Another Small Change

Ready for another small change? Have you increased the amount of water you drink? Have you been eating more but smaller meals every day? OK, then you’re ready for the next one.


Try to make sure your meals and snacks every day cover all the food groups. If you are filled up with your servings of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, dairy and protein, there’s a lot less chance that you will feel the need to fill up with refined sugar, salt, and fat. There are all kinds of places you can look on the internet to learn about the food pyramid. http://www.mypyramid.gov/index.html is a good one.

And here’s your little trick for the day: Tonight while you’re watching t. v., do 25 crunches during each commercial break! Ha! Almost makes you want to skip t. v. watching, doesn’t it?

Music

Some days you just have to run on the treadmill. Or maybe you don’t, but I do. It’s hot or it’s raining or it’s cold or any other of the myriad excuses I can come up with. On these days it is particularly important to have your iPod charged up to keep you entertained. Outside you can run without it, maybe you even prefer it that way, but something has to pass the time on the treadmill.  Becky will usually run outside no matter how hot, wet, or cold it is, but she does like to have some good tunes for her cycling class.

When it comes to your iPod, it is extremely important to nag your children to put good music on it, especially if, like us, you are basically computer illiterate and unable to do it yourself. And by good music, that means the music you think is good, not the music they think is good. One day after turning on my iPod, I realized my son had taken all my music off and replaced it with some electronica stuff. To give him credit, he thought I would like it. And it was okay to listen to for a few minutes, but it definitely did not have the power to fire up a run like listening to old Motown hits or rocking out to Aerosmith.

We could go on all day about what songs we like to hear when we're exercising, but we'll limit it to just a couple.  We both love the theme song from Rocky (yes, we know it’s corny, but it would be so disrespectful to stop running during this song for any reason.  I mean, Rocky doesn't quit before he gets to the top of those steps, does he?)

My particular favorite right now is, embarrassingly enough, Age of Aquarius (come on and sing it with the 5th Dimension now!). So sorry, but just picture Steve Carell in the 40 Year Old Virgin and you will have to laugh and you will be able to keep running for at least another mile.

Yesterday I really got going with Elton John’s Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. It starts out so slow and then gradually builds until you’re just unable to stop.

The Two Buff Chicks would like to know some of your suggestions for great music to listen to while exercising. And for today’s treat, perform a random act of kindness for someone! (By the way, yesterday after telling you to look for little ways to add exercise to your day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, what did I do? I drove the four blocks to the Y and parked right out front. Why do we do that? We’re going in to exercise, but we need to save a few steps on our way? I need to start taking my own advice.)

Support

I'm a little embarrassed to tell you that one day when I was about 7 or 8 years old, my dad was heading out for a game of tennis and as he left the house I called, "Don't forget your athletic supporter, Dad!"  I had heard the phrase somewhere and thought that was the correct name for the strap that held his glasses on during play.  To say he was a bit chagrined would be putting it mildly.

Which brings me around to another, more important, kind of support.  Not the kind that he thought I was talking about, but the best thing you can do for yourself on your quest for a healthier lifestyle.  Find people and places that give you support.


I would not be where I am today on my fitness journey without the people at the YMCA. They greet you with smiles and lift you up by words of encouragement, jokes and laughter. You always leave feeling better than you did when you got there. They accept you no matter how old you are, how thin you are, how rich you are, whether you are in shape or not. They even accept you if your workout shorts do not match your workout shirt. Or if you are accidentally wearing your workout shirt inside out.

Their attitudes make me want to be a better person. They make me want to step out of my comfort zone and give encouragement, both to the people I know and to people I do not know yet. You never know what small action or word will mean everything to someone who is discouraged or having a bad day.

So on your path to fitness, ask yourself:

What can I do today to encourage someone?

What can I do today to encourage myself?

And remember your athletic supporter.

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget: TRICK OR TREAT – you’re always hearing people say, “take the elevator instead of the stairs,” “park at the back of the parking lot,” “walk instead of drive,” etc. See how many times and how many ways you can expand on this idea to get a little more activity in each day between now and Halloween. Let us know if you come up with any great new ideas to share!

What a Weekend

After all my big plans about how much I was going to work out this weekend, here's what happened instead.  I went to the gym Friday afternoon and lifted, but I didn't feel so great.  Then I went home and spent the next 24 hours with stomach flu.  I think I should get extra points for working out when nauseated. 

One good thing about having the flu was that it confirmed I didn't give my husband food poisoning; he had the flu on Wednesday and I was afraid it was from the lunch I had packed for him.  So no more guilt about that is hanging over my head.  Also, after weighing myself this morning, I couldn't help but remember that part in The Devil Wears Prada where the snippy girl tells the main character she's just one stomach flu away from her goal weight.  Not that I recommend this as a diet plan!  I hope I never get stomach flu again!

Anyway, I'm mostly back to normal today (or as normal as I ever get) so let's see where we are on our Halloween challenge.  Probably time for another trick.  We've really been pretty easy on you this month.  Don't get used to it, because the holidays are heading your way.  For today, instead of doing your regular crunches, make them bicycle crunches instead.  Yes, they're harder!  But that means they're better.  Try for 25 to each side and see how you do. 

October Challenge - Day 22

The weekend is here and with it the opportunity to give you a treat. Especially since we gave you that very tricky trick yesterday. Are you sore? I am still sore from Wednesday but I am planning to lift this afternoon, run tomorrow morning, and possibly lift again on Sunday. Talk about a glutton for punishment…but the holidays are fast approaching so I need to make some headway. We will have some good ideas for you in the coming weeks to help you make it through with us!


Take a little time for yourself this weekend and find a spooky book to read to make you feel all Halloweeny. Nancy’s recommendation is “The Woman in Black” by Susan Hill. No kidding, that book made the hair on her arms stand up. In fact it’s kind of doing it right now just thinking about it.

You asked for it...you got it.

I made a big mistake yesterday. I told my friend Becky that I really needed a good workout, because I haven’t been as faithful to lifting lately as I should have been, what with preparing for and recovering from the half marathon. Oh, did she take me at my word.

Now, as every muscle in my body aches, I would like to share the workout with you. Print it and do it --- if you dare. We will call this your trick for the day.

Circuit Number 1 – go through it once and then do it again except eliminating the bench press breakdowns on the 2nd time through.

• Walking lunges with lat raises – we just lunged up and down the hall but I guess you could call it 20 reps if you don’t have a hall. On the second set we carried weights but did not do the lat raises.


• 5 Bosu ball push-ups and a 30-second Bosu ball plank


• Bench Press Breakdowns – 3 sets of 10


• 5 Bosu ball push-ups


• 15 overhead press on the stability ball


• 5 Bosu ball push-ups


• 8 assisted lift at the heaviest weight you can do while maintaining good form


• You guessed it, 5 Bosu ball push-ups


• 25 stability ball crunches


Circuit Number 2 – do each exercise twice


• Bicep curl 21’s


• 8 super slow bicep curl


• 20 each: dips, triceps extension, and triceps kickback


Circuit Number 3 (we did this between sets of Circuit Number 2)


• 15 ab crunches on the machine


• 25 each: 90-degree crunches, bicycle crunches, oblique crunches (25 each way)


If you don’t know what all of these exercises are, you can adapt to what you do know. Or you can put a message on the blog and we will do our best to explain. All I know for sure about this workout is, although it was hard at the time and I’m sore today, it was a great feeling to have done it. So that was part of my reward.


My other reward was when Becky presented me with my half marathon t-shirt. I had somehow missed getting the shirt when I went to pick up my bib and bucket of goodies. Probably because I was distracted by talking to everyone I saw. I have a tendency to do that. When I realized that I had not gotten the shirt, my disappointment was acute! And that was multiplied by the fact that they had run out! Somehow Becky found one in my size. It helps to have friends in high places.

OH, What was I thinking?!

Monday night it was my turn to teach "Whose Class is it Anyway?"  This is a class that is taught by a different instructor each week and that instructor gets to decide what kind of class it will be.  I called my class "The Sweaty Sixty'-- not because I envisioned a class of 60 participants, nor was it because the 60 reflected my age (as was suggested by one of my former friends).  I chose that name because it was my plan to sweat for sixty minutes as we (the class and I) went through a series of intense cardio activities interspersed with some pretty intense strength moves.

About halfway through I was beginning to see some flaws in my plan.  For one thing I was sweating big time, and for another it was HARD!  I am happy to say my class hung tough--or maybe that was to my disadvantage, because had they shown just a hint of weakness I could've backed off and lightened up.  But no...they were hanging with me.

Can I just say that 10 minutes of agility ladder work followed by a minute of jump squats and a minute of walking lunges makes for a LONG 12 minutes!!  Then I had the bright idea of jumping rope in minute intervals in between doing plyometrics on the steps.  Yeah, the sweat was rolling and we were only at  the sweaty 45!!

Finally, after 10 minutes of circuits I had had enough, so I suggested we all just sit on the floor and stretch.  Oddly enough, no one protested.

The next day I was whining (yeah, I'll admit it) to another fellow trainer about how hard the class was last night and how sore I was at that moment.  And this every-so-observant friend said, "Becky didn't YOU design the class?"

Right.  Oh, what was I thinking?!  Next time I will think twice--I know that for sure!

A treat (to take your mind off of my soreness): Try a pumpkin spice donut!

The Office

Becky works at the gym, which makes it a little easier for her to be sure to get her exercise.  If you're already there, you might as well stay and put in some time on the stairstepper.  Or between personal training clients, do a little lifting.  By now, if you are a regular reader, you know that Becky would be sure to get her exercise anyway, and being already at the gym is just a bonus. 

But I work in an office.  There are many pitfalls in an office.  One is that often you sit all day.  Sometimes it seems that you can actually feel your butt getting bigger as you sit in your chair.  Another pitfall is that people bring in treats to share.  So I am truly grateful for the perspective on fitness that exists in my office.  Fitness is a priority here.  All of the bosses work out on a fairly regular basis and most of the rest of us do too.  Bring something unhealthy for lunch and you will be sure to hear about it.  And not in any subtle way, either; it's more like, "OH MY GOSH!  DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH CHOLESTEROL IS IN THAT?"  In fact, we have been known to ask prospective employees during the interview process: "How do you feel about people critiquing your lunch?"  Because it happens on a fairly regular basis. 

One of the awesome things our office does is encourage regular outdoor walks every day.  Kathy's our leader; she is most often the one who drags the less motivated people (me) along with her.  And she's five months pregnant!  We walk down to the riverfront and back, a distance of about two miles.  It clears our heads and gives us some exercise.  This time is not docked; it is just part of our day.  Our bosses realize that if we feel better and happier, we can do our work in a more productive manner.  Sometimes we come back a little sweaty (and perhaps a little stinky) and sometimes it takes us longer than it should to change back out of our tennies, but we always come back with smiles on our faces.  And sometimes, when life gets really busy, it is the only exercise I get all day.

If you are the boss in your office, or you have a boss who is open to suggestions about ways to make the staff happier and healthier, consider letting the people in your office do this - and think about joining them!

Today's treat: Go for an after dinner walk to admire the Halloween decorations in your neighborhood!

UGH!

Going out of town is always lots of fun but I also have an unfortunate tendency to let my system get out of whack when I'm not at home.  I don't drink water the way I should, because I don't want to have to take the time to search out and use the bathroom.  I don't eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables because, let's face it, part of going out of town is going out to eat.  I should be more vigilant about requesting restaurants to prepare my food healthfully (I hear they will do that, although I've never tried, because I like to try it they way they think it should be eaten).  That means that I had lots of rich foods that I don't normally eat, and even though most of those things were split with my husband so I didn't have full portions, they still weren't the best choices.  So today I am feeling a bit sluggish and overstuffed.  Why do we do that to ourselves?  It only tastes good for a minute and then it makes you feel ugh for days - but at the time it sure feels worth it!  Oh well, water under the bridge.  Today I am back to drinking plenty of water (and making plenty of trips to the bathroom), eating nice healthy food, and planning a visit to the gym this afternoon.  The ugh feeling will pass and as I will probably not learn anything from my experience and will do the same thing the next time I go out of town, I will just have to keep in mind how to get right back on track.

Today's trick or treat: Add 5 minutes to your cardio workout today.  I know I am going to!

October Challenge - Day 15

My husband and I are in Nashville this weekend, for the following reason (choose one):

1. We are headlining at the Grand Ole Opry Friday and Saturday night at 7:00;
2. He is here for some continuing ed and I tagged along;
3. We decided to run away from home and this is how far we got before the money ran out.

The correct answer is, of course, #1.  We have matching sequin outfits and tease our hair up really big.  Just kidding!  They asked but we had a previous engagement.  Anyway, he is spending a couple of days in a seminar and I am spending a couple of days spending.  Once he is finished with the seminar we are going to hang out for a couple of days seeing some of the sights.

The hotel we're staying in has a "fitness center."  I put that in quotes because, come on, really?  So I went out and ran this morning, but was only able to go about a mile because my knee started to hurt.  I don't think I'm quite over the half-marathon aches and pains yet.  So I went in the "fitness center" and tried the elliptical - something was wrong with it.  So I used the one lonely weight-lifting machine (no free weights available) and walked on the treadmill for a little bit.  Then I finally convinced myself that trying was equal to actually working out, and went up to the room.  However, I did participate in today's trick, which is to do as many push-ups in one set as you can.  I made it to 20, which is not one of my most outstanding records, but it will do for today.  See how many you can do, and then you can make me feel bad by telling me how many it was.

10 Best Things About Thursdays

Once upon a time Thursdays were my least favorite day.  Now, I don't know if they deserved my disdain, but my disdain they got.  Since then, I am happy to report,  I have adjusted my attitude toward this fourth day of the work week.  Thus, my list.

The Ten Best Things about Thursdays (in no particular order)

1. Friday is just one day away.
2. Great Havest bakes one of my favorite breads, cheddar garlic, on Thursdays.
3. My daughter and I are guaranteed some time together, which doesn't happen nearly often enough.
4. I have a two-hour block in the afternoon during which I get to read and/or work on some of my puzzle books.
5. The early morning YMCA crowd makes me smile.
6. I get to run!
7. I have no evening commitments.
8.  I have time to run errands.
9. If the first part of the week was less than stellar, there's still time to salvage the week with a good Thursday.
10. I end the day watching Grey's Anatomy with my daughter--another rare moment.

I could probably come up with similar lists for the other six days.  After all, it really is all about the attitude.

TREAT:  Mail a funny Halloween card to a friend.

Change

Change is hard. Change is scary. It’s so much easier to sit back in the comfort of the life you know, even if that life is not everything you want it to be, than it is to get up and do something different.


Change is taking a couch potato life and finding the strength to turn it into a life with purpose and activity. Change is setting aside the choices you’ve made that have held you back and exchanging them for better choices that will give you the life you want.

Change your eating habits? It’s hard, but it can be done, one little bite at a time. Change your exercise habits? Or actually get some exercise habits? Also hard, but if you start small you will be amazed how soon you’re actually in that habit. Change your life? Definitely the hardest change of all. But once you start feeling good about your health and your body, you will begin to feel good in your mind and your life. Soon you will be making choices based on how well those choices impact your life. There will be no stopping you!

I’m proud of the people in my life who are brave enough and strong enough to shake off the past and move on to something better in the future.

Trick-or-Treat – with change in mind, add a mini-interval of 15 push-ups, 30 second jump rope, and 15 bicep curls to whatever other exercise you do today.

My 10 favorite things of fall

Finding my favorite fall things is a struggle for me.  You see, I really, really, really like summer best of all, and when fall arrives that means my summer is over.  So....coming up with my 10 favorite things about fall is a challenge.  But don't let it ever be said that I shied away from a challenge--however daunting it may be.

Ok, here goes. 
1. I like the color orange; it's a happy color don't you think?
2. I LOVE pumpkin pie, and there seems to be more pumpkin things around this time of year.
3.  Hayrides and campfires are fun and much more appealing when it's not 100 degrees.
4. Harvest moons can be unbelievably beautiful, and make driving in to work at 5AM well worth it!
5. Fall provides lots of opportunities to wear my favorite comfy hoodie.
(Whew.  Halfway.  This is hard!)
6. You don't have to run the air conditioner any more.
7. Sunday afternoon football.  I'm not saying I necessarily watch the games, but it's good snoozing time.
8. Chili is no longer a forbidden food.  Yum.
9.  Coffee tastes even better on those brisk fall mornings.
10. There is a finite number of leaves that need to be raked, so EVENTUALLY that job will be done!

Ok, that's my list.  Not exactly prize-worthy, but at least I was able to come up with 10 things.

Now for your trick:  Do as many jumping jacks as you can without stopping.  Use light handweights if you want it to be even trickier.

Race Results

I did it.  The Half Marathon is over and I finished in 2:16:40.  I ran the whole thing without stopping, except for a couple of short breaks at the water stations.  Now my knees are a little sore but what a feeling of accomplishment to run across that finish line.

Here are some of the highlights of my day:

• The Star-Spangled Banner being sung by one of my favorite local voices.
• Seeing my friend Crystal, a police officer, helping with the race at about mile 1.5.
• A couple at around mile 2 or 3.  The man was sitting in a lawn chair and the woman was standing next to him, playing "The Chicken Dance" on her accordion.  What better song for one of the buff chicks?
• The water stop in one of the parks.  The people at the water stop had set up an entire Halloween  scene and all were dressed up in costumes as they handed us our water.
• A group of kids of all ages, all dressed in sky blue track suits, near another one of the parks.  They read our names off our bibs and chanted them as we ran by.
• Seeing Crystal again at about mile 10.  This time she took my picture.
• Realizing at mile 11 that I was almost there.
• At mile 12, knowing I had this race and nothing was going to stop me from finishing.
• Hearing my name over the loudspeaker as I crossed the finish line.
• Seeing Becky as I crossed the finish line.
• Finding my husband after the race and discovering he had taken my picture right as I finished.

I'm too tired to trick or treat anyone today so check back tomorrow to see what's in store for you on Monday.

October Challenge - Day 9

I don't know what it's like where you are, but where we are it is a beautiful fall day!  Bright blue October sky, warm but not too warm, the trees are changing colors...too nice to trick you today.  For a treat, enjoy something tasty that reminds you of fall: a caramel apple, a cold glass of cider, popcorn, or whatever floats your boat.  Remember that it is okay to treat yourself to something you want every now and then, and enjoy whatever you choose!

The Half is Approaching...

I'm a little overwhelmed by Becky's encouraging words from yesterday!  In fact I got a little choked up.  Because I definitely wouldn't be where I am today without her. 

She's the one who suggested the half-marathon in the first place.  However, at this point in time, I'm not sure yet if I'm grateful about that!  The Half-Marathon is in two days. The day after tomorrow. Not tomorrow but the next day. Two days. Today’s the 8th, the race is on the 10th. Tomorrow there will only be one more day. Do you get it? Two days. I’m starting to feel a little anxious; can you tell? It is quite apparent to me, because I had a pretty involved dream about the Half-Marathon the other night.


In my dream, I woke up at 8:15 (the race starts at 7). I stumbled out the door of my house (luckily, in my dream, I lived right at the start of the course) and went to the table where the race coordinators were waiting for the runners to start coming back in. I asked if I could still run. They had to have a conference to decide, because no one had ever been so late before. They finally decided that yes, I could run, but only a 5K because I was so late. So I started running and was immediately blocked by obstacles, including but not limited to traffic (because they had already opened the route back up), and also a couple of guys carrying a sheet of glass across the street. I had to stop for all these things and was feeling very frustrated that my first half marathon time was going to be totally ruined by my oversleeping. Wow. How many deep meanings can you take from that dream?

So for today’s October challenge, you get a trick, which is for you to have a sugar-free day. Because really, I don’t need anything else to wire me up.

Hats off to Nancy

Three days from now my friend Nancy will join over 2,500 participants the YMCA Half Marathon.  I want to  share just a few observations about her endeavor:

1. When I first met Nancy over 7 years ago the prospect of her contemplating, much less training for, any kind of running event did not seem even remotely possible.

2. I distinctly remember the first time Nancy ran a mile without stopping.  She was so proud--and so tired.

3.  I also remember the day Nancy announced she was going to join Team 13 in training for the half marathon.  I think she was a little unsure that she would be able to actually meet her goal of 13 miles, but she was determined.

4. Now Nancy runs and runs and runs some more.  (Yes, still with tissue, but some habits are impossible to break).  Sometimes a side stitch slows her down; some days are easier than others and some days Nancy seems to experience the true joy of running.

Nancy has come a long way and I am so proud of her.  After months of training the big race is almost here, and Nancy's ready.  On Sunday morning she will rise before the sun and head to the start at the top of the hill.  I will be across the river at the finish line, and amazingly, I will be able to see the runners begin the route from my vantage point and I will be in awe--of all of those who have dedicated themselves to accomplishing this goal, but I will be especially in awe of Nancy.

My hat is off to you, my friend. Good luck in your run.  Enjoy.  Savor the moments as you endure the miles. I will be there to cheer you across the finish!

Oh, the TREAT for the day:  Buy some fall flowers.

Another Tricky Day!

Sometimes you get in an exercise rut. Everything feels like the same-old, same-old. When you start to feel that way, look around for a new challenge to shake up both your body and your mind. For over a year I went to a class at the Y called Body Pump. It was an awesome way to get an extra session of lifting every week. When I started feeling like it was time for a change, I switched to kickboxing. That was also an awesome class and boy, did you work up a sweat. Unfortunately I developed plantar fasciitis in my foot, which seemed to be aggravated by kickboxing, so I had to stop. It’s been a while since I tried a new class and I was really feeling like it was time.


How lucky for me, then, that the Y started offering “Whose Class Is It Anyway?” on Monday nights. Each week you can try something different to see what you might like. This Monday I tried “Rhythmic Yoga.” The class starts with some basic yoga moves and then speeds things up so that you are getting a cardio workout as well as doing a lot of stretching and toning. Based on how sore my abs were for the rest of the night, I can guarantee you that I will be back for more.

With that said, then, today’s trick could really be a treat, depending on how you look at it. It’s always good to try something new! So for today, try using a stability ball for something new. Or if you have never used a stability ball, now’s the time to give it a try. Some of the things we do on the stability ball include: crunches, push-ups, chest press, flyes, dips, seated overhead press, squats, front raises, bicep curls…they really are pretty versatile. You could design almost a whole workout around one.

Or take this trick up a notch and try a new class at your gym! It may be just what you need to get you fired up.

October Challenge Day 5

Today's challenge for me is waking up.  Boy, am I having trouble.  I have already taught an hour long cycle class and had a big cup of coffee and yet my eyelids continue to droop.  It doesn't help knowing it's going to be a long day.  But, wait, what is the trick (or treat) today?? 

Why, it's a treat:  Spend some time outside!

That sounds like a great idea.  A bit of fresh air and some sunshine may be just what this tired body needs. It really is amazing how being outside can truly refresh a person.  I know I'll  find comfort in the beauty and feel a sense of freedom just by getting out of these four walls.  So, no more time for this computer stuff.  I am going to treat myself to some outside time.  Make sure you do, too.  

October Challenge - Days 3 & 4

Sorry there was no blog yesterday.  We played the trick on ourselves and our arms were just too tired to type. 

Yesterday’s trick, which you can do today instead, was to change up your regular push-ups by using a Bosu ball.  See our blog from September 3 if you aren’t sure what a Bosu ball is or how to use one.  It’s pretty new to us as well. 

If you can’t find a Bosu ball, use a stability ball.  If you can’t find a stability ball then you can elevate your feet on a low table.  If you can’t find a low table, well, we give up. 

Just so you know, we each did 35 Bosu ball push-ups yesterday (3 sets of 10-10-15).  We don’t want to lie to you so we will just come right out and say it: they were hard. 

For today you can also do another trick, which is 15 walking lunges.  It may make you feel better to know that we also did those yesterday, and we added bicep curls to them.  So really, we aren’t asking you to do anything we wouldn’t do ourselves. 

Day 2 Challenge

A fun treat just for you,
On this challenge--Day Two.
Find a friend, a good scary flick
The Birds or Psycho--it's your pick.

Pop up some corn and settle in,
Let the season of frights begin.
Enjoy this treat we've chosen for you
Check in tomorrow to see what's new.

October Challenge - Day 1

Boy, did you guys ever get off easy.

I was all set to start you off on your October challenge with a trick, but I left it up to the women in my office to decide and they picked a treat for you.

So for October 1st, your instructions are to decorate your home and/or yard for fall. How easy is that? The good part is that since we are participating in the October challenge as well, we also get to decorate today!

Have fun and be sure to check back tomorrow to see whether you will get a trick or a treat!  And see yesterday's blog if you need to know what the October challenge is all about.