FamilyInShape

Running, Chafing, lessons learned

Chafing, according to Google's definition is "to make sore by rubbing" against an article of clothing, for example.  In my case the chafing occurred as a result of rubbing skin. That's right! I decided it would be a great idea to go for a run in the middle of the day when the temperatures where in the 80's. Why not? It was hotter in GTMO at 7:00 AM and I ran plenty there.

Difference? Being prepared.  Nothing feels more uncomfortable than to feel your skin burning while you're running and knowing full well that you still need to go home.  When the burning begins two miles into the run and you have at least one mile before you can feel relief, it hits you. This is going to SUCK!!

Sweat drips from all over the place and every drop feels like fire. It's like pouring salt or lemon juice on an open wound, over and over and over again. What the HECK was I thinking???

I finished a three mile run in 31 minutes. Probably the slowest run since I started seriously running three years ago. Shameful is what that was but at the time, the pace was not of concerned since I still had to get home and it didn't matter if I ran or walked, it was going to burn just the same.  I ran for a bit pulling my pants down between my legs, surely that must have looked interesting to the motorists.   Then I adopted this side to side hop/run thing to help keep my thighs from touching each other and causing further damage.

Oh it gets better... I finally made it home, almost in tears. First things first... a shower. Of course, right, that should be a huge relief...yup.... EXCEPT when you soap up immediately and realize that the soap feels like someone just poured lemon juice in your eyes! Did I mention this was a great run through a beautiful lake with awesome paved and unpaved trails? Really, it was.

Anyway, I finally got myself cleaned up and decided it would be best to wear long pants to protect my hurting skin.  I little baby powder and it felt much better.  So what happened? This is not my first run in any temperature, what went wrong?

#1 I did not even think about preparing for my run.  Preparing means drinking lots of fluids (and by fluids I mean water) the night before, having clothes, shoes, socks, sports bra AND my anti-chafing stick ready.

#2 I spent the morning unpacking, sitting, standing and feeling defeated.  The run came in when I felt like I was going to jump out of my first floor window. I realized I needed to go do something physically active that would help me think, refocus...so it was totally an impulse run, still.... the anti-chafing stick, hello?!?

Lessons Learned:

#1 Prepare, plan, stick the routine, keep your gear organized. That way there is never an excuse to not go running or worse yet, to end up running and with chafed inner thighs.

#2 Don't let your circumstances, stress, the recent move (that's me), or anything else (excluding emergencies and illness of course) keep you from doing something just for you---walk, run, yoga, meditation, sleep.

Running... well, I have a new goal. Can I just act like a teenager who just found out she's going to see the latest teen idol (whomever he is these days, I'm so out of it now that my teen is away at college).... OMG, OMG, OMG.... I'm going to be a princess in February!! Tee hee hee hee!! Woot! Woot! I gotta text my BFF!! OK there. WOW a lot of words and nothing concrete was ever said.  What I'm trying to say is that I am going to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Orlando next February.  YUP! I signed up, I will make my travel plans shortly and I will be meeting some of my awesome and inspirational friends in Florida to run 13.1 miles just because we can and I am thrilled to have a goal, and this is a huge goal for me.

Disney's Princess 1/2 Marathon

OK. There now. Go get excited about your goals. I don't care how small you think they are. Own them. They are YOUR goals.

My training will begin in a few weeks but in the mean time I will continue running a few days a week just to keep up the routine and trust me, I will never again run without using my anti-chafing stick. By the way, you can also use any deodorant that is not a gel or spray.  It has to be the white deodorant most people avoid because of the clumping and stripes it leaves on your clothes. Trust me, it works, I rub that anywhere skin touches skin or sports bra touches skin.

I will keep you posted on my progress. If you're working on whatever... share it! Tell me about it!

Stay Well,

Terie

Back from Guantanamo...where's my motivation?

We are back from the island. WOW the last three years were the most memorable, active, engaging, and best years in our military career. They really were.

Have you ever been someplace you couldn't get enough of, but at the same time, you couldn't wait to leave?

That's sort of how GTMO was for us.  We moved to Cuba in the fall of 2009 not knowing at all what to expect, except that it was going to be different than any other duty station.  I could not find any information online about what it was like to live there, which was frustrating as we were moving with kids and I really needed to know more, but that wasn't the case. Just about anything out there concerning Guantanamo Bay relates only to the Detainee Camps. That is not what it's all about. But I'm not going to try and cover it all in my first post back on this site.  If you really want to learn more, read my blog Our Life In Guantanamo Bay and start at the beginning. That's the first thing I did when we arrived. I created a blog to help others learn about life in GTMO. The blog was a huge success and I met many wonderful people who moved to Cuba knowing a little more than we did.

While living in GTMO we were engaged in so many activities that it was hard not to stay in shape. You have to really want to not do anything because there was something for everyone, every age, every level.  Before leaving the states I was teaching fitness and trying out a few new things. I felt so accomplished.

Then I went to Cuba and started teaching Bootcamp, SPIN, Pilates.  OK well I was doing that before.  But then I met some friends and started running again. Both of them accoplished marathon runners and me. NOT good.  But they didn't give up on me and they "allowed" me to walk when I needed to.  I didn't like slowing them down so I worked hard to run through those hills but they pulled me back and said "just walk the hills, your run time will be about the same, you'll do great."  Then I started doing 5Ks, 10Ks, 1/2 marathon and before long I realized I was no longer walking those hills.

There were no specific expectation from anyone, just me not willing to be the slow one and me really enjoying the time spent with my friends during those runs.  I was most proud when I started running alone or with my dog and still managed to feel great and exceed my own limits.

Now I'm back in the states and I can count on one hand the number of times I've gone out running.  I'm not happy about that because now I'm not teaching, I'm not diving, not Kayaking or playing Soccer, I'm really not doing anything that even comes close to my level of activity when we were still in Cuba.  More than anything, I miss the natural energy and desire I had for running.  The temperature and environment are definitely better here so I really have no excuse. Except that I'm stressed. This has been the hardest move for us and while I realize that running will help manage stress, it is that stress that is eating up my motivation to run.

I know what I need to do. I know running will help me manage stress. I know once I'm out there I will be happy, I will enjoy it and I will get my mojo back.  But that's just it. Everyday I get up early because I'm going to run and everyday I end up not running because I'm tired, didn't sleep well, I feel achy.  I have never whined so much.

I decided to write about my lack of motivation because maybe I need a little external push. If I see it in writing I'll realize how ridiculous my excuses are. I'm taking action. I have to.

1. I will find a 5K and sign up.

2. I will set up some goals for the week--write them down and tell my family. I need to be accountable to someone other than me.

3. I will keep a log of what I eat on MyFitnessPal.com and Set up some running goals on Nike+ Running.

4. I will be back!!!

I'm fighting my way back and I know it will be worth it. 

Have you fallen off your fitness wagon? What are you doing to get it back?

Stay Well,

Terie

Starting a fitness routine after a long break

 

 Photo credit:  LifeHack

You know it's been a long time since you worked out if you can't remember where you last saw your workout shoes or clothes for that matter.  How about that old water bottle? Many of us have a huge list of good excuses reasons for why we stop a perfectly good workout routine and that's perfectly OK to do.  After all, life does happen and sometimes it happens to interrupt whatever we have going on at the time.  In my case I had a big move and now that it's all said and done I really have no reason to hold back.  Add to that the holidays and the damage could be pretty bad (let's just not go there right now!)

I'm not a big fan of making resolutions because I feel sort of paralyzed after a few weeks.  It's like I make this decision to do the best ever and then if I can't meet that huge goal I feel like a complete failure. Instead I just jump right in and get started with what was working before or at least adjusting what wasn't working.  

So how do you get started?

First - you need motivation.  Only you can make the decision to start a wellness program and only you can determine the reason.  To lose weight, to maintain weight, to be more active? for your kids? Whatever the reasons, write them down and let that be your motivation to START!.

Second - gather up your gear & put it on the schedule.  Get everything ready the night before - find that old gym bag and fill it up with a bottle of water, towel, exercise shoes and clothes.  Be prepared and eliminate any potential pitt-falls. On your family or personal calendar, write your workout plans. Make this an appointment with yourself, your family or your friends.

Third - where are you going? are you going to the gym? calling a friend to join you on a walk? going for a run or bike ride? working out at home? Choose your activity.  It really doesn't matter what activity you choose, but choose one and go with it.  Be prepared to do that activity and several others throughout the week.  

Fourth - Clean out your fridge and pantry.  The last thing you need are temptations to ruin a good workout. You don't have to toss the goodies, although not having them is the best way to go, just tape up the boxes and bags and place them up high or low - you don't want those treats to be easily accessible.  Instead, load up on fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, healthy snacks such as nuts and high fiber protein bars and of course, water.  Yes, plain old water.  Keep the water bottles ready to go in the fridge or on your counter and drink water throughout the day.

The first workout might be the hardest but it will be the beginning of a much healthier you in 2010!!

Stay Well,

 
 Cross Posted at BlogHer

Stay in the game

 

Photo by Reluctant Torontonian

It's no secret that my life is hectic these days as I attempt to clear my closets and drawers and finish up a semester of school. Impossible to forget the kid's homework, fun family time, birthdays, and life goes on with or without THE BIG MOVE.

As we get busier preparing I find it more and more difficult to stick to my routines and stay in the game.  Eating, exercising, drinking water, and sleep sometimes take a back seat to what I THINK needs to get done NOW. 

1.  Eating at regular intervals - not because I'm not hungry but because I get so involved in a project in some other part of the house that I don't even look at the time or heed the signals my body is giving me like hunger pangs, light headed, sometimes I feel like I'm over caffeinated--shaky all over.  It may not be for everyone, but eating several meals a day is a great way to stabilize glucose and keep the metabolism from slowing down.  Eat more often, loose more weight is a great article with some tips that can help better understand this process of eating at regular intervals.

2.  Exercise and Energy - I do get to the gym, because I work there and have to teach classes.  That is a huge plus.  But I know what is like to get involved in a project at home and skip the gym or even the neighborhood walk just to finish this one project.  Unfortunately, we always manage to come up with other projects that take us away from this important part of our life.  So I go to the gym when I can and when I have to but when I find myself stuck I take a break and do one of my three 10 minute workouts.  

The Hundred Push Challenge is a really fantastic workout that attempts to get you doing 100 push ups in six weeks.  While my goal is not exactly to reach 100, although that would be really great, my goal is to get stronger and leaner and I can't do that just by cleaning my house.  Push ups work all the muscles in your upper body AND core muscles - I can handle 10 minutes.  I also like to add Yoga or Pilates to my routine and those I do on the days opposite to the Push up days.  Check out these two videos, Yoga by Meaghan and Pilates by Suzanne. What a great way to spend just 10 minutes on me. 

3.  Water - Well we all know the benefits of water.  It's no secret.  Water cleanses your body, your kidneys (filtration system), the liver (fat metabolizer), and your skin.  There's no excuse to not drink my daily minimum so I carry around a 24 ounce-bottle of water and make sure I refill it a couple of times throughout the day.  I found this article, it's long but very informative on the benefits of water.

4.  Sleep - I can't begin to count the days or nights when I either go to bed super late and/or get up super early.  I fill up on coffee and try to do it all before the kids get up to go to school and before I have to be at the gym or anywhere that day.  It might work once or twice, but after a few days of sleeping no more than 4 hours a night I become a zombie and everything goes downhill.  I can't concentrate or focus, I don't have energy to play with the kids, I have no desire to eat (healthy) or exercise for that matter.  I'm still working on improving my sleep habits and here are some great tips on the benefits of sleep.

I know it's going to take a little planning and dedication on my part but it is important that I take back my life and stay in the game.  My health is worth way more than cleaning out closets and drawers. Besides, we have such an awesome adventure to look forward to in the next few weeks.  I need to stay healthy if I want to enjoy it and show my kids a great time.  

I hope these tips help you stay in the game.  Take back your life, you only have one chance to live it right!

Stay Well,

Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Holiday Party Cookies from erincooks

Is that even possible? You know, to not gain any weight over the holidays?  Well for some people it is. They are the ones who can easily say no to the sweeter things in life.  Just so you know, I'm not one of them. For some reason, holiday baked goods just taste so much better between November 1st and January 1st.  It's like comfort food for the soul.  Except the only thing getting padded around here are the hips, waist, back legs and arms.  

But seriously, why is it that we require food to enjoy the holiday season? And it is a requirement I tell you.  I've conducted an experiment and invited friends over for coffee and the first thing they say is, "what can I bring, I can make cookies or a quiche?" Hmmmm, that sounds yummy! I have to admit that the first thing I think about is "what should I make?" you know, to serve with the coffee because it would be a sin to have JUST coffee.

Well, this is who we are and this is what we do.  We are trained to celebrate everything with food and there's no better time to "get away" with over eating like the holiday season.  The media and every medical profession in the media has been telling us that, on average, people gain five to seven pounds during the holiday season.  OUCH!  They say from November to December, more accurately it all begins on Halloween, October 31st and ends on New Year's day, January 1st.  So, even though we know this to be pretty accurate, we still manage to fall into the trap of the holiday weight gain.  We eat the tasty treats, the delicious foods, and the drinks and begin the process of putting off fitness as a new year's resolution. We simply give in to the fad.

So what do we do now?  The "weight gain season" has already begun.  Do we just stay on this slippery slope and start our healthy habits next year OR is it possible to avoid becoming a statistic? Of course it is. Anything is possible if you really want it to be.  I have tips, you have wants, so lets put it all together and see how we do.

  

 1.  Start moving NOW!  Why wait until after you've gained the weight to realize you need to get back in shape.  Start now!  

 

Exercise: Measure out an area that is safe for you to walk from your home and back.  Invite some neighbors to join you after dinner, early in the morning or middle of the day.  Do the math.  Walk two miles a day, times seven days a week-- that is just over a marathon in 2 weeks.  Challenge yourself and add a mile to your walk OR cut back on the time it takes to walk 2 miles. As you can see, you don't have to join a gym or hire a trainer. Make it fun for the entire family and take the kids for a bike ride, roller skates, or a hike through the park. However, if you feel inadequate about walking alone or working out alone, then by all means join a gym, hire a trainer, start taking classes.  Arm yourself with a fitness routine that does not allow you to cheat yourself out of enjoying special holiday treats.

2.  Eat well, everyday! If you haven't already started, spend a couple of days logging everything you eat before making any changes.  This will help you identify problem areas with your current nutrition plan (because we all know we have one right?)  

 

Nutrition: Ask yourself, am I eating enough fruits and vegetables? Five a day is what they say. Make them fresh or frozen, raw or cooked.  More is best.  To keep the fresh vegetables from going bad in the fridge, eat them within a few days or cook and refrigerate or freeze them so that they are ready to be used in soups and stews over the colder months.  

 

Speaking of soups and stews, stay away from creamy soups that only add on the pounds.  I know, it's the comfort food we crave when we're cold and it's OK to have them in moderation. But if you don't think you can have just one serving then stick with the less creamy soups loaded with vegetables, legumes and lean meats.  Best to choose good carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, whole grain, sweet potatoes, etc.  Low fat dairy, lean meats and fish are also important in your diet as they provide you with well needed protein your muscles will crave. Take this opportunity to teach the kids what a serving is and what's in that serving of food. Lead by example.

 

3. Rest, de-stress, sleep! I am so bad at doing any of these.  It seems I'm alway running somewhere (and I don't mean that literally, otherwise I would have nothing to worry about if I was really running,) cleaning, packing (for an upcoming big move), doing homework, and staying up late for no good reason.  

 

A lot of women do this in search of quiet, meditative time and that's great if #1 we can still manage to get enough sleep and #2 if we use that time wisely, i.e. meditating, stretching, etc. I'm back to putting meditative time on my schedule.  We don't need a lot all at one time, 10 - 15 minutes of being with oneself, in our thoughts, in our minds, and revisiting our souls is all.  Do it a few times a day, do it while waiting in line at the store, or upon rising, before bed.  There are opportunities, we just fail to seize them and instead go to bed with a mind full of junk we can't resolve in our sleep.  So rest your mind, sleep and the result will be = controlled stress management. Again with the family, take some time to read to your kids or with your kids; teach them how to be silent for one whole minute - make it  a game and then ask what they were thinking when they were still.  You'd be amazed at the stories you get. 

 

4. Drink Water.  Oh yes, this is a biggy.  I am terrible at drinking water in the winter time.  Did I mention I'm from the Caribbean?  As much as I love the beautiful fall foliage and a crispy cold winter's day, it is not my cup of tea to live in it everyday.  Definitely tropical and if I want winter I can drive to it instead.  That's ideal.  

 

Back to water.  Since I know that drinking anything cold is not all that attractive to me I make it a point of drinking plenty of water before, during and after my workouts.  Carry water with me wherever I go so that I'm not tempted to buy coffee or food.  I also keep my water bottle on the counter to maintain the room temperature.  I find that my kids don't drink nearly as much water as they should - I think sometimes they skip it all together, so new rule:  when they say they are bored or hungry I offer them a glass of water while I make a nutritious treat or plan an activity like going out to play in the piles leaves.  One other option if you don't like cold water is a cup of warm water with a twist of lemon in the morning is actually pretty good too.  My dad was told (prescribed by his doctor) to drink this every morning to keep his digestive system running smooth.

  

The Challenge:  To avoid any weight gain over the holidays.  Go ahead, challenge yourself to be different this year.  Don't bother making a resolution to get healthy, do it now.  Get in the best shape of your life starting right now.  Get the family involved in getting and staying active, even if you don't have weight to lose, living a healthier lifestyle IS the new fad.

Disclaimer: If you want to lose weight, PLEASE, keep in mind that this process takes time, it's not going to happen over night, it's not going to happen in ONLY 10 minutes a day.  However, with a little determination and motivation, it will happen as you burn 500 calories a day exercising, cleaning, chasing the kids around.  As you eat 300 less calories a day replacing junk food with good-for-you food.  It will happen as you burn off 1-2 lbs a week and replace body fat with lean muscle mass.  It will happen if you want it bad enough!

Let's do it together!! What are you waiting for?  Tell me, how will you avoid the holiday weight gain in 2009? I want to know! 

Stay Well,