Join Me.....

This past year I was really touched by the violence and sense of lost-ness experienced by our youth. I sought a way to help and influence girls (pre-teen) to be better and embrace life and love themselves for who they are.

It has been a work in progress and i have many ideas which have yet to be introduced.

My project is underway. Join me and encourage girls that you know to visit http://lionesscubs.blogspot.com

It is my hope to create an interactive blog site for dialog to learn from each other.

Thank you in advance for your support and your help. Give a shout with your ideas and thoughts.

Meg

Battling Childhood Obesity.....

This seems to be the new buzz around the country.... battling childhood obesity.

A very good cause to fight.

To solve the problem is going to need a paradigm shift in our thinking.

The first problem is the activity level of our kids. It was exciting to see kids outside this week after several days of rain.... but it was the kids you might normally see outside, the kids who play sports.

Where were the others?

In this country, we have shifted our thoughts away from physical education and the necessity of it. Many schools are removing physical education from the curriculum. Recess is also being dropped. Activities that require movement are being replaced with memorization.

And our children are sitting more, walking and running and jumping less.... and playing refers to the video games in the family room. What are we doing to our children, because in order to increase brain function, movement is necessary.

The other problem is addressed in the movie Food, Inc.

Our thoughts regarding food is backward. Why is it that a double cheeseburger can be bought for 99 cents, but a head of broccoli cannot be? Why is it soda can be bought for less than water? Candy, cookies, ice cream? instead of fruits and veggies?

To fight the problem, we need to change our thinking. We need to challenge the businesses that are pushing for this way of life.

Jamie Oliver of Jamie's Food Revolution (www.jamieoliver.com) is working hard in a school district to change the lunches the children are eating. His show can be seen Fridays at 8pm on ABC.

The effort to fight childhood obesity needs to be a joint action by many. We need to educate parents as well as the children on how to make the best choices in activity and in food. We need to work together to tackle this problem.

When do you 'give in' to tackle it another day?

This week was a challenge. A physical challenge, that is.

On Sunday, I rode (on my bike) over 45 miles. It was a pretty straight-forward ride... although, I hadn't ridden that distance since my cycling accident and it was my first road-trip since my cycling accident. But I was confident I could survive.

Except for the hills! Who would have thunk there were so many hills on Rte 27, heading to Princeton? (of course, i have driven that route many times.... i forgot).

The hills seriously kicked my butt!!!

But I made it to my destination.... and back. Safely.

I returned hungry, cold, and dirty..... I rode the tow-path on the canal on the way back, and wow.... DIRTY!

As I predicted I would, I under-ate during my travels.

NOTE TO SELF: CARRY MORE FOOD!

And while I was well hydrated, I WAS HUNGRY!

Monday was rainy and cold and I slept most of the day. I did not feel achy from muscular fatigue, I felt achy from doing a whole lot and mental fatigue-- almost like I was fighting a flu or cold. Tuesday I taught spin class.... and I struggled. (fortunately, I do mingle through the class as I teach, or me getting off the bike might have been alarming to my class). And Wednesday arrived. I was set to run 11k...... or at least the calendar said, and the 11k became 4k!

I set out...... and my body didn't feel right. I stopped to stretch, and it still wasn't happening.... I was not in sync.... and my mind and my body were in two completely different places.

I took a left turn in my route instead of the right and finished a challenging 4k.... perhaps, i still hadn't recovered from Sunday. Perhaps, I just needed another day to rest.

That evening.... I taught SPIN class like a ROCK STAR!

And the rest of the running week went without mishap. Thursday's run was easy, yesterday moderate and today.... INTERVALS! and I felt strong, despite the fact that I was struggling from decreased running volume this week.

Listening to our bodies is so important in training.

When do we push? When do we hold back? When do we 'give in' to tackle the hurdle another day? If we are not in tune with our bodies, we are subject to injury?

This week, I needed to really listen to what my body was saying. The ride took away from my running and required extra rest. I could have pushed myself, but may not have been able to run the intervals successfully today.

It is sometimes challenging to know when to push and when to hold back. AS a coach, it is sometimes very difficult to know that for my athletes. It is about honesty and trust. If an athlete tells me something isn't right, I have to trust the athlete and shift gears in the scheduled training session. If it is a distance client, I may have to do an impromptu schedule change (i only schedule a week at a time), based on what is happening....

For my own training, it is better to call it a day and tackle it again... (tomorrow or the next day)..... this has helped with my recovery and longevity in running. If I don't feel right in the warm-up, it probably isn't right, and I don't need an injury.

While there are times to push through, I need to know when to push and when to hold.

I might extend the warm-up.... maybe I need more time. Maybe I need a longer warm-up because of the weather, because of the intensity of the last workout, because of the rest permitted between workouts. Maybe I need to make an impromptu change..... I am supposed to run intervals at a tempo pace, but I cannot maintain the tempo.... maybe it is just a day for endurance. (these might be acceptable/appropriate and necessary... it is important to communicate these changes to your coach, who is working with you for success).

Learning to listen to your body in training is going to be helpful in the long run.

Eureka..... i already knew the answer!

I searched and searched...... and I seemingly already had the answer...........

in this process of finding the right combination of food and eating and food and eating..... i have explored a variety of different thoughts and models of eating in my quest to find the best protocol for me.... and i already had the answers.

Sometimes, we need to go through a journey to come back to our original conclusions, not that we doubt our instincts but to give us insights on our thought processes.

Today, I had the privilege of meeting and having my diet evaluated by Lori Kolodin, RD (registered dietician). She is located in Warren, NJ... and I highly recommend her if you are in the area or finding a nutritionist located near you --visit www.eatright.org. A registered dietician goes to school specifically for nutrition and diet and is very helpful in directing someone with health and weight goals.

The meeting was a perfect fit. She and I are both runners. When I spoke to her on the phone to schedule the appointment, she had told me immediately she was not Nancy Clark (renowned sports nutritionist), but she could help direct me. I was impressed by this. Lori knows her limitations and strengths.

The first book recommended is: Sports Nutrition Guidebook, by Nancy Clark.

(The book has now come off the shelf in my library and will be added to the pile of read now!)

Next, we discussed the movie Food, Inc and further recommended the book Food Matters, by Mark Bittman.

During our meeting,

--her first commentary (on evaluating my food log) was, this isn't a lot of food.

it seems i am NOT eating enough calories throughout the day. i had guessed this.... b/c at times, i feel hungry, and as i have shared before i can just as easily eat as not eat.

The recommendation currently is: 2200 calories. (This can change/adapt with my training needs. For now, this is the goal).

--the second observation was i need to double my protein intake. i am eating a pretty balanced selection (i eat instinctually), but for my athletic performance, i need more protein.

recommendations for me:

75 to 100 g of protein per day

55 to 65 g of fat per day

and the rest carbohydrates.

And we discussed where I can get my protein from. I do eat meat... she recommended organic chicken (glad there is ian's chicken nuggets), beans (need to experiment with this-- they don't always agree with me), nuts (i love!), dairy (like milk, cheese and yogurt) and grains (like quinoa). She also suggested reintroducing protein shakes in my life.

(Some of these things have been put in a holding pattern b/c of my work/lifestyle. They need to be reintroduced as a priority. My health is most important.)

We also talked about other sources of calories that would be beneficial in my overall performance and my need for calcium. Osteoporosis is in the family and so I have now added a calcium-magnesium supplement to my diet.

And the journey continues. I trust as I make the changes my body will find it is able to continue to let go of the extra body fat to permit me to achieve my true racing weight. The first goal is 160#. I have a bit of work to do to get there.

For the next four weeks, I will be tracking my protein and fat intake as I proceed in achieving my goals.

It was reassuring to know that I wasn't too far off track in my personal assessments of my eating. It is now reassuring to know that I have it within me to achieve my goals.

I will keep you posted.

And the Search continues....

And as I tossed out weight watchers, I found something called the Daily Burn. Seeking testimonials from people who had given up on weight watcher, I looked a little closer.

A free site, http://dailyburn.com, helps you track your diet and exercise goals and weight loss. A little different from the Weight Watchers points system, Daily Burn gives calorie goals with a break down of fat, protein and carbohydrate grams. (um, i live/work in a world that i may not always be able to count, measure and count again).

For a monthly or annual membership fee, one gets more features, which include training protocols, and consultations as well as other cool things available only to paying members.

Additionally, they have apps for that.... (more downloads for the iphone--- i have a BLACKBERRY), including a food scanner, which will tell you the break down of foods into the nutrient grams.

Clearly this website is i-phone friendly and would not be suited for someone like me, who is trying to limit her on-line time.

And so, my journey continues.

ON Friday, I will have my first appointment with a Registered Dietician. She told me upfront that she is not Nancy Clark (renowned sports nutritionist) but she has done some work with athletes and is willing to work with me. (I like that already).

I am looking forward to meeting her.

What are you doing to change your lifestyle during National Nutrition Month?

Tossing OUT Weight Watchers......

Weight Watchers....

cost about $45.00 for three months, online. This means no meetings, no support (i wouldn't go to a meeting anyway), just on-line tracking. Well, my joining was about recognizing I wasn't eating enough and that maybe being held accountable would get me back on track.......

and it has created bigger drama. I am not always online, nor do i want to be. In fact, since 2 march, there have been five days that I recorded nothing (on-line).... i am finding i am more accountable to my little orange notebook, where I record not only what i eat, but how it makes me feel...(satisfied, bloated, gassy, etc....) and I can better understand when or why (or why not) i should be eating this food.

After all, who wants to count points?

According to weight watchers, I should be eating 29 points. They recommend veggies/fruits, water, breads/grains (which i don't eat-- i am gluten-free).. and it seems, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE THE POINTS COME FROM, AS LONG AS THEY ARE 29!

Weight Watchers provides activity points... and the day i ran 10miles hard, I earned some bizarre points number (that I could eat to compensate for the activity).... hmmmmm.... that doesn't seem right. Why exercise then?? To exercise, and then be able to eat back the exercise points, seems counter-productive. I completely understand that I need more calories (and maybe that is the point weight watchers is making) on the days that I train hard. (Will be interesting to see what happens on a day I bike 30, 40, or 60 miles).

The problem is...... a point, is a point, is a point..... and yes, it has to do with calories.... a point, is a point, is a point. They really aren't considering that the majority of my food is veggies (pointless) and I am satisfied. So, i did an experiment (i would not recommend this).... after a run, i waited to eat..... (bad!) and then curled up to watch a movie, and i ate a BAG of chips and home-made queso.... they were blue corn chips..... and to prove my point, after eating the WHOLE BAG and ALL THE QUESO.... i was only 2 points over my daily allowance AND that was PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE... b/c in the course of the week, i am allowed 35 reserve points, and well, i had earned extra points from my run..... so, i really wasn't over.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE??????

It doesn't matter what I eat as long as it fits in the points segment.

(DON'T TRY THAT AT HOME! I wouldn't recommend doing what I did.... I slept the rest of the afternoon from eating too much in one sitting AND not eating quickly enough after training.... Never a GOOD Combination.... and it took me three days to feel myself again).

The other thing Weight Watchers emphasizes the weight on the scale. I get on the scale once a month. The first Sunday of the month, I get on the scale, I do my body fat and I take out my tape measure and measure thighs, hips, waist, umbilicus, chest, upper arms.... all of which can be good indicators of what is happening.

Well, if my body fat is dropping and my muscle mass is increasing, the mass composition is changing, but the scale only measures the pull of gravity on said mass. And the number on the scale may not change, regardless of the other changes happening before your eyes.

So, there has to be a better way. A way for those who desire to develop a better relationship with food and themselves...... My thoughts, enlist a registered dietician. Visit www.eatright.org to find one.

I will get back to you on my journey.

What's Your Comfort Food?

Ever have one of those days? The day that gets progressively more dramatic as each moment passes. The day that you feel like you should go back to bed and start over.

It is times like these that our nutrition can be challenged. It is times like these that comfort eating can take place.... and after the eating has finished, the reality sets in. The food didn't taste that good and we feel worse because we just ate all of that.

Anxiety can lead to mindless eating. (Some people are immune to this eating... the lucky ones). At times, I find myself reaching for food for comfort. At times, this comfort can be anything from fresh fruit to pretzels to ice cream or anything in between.

Today, I had one such day. Today, I had a second cup of coffee and I went for a second run..... (my hamstrings will thank me later). Today, I opened the fridge and well, there was not too much of anything that was screaming, 'EAT ME! EAT ME!' By going for the run, I was able to take out some aggression and burn some calories and not get caught in the mindless eating trap.

Later, I was starving at dinner time.... must be due to the extra calories burned from the run, as well as the lacking hunger this afternoon from the events of the day.

So, what is your comfort food? You know the food you reach for that sometimes helps you feel better about yourself.... the food that you reach for when stress levels rise.

In the midst of National Nutrition Month, I want to rethink my reliance on comfort foods. I love dark chocolate... in fact, I have a piece of dark chocolate every day.... but do I want to enjoy my daily piece of chocolate or use it as a weapon? In this, I need to ascertain my relationship with food and thus my relationship with myself. Sometimes, a little bit of the food might make you feel better.... sometimes, overdoing it is the result.

And while, the nutritional value of your comfort food may be most excellent.... the how you rely on the comfort food, might be preventing you from achieving your goals.

It's a Jungle Out There..... in your grocery aisle.

Walking through the grocery store yesterday, I was bombarded by all kinds of things that want to jump in my cart and go home with me..... some are better choices than others. Walking through the bakery aisle, cupcakes and brownies and other delights said, 'Pick Me! Pick Me!'...... and the frozen food aisle has ice cream... and funny the cookies are situated opposite the ice cream! Arriving at the check out, the magazines are strategically placed.... Cosmo flashes a overly thin model of the month, magazine for diabetics talks about better eating choices, and the various other periodicals flash pictures of thin people and headlines stating how you can lose x in x days.

It's a jungle out there!

Now take the journey in your mind's eye through your grocery store. What makes it in the shopping cart and what stays in the store? Do you travel with a shopping list or do you shop on impulse? Do you plan what you are eating that week? or Is your week scattered with more impulse and unpredictability?

Failing to plan is planning to fail. As we embark on National Nutrition Month (www.eatright.org/nnm), I wanted to take a moment and reemphasize how eating influences your overall day. Our relationship with food is extremely important in our overall health.

When we eat junk, we feel like junk. Remember the last time you indulged on a day of junk (your definition, please). How did you feel at the end of the day? Lethargic, perhaps. Bloated. You just didn't feel right.

Now compare that to a day, where you ate fresh fruits and veggies, had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, and enjoyed a dinner of lean meat or fish with steamed veggies. Much different feeling?

The food we put in our body influences us overall. The buzz word in the industry is 'eating clean' or clean-eating. I always think of a raccoon cleaning his food. But imagine the simplicity in that.

Let's define eating clean..... minimal intake of processed food, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, and cold-pressed oils (non-processed)......

By eating cleanly, your body is able to be healthy from the inside out. Taking care of your inside, will take care of the outside.

As for your grocery store, all of the clean foods (give or take a few that have been moved for marketing strategies) are on the outside of the store...... shop the walls, stay out of the aisles (except for spices and other seasonings, sometimes nuts, etc...) and you will be able to fill your cart with better choices for your overall nutritional needs.

Have a great week.... it's a jungle out there.

Girl's Rule

It is INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.

On this date in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights. The result: International Women's Day. Thank you to the women who had the courage to stand up for their beliefs and be recognized and make a difference.

To all my athletes (and female running friends), thank you for continuing to stand up and be recognized and continuing to make a difference. We have opportunities to be excellent in athletics and sport that we did not have before. (My one calendar reminds me of the challenges that women overcame to compete in the olympics). And I think of the challenges we still face and are blessed from.

On this date, go and do something amazing! Prove that you deserve to run, bike, swim, swing a bat, and keep playing hard. We have overcome and we need to keep doing so..... and laugh a little... because what we do is fun!!!!!

My challenge this morning was 10 miles, up Morning Glory Road and down Warrenville Road.... these roads are challenging to drive up and down, let alone run..... and so, in honor of pursuing excellence, I revisited a route that I had not seen since my cycling accident. I ran it slower than I anticipated, but I ran it and I finished. (Now, I need a massage).

By doing, we continue to earn our place to do.

When the critics get you down....

It is very easy to beat up on yourself. After all, we are our own worst critics. I know I am. I am a perfectionist. And well, perfect is that... perfect.

I am reading a book, The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle. The amazing thing is.... in order to be perfect, you need to experiment with the errors and learn from the experience. To become a great athlete, you need to experience failure. That is how we learn.

It was encouraging to read this after the challenging week of training I have had. This week, I ran 37.45km... definitely not the furthest I have run in a week... but my training times are getting faster. On Monday, I PR'd in distance for this year... by running 15km. (about 9miles) and it was a struggle. The run was hard and of course I wanted to push my limits and challenge my speed endurance.... and I did. I finished successfully and I was happy with the results. (From those results, I was able to set new goals. Monday.... I am scheduled to run 10miles or 16+km.... and I am debating whether to take on Warrenville Road....)

The downer of the run... was when I arrived at home. My wonderful cheery grandmother said.... 'i don't understand why you insist on running and exercising so much, when you are still fat.'

Extreme Self-Control here!!!!!! It took everything within me to not put my fist through her face so she would eat her teeth or put her through the front window..... (i am not a violent person, but i wanted to share some of the pain she had just imposed on me).

I cannot share with this woman the struggles I have overcome to get to this point... the joy of accomplishment... at how I wanted to stop running and I kept at it.... and I achieved!

She just uses a measuring stick... that none of us comprehend...... a woman who is satisfied living in stagnation, as the gold standard...... and I had to smile and just say..... 'Are you happy now that you have managed to spew hate, envy and hurt in those few words? Because if you are happy now, I can go on with my day.' -- which was a kettle bell workout, followed by stretching and then off to train several clients......

'Only he who does nothing, makes no mistakes.' -- french proverb

This quote was on my calendar after the insightfulness of my grandmother and it was just a reminder that I am out there doing.... and i am going to fall on my face... sometimes, not so gracefully, but I am doing.

Today's quote is:

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much. --Bessie Stanley

And that is how we should live and strive to achieve excellence.

Mistakes are not bad. We learn from them.

Runnning to Warm-up or Warming up to Run?

My weight training class has been focusing on warm-ups and have collectively agreed that this might be the single most important segment of their workout or training session. I know in my personal workouts, the days I skimp on the warm-up are the days I suffer the most.

And yet the question remains.... Do I run to warm-up? or Do I warm-up to run?

Since I spend the majority of my time running, I am outside. It is sometimes shocking to step out of the house on a cool winter's day.... so glad spring is coming soon! How I prepare for that shock could influence my overall run that day.

In the winter, we realize the need for a warm-up more so than summer. The body needs to be physically warm to perform. It is cold outside. How am I prepping my hamstrings this time of year so I can run further and faster?

In the summer, it seems we are warm. Do we still need the warm-up for efficiency in overall performance?


YES! The warm-up is a tremendous part of our overall workout. If we are not warm, we cannot perform. Period.

In January, I was following a kettlebell routine that warmed me up and mildly kicked my butt before the run. I felt like the running part was easy. The reason... my joints and body were thoroughly warm and I was prepared for movement. I have since progressed to different means of strength training, but I still take the time to move in my driveway before I head out to pound the pavement.

Do I ever run to warm up? Well, yes...... but only after I have done a progression of activity in my driveway to prepare me for overall movement. The warm up moves from general to specific. And the specific is then the run. This is important when I am running a time trial..... i might need to run a mile or two to prepare the body for the timed distance. And then I follow with a mile or two warm down. I suffer on the days that I am lazy and just go run. I am not 20 anymore and my body needs the prep time.

Warm ups should move from general activity to specific. It preps the body and the mind for what is coming. It might take an extra ten minutes or more to warm up. The time taken is beneficial in my overall performance and goal to be injury free. They also help me not feel as beat up after a hard run.

How's your Eating?

I have been focusing a great deal lately on the proper way to eat? When, what and how much? Sometimes, this is tremendously overwhelming. The experts at times contradict themselves... completely and entirely. So, what is a person who is learning to do?

Because if the pros get it wrong, it is easy for all of us.


I think at times we focus too much on the good and the bad and the definition of each. Granted I would not want to create a diet around a coke and snickers bar, there might be a time when either of those or both in combination can be a lifesaver.


In my personal journey, I have gotten it right and I have gotten it completely wrong. All things being the same, I am at a serious plateau. The training is increasing. I am getting stronger and faster and doing lots more.... but at the end of the week, the scale laughs at me (and thus it is banished to the closet), and the body fat while decreasing barely moves. Yes, I am losing inches... but hardly seems worthy of the effort I am putting forth.

And so, I needed to reevaluate my food relationship. I am the type of person that could easily eat just as not eat. Not that I am trying to not eat. I put it on the back burner and go forth through the day..... and have had several situations where my blood sugar has dropped too low.

Over eating is not my problem. I know when I am satisfied, whether i have had a bite or a plate and a half. (For me, the food doesn't taste right anymore and I am thirsty. This is in accordance with several thoughts on eating-- 'eat until you are more thirsty than hungry.')

I keep a food journal. The quality of food isn't necessarily the problem.... although i have been craving oreos and wendy's chicken nuggets meal, which is ironic, since i eat neither. well, maybe double stuff.... but i want one, and not the whole bag! The problem is in my busy-ness, I might not always write down the food I have or have not consumed.

I drink plenty of water. I always have it by my bed or with me. And I enjoy one, maybe two cups of coffee a day. It relaxes me. I don't really drink juice or soda (although i was craving a diet mountain dew after the 15k the other day.... but one or two swigs and i threw it away and got my water).

So what is the issue? Why does everything seem to be correct and nothing seems to be happening?

Well, I have determined that I might need to increase my protein intake. Keeping all else the same to see how it influences the fat burning, even if temporarily.
I have also joined weight watcher on-line. To help me stay focused on eating! As I have said, I could just as easily not eat as eat. With the points system, I have to eat to accomplish the total allotted points for the day. The first three days, I really didn't calculate or enter my points. Yesterday, my journey began. I counted and recorded. And I came up 9 points short for the day. (Potentially, one meal.)

So, I will be counting and eating and counting some more. I want to see how this changes my relationship I have with my body and with food.

I will keep you posted on my journey the next three months.