likely to happen again. I'll also admit that back in the day before I gave a damn about nutrition I thought this crap was pretty tasty.

There are two whole food blogs I like to read: Food Babe and 100 Days of Real Food. These blogs are great to read because they are very eye-opening and informative but they will also get you a bit crazy when you begin to read about our flawed food supply. They are food investigators so there are many things that might seem OK or even good for you that turns out to have something questionable or downright dangerous about it.

In any case, I try not to get myself too nuts about it all because somedays it all gets just too overwhelming.

Even when I was fat I wasn't naive enough to think that something like a Kraft Macaroni and Cheese was a healthy choice. I knew it was crappy, processed, comfort-like food that tasted good. What I didn't really realize at that time was that it contains ingredients (Yellow #5 and Yellow #6) that are known to cause cancer and hyper-activity in children and a host of other potential issues.

That would be crappy enough but what really makes my head explode is that they don't have to use those chemicals. In fact, Kraft makes a version for other countries which uses paprika and other non-chemicals to color the mac and cheese. In fact these chemicals in the US version are so harmful that they are banned in places like Norway and Australia and being phased out in the UK.

PHOTO: 100 DAYS of REAL FOOD

So Food Babe and Lisa from 100 Days of Real Food started THIS PETITION to urge Kraft to make our good 'ol US mac and cheese as safe as the rest of the world. They even taste-tested it - and it tastes exactly the same. Who could be against safer food? Who wouldn't be on board to saying no to cancer-causing ingredients when alternatives are available? Isn't this a no-brainer? Isn't this one issue that we can all agree on?

Well… this story was picked up by Shine Yahoo yesterday and to my complete shock some of the comments were dumbfounding. People raged, "just don't eat it, then. Why ban it?" "I defend the right for people to shove any kind of food down their mouths…" etc… I was shocked. I agree that consumers have a responsibility to make their own healthy choices. DON'T EAT IT. I agree - no f'ing duh, MAKE A HEALTHY version yourself but I couldn't understand how people were so against the idea that we would hold companies accountable for making our foods safer when possible.

Here were some of the comments:

It's just scary to me how every issue, even one like sending a message to not put potentially hazardous stuff in our food when there's an alternative, still has people fighting against it. Why?

By the way - Kraft isn't the only one. There are tons of other processed foods on the market that are using chemicals that are banned in other countries in our versions. It's maddening that there are better alternatives but so many of us are just content to accept this when we don't have to.

What are your thoughts?

Jen

Facebook and running - Perfect together

2013-03-05T19:53:00.002-05:00

I love Social Media. I admit it I have an ~~obsession~~, ~~addiction,~~ appreciation for Facebook and Twitter.

Social Media has played a HUGE role in my running success. In fact I can easily say that I would be a whole different person with a whole different set of friends right now if the computer and all of its offerings weren't at my fingertips during this journey.

When I first started running I used this blog and Facebook to help keep me accountable. In those early days, the support and Facebook "likes" really motivated me to keep going.

I also found that the minute I started posting about my running - running friends came out of the woodwork to offer sneaker shopping recommendations, ideas about where to run in my town, training programs and so much more.

Looking back on the last three years I use social media DAILY to keep me motivated, to gather information, and yes - even (especially) to brag. For better or worse, many a long run was fueled by knowing that I was going to get to show off (just a bit) about that run!

Yes, Facebook, Twitter and this blog has been crucial to my success. I'm not sure where I would be without it.

Consider this - Thanks to social media:

I have found some of my closest running friends both in Jersey and across the country
I got an invite onto the 'Fat To Finish Line' Ragnar team that we're making a film about
I figured out a way to run multiple half marathons and one full
I became a top five finalist for Progresso Soup's "Souper Me" contest back in 2010
I found a way to keep track of my good days, bad days and all those miles! What would I do without Nike+'s social media and Daily Mile?
I got hooked up with Moms In Motion and many more friends
I was inspired to do yoga
I was motivated to try Facebook Challenges like this one I'm doing for March

And so much more.

Who doesn't get a little pick-me-up when a inspirational running quote scrolls past you on your feed?

Thank you I <3 a="" run="" to=""> for daily inspiration on FB!

I can't count how many times I've posted or tweeted running-related questions about countless things: Nutrition, foam rolling, ~~pantsing my poop~~, suggested play lists, hydration systems, races, etc to get varied answers and feedback from runners across the globe. It's amazing.

I honestly don't know if I would've stayed on this path if it weren't for social media, this blog and the wonders that come from my computer. I have to give it a lot of credit.

It also warms me to say that thanks to my own Facebook sharing, I've inspired a few others to get out there and give running a shot - it's a wonderful thing.

What about you? Do you think that Facebook, twitter, the computer age has helped your fitness / running?

Jen

Life lessons learned from running my Ragnar Relay Race

2013-02-28T16:50:00.001-05:00

The team at Ragnar Relay Miami finish line

Running a Ragnar Relay Race was truly life changing experience for me. In reflecting back on the race I've come to realize that there were many lessons to come out of it all.

If you read my five part race review you'll remember that I had some GREAT moments and I had some AWFUL moments but those moments all added up to get the team to a finish line nearly 200 miles from where we started.

Lessons learned from Ragnar:

Planning. There is a popular saying, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" and no where is that more immediately evident than during a Ragnar. From making sure you have the right recovery snacks on hand to packing your sneakers, you have to plan. If you forget your headlamp or reflective vest, you won't even be allowed out of the van never mind allowed to run! Planning for any goal is crucial. If your goal is to lose weight, you might plan your meals, you might plan when you're going to exercise and you might plan some time to peruse healthy recipes. Winging it just doesn't work for most.
Preparation. Preparation goes hand and hand with planning. You must pack your bags, you must prep your race outfits, you must prep your fueling needs. I didn't prepare myself properly for the heat, for running in the middle of the night and probably didn't prepare (or plan) my nutrition properly and my middle of the night run was a disaster! In any goal you must take the steps. If you plan to eat clean and vegetarian for a week then you have to prep your vegetables and prepare your meals. If you plan to do Ironman you have to prepare with months and months of training.
Leaning on the team. When it comes to Ragnar as it is with any goal or challenge in life you are stronger when you work with a team and lean on the team when necessary. When you are weak, let others be strong. My team cheered me on when I was feeling exhausted, passed me water when I thirsty, got me to a restroom when the hydration was challenging my bladder and even ran a good few miles of my leg when my body cramped up. Whether you are running a relay or trying to lose weight - leaning on others for support, turning to them for advice and having a kind ear to vent to can make all the difference between reaching the finish line or finishing short.
Flexible. Even with all the planning and preparations in the world, sh*t happens. You must remain flexible when going for a goal. During Ragnar you'll have several instances where things will change and being able to roll with the punches gracefully will help you to be successful. During our race, the whole team had to be flexible and make all kinds of game day changes because of my miserable middle of the night run. Without the team stepping up and being flexible, we would've never made it to the finish line. I know many people who have a hard time with flexibility. For example - Bob has a six mile run planned for after work. Unfortunately a business meeting runs late and now Bob doesn't have time to run six miles. Being flexible means saying, "Oh well, I will run four then." Being unflexible means, "Forget it, if I can't do six I might as well not do any." Bob just got a little further away from his goal instead of moving four miles closer to it. Don't laugh. Do you know how many people I know sabotage their dreams and goals because they look at things in such a black and white way? But in Ragnar, you have no choice to be flexible.
Just keep swimming. My five year old son is a big Finding Nemo fan. There is this dialogue between Dory and Marlin: Dory:"Hey Mr. Grumpy Gills... When life gets you down do you wanna know what you gotta do?" Marlin:"I don't wanna know what you gotta do." Dory:"Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim." When I was running my third leg and still unsure of whether I could do it or not I just kept thinking to myself, "Just keep running/moving/walking/crawling/swimming..." whatever. Perseverance is key and as long as you are going forward you are making progress. And with any goal, even when you feel like it's impossible, like you'll never find Nemo or get to the finish line, you just have to blindly "keep swimming" and have faith that you'll get there. Don't be the one so quick to give up.
Celebrate the success and grow from the stumbles. Ragnar is awesome. When you cross 200 miles of road with a team it's an indescribable feeling. And each small step, each leg means something. With each step you celebrate getting closer to the finish line. Along the way their are stumbles, a nutrition choice that didn't work out, a sleep attempt foiled, a leg that has to be picked up by another, etc. The stumbles along the way to your goals are not anything to be upset by, they are learning tools whether you are gunning for a Ragnar Relay finish line or a finish line in any other area of your life.

What are some life lessons you've learned from Ragnar or any other race?

Jen

The Ultimate Beginner's Running Guide: The Key To Running Inspired review

2013-02-23T10:32:00.001-05:00

Even though I have been running since 2010 in many ways I still consider myself a new runner. I have been fortunate to learn a lot along the the way. I came by my running 'knowledge' mainly by reading other's blogs, doing internet research and asking other runners for feedback and advice. Often I made (and continue to make) mistakes.

But you, potentially new runner, doesn't have to!

Here is a great source to find many answers to your running questions!

Ryan Roberts new book, The Ultimate Beginner's Running Guide: The Key To Running Inspired will provide you with all you need to know to get you from the couch to the road!

I really liked this book because it was simple and enjoyable to read yet covered everything. Each chapter detailed basic but important running stuff. From picking the right footwear to figuring out running nutrition and hydration. But the book also addresses much of the mental games that runners go through. The books delves into issues like being 'self-conscious' and building confidence. It talks about finding motivation. I appreciated that the author chose not to omit these very important parts of running. Often, getting the right sneakers on is the easy part. Roberts writes about using visualization to help get you going. I can't tell you how important of a tool this was for me early on, so I'm glad he thought to address this concept in his book.

Each chapter also ends with a summary to help readers to further reflect on the highlights of the chapter.

If you are a new runner or know someone who is considering making the leap into the running world, this is a great read. And, even as someone who's been running for a few years - I still got a lot out of the book. It was a great refresher on a few things I've forgotten.

If you are interested in checking it out or giving it as a gift - here's the link to Amazon.

Jen

I was not paid for this review, the author offered me a copy of the book to read and I read it. I had no obligation to write this review and the opinions are entirely my own.

The best run ever and a little more yoga

2013-02-20T21:21:00.000-05:00

I was going thru my blog and revisited my goals and races page to check something out when a comment caught my eye. I'm sure I saw it when it came in but paid no mind. Today it made me look twice. It literally read:

Whoa. Seriously. Out of all the runners out there, you Google "Worst Run ever" and I come up!? Way to put out the good vibes into the universe - eh?

So I was curious. And I googled "worst run ever."

And sure as shit - there I am in the number two spot.

I couldn't even remember why it was The Worst Run Ever but then I looked it up. It actually was a pretty bad run - I remember the day now, I was supposed to run 10 miles and could barely do six. I walked a bunch during that run (something I almost never do) and couldn't find my groove. Oh well. Anyway if you want to go back in time, here is the post.

So what about the best run ever?

Well, it probably wasn't my best ever but I'm determined to turn what I'm putting out in the universe around and today I had a great run. It wasn't my furthest or fastest but it felt good.

It was only 3 miles but lately I've been really sitting in my comfort zone when it comes to pace. I've been running a 10'30 to a 11 min mile lately. Now don't get me wrong. It's still an effort, I don't feel like I'm crawling at that pace but I am fairly comfortable. So today I decided to dial it up just a bit. I wound up running an avg. of 9'48 - but really, my first mile was at an 11' (warm up mile) and the last 2 were around an avg. of 9'12 each. I was out of my comfort zone for five minutes at a time (alternating between 6.5 - 7.0 for five minute and returning to a 6.0 / 6.1 for 'recovery' - slightly speedier 'recovery' than usual too). It was tough but I loved eyeing the dude on the tread next to me who was 20 years old and never went above a 5.8 and was dying. hee hee.

I finished feeling exhilarated.

And in other fitness news, my journey to yoga continues. I went this morning and I still suck at it. I still feel awkward and inflexible and struggle to come anywhere close but it's a work in progress. But I have to say that the instructor is very encouraging and patient with me. She takes a lot of time modifying moves and demonstrating the way I should attempt poses and that's really cool.

I was thrilled to meet a future runner in class. She is in the midst of her weight loss journey and has already lost a lot of weight thru yoga. She is plus sized but she was awesome at yoga and very inspiring to me. She randomly mentioned to the girl next to her that she was thinking of signing up for a 5K and the couch to 5K program. Well I lit up like a Christmas tree, I was so excited for her! She said that she ran for one minute the day before and it was significant for her. I told her that was exactly how I started! I hope to run in to her again and that she really starts the running thing. She has no idea how it can change your life. It completely changed mine.

How are you doing? Yoga? What was your best run ever? Worst?

XO
Jen

Yoga sucks. Sign me up!

2013-02-15T12:59:00.000-05:00

So today I moseyed to my fifth attempt at yoga. I have been trying Vinyasa yoga. I think. Except for the one time I did Bikram.

My conclusion is that yoga is very f'ing hard for me. This comes as natural to me as resting my knees on my elbows and trying to lift my feet in the ground to the left (or right) while breathing - I know. They wanted me to try to do that. Everyone else in the class could. Not me. Insane. Right?

You want me to do what?
credit

The story usually goes like this:

I promptly let the instructor know that I'm a runner with tight hamstrings and a beginner. This is always a good/bad move - good because the expectation of my ability has been lowered, bad because I usually become the pet project of the class causing me further pose anxiety. Still. That is better than not giving an explanation of my limited abilities.

Then I peel my socks off and note my busted runner's feet and curse myself for being too lazy to get a mid-winter pedicure. I'm mortified that strangers might glimpse these ugly feet of mine but not enough to actually get a pedicure.

We begin by sitting in the lotus position. I'm already uncomfortable. I cheat by placing blocks under my knees. Off to a great start. Ohmmmm and we're off.

We begin with 1 of about 800 downward dog/plank ~~type shit moves~~ poses that just keep leading into other poses that I struggle with.

When everything starts to shake and I'm about to cry, I unyogaily drop to my knees and child's pose all the while trying to breathe as I silently curse myself for coming to another class. I pull it together and go back into downward dog and then transition into as close as I can to whatever is going on.

When everyone else has their palms on the floor and straight legs - I'm reaching with all my might for my shins.

My flexibility has always been bad. I remember as a kid practicing for months to try to touch my toes or do a split. It just never happened.

And then just as I'm about to swear off yoga forever it's time to lay flat and breathe and Ohmmmm out. Then I think to myself, "that wasn't so bad."

The thing is, and the thing I'm most proud of myself is, I'm not giving up. Oh I (kind of) hate it and I suck at it and if there were a hidden camera in this class it would make for mighty funny YouTube viewing but I'm not quitting. The old me would try it for five minutes and walk out. "I tried, I suck, I'm done." But now-a-days I try, I suck, I keep trying again - hoping to eventually suck less. (I don't know if this is stubborn stupidity or noble - but whatever.)

I choose to believe this is a good new quality I've cultivated.

That's a lesson from losing weight and running that I have learned. I mean I sucked at both of those things for a loooong time too. It took me a long time to get pretty good (and even liking running) and I'm still improving at that.

Took 40 years to figure out losing weight/healthy eating/maintaining -- and I'm still working at that.

I believe that yoga is going to help my calf and hamstring issues - they are very tight. Something has to give. So I owe it (at least to my running self) to keep trying. I would think it'll take 10 or more classes for me to get into a groove.

Yoga doesn't come easy for me. It's frustrating because my competitiveness and A-student mentality makes me want to be good at this and I'm not even close. But I won't give up. Thanks to being cheap (I have groupons of classes to use) and thanks to the new "don't give up and give it a chance" attitude, I'm going to just keep trying.

Do you do yoga? If not, have you tried it? Hate it or love it? Any others out there as inflexible as me?

XO
Jen

PS: Funnily, As hard as Bikram was - I liked that best. Unfortunately, i don't have one of those close to me in Jersey and I'm too broke right now to hop my ass into NYC to pay for class and the $15 commute fee - I do have a gift from Angela for 10 classes in Los Angeles! So I have something to look forward to when i get out that way.

Swim, Bike, Run, Sweat: My week of tri-ing new things

2013-02-10T11:45:00.000-05:00

Credit

As many of you know, I've got this deep-down desire to get into triathlons eventually.

Even though up to this past week I hadn't been on a bike since I was 12 or really ever swum in any organized way. (I doubt that sitting pool side with a cocktail and splashing around to cool off counts.)

But yet, I'm oddly attracted to the idea of triathlons.

I was in LA last week working on some stuff with my business partner Angela. Angela has participated in a few smaller triathlons but has recently decided to go for a 70.3 at REV3 Maine in August so she's getting serious about training. She is even blogging about her journey and you can read about her progress at Another Hole in the Head.

Since she's training I thought I would tag along on some of the other triathlon activities that I don't usually get to do.

While I'm still not ready to fully commit (I still need to figure out logistics for training) I did enjoy my exploration of tri stuff this week.

SWIM:

Only in LA can you show up to an outdoor pool at 7PM on a Wednesday night and train in the middle of February. It was a little chilly outside (about 55 degrees) but the pool is heated so once in and swimming it was comfortable. I signed up for a free 1 class pass with SCAQ (Southern California Aquatics) for a swim clinic. We were greeted by a friendly guy named Clay. Clay asked about our experience (me: none, Angela, just a bit more) and he told us to get going.

He corrected technique, gave us tons of pointers and I felt like I learned a lot in a very short amount of time.

Clay was great but I had no idea how great this guy was until I looked him up. Clay is Clay Evans a former Olympian swimmer who had won a silver and bronze medal! WHAT!? In fact SCAQ is one of the largest Masters swimming programs in the country. Hey why not start at the top for my first lesson - huh?

Clay was great and gave us a ton of attention and coaching. I loved this guy and if (when) I live here and if (when) I'm making good money, I'm so joining SCAQ.

Bonus: the natural facelift the swim cap gives…

Verdict: I can see myself liking swimming and I can see the awesome challenge it would be to get good at it. After 50 minutes though my calves cramped when I left the water! Not sure if that was a hydration thing, exertion thing or the fact that I wore flippers part of the time but that was unexpected. Luckily, the cramping was short lived.

BIKE:

Oy. For some reason it didn't occur to me that it might take a minute to get used to being on a bike again but I have to tell you that the first time in getting on a bike in more than 25 years was pretty nerve-wracking! I borrowed my friend Sara's mountain bike and I realized that I didn't even know how or why/when to switch gears! The last time I was on a bike it was my "Pink Thunder" Huffy and I used the 'ol pedal backwards to brake and the 'ol stand up and pedal my ass off to power up a hill.

Pink Thunder. Helluva bike probably not ideal for triathlon

Anyway, so we go to this bike path that runs along the "LA river" from Culver City to the beach. I started off super rocky and was a nervous wreck! I was gripping the handle bars for dear life and it took me a while to get in a groove and feel in control of the bike. I just kept reminding myself of the old ladies and crack heads I see in the park - if they could do it, I could friggen learn to ride a bike again.

Parts of the path is a little sketch and narrow and I had visions of falling into the concrete 'river.' As we were riding, Ang gave me a little lesson in gear shifting (Sara had tried to explain it before taking off but I couldn't remember what to do) and I eventually got acclimated. We rode about five miles out (it was gray and chilly - well, chilly for LA) and five miles back - about an hour, which I thought was good for the first attempt.

Verdict: While it took me a bit to warm up I all in all enjoyed biking. I may buy a cheap hybrid from Target for now just to keep riding and stuff.

RUN:

I ran a half marathon this week. This is nothing new but I like the fact that I did all three things this week and thus the reason it's in this blog. You can read all about my race here.

Verdict: Running and I are still BFFs

SWEAT:

So you may know from this post that I've been recently giving yoga a try. I have cramping in my legs and very tight hamstrings and calves so my hope is that yoga will help those muscles out. While here in LA, Angela thought it would be cool for us to check out Bikram. All I knew about Bikram was that the room is kept at a million degrees (104) and you do yoga moves. Um. I naturally have assumed for years that this would be a living hell that I would really hate.

First of all, we were late - LA traffic made going 6 miles into a near hour affair. So there's nothing better than charging into hot yoga late and as a newcomer, that got me even more nervous. Finally we were in and kinda settled - we missed the 'breathing' part, which was kind of OK with me because if it meant that I'd have to spend five less seconds in this fricken hot smelly room - great.

Within the first five minutes I went thru a bunch of emotions - one being, "wtf was I thinking?" and "Holy crap, how long do we do this for?" I really suck at all yoga - my flexibility is ass and even 'comfortable' poses for most (like sitting "Japanese" style or crossed leg, hurt. ) I never sweated like that before. But I did the best I could and by the end I actually found a very weird appreciation for it. Huh. Who knew? I would even go again. In hind-sight, I think I really liked it even.

Wiped out after Bikram but we loved the sign over our head

Angela has been having fun with her GoPro and I'm just learning how to edit (be kind - I have a lot to learn) but here's a little video journey of my week in swim, bike, run, sweat - don't know what happened to the quality when I converted it - I'm sure it doesn't have to look like that I'll figure it out eventually…

All in all it was a great week of fitness and business. I really liked delving into these other activities and hope to keep on doing it!!

What new things have you tried lately?

Jen

Surf City 2013 race report: Getting salty

2013-02-06T16:22:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday I ran the Surf City half marathon for the second year straight. Located in beautiful Huntington Beach, CA this is a half I really enjoy. The weather is great, the sights of the ocean divine and the surf board bling at the finish line an adorable addition to the medal rack.

Of-course, despite it being a race I look forward to, I was filled with all sorts of worry.

After the issues at Ragnar and the calf pain I've been experiencing lately, I have to admit I was nervous. On top of the issues, I didn't feel as trained as I would like to have been. I knew I wouldn't come anywhere close to PR'ing but deep down I prayed, "just let me finish." "Just let me have a race I don't hate and get to the finish line."

At the start of the race I felt good and as ready as I'd ever be. I concentrated on hydrating as well as I could (considering I flew in the day before) and I finally remembered to wear compression socks on the flight to help.

Cute LogHeads t-shirt: shamelessly plugging the new show
I'm producing for DIY network! ;-)

I also rolled the dice and made a deliberate, usually, "no-no" game day decision. I decided to try something new. I found SaltStick at the expo and bought some. SaltStick is a product that combines sodium, potassium, magnesium, and Vitamin D to help you replace electrolytes - you can take it every 20 to 30 mins when you are sweating or exerting yourself - it has gotten a lot of great reviews from athletes saying it's helped reduce cramping. Since sports drinks usually upset my delicate tummy (it's always something with me! Right?) I have been using coconut water - but it just hasn't been quite enough.

So when I saw them at the expo, I remembered that people had recommended them to me along the way but kept forgetting to check them out. When I saw them, I figured I would give them a shot - even tho I was rolling the dice with my tummy I thought the risk would be worth the reward.

During the race, I felt good. I worked at keeping my spirits up. I remembered the people who can't run when I felt doubt creeping in. I kept my pace comfortable. I usually ran somewhere between 11:20 - 12:00. I just didn't want to hate the last few miles so kept it conservative. I slowed thru water stops to hydrate (it was warm) and would walk for a second or two but did very little real walking, which made me happy. Although for the last 4 or 5 miles I did have to stop several times for a minute here and there to keep stretching my legs - they were getting tight, though didn't cramp! (HURRAH!)

Right around the 7 mile mark, I saw a familiar face! Caroline! I can't believe I saw her - I was barely glancing that way and it was such a great moment. I shouted her name and she saw me - we stopped and hugged quickly. It was an awesome pick-me-up and it really put a smile on my face for the next mile. Finally we met!! :-)

So between the water stop strolling, the stopping to stretch and a potty break - I ran this race a full 20 minutes slower than last year! Last year my average pace was a 10:59 and this year - 12:30 - (tag time - actual running time if I don't count all the stops and stuff was 11:45 or something - Garmin automatically pauses.)

VICTORY!!

And I'm sooooo OK with that.

Not for one second did I hate this race. I had fun. I enjoyed the day.

I think the SaltStick worked - which I took every 30 mins more or less... (I also took 2 1/2 gels - 1 every 45 minutes - the last was a half) - nutrition overkill? Probably but whatever keeps those god awful cramps away!

I think that with better training (more medium length runs and long runs), yoga, stretching, foam rolling - combined with a little more experimentation with nutrition and hydration and I'll be back in a place of aiming for better pace, eventually. But for right now. I'm happy that I had a good run.

foam rolling with a friend the day after Surf city...

I needed to take a few steps back in order to get myself going forward again. I've learned it's not how fast you get to the finish line it's getting to the finish line that is most important to me -- and getting to the finish line and still being in one piece.

-----------------------------------------------------
And in other news…

We premiered our first documentary film yesterday at the GRAMMY® museum at downtown LA yesterday. It was a red carpet premiere and very exciting! It's GRAMMY® week so it's pretty exciting. The film is called "Happy on the Ground: 8 Days at GRAMMY® Camp" and you can now rent or own it at iTunes and Amazon! Too cool. Click on either link to check out the trailer.

On the red carpet with my producing partners, Dan - Me - Angela

XO
Jen

Running in the snow and a pain in the leg

2013-01-28T18:05:00.000-05:00

Today was a first for me - I ran in the snow!

Snowy Moms In Motion I am bottom left with white hat/brown jacket

I would've NEVER elected to run in the snow on my own. I mean, that's what my gym membership is for! lol but it was the first day of the new season of the Moms In Motion and I didn't want to wimp out so I sucked it up and went.

It was actually a fun experience and I was surprised by how much I didn't hate it. The only worry was keeping an eye on my footing the white coating made it tougher to know where the pavement was uneven or rocky but I made it thru.

Since getting the calf pain, it was my fastest run too. 3 miles @ an average of 10:30 pace. I think the splits were 11'15, 10'30 and 9'59 or something. I'm happy to have picked up the pace but it's also a funny thing to note how much weight and stuff affects my running. I'm up a good few pounds (I'm guilty of eating too much and having one or two extra glasses of wine or martini) so it's no shocker. But I swear I felt like I was running my little heart out. I would've rated my exertion as a 10'30, 10'00 and 9'30 pace instead. Oh well. I'm counting calories again will peel off the few.

I am unfortunately still dealing with the very strange calf pain. I mean thank God it's not a clot but it's still a mystery. It's in the middle-ish towards the left of my right calf and almost feels like a mini little charley horse has moved in and it always feels on the verge of getting worse. Maybe it's a nerve thing? Over the weekend I really slowed my running down on Saturday and Sunday to make sure running wouldn't further aggravate it. The good news is it doesn't seem like running isn't making it any better or worse. I guess that's a good thing. Should be interesting trying to go 13.1 this coming Sunday :/ I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm a ~~lot~~ little nervous. I have a super busy week ahead. Maybe I'll try to see a doc on Friday if it's still nagging at me. Just not even sure what kind of doc to see. A PT? A orthopedist? My regular doc? Anyone?

I have been foam rolling which is interesting. I am not sure it's doing anything yet but going to keep rolling - I think practice makes perfect.

And tonight I have another yoga class at a different studio. This should be interesting. Will keep you posted!

Ever have a weird calf or leg pain? Did it 'just go away' like I'm desperately hoping for?

Have you ever run in the snow or rain? Do you love or hate it?

XO
Jen

Easy banana oatmeal pancakes: vegan, gluten free and dairy free

2013-01-27T10:40:00.001-05:00

One of the biggest bummers for me when it comes to being gluten-free is missing pancakes. Pancakes are one of my favorite things in the whole world. I know you can buy gluten-free pancake mixes and stuff but I haven't felt moved to do that. I can't see spending that kind of money just so I could have an occasional pancake or two.

This morning I woke up in the mood for a pancake. Taking the gluten/dairy thing into account as well as not wanting to veer off my healthy path - I decided to experiment with what I thought might make a good pancake and it worked! I really enjoyed this and thought I would pass it along.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of quick oats
1 very ripe banana
a sprinkle of baking powder
a sprinkle of cinnamon
a dash of rice milk (or 'milk' of your choice - this is what I had on hand)
a tiny pinch of salt
2 tsps. of Olivio coconut spread (I happen to like this - it's dairy free and organic but you can use soy spread or other thing - your choice.)

love that coconut spread!

I threw the dry ingredients into my magic bullet and grounded it up until it was like an 'oatmeal' flour - a few seconds. Put that in a bowl.

Added the banana and dash of rice milk to bullet thing and blended til smooth.

I combined wet and dry ingredients in the bowl (add a little more milk if too thick).

Heated up a non stick pan with a tsp. of coconut spread. Once the pan was nice and hot I poured the batter into the pan - I made one huge pancake.

Once edges started to get dry looking, I flipped.

Took out of the pan and plate. Topped with other tsp. of coconut spread.

YUM. I think you could add shredded coconut to the batter, chocolate chips, pecans - whatever kind of ingredient is your thing and it would be awesome. I am a walnut fan and will throw a few in the batter next time.

The banana made the pancake pretty sweet. If your banana isn't very ripe, you could prob. add a half tsp of honey or something to the batter. I didn't feel it needed any syrup.

I hope you enjoy it!

XO
Jen

Overreacting vs under-reacting

2013-01-24T14:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit

I'm sitting in the ER feeling pretty stupid.

Let me back up.

I woke up Tuesday with a strange aching in my calf. Petty unusual feeling and not typical of what I've ever felt before. I dismissed it as maybe a weird thing I did during my first yoga class or maybe something happened during my Sunday long run. I don't know.

First I fretted whether I could/should run, take a scheduled boot camp class or take my next scheduled yoga class. Don't want to risk "over-doing" it and hurting it further. The ache isn't unbearable just dull but steady. I could certainly work thru it and walking doesn't hurt much at all. Still. I have another half coming up a week from Sunday and the last thing I need is to further aggravate a sprain or strain if that's what it is. Over-reacting not to run? Under-reacting to be tempted to go test the waters on a 3 mile run? Ask ten people and you'll get ten different answers.

I haven't run since Sunday, opting instead to see if rest would help… and now I suffer the dark, sad and slightly depressed mood to prove it. I'm getting really sick of all this leg pain and issues. I just want to f'ing run already and without worry! (Sorry. The crabby, haven't run in a few days, girl rears her head)

Anyhow, while frittering away on FB and to make my already-hypochondriac ass even more confused, I come across this article: Runner's and Blood Clots - what you need to know and why athletes may be at greater risk… and now I'm bugging the hell out.

Just traveled? Check

Dehydrated? Check

Muscles fatigued? Sore? Check, check

Plus check, check, check to being over 40, on bc pills and imbibing in alcohol.

The freakin Internet and all of its information is ruining my life. My medical degree from Google now has me believing I could have a blood clot in my leg. I called my doc and told her the situation. She said to go to ER. So here I sit. Waiting for an ultrasound that I'm sure is going to confirm I am crazy and have nothing. Our shitty insurance will leave us paying for this crap forever.

The problem is, I'm always so fearful to over or under- react. It also comes down to a little bit of that old question of "being worth it". I'm sitting here feeling guilty and beating myself up over incurring this medical expense. Why aren't I feeling good enough to validate if I've got a clot or not? It's sick and scary that I'm almost hoping to have a clot to prove to myself that I'm not crazy or overreacting. To say, "see! Good thing I went!" Which is awful to say. I apologize to my friend Sara who did suffer a very serious clot and it severely set my friend back she's been dealing with it for nearly a year now and spent time in the hospital. It can be very, very serious. That's why I didn't want to take chances. That's why I'm here.

Getting wheeled in now...

Good news. No clot. Just another medical case of over-reacting and reading too much web-md.

And instead of relief the voices scream, "See. you are crazy. See you just wasted a shit-load of money and time." (Must get those mean thoughts out of head). Funny how I would never berate a friend for being safe and not sorry.

Now the only question left is can I run or will I aggravate a strain?

F it I am rolling the dice and running. before I lose my mind or misdiagnose myself with something else.

Jen

PS: Despite the fact that I'm in a crappy mental place - please don't ever f*ck around with your health - when in doubt, check it out. I still rather feel stupid than dead. IMHO

Yoga, foam rolling, Surf City and Lance Armstrong

2013-01-22T16:04:00.000-05:00

So this is what we all get when Jen doesn't blog for more than a week.

A whole bunch of stuff crammed into one blog posting.

This post will be much like the rest of my day, an A.D.D. cocktail of different thoughts on different subjects...

Anyway.

Where to start?

I took the plunge on Jan. 10th and signed up for the Surf City half marathon - which happens on Feb. 3. Trained? Eh. Not as much as I would like to be. With less than a month to go at sign-up time, I started to cram/train immediately. My first week was a 3 - 2 - 8 mile week of miles. (um.) and last week I did 4 - 2- 4 - 10. A twenty mile week. And it felt pretty good. I made sure to take my 10 miles slowly, hydrate tremendously and even stopped to stretch around five miles in. It all paid off. I managed to do it with no cramping. I will not be PR'ing this half but I am looking forward to enjoying it.

I'm coming back!

This past week's ten mile long run was important and significant for me. The last time I attempted 10 miles it wasn't a good experience at all - as you might remember from this Ragnar Race report. Conquering those miles felt really good. I will do another 8 - 10 miles this weekend and then use the rest of the week to taper with smaller 2 or 3 milers.

It sucks that I'm traveling the day before the race - 8 hours of travel with my layover. I'm going to really have to super hydrate somehow and try to remember to wear compression socks on the plane.

BTW did you catch this? I was voted some sort of "Top Health and Fitness blogger!" -->

In other news -- I've been taking a very serious approach to trying to fix my leg issues. I suffer from tight hamstrings and frequent cramping on runs over 6 miles and it's starting to bum me out. So I've been playing with hydration/potassium/magnesium and other nutrition approaches.

I've also invested (freaking $40 bucks!) in a foam roller (they say it's a great way to work those muscles) and am attempting yoga and strength training. Anything to become a better runner. I swear - who is this person I've become?

Kinda liking this thing

As a person who's pretty impatient, sort of has trouble with balance and is the most unflexible person on the planet, yoga is (haha) kind of a stretch for me. I mean it's uncomfortable for me to even sit cross legged and when bending, my hands go just below the knees when trying to touch my toes. It's really bad. It's probably also why I really need yoga.

Yoga was kind of annoying. I didn't care for the instructor who just kept telling the newbies to "look at others if you don't know what you're doing." and I didn't get a nice zen vibe there. I didn't love it but I'm going to give it a few shots before I give up. I didn't like coffee, beer or running at first either and now I am a fan of all three of those things. So there you go. Maybe it's an acquired taste! I'm trying a different studio this Friday.

And then there's Lance.

Oh Lance.

I think doing Oprah was a mistake. I felt zero sincerity from him and I felt so much like the only reason why he was doing it was because his big ego made him believe that it was all he would need to do to win back some affection from fans and possibly pave the way to be eligible to compete. Uh. I don't think so. I think I liked him even less after the interview. The whole thing just seemed pathetic to me.

So... Any races coming up? Do you do yoga? Do you foam roll? Do you have thoughts about Lance?

Inquiring minds!!

XO
Jen

Ragnar Relay race review: The Finish Line

2013-01-12T20:51:00.000-05:00

Ragnar Relay race review - THE FINISH LINE

If you want to read the saga that was Ragnar for me (the good, the bad/ugly and the great) then -

Read first:
part 1: Best day ever
part 2: We had it all
part 3: My darkest hour
part 4: Redemption

I am sorry for the fifty part series here but it was so epic and so much going on that in order to really document the journey, I saw no other way then to break it down in five parts. If you've read all of them, thank you for indulging me.

So after I redeemed myself with my last leg run - it was still up to the rest of the team to finish their legs. I was excited and ready for the finish line. This was it!

We rooted and cheered off Linda, Jen, Allison, Carly on their runs. And finally it was John's turn. John donned his "Captain Awesome" cape and headed off. We were now so close to the finish line we could taste it!

Van one, had finished a few hours earlier so got to mill around town, perhaps grab a cocktail and finish up Today Show Interviews. Lucky ducks! We couldn't wait to reunite with the rest of the team. As John made his final run, we headed to the finish line area. It was a madhouse down there but the expert navigation of Allison and Jen up front had us finding a parking spot a half a block from the finish line and right if front of Van 1!

We excitedly piled out of the van and quickly found the rest of our team. Kerry Sanders from the Today Show was hanging out as was camera men and the producer from Today show. Too cool! Our own documentary crew was there too and all of it made us feel like a lucky bunch. It occurred to me that I'd be able to relive this special moment again! So awesome.

I chatted with van 1 and especially thanked Katie for being there for me that morning in my hour of despair. It was so great to talk to van 1 and the biggest bummer of the whole thing (even bigger than my 3 am running debacle) was the fact that we didn't get to all do it together. I wanted to hang out with van 1 so much more but that's not how the race is set up. Everyone was kind of bummed by the fact that we missed out on getting to know the other vans. We all joked that next time we're renting a big 'ol bus so we can all stick together the whole time :-)

Soon enough, we saw John and his awesome cape trailing behind and we all joined hands and bolted triumphantly for the finish line! We did it. We were team "From Fat To Finish Line" and we did it! We overcame heat, set-backs and tummy troubles - we did it. What an awesome moment. It was exhilarating, special and just absolutely joyful. It was a moment to relish forever.

We hugged, shed a few tears and then our Captain, Rik, presented each of the teammates with our medals. It was great.

We then milled about. Jen and I called it a night because we were famished and exhausted.

The one thing I do regret is not hanging out an extra day. Most of the team stayed in Key West for a few days and I left early-ish the next day. It would've been an awesome way to hang out with everyone and I could've used a day of non-running, cocktails and food, fun. Oh well. I won't make that mistake next time. (And yes. There will be a next time.)

I did at least get a delicious breakfast in before departing (and it was the best damn breakfast I ever had.)

Best breakfast ever

This was one of the highlights of my life and I'm so thankful and blessed to have made friends with all of these wonderful people. I'm soooo lucky that Katie thought of me to include me on the team to begin with. And I'm thankful that despite not knowing how I'd afford it, and everything else, I just took the leap and said yes.

XO
Jen

PS: If you didn't get to see Today Show about the team - here's the link to the piece