Seattle Half Marathon

We went to packet pick up on Friday morning.  We got our bibs and chips and shirt (teal? really?) and headed out to the expo.  Lots of vendors but no free swag except a few samples of granola or recovery beverages or dried cherries.  There were a lot of people in a space much smaller than the Danskin expo.  It didn’t translate to me then that these people were going to be running with me in a few days.

After we left the expo we went to Bambuza to get a bite to eat. Delicious as usual. I had the Ginger Claypot Chicken. Then we headed up to REI for some last minute shopping. We left REI and caught a bus back home. Downtown traffic was crazy. Turns out they were lighting the stupid tree at Westlake Center or somewhere.

Saturday morning we realized the clothing drop bags were not part of our packet so we drove back downtown to the Westin and I ran in to get them. Turns out they were nothing more than garbage bags. We went home and had steaks, sweet potatoes and a salad for our dinner. We laid out our clothes and gear and then off to bed fairly early.

Sunday morning the wind was blowing but not too hard. At least it wasn’t raining. Yet. It was overcast. We had a 7:30am start time and we figured we needed to catch the 6:03 bus to Key Arena. We got on the bus and the driver commented on us running the marathon. We let her know we were only doing the half, like that might make us sound less crazy. A few stops later another woman got on with her race bib on. We toodled down First Ave. and a gentleman got on and sat with us. He struck up a conversation about the race and laundry’s on Queen Anne. As we exited the bus he wished us luck.

We checked our clothes in and made one last stop at the Honey Buckets then off we went toward the start line. It was starting to mist by then and I was hoping it would let up soon. I saw a few Half Fanatic shirts and a few Marathon Maniacs too. Pretty soon it was time for us to line up. We were way back, well behind the 2hour 45minute pacer and there were still tons of people behind us. We saw our old Weight Watchers leader, Phil and our neighbor Lori but they were the only people we recognized.

After the singing of “America the Beautiful” and the announcements of who won the Baghdad Shadow half marathon, the airhorn sounded and we were off. Down Fifth Avenue. The Monorail went by overhead at one point early on and some people hooted and hollered. The entire width of Fifth Ave. was packed with people. People darting in and out, around other people. I nearly stepped on several people. I passed by a dropped glove. And then a knit hat. And a packet of Clif Blocks. Another glove. A sweatshirt? An asthma inhaler.

Finally we hit the entrance to I-90. I looked around the big, gentle turn and saw nothing but people. Lots and lots of people. We got to the top of what the Seattle Marathon map referred to as a gentle slope. There were people lined up for the Honey Bucket. There were so many people. Then I heard a thud and looked over to see about 6 or 7 people lifting an elderly woman to her feet. She put her hand to her mouth several times, like she was checking for blood. I didn’t see any on her face but maybe her mouth was bleeding on the inside. There seemed to be enough people there to take care of her so I didn’t feel too bad about continuing to run. We continued on I-90 for a little while eventually going through the Mt. Baker tunnel where two women had hopped over the jersey barrier to pee. Well, I assume they were doing #1. Hard to say since I didn’t stop for them either.

After exiting the tunnel we also exited I-90 and went down toward Lake Washington Blvd. I’m feeling pretty good at this point but I know there are hills coming up. I had already eaten some Sports Beans but was really waiting for the Gu station between mile 5 and 6. Finally it came and I grabbed a Vanilla Bean flavored Gu. It didn’t taste half bad. I didn’t care for the thick, gooeyness but beggars can’t be choosers I guess. It was supposed to have caffeine in it but I didn’t feel any better after taking it.

We came upon the halfway mark where they had a big ballooned arch with a timer. I thought I was doing pretty good crossing the halfway mark at 1:25 (gun time). If I could maintain my current pace (which I was pretty sure I couldn’t) I would come in at 2:50:something. My legs were starting to fatigue and I knew the hills were coming. I planned on walking up them unless they were sloped. First came Galer. Oh lord. This 1 1/2 block long hill is straight up. I walked it. As I turned the corner I looked back to see if I could see Morrie. She had fallen behind me a little earlier. There she was, walking up the hill, taking a sip of water. Ok, I felt better. I hit Madison and continued to walk for awhile but then decided this counted more as a slope than a hill so I started to run. After cresting the Madison portion we rounded the corner into the Arboretum. The rest of the race is pretty much a blur.

I remember coming out of the arboretum and crossing 24th with it’s weird zig-zag police tape aisle and then off the street and onto a paved trail I never knew existed. This part was more uphill and I continued to look back for Morrie. I stopped to use the Honey Bucket at around mile 9 and since I didn’t see her I thought maybe she had passed me. I kept looking back for her just in case. Pretty soon an ambulance went past me, on the trail. When I came up on it there was a woman laying on the ground covered in blankets with one runner holding her feet up and another at her head. Soon, I came down onto Roanoke. I was getting close. But Lakeview Drive was the worst part of the run for me. I kept thinking, “This is not fun”. But I kept running anyway. I was hurting by now. My right knee had a sharp pain when I stepped on that side and my right foot also had shooting pain. The hamstrings were getting tighter and tighter but they actually felt better than other races.

Once I conquered Lakeview Drive it was literally downhill from there. I crossed over I-5 and turned down Republican. Oh glory, downhill. Oh, except downhill hurts now. Thanks, Universe, for ruining something so sweet as the downhills. I rounded the corner and went one block, turned right and there it was. The final little hill. I ran down it and started running up the other side but walkers were passing me so I figured it counted as a hill. As soon as I reached the top I started running and when I turned the final corner toward Memorial Stadium I finally got my second wind. I kicked it up a little bit. Then I hit the artificial turf and kicked it up a little more. Finally, the finish line! After 2:53:43 (chip time) it was over.

I stumbled over to the chip removal person where Susan was standing. We exchanged tired woo-hoo’s and I went to get water and my space blanket. We stood around waiting for Morrie. I figured if she wasn’t ahead of me then she was right behind me. We waited. And waited. The security guy came along and made people get out of the area. We went over to the bleachers to sit. We had been seated for about 2 minutes and then we saw Morrie coming down the chute. We packed up our water and waddled our way over to her. We all went up to the Recovery area. There were about 50 chairs in the whole place and most of those were occupied by non runners. Hello? Get your ass out of that seat. We got some chocolate milk, bananas and a few other things. We stayed about 10 minutes then headed up to get our clothes from the drop off. Getting up the stairs of the stadium was a chore but getting back down them was hell. We made it though and eventually made our way to the bus stop.

We had to transfer busses so it took a little longer to get home than I had hoped. We made some tea and took turns taking an ice bath. After that, hot showers for everyone and then off to Zeek’s Pizza for the Cherry Bomb, Wild Green Salads and a Manny’s. Mmmmm.

My legs were restless for the rest of the day. I could not get comfortable. I hopped into the hot tub with Susan and that felt good and later we watched an episode of The Biggest Loser. The last time I had a big run I had a hard time sleeping so this time I took a sleep aid and was in bed by 8:30. I slept pretty well but woke up tired. As the day progresses I’m getting more sore. Each time I get up I discover a new muscle group that hurts.

Our next race is a cute little 5k – going back to our humble beginnings.

[Via http://fattybobatties.wordpress.com]

Classes

Just as a reminder that the classes for the next couple of weeks will be held in Gym 1, which is situated on the main road to your left going up towards the back gate opposite the nursery/ crèche. Classes will run on the following dates:

 

Monday 30.11.09 ~ 9.45 – 10.45

Thursday 03.12.09 ~ 9.45 – 10.45

Monday 07.12.09 ~ 9.45 – 10.45

Thursday 10.12.09 ~ 9.45 – 10.45

Monday 14.12.09 ~ 9.45 – 10.45

No further Thursday class as I am off on a nutrition course in Koeln for 4 days. Oh the joy!

Keep it up at home over the x-mas period and don’t forget:

You can’t outdo a bad diet

Think: moderation

[Via http://optimumshape.wordpress.com]

A Future Without Chocolate?!?!?!

Our bodies mean a lot to us.

They bring us pleasure and pain. They are the soft, organic matter through which we experience the world. They are also a reflection of how we choose to live our lives.

I have an ongoing sparring relationship with my health. We are at opposite ends of the jousting rod. I want to be fit and healthy, but I have a deep seated compulsion to fill my body with chocolate, sweets, breads and caffeine. I know that when I am in a place of health, my wellbeing and my sense of Gorgeousness is empowered, but I battle perpetually with craving for food and the disempowerment that this brings.

What is it about food that becomes so much more than simple sustenance?

Why do so many of us have such a rocky love/hate relationship with what we put in our mouths?

Why is it that when I’m stressed I’ll eat bread?

When I’m feeling homely I’ll eat cake?

Why does life suddenly seem dark, dull, gloomy and boring when I imagine a future life without chocolate?

Throughout the years I’ve started to recognise that I rely on sugar to make life sweet. Heavy, soft bread has always bought me a sense of comfort. Alcohol has bought my life stimulation and freedom. The question is, why do we seek these feelings from food and not from deep within ourselves?

 I believe that when we lose our sense of Gorgeousness and fears of not being good enough replace it, we start seeking out good feelings in other things outside of our elves. This could be food, drugs or other negative, limiting habits or behaviours. When our own inner sweetness/beauty/sense of perfection is lost, we become addicted to trying to fill that hole, replacing the rich sweet beauty that we crave from ourselves and life . . . in food. This then turns into a love/hate relationship.

We eat the food, experience the pleasure, but then make ourselves guilty bad or wrong for doing it. We treat chocolate (or whatever Gorgeousness replacement vice we prefer) like a prostitute. One minute we are shunning the thing, disgusted by it and resisting our urge to go and have a passionate, overwhelming binge. Then after we have given into our desires and munched a whole packet of chocolate digestives, we then blame the biscuits!

“The danish made me do it!!!”

“The buns are the baddies!”

“ The handfuls of cereal seduced me again!”

Yet it’s us who beckon, nudge, tug and pull these substances into our bodies. We choose to eat them, then blame them for making us do it!

I believe that when a person cultivates their inner Gorgeousness, when their souls become Sweet, Succulent Pleasure Personified, they will never crave food that is detrimental to the health. If someone discovers the unequalled pleasure of Being Themselves, they would only consume the foods that sustain the body. Isn’t it interesting that the foods that we never crave have no emotional attachment for us? I have never in my life craved cabbage. Or broccoli. Or rice. Yet these foods are the ones that actually give us health, vibrancy and lightness of being.

 If you would like to free yourself from compulsive eating, follow these three simple steps;

STEP ONE

• Write a list of foods/substances/habits that you find compulsive.

STEP TWO

• Ask yourself what do these food/habits mean to you? What feelings of wellbeing do they seem to offer? Ie, Cigarettes – freedom, independence, liberation, lightness, or Alcohol – release, confidence, boost, energy or Competitiveness – power, determination, separation, personal identity

STEP THREE

• Go through your list and recognise that all of these feeling already exist WITHIN you. All you need to do is re-member them. Do these three steps and repeat them each time you reach for that food/habit/substance. You may not STOP eating the things altogether, but you will certainly cut down and reclaim your conscious choice once again. You will realise how the world can still remain a sumptuous place full of deliciousness without chocolate. The real  deliciousness was inside you all along!

[Via http://bethanstritton.com]

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[Via http://suhitha.wordpress.com]

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So. Much. RELIEF!

Yesterday was scary. I had my science exam in the morning which was TERRIFYING! Because I was totally unprepared and I hadn’t realized just how much was resting on that Biology exam until about three days before it. Prior to that, I had done ZERO hours of science revision.

I spent a good two hours studying for Biology on Sunday, and thank god above I did, because those two hours just saved my future career.

There was a lot of extra stuff to deal with once I got into the exam because I still didn’t have my Chem and Bio papers and once I sat down at my desk, was confused to see on physics staring back at me. I spoke to a supervisor at once and we spent the next 10/15minutes sorting it out. Ugh, so much drama for SCIENCE… hardly seems worth it. Apart from biology of course

Once the exam began, I dove straight into Biology. I liked the strategy I used when answering questions, I immediately answered the ones I knew the answer to and then on the more difficult ones that I wasn’t so sure about, I basically just used COMMON SENSE to construct a feasible answer haha. And thankfully, I do believe that it worked! I felt like I did pretty damn well on Biology, given my extreme lack of knowledge on the subject.

I didn’t even attempt physics. I weighed up my options, first I read through the booklet and realized that out of the entire thing, there were only two questions I could answer correctly. The rest of it, I had no idea. I could either have answered just those two and failed for lack of correct answers, or I could not submit and have the paper just come up with “not assessed”, which to me sounds far better than “not achieved”.

I did Chemistry, only because of the huge lengths we had to go to just to GET the paper for me. I didn’t really want it, but they just assumed I did, so I figured I’d better sit it, just for all the trouble the damn thing caused.

I honestly can’t say how I thought I did. But somehow, I don’t believe it was too crash hot… haha.

I was just so relieved to get out of that exam, also because I FELT SO SICK! Argh, all morning I’d felt off colour and then in the exam aswell, my poor little tummy was just not a happy camper.

That teamed with the fact that after breakfast I was nil by mouth all day for my ultrasound.

GREAT! not.

Anyway, Once I got home from the exam I had a couple of hours to kill before the scan. But eventually at five to 1 we headed to the hospital.

The wait was long, but I didn’t mind too much. Except for the fact that when you have an ultrasound, they require you to have a full bladder because it pushes all your organs up so they can see things better… I had to drink 6 cups of water within the hour before my scan… ugh, as you can imagine, by time my appointment rolled around, I wasn’t overly comfortable haha.

It wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t press down on your bladder!!!!!! grrrrr.

It was funny coz it was just like on Juno (I’M NOT PREGNANT THOUGH, NOR DID I EXPECT I WAS PREGNANT! I had the scan to check for appendicitis or an Ovarian Cyst. NOTHING to do with Babies!) She squirted the goo on my tummy and it was blue and made funny fart noises haha.

It was pretty boring really. Just uncomfortable, kinda interesting seeing my spleen, my liver, my ovaries and my kidneys though.

After my ultrasound, I started to get a little nervous. No one was telling me anything and the nurse told me she had to go give my results to a radiologist and a doctor for their opinion. She didn’t even tell me what she was worried about.

Next thing I know another nurse brings out a doctors note to me which was all sealed so I couldn’t read it and she told me to go to ED and take that with me. I was kinda freaking out, expecting it to be something really really serious.

I got to ED, handed my note in and was told to wait. A nurse called me to come in and she took my blood pressure, then made me wait again.

No one had told me anything!! My mind was left to wander to the worst possible outcome. It sucked..

Finally, my doctor I’d seen last friday called me through and simply told me they’d ruled out anything serious and I’d just have to manage the pain. I was so relieved!!! And yet do not understand why they couldn’t have just told me it was nothing serious at the ultrasound to put my mind at rest??

They couldn’t explain what the pain was and just told me to keep an eye on it and come back if it gets worse or I start to get bad fevers or chills or whatever.

I think I’ll be fine and I feel so much better knowing it nothing serious!!

Anyway, in other news, Gaz emailed me my training schedule for the next for weeks. I’m super excited and today I’ll go for a 5K run, as per the training plan. I was so excited to read through and see that in two weeks I’ll be running 12 K’s, that’s further than I’ve ever run in my life! The longest has been 11K’s, so the idea of setting a new PDR is really really exciting

He also sent some strength exercises.

I shall keep you updated on how that’s all going.

Have an awesome day!

[Via http://jennylikestorun.wordpress.com]

Gotta remember to Blog!

Time to get back on the blogging bandwagon and update my weeks training the previous week

Wednesday just did an easy 12km at 5 min km pace – Felt great nice and easy!

Thursday did an hour and a half of cycling on the spin bikes – enjoyed it muchly! nice and comfy average HR 143bpm

Friday – not so comfy did a 10km tempo run 42:30 – hurt but necessary

Saturday – off just went for a 8km stroll with the Wifey

Sunday – THE LONG RUN, was too hot outside so basically did two hours on the treddy first hour and a half at 5min km pace and the last 30 mins at about 4:35 min km pace. will continue to follow the last 30min “fast finish” in my long runs, as I think it will condition my legs to “bring it home”

Today/Monday – back to back Rpm’s as my rest day nice and comfy.

Will post my report on tomorrows session TOMORROW Scouts honour!!

[Via http://cheyeser.wordpress.com]

Experianced

This week was busy! Packed with many experiences, but little time to blog about them…

To start today’s post id like to give my opinion on these baby’s.

PRO Bar Cherry Pretzel was yummy, but the Superfood Slam won the battle. Both crunchy and sweet with fruit, nuts, and dark chocolate, but The Sweet and Savory Cherry Pretzel didnt beat my Arts Original Superfood Slam by a long shot.

My greens+ protein bar satisfied my “teen hunger” during Thursdays workout. 20g of protein, and full of “and taste of” green goodness.

As for the weeks activities

Monday: 33mile bike ride outside. Was going for 40 but it became dark and where I was riding had “not one” street light. I made it home cold, and with a huge appetite. I downed 2 bowls of cereal + dinner faster than you can say “damn!”.

Tuesday: Boot Camp Tuesday! I did a full boot camp workout with my friend Sharon, lotta fun!

Wednesday: R.E.S.T, No I didn’t do the “Hartford acres run ” I was 2 tired, and my friends wanted to bag it anyways so it was kewl.

Thursday: Did 30min elliptical Hard! and a superb workout, afterwords I took a shower and went to a program called campus life. A nice group of people who meet every Thursday and hangout, and talk about religion. Its a very nice program that exercises your faith .

Friday:

Are you Experienced? I sure am after that long bike ride. I now know not to ride in 40* weather in a shirtsleeve skin shirt, because riding 20-25mph tends to make it a lot colder. Also not to start a 30+ mile bike ride after 3:00 in the winter, it gets dark by 5:00. And making wise decisions like I did, I could have went the extra 7 miles, but I would have got lost without a cell phone on a trail in the woods with no street lights. Next bike rides going to be 50, but at 9:00 in the morning at 70* degrees.

 

Cuídate, redescubre tu salud, tu belleza: el pilates

Como un viernes más, me gustaría dejaros ejercicios interesantes para hacer en casa, pero si alguno por algún casual ya lo ha hecho con la tabla de fitness de artículos anteriores, hoy quería hablar de pilates.
¿Qué es el Pilates? Pues según la wikipedia (juas) El método Pilates, o simplemente Pilates, es un sistema de entrenamiento físico y mental basado en la gimnasia, traumatología, ballet y yoga, uniendo el dinamismo y la fuerza muscular con el control mental, la respiración y la relajación …. Una entente cordiale interesante a tener en cuenta, y destacada para hombres y mujeres que viven con gran intensidad, que quieren mantenerse en forma y desestresarse.

Además, es muy recomendado para cualquier edad…
Aunque el método Pilates se ha desarrollado y ha dado lugar a una gran cantidad de estilos y aplicaciones distintas, existen unos principios fundamentales que deben estar siempre presentes:
•    Alineamiento
•    Centralización
•    Concentración
•    Control
•    Precisión
•    Fluidez
•    Respiración
Los ejercicios están fundamentalmente compuestos por movimientos controlados, muy conscientes, y coordinados con la respiración, con el fin de crear un cuerpo armonioso, coordinado, músculado y flexible.
A través de la práctica, la mente va tomando conciencia de las capacidades, limitaciones, fortalezas y debilidades del cuerpo para mejorar el estado físico y mental.
Es un deporte muy técnico, donde la correcta ejecución de los distintos elementos que componen cada ejercicio es más importante que el número de repeticiones o series.

Su complemento idóneo y básico para mí: la natación.
Soy amiga del yoga, la natación, pero sobre todo de los paseos en el campo, de cuidarnos entre nutrición, estabilidad emocional y actividad física … y en fin, que disfrutemos este nuevo fin de semana que nos merecemos! Un saludo a todos.

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ghinion fantastic

Azi m-am hotarat sa ma duc la sala. Nu la sala-tras-de-fiare pentru ca nu sunt destul de disciplinata pentru asa ceva. La sala-topait cu instructori frumosi si lucrati care topaie in fata ta.

Deci m-am dus la ce-mi placea sa ma duc si data trecuta cand am fost la sala – la DanceMIX cu Bebelusa Oana. Si am nimerit prost. Pentru ca au fost si un tip care a facut poze pt Libertatea din cate am inteles, si unii cu camera de filmat de la prima + Ernest care a dansat si pe care l-au filmat.

Sunt convinsa ca va iesi un reportaj foarte simpatic, dar pe mine nu ma enerveaza atat de tare ideea ca cine-stie-cine ma vede la televizor gafaind (care oricum ma enerveaza, dar e putin probabil) cat faptul ca Oana a fost ca la inspectie. Adica-mi amintesc cand profa avea inspectie la ora intreba mai multe, preda mai multe, ne tinea sub control de la inceput si era oricum foarte organizata. E, Oama m-a omorat. Poate mi se pare mie pentru ca nu mai facusem miscare de genul asta de 100 de ani, dar am fortat nota rau. Adica ultimul sfert de ora ma uitam urat si nu mai puteam sa fac nimic. Ceea ce nu mi se intampla des.

Anyway. Acum ma simt bine. Sper ca de data asta sa ma tin.

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No good.

I did very horrible this week.

Did not exercise as much as I wanted, did not keep up with tracking my food as I wanted, ate out when I said I wouldnt, and pretty much just blew the week off.

Good points: I DID manage to get out there and run, which is more than I can say of the past bunch of weeks.  More than that, both of the times I ran, I did 3 miles! I havent been able to (read:have not pushed myself) do 3 in a LONG time.  Needless to say, Im hurting for it.  It is ok though, because I needed to let myself realize it needed to be done.  Now I can work up to the 6.2 for Thanksgiving, and the 13.1 in January.

I’m also following a little closer the blogs that my friend reads, to get a better idea of what I need for this one, and also healthy eating tips.  Almost feels like information overload sometimes, and with as much as I have going on outside of the interwebs, I think I might have developed a whole mental block about this whole idea.  Not going to happen (I hope) this week coming up.  Nothing weird is going on (that I can remember) so I should be able to set up a schedule and keep with it.  The week after throws that off because I am taking that week off of work, but it might help because then I will have free time (read:study hardcore time) to further plan and reinforce the practices I want to put in place.

All this talk about running makes me want to go out for a run.  Or is it that I want to further procrastinate on my studying? The world may never know . . .

Delayed gratification: marshmallows and mind control

One such morning last week I listened to a podcast of Kim Hill’s interview with psychologist Professor Walter Mischel of Columbia University on Radio New Zealand National.

Mischel is a distinguished researcher in the area of personality. In the 1960s he was one of the originators of what is often referred to as ‘the marshmallow test’. Children aged about four years old had one marshmallow (or some similarly delectable confection of their choice) placed in front of them and were told that they could either eat that one marshmallow straight away or they could wait to eat it, usually about 15 minutes, in which case they would be given another marshmallow.

The point of all this was to examine the children’s ability to delay gratification for a bigger reward. Mischel continued to study the children into adulthood, and discovered that those children who could delay gratification, waiting the 15 minutes so they could have two marshmallows, instead of immediately having one, have generally become more successful than those who couldn’t.

Now, Generation Y tends to be all about instant gratification. We don’t expect to have to wait for anything, be it a reply to an email, a promotion at work, or a new dress. We want it all and we want it now.

So this idea of waiting for something, of not taking that instant gratification that is right in front of you, is something that is quite foreign for many of us.

It’s a skill I think that I was never particularly good at. I always remember as a child being given I would eat all my Easter eggs in one day. It would often shock me when I would go to a friend’s house and in, say, June, she would still have a half-eaten Easter egg in the fridge.

Or when I was flatting at university, one of my flatmates would buy a packet of Toffee Pops and it would last her weeks. She would just have one occasionally. I would sometimes try to imitate her, and it would go well for maybe a day, or maybe an hour, and then I would mow through half the packet.

That these examples are to do with food is pertinent, but it’s certainly not the only area in which I have sometimes showed a lack of self-control. Some things I like to chalk up to experience, such as with my student loan – you could get a maximum of $1000 to spend on books or study accessories, and I would always get the maximum as a boost to my spending money, as $1000 right now was far more appealing than that delayed gratification of smaller loan in a few years’ time.

Self-control, will power, self-discipline, delayed gratification, whatever moniker you like to give it, is something I have been working hard at trying to develop, and over the past year I have definitely managed to become better in regard to both money and food.

In August last year, around the time of my uncle’s funeral, I had something of a watershed moment and realised that I really needed to get serious about losing weight. I have struggled with my weight my entire life, and I’m only now fully comprehending that I always will – it’s a lifelong battle for me in the way that sobriety is for an alcoholic. I had spent many months indulging in home baking and pastries from the caff at work, and this, combined with a very sedentary job, resulted in me packing even more kilos on to my already well-endowed frame.

It is now over a year since that time, and I have lost 16 kilos (it was 17, but through a lack of that much vaunted self-control, I’m now back up one kilo). While there are many elements that go into weight loss – just as there are many for weight gain – there is a necessarily strong emphasis on delayed gratification.

I always think of my auntie’s mantra of ‘minutes on the lips, months on the hips’. You can either have that instant gratification of eating that brownie, or those hot chips or that Danish pastry, or you can resist it for the bigger reward, some time in the future, of losing weight, fitting into your skinny jeans, being healthier, living longer, feeling better about yourself.

I’ve also managed to develop some self-control with regard to my spending. I’ve always been someone who loves shopping, loves spending, loves the finer things in life. Saving was something I only did for a very specific, short-term goal, like going on holiday

When I decided to move to London, I knew I would need to save for a considerable length of time, and that required further developing of that self-control. In the end, I didn’t end up moving to London, but I have continued saving. The original reason for saving may have disappeared or changed, but that self-control I developed hasn’t.

In the National Radio interview, Prof Mischel explains that delayed gratification is something that can be learned or developed with the right strategies and help.

Mischel used the example of retesting some children who had initially been bad at delayed gratification, but that if those same children were given a strategy to help them – such as the researcher suggesting that they visualise the marshmallow inside a picture frame – they would often be far better at delaying. When asked why they didn’t each the marshmallow in the retest, the children would say, ‘Well, you can’t eat a picture.’ Mischel explains that those people who manage to delay gratification in the marshmallow test did so by the simple art of distraction.

I think there’s a lot to take from this for my own struggles with self-control. So much of it is about trying to strategise, to visualise, to keep yourself distracted from temptation.

And it’s also something that, like most things, the more you do it, the better you get. It’s like with saving – when you first start, it’s so difficult, because you’re used to getting that instant gratification. But the more you do it, the easier it becomes. In fact, it can even get to the point where it becomes difficult to spend money, even when you need to. I now weigh-up decisions a lot more carefully before I spend money or before I eat something indulgent, this has benefits, but it can become mentally taxing.

There are some days when I decide that I’m going to get a piece of cake or something from the caff, but when I get there, I think about it so long that the desire passes – the moment for instant gratification has been and gone. Although I think the caff ladies must thing I’m slightly nutty, standing in front of the food cabinet silently deliberating the merits of a chocolate croissant.

I think developing my ability to delay gratification is definitely something that will help me with all aspects of my life. It just makes me slightly more contemplative about what my reasons are for doing something, for indulging, in whatever it may be. And that’s not to say I don’t indulge when it’s right (and sometimes when it’s wrong) like today I bought a $200 swimsuit. Gosh, writing that does make it seem indulgent. But I figured I deserved it. And I resisted buying a whole lot of other stuff, so we’ll call it even.

While I think the difference between how my weight loss in particular has gone is that other times I’ve tried to lose weight, it’s always been something that I’ve thought about being done over a short period of time – I just need an iron will for a few weeks or months and then I would get to where I want to be.

But that’s not really effecting change within my personality as I have done now. By doing it over a long period of time, I have actually changed my desires, changed my essential make-up, I think. So today when I decided that I should buy a chocolate bar, I ended up going into the dairy and looking at them, but really thought about whether I needed it, how I would feel without it, and I realised that I was fine without it. And so I walked home and tried on my bathing suit instead.

I’ve still got five kilos to lose to get to my goal weight, and still I think, ‘If I’m just really disciplined for the next few weeks or months, it will happen’ but it hasn’t happened yet. I don’t know if I’ll find that discipline to really make it, as the last few kilos are the hardest, but I do feel like I have changed my relationship with food, and with money, and that I have more faith in my ability to ensure a better future for myself, because being able to practise delayed gratification has wide ramifications.

In fact, in an article on the marshmallow test in the New Yorker, Mischel explains, “What we’re really measuring with the marshmallows isn’t will power or self-control. It’s much more important than that. This task forces kids to find a way to make the situation work for them. They want the second marshmallow, but how can they get it? We can’t control the world, but we can control how we think about it.”

The value of that goes beyond the ability to lose weight, to save money – it’s really about giving you control over your own reality.

Dance Your Turkey Off

Never mind Black Friday, put your feet up and save your energy for dancin’!  That’s right, we’re here not only this week, AND next week, we’ll be here the day after Thanksgiving, shakin’ & bakin’ baby.

However, we shan’t be dancng on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day which both fall on Fridays this year.

DJ Supah Stah brought the mix last week (loved it, but she hasn’t sent it yet), so DJ Natasha Bygone’s rock-tastic mix is up for this week:

Ms. Bygone has been listening obsessively to Boston’s own Upper Crust lately.

Remember, your fun dancin’ time for only $5 supports Perishable Theatre’s artistic and education programs.

 

 

 

 

Shop Till Your Broadband Drops

One of the most expensive pass-times that I happen to indulge in on a regular basis (Okay okay, daily) is online shopping. Sometimes I browse for something specific (A book, DVD or perfume) or just stumble across an impulse buy. 

During both my glee and fiscal regret that has accompanied this habit, my friends and family have piped up saying they didn’t know how to find Online Shopping Sites. I was flabbergasted. In this day and age, I thought everybody knew! So I thought, why not blog about my most frequented sites?

Drumroollll….

1) Trademe – www.trademe.co.nz – Okay, so even if you were living under a rock for most of your life, you would have heard of Trademe. But it’s a goodie, so it goes straight on my list. Trademe is where members can both sell and buy items, used and new, in online auctions. Some retailers have a Trademe “Shop Profile” where they sell their stock online, but mostly it’s individuals selling of unwanted gifts, clothing, cars and more. If you can think it, it’s probably for sale on this site.

2) FishPond – www.fishpond.co.nz – New Zealand’s biggest online bookstore, Fishpond sells books (New, but there are some second hand options) for very competitive prices. Amazing selection, including CD’s and DVD’s now, sourced directly from the distributors and sent to your door. Plus, if you spend NZD$50.00 or more you get free shipping… and to sweeten the deal, every now and then Fishpond sends you NZD$10.00 coupons via email. 

3) 1-Day – www.1-day.co.nz – 1-Day is a site that has three items for sale every single day. At noon, the three items get updated with three new options and so on. The items can be anything, from clothing to gadgets, but I find that there tends to be items for men approximately 60% of the time, which sucks for the ladies. Addictive, one of the easiest sites to impulse buy on. 

4) 3deals – www.3deals.co.nz – This is another site that works exactly the same way as 1-Day – Three items updated every day at noon. There is a point of difference though – The items seem to be for women about 60% of the time. (Guess life really does equal out at the end of the day, huh?) This site is the best for make-up deals and cookware.

5) Dealaday – www.dealaday.co.nz – This site is similar to the previous two in the sense that it updates every day with it’s daily deal, but the difference being it only ever has one item on special and the fact it updates at 10 AM rather than noon. It tends to feature mainly gadgets and tech stuff, as well as an awful lot for kids/babies. Great deals though. 

6) Off The Back – www.offtheback.co.nz – This is a site much like 1-Day and 3deals that updates every day with three main items that are on special. It sometimes has the most amazing products, but at other times falls short. The items chosen tend to be either quite expensive (Despite discount) or a bit cheap and tacky. But there are also a few good gems that turn up on this site. The products that tend to show up the most are gadgets, camera equipment and computer extras. 

7) I Want That – www.iwantthat.co.nz – This is an online store that has a lot of unique products. Everything from funny coasters to gun shaped vases; this store has it. Lot’s of specials, but it’s quality goods so not exactly cheap. Great for gift buying. 

8 ) OO – www.oo.com.au – This is an Australian online shopping website that delivers to New Zealand, and it has some really funky items. Everything from fitness gear, kitchen appliances, electronics and wine. Not cheap, but there are some really good specials and some things that are extremely hard to find anywhere else. Worth a look, definitely. 

9) Sella – www.sella.co.nz – A cheap mans Trademe. It’s not as good, but it runs the same way and has done the trick in the past when I haven’t been able to find an item on Trademe. Sella is ok… Not great. Just ok. 

10) Zillion – www.zillion.co.nz – See above for my Sella description. Exactly the same deal. Can’t beat Trademe, I’m afraid. 

11) The Warehouse – www.thewarehouse.co.nz – We all know the Big Red Shed, but did you know you can purchase things on their website now? Not everything is available to buy this way yet, but more and more gets added each week. Things like DVD’s, CD’s and jewellery are items you can purchase online, at the same discounted prices you get in store.

12) Ed Hardy – www.edhardy.co.nz – Anyone who knows me knows that I love Ed Hardy designs. The online store has the full in-store range available, including specials.

13) Amazon – www.amazon.com – Okay, so this is a U.S. store but it really is terrific. It sells almost everything but its the most famous for it’s massive assortment of books. Great range – amazing even – but despite super cheap prices you get massively stung on the international shipping. (So yeah, great for Americans!)

14) Paper Plus – www.paperplusbooks.co.nz – If you don’t feel like going into a Paper Plus store, then go to their site to find a great read. It’s not the cheapest, but it has the most information about the books, along with recommendations and picks for book clubs. Just great when you feel like a good book but have no idea where to start.

15) Glassons – www.glassons.co.nz – It’s not a groundbreaking site, but it has the usual good Glassons staples. Quality, fairly cheap clothing without having to mingle with obnoxious teens in overly lit malls. 

16) 599 – www.599fashion.com – Another American site, but one I really like. It sells a massive load of tops, along with a smaller selection of dresses, skirts and belts. And here is the great news. Everything is USD$5.99. Okay so not so cheap when you convert it, but not half bad either. The clothes are super cute and funky, good quality too. The shipping’s a bit “Ouch” but it’s made up for by the cheap products. 

17) Zazzle – www.zazzle.co.nz – A site that sells good quality t-shirts with any design you could possibly conceive on it – plus you can design your own. Kind of pricey, but as I said, the quality is what counts here. Great selection.

18) Mr Vintage – www.mrvintage.co.nz – A world famous site in New Zealand! This site sells t-shirts and hoodies with every kind of Kiwiana theme you can imagine. NZ brands, quotes, pop culture – you name it. Great deals daily, plus great gifts for overseas loved ones. Just a funky site for anyone who is proud to be a Kiwi.

19) Mighty Ape – www.mightyape.co.nz – Another good online store to buy books, DVD’s, CD’s and computer stuff. Not the cheapest, but it has a great range and sometimes products you just can’t get elsewhere.

20) Crazy Sales – www.crazysales.co.nz – This is one of those sites that sells everything. Well, almost anyway. Kids toys, fitness gear, musical instruments, beauty products and even rugs. I could go on, but you get the drift. It’s a mish-mash of glorious oddities, has a great selection of gift ideas as well as useful day-to-day items. Great deals, although it’s not the $2 shop! (Hmm, that’d be a great online store!)

21) EziBuy – www.ezibuy.co.nz – This is a great online store that has a massive selection of clothing – from the basics to a few surprisingly beautiful pieces. Shoes, lingerie, dresses, tops, jackets, swimwear… It’s not fashion chic, but hey, work it with one designer piece (Maybe a Guess bag? Mmmm…) and no one will ever know. Or care.

22) Supre – www.supre.com.au – Supre stores are littered around New Zealand, so you might not really see the point in shopping online and paying shipping from Australia. But I’m not inclined to see it that way. Supre has some super cute and funky clothes (If you steer away from the slut-wear and 80’s reject fluro items) and it’s nice to be able to browse through them all without a million angry teenage girls pushing past you as they viciously chew gum and sing along (badly) to the Britney Spears song playing waaaaayyyyy too loud on the speaker system. So yes, I prefer Supre from the relative safety of my laptop. Plus, although the shipping to New Zealand is about NZD$17.50, the clothing isn’t expensive so it’s totally worth it. 

23) Foodtown/Woolworths – www.foodtown.co.nz or www.woolworths.co.nz – Okay, so not the most exciting kind of shopping. But nothing beats getting to pick all the items that you want and having it brought right to your door. There is a set delivery fee which isn’t too bad, and you can get same day delivery. Brilliant. And totally lazy… But ahhh, I sure don’t miss those supermarket crowds!

24) Foodrunner – www.foodrunner.co.nz – Okay, while I’m on the lazy food bent, here is a site where you key in your location and it tells you which restaurants are available to you in your area. From there you can pick your food (Thai, Pizza, Italian etc) and pay online with a delivery fee of about NZD$12.50 (Steep, but remember, the idea here is pure laziness) and they bring it to your door. Brilliant when you’re working late, it’s raining and you don’t want to go out or if you’re sick. 

25) Apple – www.apple.com/nz – Apple products are a thing of beauty. I will blog about my love for the Mac later on, but the NZ Apple site is great for purchasing anything to sate your Apple needs. This site just makes me happy.

Alrighty then! That’s my overzealous list of my fave online shopping sites! Hopefully I haven’t lead anyone down the road to financial ruin!

School Sucks

So I’m getting closer to my post a week update on this site. I have more pictures to upload from a few hikes and I’ve been trying to think of a way to motivate my get in shape kick. Thinking maybe of posting my progress but… well see.
Thus far on the sailing front, I have been looking into certs and have been coherced into signing up for a scuba diving lesson. Should be interesting. Looking for people to join us, the more the merrier. I know winter in Canada does not sound like a time to take up scuba diving but if not now when? plus more practise this summer if I can finish the course/get my cert.
All for now. Smiles
Ruth

The Official Fitness Model Program.

From my intensive research and discovery of the top Fitness Models – I created and designed the Fitness Model Program – Through trial and error I developed my own personal program from learning what works and what doesn’t to achieve my cover worthy physique!

JNL’s Exclusive Bikini Body Workout Program will help you jumpstart your weight loss goals with her fat blasting, muscle toning workouts and energy packet, nutrient rich, muscle-fueling food plans!

And stop wasting your time, money and energy on personal trainers, supplements you don’t even need, expensive gym memberships, hundreds of dollars on gas money driving to the gym when you can get more results in less time with spending less time money and energy!

With my concentration in fitness, I am qualified to be your mentor and coach- being Ms. Bikini America, Ms. Bikini Universe and the first ever Ms. Muscle and Fitness- I can and will give you quality content and top trade secrets that you MUST know to achieve this coveted cover girl body!

And if you’re still contemplating, as one of America’s top personal trainers, let me give you one of the best pieces of advice you’ll ever receive: change comes by doing.

Jennifer Nicole Lee, Ms. Bikini America, Ms. Bikini Universe, and Author of the Finess Model Program

Visit merchant

The Balancing Act

 

TGIF fellow bloggies.

I wanted to do an update on balance.

 As you may remember a month or so ago (wow has it been that long already!?) I blogged about trying to find a balance between my workouts and my diet. I went from working out 6 to 7 days a week, doing hard cardio and strength training. Most days I would just do cardio, and skimp out on lifting since I was crunched for time. Well since the end of september I have been taking Zumba classes twice a week on Mondays and Fridays and I adore them. The thing I love about Zumba is that it is fast paced, and energy packed. Most importantly it is FUN! While I love getting a couple miles in on the treadmill or an elliptical, sometimes it get’s boring.

Balance, and the balancing act comes into play in almost every aspect of ones daily life. Wether it is between school and work, or our home and social lives, we all have to do it. Every day each of us makes choices after carefully weighing the pros and cons of each side, and live with the consequences. Balance is a sense of harmony and is essential to maintaining quality in work, and life. Your life is made up of many vital areas including your health, family, financial, intellectual, social, work, spiritual, personal growth and more. Somethings are more important to some than others.

Trying to balance your life and integrate more mindfulness and relaxation in your lives can be challenging, so here are a few nifty tips…

Focus on your priorities – Identify your values and align your life around what’s truly most important to you. Concentrate your time and energy on the things that you value most, your personal self should be first and foremost. 

Manage your time - Careful planning and time management can free up extra time that you can use to be more productive. More time = more time to balance between your daily activities.

Get organized - So much time is wasted on getting ready. Preparing yourself for your next task , getting ready to go here, do this or complete that. Take the time to get things ready the night before, or spend a minute or two doing the dishes so you dont have to do them later. The extra time that you save from being prepared can help you be more efficient and create a more zen like atmosphere.

Be flexible - Accept that needs will pop up that will require your readjustment and perhaps new choices. Forgive yourself when things don’t get done. Stop striving for perfection and allow for more reasonable standards. Simplify your life. Stop over-scheduling and over-committing. Begin eliminating things from your life that really aren’t important to you. Being busy 24/7 doesn’t mean that you are any more important than anyone else—it simply means that you are busy and probably missing out on the things that would really make you have more joy and fulfillment in your life.

When your life is overcomplicated and overfull, there’s little space for what truly matters.

So with my new found ponderings what am I going to do?

For starters I am going to start scheduling more me time. Time where I’m not working, or reading, or working out or anything. Everyone needs a moment where they can just breathe, and I very rarely get those moments. My works out and my diets need a fine tune-up aswell. I stick with my same routine day after day. Sometimes I wonder am I truly living? Or just being? I need to shake things up, take more risks. Have fun and enjoy life, because this is the only one that I am going to get. One thing I really miss is yoga. Over the summer I really enjoyed my practicing yoga, but since school started I have been more crunched for time and havent practiced in ages. Starting today I am going to make time for yoga and make  time for meditation.

One thing that I am thankful for is that I have realized this at such a young age. I have my whole life ahead of me to devote to health, wellness and compassion. That is a true gift.

Michal ♥

Relaxation Exercises

Yoga workouts offer not only the benefits of increased flexibility and muscle strength, but of relaxation as well. Unlike other exercises that are based on high intensity and quick movements, yoga is a more natural system focusing on slow movements, long stretches, and proper breathing. A quality yoga workout leaves you feeling energized, refreshed, and deeply relaxed.

To experience the benefits of a quality yoga workout no matter where you go, you can utilize the advantages of Yoga-Paws. Yoga-Paws are an incredible yoga product produced and sold by Yoga-Syz, an experienced mother-daughter yoga company with many years of experience both in teaching yoga techniques and developing workouts and products. Yoga-Paws are so small and lightweight, you can take them with you everywhere you go!

Begin your yoga workout with relaxation postures. Try lying flat on the ground, facing up with your hands directly at your sides, palms down. Close your eyes and feel your entire body. Starting at your feet, at the tips of your toes, relax your muscles. Then relax your ankles, followed by your calves, then knees, thighs, buttocks, lower back, and all the way up to the top of your head. As you relax each part of you body, feel the tension flowing out.

As you relax, pay special attention to your breathing. Proper breathing technique is crucial to achieving total relaxation. Breathe in deeply, using your abdominal muscles to expand the lungs as you open your shoulders to fill the lungs completely. As you exhale, pull the abdominal muscles in toward your spine to fully expel the air in your lungs. Perform this relaxation exercise (or other similar posture) for at least two minutes at the start of your routine. Then, strap on your Yoga-Paws and you’re ready for a total yoga workout.

Click Here for Relaxation Exercises!

HOW BIG BUSINESS WANTS TO SEE YOU RAISE YOUR CHILD

Ray Salomone, Personal Trainer and Wellness Activist

The soaring rates of childhood obesity, asthma, allergies and cancer is no accident. It has been a calculated and concerted effort by Big Food, Big Pharma and Big Medicine to make your child fat, sedentary and sick. It is by far the greatest injustice of our time.

Defenseless children are being saddled with a litany of life-long ailments and the related suffering. What were once anomalies is now the norm. Who doesn’t know a child that is not obese, asthmatic or allergic to many foods? If you do not know a child with cancer, consider yourself very fortunate.

 Why is this? And why was it not so just fifty years ago?

Children are under a relentless assault by the well-orchestrated actions of Big Business, who certainly would not approve of the way my wife and I are nurturing our child:

By assuring that the placenta and umbilical cord remained attached long enough to fully drain back into our just born son, we deprived Big Business of their first opportunity to make our child vulnerable to many illnesses and ailments. We also deprived them of the opportunity to process the placenta into high-priced personal care products.

By rejecting the hepatitis vaccine at birth, we set in motion our patent rejection of the inoculations, thereby denying Big Pharma the opportunity to profit from our child and once again try to set in motion a pattern of illness and dependence on pharmaceuticals.

Exclusively breastfeeding for the first eight months, my wife deprived Big Food from forcing formula (many with dubious ingredients) upon our child. By rejecting formula, we rejected Big Business’ opportunity to set in motion a life-long craving for junk processed foods.

Buying and preparing only organic fruits, vegetables and eggs, we are rejecting the processed baby foods, many containing processed fillers that clog a baby’s vulnerable digestive system, opening them up for a litany of digestive disorders.

 My wife, my son and I are most certainly bad for Big Business.

 Here is what Big Food, Big Pharma and Big Medicine hopes you do from the instant your child is born:

 1. Immediately cut the umbilical cord, ensuring that the placenta is still filled with valuable agents that can be processed into personal care items.

2. Minutes later, they want to inject your child with the Hepatitis Vaccine, setting into motion an endless string of vaccines that now reach well into adulthood.

3. Forego breastfeeding, instead opting for the heavily processed baby formula. Breast milk is miracle milk. In my opinion, baby formula induces your infant to nap and sleep better. And what new and exhausted parent does not want that?

4. Along with formula, Big Food is poised to push jarred baby food as the best option for your child. While they will try to use the nutrition angle, they will mostly rely on convenience and cost message.

5. At this point, the subliminal influence campaign will be in full force with an onslaught of television, magazine and internet ads aimed directly at parents and indirectly at children who will be exposed to a relentless stream of messages professionally designed by pediatric behavioral psychologists on the payroll of Big Business.

6. All is going according to plan and your child is now progressing to a diet of highly processed junk food, devoid of vital nutrients. He or she is gaining weight and moving less, adopting a sedentary lifestyle with over reliance of gadgets and other high technology. Perhaps your child has developed a peanut allergy or is lactose intolerant. Asthma may be looming. A life of reliance on pharmaceuticals, sugar satisfying junk foods and frequent visits to the doctor awaits.

 Just as Big Business planned it.

 For a FREE copy of our special report:

HOW TO SAVE YOUR CHILD’S LIFE (AND YOUR OWN) BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, send an email to Ray@GrecoRomanWellness.com

 Ray Salomone   Personal Trainer and Wellness Activist

 Eat Fresh, Whole Foods. Exercise Intensely

PLAY ROUGH AND LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!!

 Contact Me Directly at: Ray@GrecoRomanWellness.com

 Coming Soon to bookstores:

The Greco Roman Road to Wellness

by Ray Salomone and Dr. Katina Ioannidis

 During my vast amounts of free time, I am also a fiction writer. My first novel, PEACE BE WITH YOU, a psychological drama of addiction and redemption, was published in 2007.  

My next novel, HUMAN TRAFFIC, a story of love and vengeance, will be finished sometime in the next decade.

 

Three Days a Week; Thirty Minutes a Day

It doesn’t take all that much effort to keep your heart reasonably healthy. This today in the UK’s Daily Express:

Just 30 minutes of jogging or cycling three times a week has amazing results for people with heart problems – the UK’s biggest killer – a study has found. In just three months it slashed the risk of an early death by 60 per cent in those who followed the ­fitness regime.

It’s All About The Pants. By Dan & Jennifer Polimino.

You’ve probably heard fitness experts say not to watch the scale when you’re trying to lose weight. And there’s a simple reason for that … it’s not giving you the whole story. A scale only tells you about weight lost and weight gained, but what type of weight you lost or gained is more important than the number.

During a weight-loss program you may lose fat; you may lose muscle; you may lose a combination of fat and muscle. The outcome depends on the kind of program you follow. Last month we wrote about restrictive diets that prompt weight loss through diet alone, no exercise. This type of calorie restriction over a long time period usually results in excessive muscle loss. With this kind of program you might step on the scale and see a lower number, but it could be more muscle loss than fat. This happens too often when you leave exercise out of the equation.

How your clothes fit is a much better indicator of fat loss than the scale. It really is all about the pants. Most of us carry fat around our midsection, and women often carry fat in their hips and thighs—all affecting how your pants feel. Lose fat and your pants feel looser. Period.

Let’s say you’ve followed a healthy nutrition and exercise plan for a month. The scale says no weight loss, but your pants fit a good two inches looser. That’s fat loss, not muscle. In fact, you probably gained muscle, which is why the scale doesn’t register a number difference.

No other article of clothing motivates people more than pants. Think about it. Try on your favorite pair of pants for a party, realize they’re too tight to wear, and not only are you bummed out but you start an exercise program the next day. Put on those same pair of pants after a month of diet and exercise and they fit loosely. Next thing you know there’s a smile on your face and spring in your step. It’s the power of pants.

Book Dan Polimino to speak at your next meeting or event today. For program information contact us at info@BookDan.com, visit www.BookDan.com or call 303-683-4795.