Dizzy Miss Lizzy

Home Stuff (trip to IKEA)

2012-02-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

Firstly, no one goes to IKEA on an empty stomach unless they want to fight the huge crowds of shoppers just for some Swedish meatballs (I know they have lots of other food but you know what I mean)

Therefore, the night before we went, I threw some egg beaters, green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, veggie crumbles, and frozen hash browns in a crock pot. We woke up to an amazing smell and a finished breakfast! All we had to do was scoop and eat :) My sister in law Jenna gave me the idea over Christmas
(Don't worry, that's not actual butter on the toast...gotta stay cholesterol-free!)

We had a successful trip to IKEA. We picked up another CD tower as Marc enjoys his growing collection of CDs.

Here are both towers with a wall shelf we got from IKEA a few months ago:

We also added three new couch cushions, which Marc wasn't crazy about doing. I told him it's trendy to have lots of different cushions! The new ones are the red, the white and the brown. I think they go well with our rug:

Last, we finally got something temporary to fill the huge empty wall space above our couch...CHICAGO! I wanted London and Marc wanted New York but I haven't been to New York and Marc hasn't been to London, so Chicago was a simple choice:

I also can't remember if I showed you our kitchen and dining area from all angles...so voila:

This is the smallest place we've lived in (about 625 sq feet) but I think we do everything we can to make the space work. It feels a lot like home now, and I'm glad IKEA has some affordable options to maximize space!

Commercial Dogs: "He's MOONWALKING across the finish line!!!!!"

2012-02-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

There are few things I love more than dogs being funny in commercials.

The Travelers Insurance dog is probably my favorite commercial dog, but the doggies in the Volkswagen and Skechers commercials during the Super Bowl may have stolen my heart temporarily...

Fitness and Dogs? YES!

Performance Data

2012-02-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

Last night, I became very anxious and excited about witnessing the future of indoor cycling.

Imagine always knowing exactly how hard you're working as far as how much resistance (Torque, but they call it "Torq") you have on the bike, how fast you're going, how far you rode and how many calories you burned. Imagine knowing how hard you're working compared to other riders in the class.

Flywheel Sports indoor cycling studio is the wave of the future. They believe in the saying "never coast," and it's true...my heart rate was elevated for the entire class and I was accountable because the stats were going to call me out!

When I teach Spinning, I usually assume that in an hour I ride about 20 miles. I don't really know how many calories I burn (I should start wearing that heart rate monitor) or how I stack up compared to other riders.

At Flywheel, you have a username and it is displayed on the Torque Board and you are ranked next to other riders based on your total power (your Torque plus your RPMs or pedal Rotations Per Minute).

My first class was last night, and at $25 per ride, it will probably be one of my only classes unless it's a special occasion. Beforehand, I read about the instructor, who is a professional cyclist and competed in le Tour de France. I thought, these riders are hard core, and there is no way I can keep up with this guy who rode in the freaking Tour. My legs are shot from riding Mon-Wed for hours and I have a cold. I'll just try to get through it and hope for the best.

You better believe when I saw that Torq Board I turned it on. I couldn't help it...as an instructor, I wanted to be the best. Here are my stats from last night's ride.

Average RPM: 65
Max RPM: 106
Average Torq: 24
Max Torq: 41
Average speed (and I thought this was crazy): 30 Mph
class time: 45 minutes
total power: 257 (good enough for second place overall on the Torque board!!)
total distance: 22 miles
estimated calories (for someone who weighs about 145-160 lbs...so I burned less): 696-771

All I did was do what the instructor said to do. He would say he wanted 95 RPM and 21 Torq, and it would be hard, but I would do it simply because he said so. I didn't realize that listening to the instructor would put one at the top of the Torq Board. It opened my eyes to how much people just don't listen to me (or any instructor) in classes. I assumed because I focus more on yelling at people than on my actual ride, that I wouldn't be very strong or be able to hang with Flywheel riders. I'm happy to say I kicked most of their asses...I can't help but say that, I'm too competitive. Most of them probably didn't even care where they were.

People probably think I am annoying for pushing Spinning so much as THE workout of all workouts. But I don't think there's anything else out there where you can burn more calories per hour and achieve the level of fitness in such a short amount of time. Look at those numbers and give me another Group Exercise class that rivals it. You might have more fun doing Zumba or Step while you chat with your friend, but everyone has different goals. Mine aren't to waste any time! Bring on the PAIN!

I hope some day I can be a part of this new style of Indoor Cycling...it really is one of the most amazing workouts I've ever had. I still feel high from it!

"You Work SO HARD"

2012-02-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

Another instructor said this to me as I was leaving the gym last night (after I told her about my "2 hour Tuesdays" as I like to call them). I honestly thought at this time last year that I wouldn't be able to keep my schedule...OR, I'd keep it and it would kill me. I'm alive!

I have just started to get over my first sickness since teaching Group Fitness and working full time. It's not from fatigue. It's from last Thursday, spending 10 hours in a car sitting next to a friend with a head cold. My immune system is strong but I think that's enough to get anyone sick.

Aside from being phlegm-y and tired, I feel right. I had a couple of nagging injuries in parts of my knees but those have subsided. I enjoy my schedule and my full time job.

I think when people affirm my hard work, it motivates me to stay strong. Marc tells me that he misses me, but it makes him happy to know that I'm out doing things I love.

More so than ever, Marc and I are seriously considering home ownership. We've discussed it before but always concluded that it's not the right time.

Most of the time, we weren't sure if we were even going to stay in Chicago. However, it's our kind of town. It fits our lifestyle. We started looking at the West Loop neighborhood and all the amazing lofts. We also noticed that the prices are very attractive for places that are so close to work! Now, we talk for hours about this and whether we think we can afford it, and if we have to do certain things to make sure we're not house poor and whatnot.

I think for the time being, and that's at least the next year or two, my schedule is going to stay the same if we want to be home owners but not make adjustments to our lifestyle.

It didn't take long to realize that I'm not only okay with this scenario, but I am satisfied with my life. I think come May when the new schedules are being prepared at my various gyms, I'm going to make some adjustments. That's not a long time from now, especially since time moves at breakneck speed for me ever since I filled up my schedule with STUFF. It's already February!

I like that I have to work for things and I like that I do so much. I think I am a workaholic, but there are worse things I could be. I think more than the actual work itself, I enjoy the rewards. I'm a results-aholic, if there is such a thing. I am a doer.

What keeps YOU going?

Sick Pants.

2012-01-30T11:18:00.000-08:00

Optimism is really good. For example, I know I have a lot of important things coming up in the next month that I really, really can't get sick for.

Even though I haven't been sick in about two years, I'll try to be optimistic and say God made me sick now so I won't be sick during the important things.

My mom is coming to town this month, I'm planning a bachelorette party for my friend, and I have two important Spinning auditions. I can't really be sick for any of that stuff...it just wouldn't work.

My voice is usually the first thing to go when I catch any kind of cold, so Spinning should be interesting tonight (and especially tomorrow since the mic is broken at that gym).

To keep myself going, I'm playing "Ali in the Jungle" by The Hours for Spinning tonight..it's one of my favorite "KEEP GOING" songs. As soon as I saw the Nike commercial (above) I was thinking, I NEED that song! It's going to help me power through today and keep my class (and myself) motivated.

"It's, not how you start it's how you finish,
And it's not where you're from it's where you're at,

Everybody gets knocked down,
Everybody gets knocked down,
How quick are you gonna' get up?
How quick are you gonna' get up?

Like Ali in the jungle,
Like Nelson in jail,
Like Simpson on the mountain,
With odds like that, they were bound to fail
Like Hannah in the darkness,
Like Adam's in the dark,
Like Ludwig Van, how I loved that man, well the guy went deaf and didn't give a damn, no..."

It's not the newest song ever but it certainly pumps me up

Tonight's Classes!

2012-01-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

I am getting (somewhat) accustomed to teaching double Spinning on Tuesday nights. The time actually goes pretty quickly and I have evil thoughts running through my head about the amazing foods I want to eat with the extra calories I burn (tonight it will be a microwaved Kashi oatmeal cookie with Ben & Jerry's frozen yogurt on top).

I know I could teach one of the classes off the bike but I always tell myself that I CAN do 2 hours of Spinning, so why not improve my fitness level while I motivate? The hardest part is that the microphone isn't working. Yelling louder means you expend more energy, which makes you get tired more quickly...but again, it's all part of getting more fit :)

I haven't posted any classes or class ideas in awhile, so here is tonight's. I'm going to do it at 6pm then all over again at 7pm!

Warmup-
Give Me Everything, Pit Bull feat. Ne-Yo

2 hills separated by a 30 second flat road -
Call your Girlfriend, Robyn

Heavier standing hill followed by recovery-
Your Woman, White Town

Flat road with 40 second rolling hills -
Alejandro, Lady Gaga

15 second Sprints -
I Wanna Go, Britney Spears

Resistance load leading to a hill -
Secret Crowds, Angels and Airwaves

Hill with one minute seated climb -
Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, Coldplay

Flat road followed by running with resistance -
What You Waiting For, Gwen Stefani

Position 3, 20 second standing intervals-
Monkey Wrench, Foo Fighters

40 and 20 second Sprints -
The Kids Aren't Alright, The Offspring

15 second intervals while staying in 3rd position -
Temperature, Sean Paul

Resistance load every 60 seconds leading up to hill -
Moth's Wings, Passion Pit

25 second sprints on a hill -
Fighter, Christina Aguilera

annnd of course take a look at the picture at the top to talk yourself out of talking yourself out of working out. Just do it.

Hair growing update

2012-01-19T17:52:00.001-08:00

As you know, since before the beginning of this blog I have been growing my hair out. I have been doing so since 2009. It has been a really long road and has taken lots and lots of will power.

In any case, new haircuts rock. I hadn't cut mine since September and it was getting nasty! I love how I feel after I leave the salon

Before:

After:

I love shorter layers...I'm so excited now! Now all I have to do is get off my butt and do my roots

Clean Bill :)

2012-01-18T08:44:00.000-08:00

I had a physical yesterday and I was telling my doctor that Marc and I have been working together to get his cholesterol down. We started comparing fun recipes and she told me that she doesn't have record of my cholesterol. She recommended I get it checked so I did!

My doctor emailed me this morning and said my test was "perfect!" (with an exclamation point!)
Here are the numbers:
Total cholesterol- 167
LDL - 52
HDL - 103

She wrote "AMAZING! Keep working out!" Next to my HDL number. It made me happy because I do work out extremely hard. It's good to know that exercise has given me protection from a lot of heart-related problems.

I may not be perfect in any other aspect of life...but apparently my blood is perfect, according to a physician. She even said my Vitamin D level was really good, which is rare for Chicago residents. Must be the gummy vitamins. I'll take it!

Thanks to my mother-in-law, I also discovered a nasty but amazing regimen: Cod liver oil. She started telling me the benefits of it and that it eases her joint pain so seeing as how we don't eat a lot of fish, I got some for Marc and I.

It is the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted in my life. I even got the lemon flavor. It makes it taste like lemon-flavored fish guts. I have tested out various beverages to chase it with to make the taste go away. So far I've had success with Diet Coke, white wine and flavored coffee.

We've been on it for about 3 weeks now and the craziest thing I noticed was our skin....it's so clear. Marc's is the clearest I've seen him have and he gets breakouts from time to time. It's pretty amazing.

Seeing my cholesterol numbers made me feel hopeful for Marc when he goes to the doctor soon. I'm sure his numbers will have gone down from last year. Here's hoping!

Also, I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. Seeing as how I haven't gotten it cut since September, I am pretty excited.

Cooking with the Millers: Spaghetti Squash!

2012-01-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

No matter how strongly he opposes it, I am fiercely fighting to turn my husband into a vegetarian.

The other night he looked at me while I was cooking and said "thanks honey...really, thanks." He is such a good sport. He knows that he has to try harder than most people to eat a healthy diet because of his cholesterol. He complained very little when I took away all the meat (non-fish meat), milk, cheese, and butter and replaced it with Morningstar products, almond milk, veggie cheese and I Can't Believe it's Not Butter. I know that has to be hard, but he knows he has to get that cholesterol down.

Does it sound extreme when you have high cholesterol to exercise and cut out 99% of all animal products (excluding fish) from your diet? Not to me. Because then, when you go back to the doctor, you can say "I've done everything I can to lower it" and you won't be lying. How can you fail if you put in all the work? I'm sure there are people out there who do literally everything and still have to be on medication, but I'd like to find out first if Marc is one of those people before he goes on those kinds of meds. Also, for the record I am participating in this too right along with Marc even though I don't have high cholesterol. I think it's only fair!

Anyway, enough about that.
I am always on the lookout for meat-free, low sodium, butter-free and dairy-free dishes that taste good and are filling, so with that in mind I finally got the courage to try spaghetti squash!

This is how I made the spaghetti squash (168 calories for the squash, pasta sauce and veggies!):
-First I had Marc stab the squash repeatedly with a knife, which was fun to observe
-I microwaved it on high for 2 minutes
-I put the squash in the oven in a glass casserole dish for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees
-while the squash was baking, I chopped up some cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, a garlic clove and green peppers, seasoned them with Italian seasoning and simmered them in a skillet (with ONLY Pam cooking spray, not butter!) on low heat until they were soft
-I then removed the squash from the oven, cut it in half lengthwise and scooped out all the seeds and squash guts

-using a fork, I scraped at the sides of the squash to get my "spaghetti"
-once I had enough squash in each bowl, I put the rest in Tupperware in the fridge

-I sprayed each serving of pasta with zero calorie butter spray and microwaved for about 1 minute each, to get it piping hot again and to add some flavor
-I then mixed Prego Veggie Smart pasta sauce in with my simmering veggies
-I covered the squash in the sauce and enjoyed!

ps- as you can see in the pictures, I'm not 100% evil as I did not remove the grated Parmesan :)

2012...the year of...?

2012-01-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

To motivate myself to train tirelessly for my 5th marathon, I called 2011 THE YEAR OF RESULTS.

The result was that I completed the 18 week training program from start to finish and ran my best marathon time by 17 minutes. That was definitely a year of results! Of course that wasn't good enough because I knew I felt horrible for a lot of it, I ate bad foods due to traveling (and not trying hard enough), I had a sprained foot and I was sleep-deprived.

I think 2012 is going to be called the Chicago Revenge Year.

I hate the Chicago marathon. I hate pretty much every aspect of it. It's expensive, it's too big, there are people EVERYWHERE, it takes 20 minutes to even cross the start line, I know the course way too well for my own good and it's usually hot as hell because in 2007 they changed the date to earlier in October. I ran it three times and have failed miserably on two occasions because of the hot weather.

And THAT, is precisely why I am going to run the Chicago marathon as marathon #6 in 2012.

I need to get this monkey off my back in the worst way. I've been carrying anger towards that race for three years. I even told the officials via email that I'm sick of running it during Columbus Day weekend (due to the heat) and I refuse to sign up again until they change the date back to where it was (HA!)

I thought the solution would be to run away from it and just go out of town to run marathons, but Chicago keeps calling my name. It's on my doorstep and it's where I train. In the days leading up to the race I don't have to worry about where I'm sleeping or what I'm eating since I'll be in the comfort of my own home.

My 20 miler time was 3 hours and 26 minutes. Therefore my new marathon goal time is 4 hours, 35 minutes (Or BETTER). That allows me to run a 10 minute mile most of the race and slow way down after mile 20 if I need to.

Anyway...that's my goal. I am so scared of the weather being hot and I indicated that on Hal Higdon's Facebook page. He replied: "we cannot control the weather, but we can control our reaction to it." If that means that I could pretend that it's NOT 80 degrees and succeed at it, then okay!

2012: The year I take my revenge on the Chicago marathon

Adieu, 2011

2011-12-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Ran a marathon in under 5 hours! whooo!

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? See above! It was my resolution to get that oh-so-coveted marathon time

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
my friend from college (Rachael) had a little baby boy!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Gran died. I spent so much time with her when I lived in Canada, and went up every year for her birthday. She was very close, indeed.

5. What countries did you visit?
Canada..not too exciting eh?

6. What would you like to have had in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Energy and free time!

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
09/02/2011 was our 5 year wedding anniversary...quite a milestone. And 11/22/11, my Gran's death

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finally getting my foot in the door to teach Group Exercise classes!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Spraining my foot right before my marathon. Big fail. Another fail was not going to the dentist. I say I'm going to go and I never do!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just the sprained foot. I managed to make it all the way through 2011 illness-free!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
hmmm. Movers...when we moved in late summer :)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mine! Seriously. I was a really good girl this year, Santa!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Just your normal, everyday people when you witness them doing something crappy...you know?

14. Where did most of your money go?
The usual: rent, school loans and travel

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting certified in Group Exercise and training for my marathon

16. What song/bands will always remind you of 2011?
Hmmm. Honestly I do not know...MGMT? I listened to them a lot in 2011

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i.i. happier or sadder? Happier, for sure.
ii. thinner or fatter? thinner because I actually worked out harder over Christmas.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer! I still work full time and I'm teaching a lot of classes now. We also moved to a cheaper apartment

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I would have stayed home more and not voluntarily made myself run around so much. I also wish I would have called my family more, but that goes back to the running around thing.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry.

20. How did you spend Christmas Eve?
Marc and I went to a steakhouse with my in-laws! I didn't order steak...so dumb.

22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Maybe deeper in love?

23. How many one-night stands?
oh, gone are those days

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I think either The Walking Dead or American Horror Story! Very unique shows :)

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Not really. Mostly the same lucky people.

26. What was the best book you read?
The Hunger Games, without a doubt!

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
David Guetta...I know, I'm late to the scene.

28. What did you want and get?
A bicycle!

29. What did you want and not get?
A vacation

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn't see that many films so I might have to say Harry Potter

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 27, and wow, I can't remember. I know I taught a Spinning class in the morning!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A 4:30 marathon instead of a 4:50 marathon :)

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Jeggings, tall boots, solid colored shirts and big necklaces...sooo the concept would beeeee...yuppie?

34. What kept you sane?
food and exercise

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Stephen Colbert...he made me laugh my ass off this year

36. What one word best describes 2011?
mature

37. Who did you miss?
My family, and Canada

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Laryn Kovalik. Great girl

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
I just learned to take care of myself. Everything that happens in your (my) day is usually a choice. If you don't take care of yourself, who will? No one. You've got to take care of yourself! :)

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"I'm on the edge of glory" (just kidding haha)

In 2012
What do you plan to do that you didn’t do this year?
Run that stupid Chicago marathon

Do you think it’ll be better or worse than this year?
if it's the same, I'll be happy!

What do you plan to do this year?
I think I'm going to give up my Saturday Spinning class so I can have more free time on weekends.

What are your pre-New Year’s resolutions?
That stupid Chicago marathon

Who are you spending New Year’s Eve with?
My sister, my brother in law, and my future niece/nephew :)

What one thing would you like to say as the year is almost done?
Well, I'm another year older and that usually means I go to bed earlier and earlier...maybe I won't even make it 'till midnight to welcome 2012. By the way, I like pronouncing it "two thousand and twelve" instead of "twenty twelve." I get annoyed when people say "twenty twelve." I can't help it.

Call me crazy, but I am really enjoying my late 20s. If they're this good, then I can't wait until my 30s. Seriously. Being young is over-rated: You're in school, stressed out, you think you know everything yet you're insecure, and you don't take care of yourself! Bring on the years...they've been good to me.

life in Ohio

2011-12-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

People in Findlay, Ohio like to play Keno. Google it...I don't feel like explaining it. It's fun! I lost money but it's fun :) They also have new "internet cafes" which are basically mini casinos with slot machines on computers. I have no idea how it's legal. I won $5 :)

Other than gambling away my money, I've been to one Findlay Spinning class (which isn't that different than Spinning in Chicago) and I ran twice. I'm trying to stay as much in my routine as I can! I'm going to run a very long run today all through the great city of Findlay (which won't take long)

I've also helped my mom wrap the presents and put up the tree. We got a real tree this year and it looks/smells amazing (pictured above). It's my first time with a real tree! My sister arrives tomorrow and we can have our family Christmas...then it's off to the other exciting part of Ohio: Apple Creek :)

Just updating you on my Christmas travels. Findlay actually has good restaurants. who knew?

___________________________________________________________________________________

Fast forward to Dec 27th! Today! Okay, that was my blog entry from last week that for whatever reason, I could not post. I don't think my mom's laptop has enough bandwidth.

Anyway. I'm back from Apple Creek and am home in Chicago, working away. Being away from Chicago for the holidays and actually trying very hard to stay fit taught me a lot about small town living.

I'm proud to say that this is probably my fittest Christmas! I worked out every day except Christmas. I did three Spinning classes and ran seven times so I was proud of myself for getting out there, even if I annoyed other people in the process.

In regards to learning about non-city living: First let me back up and explain that I have been wearing a pedometer for the last 8 weeks. My company is doing a walking competition to encourage wellness and people are enjoying it. As you know, I exercise a lot already, but being able to see how far I walk has also been enjoyable. When I do not exercise, I walk around 8,000 steps a day in Chicago which is at least three miles of walking...sometimes I walk four a day just getting around. I burn at least 200 to 300 additional calories daily when I commute and go places.

When I DO exercise, I usually get in around 15,000 steps a day through running or Spinning. That's a LOT of moving!

So that being said, I was surprised how much time is spent in non-cities just being idle. Like I said earlier, I did not exercise on Christmas Day. All I did was go to church and to a family gathering. I barely broke 3,000 steps on my pedometer. I think I burned like 74 calories. I couldn't believe it. I walked around people's houses and walked to and from cars.

Wearing my pedometer not only kept me MOVING while I was in Findlay and Apple Creek, but it also provided a window into life on the other side. People just don't move very much! It's not me being judgmental..it's the God's honest truth! That's not to suggest that city living is superior to small town living, but it just seems so much harder to stay in shape when you're not constantly moving. My family members in these small towns are not out of shape. Let me be clear on that! They all appear to be healthy which is another thing that baffles me. However, I think I tend to just eat more, in general! I think if I moved from Chicago to a small town, I wouldn't be burning those extra calories from walking and I would probably continue to eat as I do...therefore, I'm sure some extra weight would be packed on! I'd have to make some adjustments and think much harder about snacking.

After all that I have observed, I do have one thing to say to small-towners: Do not look for that parking space as close as possible to the store. Rather, park as far away as you can, because for some, that's the most moving you'll do all day!!!!!!!!!!!! I just think it's ironic that some avoid as much walking as possible when they go to the store and spend time driving around looking for that close parking space, when they could be taking advantage of moving around. I'm not talking about my family specifically, but I'm observing that that is what people tend to do when they park.

Anyway, my Holidays were great but I'm happy to be back into my routine. 2012 is just around the corner and I wish everyone a fit and healthy 2012! :)

HOME, not fat, for the Holidays

2011-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

A lot of people fear Holiday weight gain...and they should.

Most people do not gain much weight during the holidays (2 lbs or so), but according to recent studies, people who DO gain weight during the holidays usually don't lose it when the Holidays are over. Scary, eh?
Many folks travel for the holidays and that's their excuse for not exercising. Or perhaps they have lots of house guests and that's their excuse, too.

I'm going to call "bull shit" on both of those excuses. Afterall, excuses are like butts: we all have them and they all stink.

Here is my HOME, not FAT, plan for the Holidays as I am traveling to Ohio to see parents and parents-in-law:

1) Bring work out clothes in the suitcase! This sounds like a no-brainer, but so many people don't pack the gym shoes! If you pack them, you feel more obligated to use them. I usually bring 2 outfits for working out and just use my host's washer and dryer. If they don't mind you staying over, they won't mind if you wash your workout clothes.

2) Enlist others to your cause! Say "hey Mom, I'm going to the YMCA, want to come?" or "hey Dad, I'm going for a run around the block...come join me!" If other people are committing to join you, you're more likely to do it because you have a plan.

3) Plan your Holiday activities and exercise AROUND each other. Like "oh darn, I have to go Christmas shopping tomorrow afternoon." TOO BAD! you can work out in the morning then!

4) Use what you have around you. I was dying to exercise during the Blizzard of 2011 but obviously no gyms were open and I couldn't run because all the sidewalks were covered in snow. I didn't let that stop me and neither should you! Can't get to the gym? Too snowy outside? Create circuits for yourself!!! I threw on my stop watch and went to town. Circuit #1 was jumping jacks, Circuit #2 was punching/jabs with 3 lb hand weights, Circuit #3 was push ups and/or burpees, and Circuit #4 was sit ups. BOOM! One minute each, repeat until you get to 30 minutes with just a little rest in between.

5) If you work out, reward yourself and indulge here and there. What's the point of working your ass off if you don't get a piece of pie? This is a given. Everything in moderation is good :)

6) Don't go to a party hungry. Trust me, it doesn't stop you from eating at ALL at the party, but it helps you from not eating everything in sight. Another tip is to socialize at a party AWAY from food...if the food is in the dining room, then you should party in the living room.

These have actually worked for me...I didn't just rip them off the internet. I wanted to post this blog because my office is going for a luncheon in about a half hour...I want it to motivate me (and I need to practice what I preach today!)

Good luck, fellow Holiday-ers :)

another Subway review!

2011-12-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

Life is getting a bit easier aside from gaining 5 pounds over Thanksgiving :) I haven't posted in awhile because I've been searching for inspiration.

Normally, during this time of year I'm all Christmas-y, but too much time passed and we didn't decorate our apartment. Plus, with my Gran's passing I just haven't felt quite right about being too much into the Christmas spirit. My mom is the same way, so she ordered her very first real Christmas tree (usually everyone gets artificial) and it's being delivered the day after Marc and I arrive in Ohio to celebrate Christmas. I think decorating it together will put us both in good spirits!

On to my review. I know that months ago, I reviewed the limited edition Subway crispy chicken sandwich, and I thought it was crappy and disappointing.

I think the falafel sandwich fared better because my expectations were so low.

Actually, it's much more filling than turkey or ham and the 6 inch is a great low calorie option (under 400!) for lunch. I tried it today and I actually enjoyed it. The cucumber sauce was amazing and the falafel itself, though a bit dry and not crispy, was pretty tasty. I love me some falafel!

I'm doing better at my semi-vegetarianism. Lately, a typical dinner involves a black bean burger patty and LOTS of cooked veggies, so I think those couple of pounds from not walking around or Spinning for 5 days and eating nothing but pumpkin pie, steak pie, and chips... will come off. I learned that not keeping up with my food diary and basically not caring, put me where I am. It's an easy fix though.

Overall, I recommend the falafel sandwich, especially if you're trying to get that cholesterol down or avoiding eating meat more than once a day

Always with me

2011-12-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

I've had a really, really tough week.

I had no idea how hard it would be to deal with the passing of my Gran. It's hard to be at work and to deal with people. It's difficult to even talk about her or think about her without crying. People would ask me how I was doing and I would just cry.

I probably should have taken more time off work since the funeral was so busy. I didn't have time to grieve. As a result, Monday and Tuesday, and most of yesterday were pretty awful. It was hard to process the reality and that it actually happened. I've been dreading my Gran's death since she was in her 80s...so for it to be real and to feel real finally, is what causes most of the hurt.

My mom and my aunt keep telling me that extraordinary things have been happening to them...like finding dimes at meaningful times (google "dimes and the afterlife" and see what comes up), stumbling upon scripture on a calendar that was read or sung during the funeral, arriving late to a FULL church and there being one seat open and things like that. On Tuesday night I was walking home from Spinning and the clouds were moving really fast across the sky. I was missing Gran so I stopped and looked up and asked her if she was there. Nothing happened. I have no idea what I was expecting to happen but I went home and cried. Marc was there and talked to me for a long time. He said he was worried about me that I hadn't been crying and that I needed to grieve properly. I appreciated him being there but I still felt so empty inside.

Last night, I went underground to get on the Blue line train like I do every Wednesday to go to Spinning. Usually there is a man on Wednesday who plays the drums (there are various street performers that frequent train stations all over the city). However, this time there was a man who was playing the violin and was finishing up a song as I got onto the platform. The next song he started was "Ave Maria." I stopped and thought, oh that's pretty. But then I thought about how my Gran was such a devout Catholic and not everyone all of a sudden feels like singing or playing "Ave Maria," especially on a train platform. Also, I'm there every Wednesday and I've never seen this man playing the violin. It was beautiful and I finally didn't feel so empty. I finally feel like she really is with me. I asked her if she was there the night before, and I felt like she waited for a better moment to tell me that she is there.

I'm having a better day today...I think each day will be better

What a Beautiful Difference...

2011-11-28T08:29:00.001-08:00

My friend left a card on my desk today because my Gran passed away this week on the 22nd. The front of the card read, "What a Beautiful Difference One Single Life Made."

I can't think of anything more true right now when I think about my Gran. She meant so much to me and was a significant part of my life. Now that I am trying to move on with life and get back into some kind of routine, I cannot stop thinking about how much of my Gran is inside me. I try to deal with people the way she treated people. My auntie Fran always said that Gran never met a stranger (I'm not always in the mood but I try). I am too blunt sometimes, and so was she. I love my sweets...and I hardly ever saw her without a Kit Kat or some kind of candy.

I hope that if I ever have children, I will take some of her with me and teach them about their great Gran.

My Auntie Fran called me the morning Gran died and asked me if I would deliver the eulogy at the funeral. I couldn't believe that out of all the grandchildren and children, nieces, nephews, greats and etc that I would be the one to do it. I worked hard all week from Wednesday to Saturday preparing it and trying input from as many people as I could, especially from people who knew her longer than I did. I didn't want it to be just about Gran as she was so many other things to people than a Gran (a mom, a friend, a cousin, etc).

Anyway...here it is below. I believe God kept me strong and from crying most of the week so I could keep writing this eulogy, and then after everything was done, it was time to cry and remember who she was to me. I am thankful that God keeps people held together under pressure so that they can get done what they need to get done:

My name is Alicia and I’m Margaret McLaughlin’s granddaughter. What I can say about my Gran is mostly from my perspective and from the perspective of those I’ve spent time with this week. I had 27 years with my Gran so what I can deliver will only be a tiny piece of what she meant to countless people over the 92 years she was here.

I remember that long phone cord on Dunn Street. It was the longest phone cord I have ever seen in my life. Most times when I looked into the kitchen, that cord was stretched out and Gran was sitting at the kitchen table in her slippers talking on the phone. Someone on long distance was always on the other end from Scotland, England, or somewhere in the US. The one thing they all had in common was that my Gran was thinking of them, praying for them, and wanted to spend her time catching up with them.

That’s one thing we all have in common today. We’re here because our Mom, our auntie, our cousin, our Gran or our great Gran was always thinking of us, praying for us, and wanted to spend time catching up with us. Her life was relationships. I believe those relationships are the reason why she had 92 amazing years. It is those relationships and memories that bring us all here together.

We’re here because she made us laugh. We’re here because she sang us songs and made our favorite foods in her own special way. We’re here because she taught us how to iron creases into our pants! Maybe you remember something she always wore. Maybe it was something she always said. Maybe it was her smell. Or maybe it was something YOU did that always drove her crazy. Most of us here today as well as others who could not be here, have at least one vivid picture in their heads or memory that makes them smile when they think of her.

My aunts and uncles, my Gran’s children, are all special to me. They have all showed me love in different ways. They all take something special from my Gran and apply it to how they live life, even if they don’t realize it. I see my Gran living in all of them, and I see her in the rest of my family. She will always be with us because in our efforts to remember her, we will live out her example as best we can. There will only be one Margaret, but because we were lucky enough to call her ours, we can think about her any time we want.

Some of her children recall how old fashioned and naïve she was. They say my Gran was always warning them about drug use. When my mother was 18 years old, she purchased a bottle of Mountain Dew. The slogan written on the bottle was “It’ll Tickle Your Innards.” My mom says that Gran picked up the bottle and asked “IS THIS DOPE?”

She may have been a little strict and old-fashioned, but she made up for that with an abundance of humor and wit. An example of that humor was Gran’s unique system to help her remember people’s names: she would just make them up. If she thought you looked like a “John” then that was your name. It didn’t matter exactly what your name was. Another example of her humor was played out when I saw her at the 2004 family reunion in Scotland. There were so many loved ones who Gran had not seen in years. I gave her a big hug and asked, “Gran, are you excited?” She replied, “Aye, I think I may need a wee pill!”

Many of her grandchildren and great grandchildren remember her tenderness and thoughtfulness more than her rules and practices. One said, “Something that I will always remember about Gran is her hands. They were well-traveled hands that had made many cups of tea and journeyed many miles to visit loved ones. They were at the end of each arm that always reached out for a hug hello, good bye or just because.” That is very true, as those arms always reaching out to those she knew any time we needed them. We all knew we were loved. Whenever we would part ways, she always hugged us and said, “God love you.”

Another grandchild said, “I will always remember that even though I was one of many, MANY, grandchildren, my Gran always made sure there were Fruit Loops in the cupboard when I came to visit. My Gran never had a cross word for me.”

Yet another grandchild fondly recalled Gran playing hide and seek with him. When it was her turn to hide, she hid in the bathtub every time.

These memories and stories are only a small example of what she was to us. Her children and cousins who spent many more years with her have an abundance of recollections. A large part of those recollections involved music. Gran never played music when I knew her, but one of the things that made her the happiest was when one of her children picked up a guitar and led everyone in a sing-along. John Denver was one of her favorites and his songs usually made it into the mix because everyone knew that Gran loved to hear them. The film “The Sound of Music” is dear to many people in our family because many of us watched it with Gran. I think Gran taught me to sing “Do Rae Mi” before I even watched the film. Do not let those songs and memories leave your heart. Do not let them fade. Share them with one another so that you can smile as you reflect on the special relationship each one of you had with her.

In one of her final conversations with my Auntie Fran, Gran said she wanted to let ALL of her family know: that she loved ALL of you, and she said she had the MOST AMAZING FAMILY. She felt so very blessed to have had all of you in her life, and she thanked you for making her proud of who you all were. She said that she had a wonderful 92 years.

My mother called me early on Wednesday morning and tearfully said, “Your Gran is gone.” Yes, it’s true that she is gone from this earth. We cannot pick up the phone anymore and call her, but now it is easier than ever to feel her love. Remember what she meant to you and how you felt when she called you “lassie,” “son,” or “Old Bean.” Remember her stories and how most of them ended with everyone rolling on the floor laughing.

I will close with a short letter written by Colleen, one of Margaret’s many great nieces.

I wanted you to know what an incredible impact you have played in my life. I may call you Auntie, but are like a grandma to me. I love your squeezes, your pet names, your funny Scottish sayings and the incredible stories you tell. Through your stories, you've been a window into what life would have been like if I had had the pleasure of spending time with Gran Toal. Your love and devotion to your husband & family is an inspiration to me as I raise my own children. I love the way you approach life's little hiccups with humor and your beautiful smile! Your dedication to daily prayer and the way in which you carry out your everyday life shows how faithful you are; a true example of the life God asks us to live. You are an inspiration in so very many ways. Know that you are loved by many and I will always carry a special place in my heart for you! I wish you peace, comfort and much love.

Gran, we ALL wish you peace, comfort and love.

2011-11-14T11:21:00.001-08:00

Most of the time I hate Navy Pier. It is literally the dumbest place in the world to go to if you don't like crappy restaurants, slow walkers, and things that cost way more than they should.

However, for the avid runner, Navy Pier has hidden advantages of which I was not previously aware.

This past Saturday, I discovered that is it the perfect venue for a cold-weather race! Chicago's Perfect 10 Miler/10K's start and finish lines were on the actual pier. The course ran up and down Chicago's ever-popular lakefront path. There is an indoor area that runs along the entire length of Navy Pier. You can either walk the length of the pier outdoors and enjoy the view, the boats and Dippin' Dots (though not anymore because I think Dippin' Dots is now bankrupt). OR, you can walk the length of the pier INDOORS and enjoy overpriced tee shirt shops, restaurants, theaters, and souvenir shops....and did I mention slow walkers with 50 strollers? And by "enjoy," I think I mean "tolerate."

ANYWAY. For a race in cold temperatures, that is perfect. It was in the low 40s that morning so it was nice to get off the bus, walk the length of one city block to the warm and toasty Navy Pier indoor area. For the first time ever, I was like "HI, BUILD-A-BEAR! I LOVE YOU RIGHT NOW!" There were never-ending bathrooms and places to buy water, and even GEAR CHECK was inside. Also, the Fitness Expo was still going on right up until the race started. Need an energy bar or a pair of gloves? No problemo!

It was so glorious to cross the finish line, get my medal and banana, then head on inside and warm up.

Oh and on to the important stuff: THE RESULTS.
My overall place was 477th out of 1,321 10 mile finishers. Not too shabby eh?
My time was 1:29:02. That's an average pace of 8:55 per mile. I was pissed because I wanted a 1:28 and almost died trying to get it...but I still beat my best 10 mile time by a few seconds. It was amazing how great my body felt compared to the Niagara Falls Marathon. I kind of talked myself down because my body hasn't been in that "fast mode" since I'd been running longer, slower distances. I thought there would be no way I'd PR since my pace for my PR would have to be under 9 minute miles...I couldn't remember the last time I ran any miles under 9 minutes.

The moral of the story is always cross training and strength training :) For me, that means Spinning and arms. I felt so strong and it's because I AM strong, even if I don't always feel like I am. You don't spend 2 days a week strength training (and getting uncomfortable doing it) without there being results. Remember that, people!

Okay, I'm off my soap box now.

My friend Kristen and I loved Navy Pier as a venue so much that we even took advantage of the touristy-ness of it and jumped in one of the cheesy photo booths!

Feeling Artsy Fartsy

2011-11-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

Most people who know me understand that I am a fast mover. I'm always trying to get from A to B as quickly as possible. If I'm sitting down doing nothing, I feel unproductive.

This fast, faster, and fastest lifestyle causes me to miss out on a lot. If I go to an event or a commitment, I'm only enjoying it halfway or participating halfway because I'm always thinking about running to the next event or obligation. This "halfway" business especially holds true for slowing down and appreciating the beautiful things in life such as a fine piece of art or a good book.

I haven't slowed down, but I actually found some free time (GASP! FREE TIME?) in my schedule on Sunday morning to enjoy the Chicago Art Institute with Marc. I didn't have to sing at church until that night, so we had hours in the morning to walk through and enjoy each time period and genre of art.

I took 4 years of French in high school and obviously I had to take history classes to get through school as well. Therefore, I already knew which artists and period of time I would enjoy: The Impressionists and post-Impressionists.

Before we visited the Art Institute, Marc and I kept discussing what should fill the huge space on the wall above our couch. We decided that instead of hanging a big, artsy photograph, we'd find a classic painting.

I think my favorite Impressionist is Gustave Caillebotte. Paris Street, Rainy Day is one of my absolute favorite paintings. We happened to see it yesterday in Chicago, which was such an honor!

I love it...but do I want it in my living room? Hmmm. I don't really think so.

My favorite post-Impressionist is without a doubt Vincent Van Gogh. Of course everyone loves Starry Night and it would be terrible and cliche to hang it in the living room. One of Van Gogh's self portraits was displayed in the Art Institute. I think it was Marc's favorite:

Van Gogh's paintings speak to me for some reason. I think it's the purposeful brush strokes. His wheat fields are my favorites. Maybe I just feel the emotion coming through the yellows and reds. Do I want them in the living room though? Not sure...maybe too depressing.

This painting is NOT in the Art Institute, but Marc loves it. It's The Elephants by Salvador Dali:

This is not from the Impressionist period, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I would definitely have it in the living room...but it's such a difficult decision.

I want to clarify, by the way. I don't mean that we're going to buy the original paintings described (haha). There are many web sites in which you can order a particular work (anything from The Scream to the Mona Lisa), and have it painted for you, for relatively cheap, and have it shipped. Any suggestions will be welcomed! our living room has the colors tan, red, green, black, dark brown and yellow. A painting that compliments those colors would be amazing. We also have an area rug that is tan with green, red and yellow leaves on it.

I also started reading again. It had been awhile because again, I've been running around like crazy. I started reading James Cavell's Shogun. It's the first book of an epic saga involving Japanese culture in the year 1600...the samurai...I don't know how else to describe it. It's amazing so far! Marc has been trying to get me to read it for years and I finally picked it up.

Anyway. Just sharing that with you. I'm a fast-paced fitness freak but I've taken a bit of time to enjoy some beauty.

Flexi-FAIL

2011-11-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hello, readers. I am back.

I was searching for inspiration since the marathon had consumed my every thought and action for 18 weeks. What else is there to write about? Oh, yeah...I have a life.

I really like the term "Flexitarian" because it's not very strict. People don't give me weird looks for going to Subway and Jimmy Johns this week because I never once told people I was a Vegan or Vegetarian.

At home, Marc and I are rocking it. When we're not at home, not so much. We refuse to buy meat products for our kitchen that are non-fish so that's great. However, lunch time in the Chicago Loop is a little rough (and by "rough," I mean we mostly eat Subway so I guess there are worse things). Marc and I are great at being tight when it comes to spending money, but the one thing we do splurge on is lunch during the week. I have enough shit to get ready in the morning between my regular clothes and my fitness clothes, and then I don't get home most nights until after 8pm. Do I feel like packing a lunch when I get home? Hell, no. All I want to do is eat a healthy dinner and sit on the couch. Horrible excuse, I know.

I actually made some dishes from various Morning Star products and took pictures! I need to get off my lazy ass and upload them, so you can see how I'm a good little Flexitarian when I'm cooking at home! The black bean burger is amazing...let me tell you.

What can I say about life right now? I am tried as hell. I traveled 2 weekends in a row and one of which was to run a marathon. I need some recovery.

Dear Daylight Savings, oh how I love thee.

Post- Marathon Thoughts

2011-10-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have finished my 5th marathon and a lot of thoughts are running through my head.

I keep thinking back to my 20 mile training run and how I was so filled with confidence and how I was strong and amazing and ready to CONQUER...compared to how my actual marathon was. On Sunday, it was far from easy. I felt like I fought for every mile, and that's a lot of fighting.

I ran the first half with a smile on my face but I was scared on the inside. I have mentioned before that runners can begin a run on any given day, and they can tell right away if it's going to be a good run or a bad run. I knew this was going to be a bad run because my body didn't feel well right from the beginning.

I had not run in over 2 weeks due to my injury, I was a little sleep-deprived, my sprained foot wasn't 100%, and I hadn't eaten healthy foods all weekend. I was just feeling out of it. I also felt horrible pain in my hips as early as mile 10. I had never had problems with that before! Why on Sunday of all days? After awhile, every step was just extreme pain.

I had to stop and walk, and I felt so defeated, especially since I ran the entire 20 mile training run with little difficulty just weeks earlier. I realized though, that I had run my first half in 2 hours and 9 minutes so I had a lot of wiggle room to still reach my main goal (finish UNDER 5 hours). Because of my horrible hip pain, I couldn't run for more than 20 seconds or so at a time, but I also didn't want to waste too time walking. I had to do something, so I turned the last 10 miles of the race into an interval workout. I made up an imaginary 8-count beat in my head and just ran as fast as I could for 8 counts, then walked for 8 counts. I did this for 2 hours. It's the only thing I could think to do. The other runners around me probably thought I was crazy and/or annoying, but I didn't care.

Throughout the race, my parents, my aunts, friends of the family, Marc, and Marc's family were all cheering me on. My sister ran with me for a couple of miles too since she was starting her Half Marathon as I passed the halfway mark of the race. I was feeling too badly to keep up with her so I told her to go on. I feel okay about that though, since she only finished 5 minutes ahead of me.

I finished in 4:52. That's an overall pace of 11 minutes per mile. That speaks to how awful the second half was since I ran under 10 minute miles for the first half. It was probably the hardest marathon I've ever run because I didn't give up like in the past. I NEEDED to finish under 5 hours for myself. I said I would do that because I know I trained for it.

The thoughts are running through my head because I know I felt bad the entire race. What could have happened if I had gotten more sleep, ate better, and didn't get hurt at the beginning of the month? 4:30? 4:15? It's sad to think about...and I shouldn't think about it. The race was a success, even though it wasn't just given to me on a silver platter like a lot of my training runs.

I am so excited to just enjoy exercise now...the monkey is off my back. I was so bothered by not finishing a marathon in under 5 hours. As a veteran runner, I didn't see any reason why I couldn't do it. The only thing standing in my way was myself. I think that's what pushed me through that last 13.1. It helped me break through the physical problems.

The rewards of Marathon running definitely outweigh the shitty feeling during and after the race. Do you feel like you got hit by a bus? Definitely. But you get to eat Harveys and enjoy your medals and just bask in the glory of doing something that less than 1% of the world population does.

I am not saying that this is my last marathon. Every time I think that, my fitness level gets better. I want to see what 2012 brings. Again, thanks for following me on this journey...I am glad it's over and that I succeeded!

just a quick thought

2011-10-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

There was a girl in my Spinning class last night who had one of those boot things on her foot (they're like a cast, but you can take them off at night).

I asked her what happened, and she said she sustained a stress fracture while training for the Chicago Marathon and couldn't run it. It was to be her very first marathon. She fought back tears and said "I wasn't as lucky as you."

No, she wasn't. It broke my heart to hear that. And while I told her to not give up, to stay fit, and that there are lots of marathons coming up nearby like in Indiana and Wisconsin, I still couldn't shake the fact that her dreams got crushed and mine didn't. Why not me? I could have easily broken my foot when I hit that sidewalk.

I will think of that girl when I run on Sunday because I'm sure that there are tons more people who LOVE running but for some reason, cannot. I won't take my chance for granted

Hal Higdon week 18....THE END!

2011-10-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

Having run 4 marathons, it feels weird to say that I have never made it through an entire 18 Week marathon training program. Ever. It feels amazing to be in my final week of training. I also feel stupid for never following a plan before and wasting my time on those other marathons. Maybe they happened so I could be tougher...who knows?

I guess technically I didn't really make it through this one since I sprained my foot and have only been Spinning, not running, since finding out.

Week 17 was supposed to have an 8 mile run as the long run, but to protect my foot I didn't do any running. However, I did two back to back Spinning classes on Saturday to try to re-create a low-impact version of what I was supposed to complete.

I don't think I have lost any of my base since spraining my foot, as I have continued to complete high-intensity Spinning classes 4 days a week.

I cannot believe how far I've been able to run in these 18 weeks. I didn't know I was capable of it. I used to use the excuse that the marathon just wasn't my distance. I didn't realize that adding some interval training and strength training to my long runs would make such a difference. When I'm at mile 20 on Sunday...I'll remember that the OLD me wouldn't have that extra lean muscle to rely on, that stronger core, or the hours and hours of Spinning to overall strengthen my legs. The old me had the jello arms and the muffin top and had to walk at mile 13. This year I am running the entire 26.2 miles. I don't think I can. I know I can.

My foot isn't 100% better. It's probably about 80% better. I'll keep icing it and try to do my VERY best to get it up to speed by Sunday. I'm not exercising from Thursday-Sunday so I think surely by then it will be all ready to go.

I don't have a goal time. I just know that I will run this under 5 hours, which will be a Personal Record for me. I hope to be closer to 4 and 1/2 hours. I only plan to stop at aid stations twice during the first half of the race, so that will definitely speed up my time. I also won't be hot and sweaty as the high for Sunday is only 55 degrees. Ideal!

I know I can say that I plan to do this or that, but that might not be what happens because there are always circumstances that I can't control. All I care about is that I KNOW I can run 26.2 miles...I am a marathoner and I am already looking for more marathons to run sooner, rather than a year from now. I feel like since I have a sprained foot, I automatically want another chance, and soon!

Thanks for following me on this 18-week journey...here I am after my last marathon in 2009: about 11 pounds heavier, and not ready for a marathon (even though I did it anyway!)

I cannot wait to see what I can do now that I'm ready

My Marathon Dreams Are Still Alive !

2011-10-12T06:42:00.001-07:00

Chicago is high-tech. My doctor is available by e-mail and she e-mailed me my X-ray results:

"Alicia, you did NOT break your foot you have a sprain, Ice, rest, elevate and then run the marathon. but protect it and get it lelevated above your head at least 15 mins every 2 hours that will keep the swelling down and you will heal faster.

It will probably hurt for awhile after the marathon, but as it is not not broken you can run"

A sprain? I LOVE sprains (not really, but I love not having a broken foot)!

If a woman can run the Chicago marathon 9 bazillion months pregnant and give birth right after she's done (I'm sure everyone read that story), then I can run the Niagara Falls marathon on a sprained foot. I have 10 days to recover. That's a long time in my opinion.

I'm so glad that my training will not be for nothing...no poorly made Chicago sidewalk will stop me from doing this!

ps- speaking of, I am now paranoid when I walk (and I walk a lot). I look down at the sidewalk, seaching for any uneven-ness because it hurt THAT badly to smash into it.

Hal Higdon week 17

2011-10-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

Week 16 sucked. I am so sad and defeated right now. Apparently when I ran my 14.75 mile run two sundays ago, I did something serious to my toes on my left foot. I know I accidentally smashed them into an uneven piece of sidewalk. I just finished my run though as if nothing happened. It didn't hurt while I was running and didn't hurt that badly the days following...I just figured I stubbed my toes.

It's been over a week now, and things are still messed up. I cannot flex my toes and when I try to, it feels as if something is out of place. There is minimal swelling, and the only time it hurts is when I spend the whole day on it. I have not ran since October 2nd but I have been Spinning.

Instead of doing my 12 mile run this weekend, I did the Spinning class before mine, plus taught mine, which meant I rode for 2 hours. I figured that that would be a good substitute because it works more muscles than running, burns more calories than running, but is low impact.

I'm just thinking about what kind of damage I may have done and I start to tear up. This has been my whole life, this marathon. It has consumed my entire summer. I have stayed in on Saturday nights and given up time with Marc to get that long run done every week for the past 17 weeks. I have given so much to it.

I go to the doctor in about an hour and I will at least know something. I am not a doctor of course, but I can guess that I might have dislocated a toe (or a couple of toes) since it hasn't improved, there is minimal swelling, and it just feels "off." That sounds almost more scary to me than a hairline fracture or something. If I fractured something I'd just tape it and run the marathon, then recover...but dislocated things need to be put back into place. The thought of that makes me want to faint and/or throw up.

All I want is to run this marathon and to run it under 5 hours. For the first time ever, I have a chance to do that because I TRAINED. When will I have that chance again? Who knows what could happen in the future?

Week 17 has an 8 mile run for the long run. Maybe today I will get good news and the doctor will tell me that I can keep training. Until I hear something...I am just heartbroken at the thought of giving up.

Hal Higdon, Week 16...getting closer!

2011-10-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

My taper doesn't feel like much of a taper.

Week 15: I was supposed to run 20 miles ONCE AGAIN for my long run this past weekend, when I already completed a 20 mile run two weeks ago! I did not run 20 miles if you're wondering. I ran 14.75. The entire time, I was belching and felt like I was going to throw up. Sorry for that nice visual of me belching my way along the Chicago lakefront. I made bad eating choices on Saturday so it kind of carried over into yesterday (Nachos, fries and fish tacos...the fish in the tacos was fried, of course). Even though I felt like garbage, I completed the run in 2 and 1/2 hours, the same pace in which I ran my 20 miler. I had also taught 2 spinning classes on Saturday...so the legs were far from fresh.

I always told myself that I have a stomach of steel when it comes to running, and that I can eat pretty much whatever before a long run, but if that "whatever" happens to be fried food...forget it. Lesson learned, and long run is finished!

Week 16 contains a 12 mile run for the long run. It also has a 5 miler on Thursday that I plan to run with my sister and a friend! That's always nice :) Spinning every other day, of course...

I will make sure that this 12 miler is perfect. No junk food! I have to remember that even though I did a 20 miler just the other week and these long runs are not 26.2 miles, it does not mean that I should not take them seriously.

I cannot believe that week 16 is here. This is crazy. I'm feeling a bit banged up. The ball of my foot hurts from yesterday and the side of my ankle is still sore from falling off my bike this week, but I think as I continue to taper, I'll be ok!

MANWICH, it's what's for dinner

2011-09-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

No, actually, no it's not.

However, I thought I heard my husband say "Manwich" last night.

He looked at our DVR-ed shows and said "Man, which soccer match should I watch?"

To which I replied, "Did you just say 'MANWICH'?"

We laughed for about ten minutes...I have no idea why that was so funny, and why I thought he would just randomly utter the word "Manwich."
Perhaps I thought it was his subconscious, since we just ate veggie burgers for dinner.

What man doesn't want a good manwich, afterall?

No! Not that manwich...THIS manwich!

Cruel, Cruel World.

2011-09-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

This article makes me sick:

"The parents of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old gay teen who committed suicide last week, said Tuesday that the taunts and bullying directed at their son continued after his death.

Appearing on the 'Today Show,' Tim and Tracy Rodemeyer told NBC’s Ann Curry that their daughter had attended a homecoming dance after her brother’s wake as a means to reconnect with friends, but when song by Lady Gaga was played, further taunts erupted.

'She was having a great time, and all of a sudden a Lady Gaga song came on, and they all started chanting for Jamey, all of his friends,' said Tracy Rodemeyer. 'Then the bullies that put him into this situation started chanting, You’re better off dead! and We’re glad you’re dead! and things like that.'

Curry asked Jamey’s father, Tim, if he thought that the message of intolerance preached by certain politicians and religious leaders has contributed to the toxic climate that can result in harassment of gay teens.

'People have different views on things,' replied Tim Rodemeyer. 'If you believe is homosexuality is right or wrong, that’s your right as an American, but it’s no reason to bully someone and hate them.'

'It’s all the same story, and it’s just got to stop,' Tracy Rodemeyer interjected.

Jamey’s parents now hope to spread their message across the world, and are looking for help in getting the word out."

There are lots of reasons why I don't want kids, but a big reason is that I think the world is getting more cruel and kids are becoming bigger assholes than when I was in school. I was made fun of and teased, and I think it made me a better person today, but the fact that people are being driven to suicide lately is alarming.

I have no idea if just as many kids, particularly gay ones, committed suicide when I was in school due to bullying, or if there is just more media coverage now...but it's hard to want to bring kids into the world when it seems that young people's respect for each other is lacking more and more.

I'm sure the generation before mine said that too, though...and the generation before that...

Hal Higdon, week 15

2011-09-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Fall, dear readers. I've been wearing the sh*t out of my tall boots and jeggings, enjoying the cooler temps, and wondering how I even functioned when it was 85 degrees with 100% humidity. I love Fall to death. It's the season of Death, to which I say R.I.P Summer...good riddance! I'll take my nice running weather instead, thank you!

Week 14 came and went, and so did my 12 mile run. It was SO CRAPPY. I'm glad I got it out of the way on Friday night. My legs sucked, I was slow, and I felt like quitting the entire time. I wonder if the first long run after the 20 miler always sucks? I assume so.

I cannot believe that I am less than a month away from this marathon! I thought it would never get here and that I'd be training FOREVER.

I'm feeling pretty fresh today, since I rested yesterday. I'm ready to take on the week! Hal wants me to run another 20 miler for week 15. However, I am going to laugh in his face and do something I feel a bit nicer about...like a 15 miler, or maybe just a half marathon. I earned this taper, damn it.

I feel like, despite my intense workouts, I am developing a "pooch." And by "pooch," I mean a chunkier lower abdomen. This might very well be due to the fact that I am eating way more salads....salads tend to give me gas and bloating. I am also not counting calories as crazily. I think this is okay though, because I have a marathon to run. I need ENERGY and FOOD! Or maybe I'm pregnant...HA! Yeah, right.

Marc and I are still enjoying our Flexitarian diet. "Enjoying" isn't the best word to use, but we're happy that we're trying to eat right. We've been very good at avoiding meats, cheeses and dairy. However, I really can't lie and say that right now, I am not thinking about chicken McNuggets and a McDouble. I am thinking about those things...a lot.

Also, I hate that right before I am due to run a marathon, a 30 year old man collapses and dies while running the Montreal Half Marathon. The article I read said "Health experts believe the heart can suffer short-term damage during a lengthy run." Jesus. Why do I do these things? Of course I am scared now. Granted, I know nothing about this man. Did he go to the doctor before deciding he wanted to run? Did he train?

I'm a firm believer that if it's your time to go, it's your time...but it just hits home when it's an activity that I love doing and have done 4 times already, and someone dies doing it. I don't know why I am reacting this way, since someone died during the 2007 Chicago Marathon in which I was a participant and I thought, "okay, that makes sense. It was 90 degrees." I'm thinking about a lot right now as I prepare to run this race, so I'm sure it's no coincidence that my head is just filling up with worries. People die eating food. They die walking down the street. I need to get over it, and I will.

UPDATE: I just had a roast beef sub from Jimmy John's. I feel guilty...but like I mentioned in an earlier entry, sometimes you just need some meat.

There's always room for improvement

2011-09-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

Even though I consider myself health-conscious, there is room for improvement.

As an athlete, I am constantly needing to refuel from intense exercise and my body usually craves that in the form of SUGAR. I usually eat candy instead of better sugars like the ones found in fruit. I love sweets. That's something I don't think I could ever give up.

However, since I know that 1) I am forever doomed to enjoy and crave sweets and 2) my hubby is trying to lower his cholesterol, I decided that there are things other than sweets I can stand to give up that won't make my life miserable.

I have decided to become a FLEXITARIAN!

How did I come to this realization?

I was thinking at first that I could be a Pescatarian. The word “pescatarian” is occasionally used to describe those who abstain from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish. Although the word is not commonly used, more and more people are adopting this kind of diet, usually for health reasons or as a stepping stone to a fully vegetarian diet.

Yes, that sounds good! It doesn't say anything about dairy products though.

Lacto-vegetarian is used to describe a vegetarian who does not eat eggs, but does eat dairy products.

Ovo-vegetarian refers to people who do not eat meat or dairy products but do eat eggs.

Hmmm...all these terms!

Okay, so this is why I chose the term "Flexitarian" or "semi-vegetarian":
“Flexitarian” is a term recently coined to describe those who eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat.

I don't think I fall into any other classification!

This is basically my diet: as of a week ago, the only meat I eat is fish, I will eat egg whites but not egg yolks, and I won't purposely avoid something with dairy in it just because it has dairy. However, I drink almond milk instead of cow's milk, I don't use real butter, and I've given up cheese.

Marc and I have enjoyed lots of hearty soups, salads, pastas, rice dishes and grains as a result of our new found semi-vegetarianism! We had fish tacos the other day and used mahi-mahi. It was delicious. People have been commenting to Marc that he looks thinner, which is great because I agree and think he looks fantastic! He has been cutting back on meats and cheeses longer than I have been, but it feels good to actually rid the apartment of these things.

We still have a few frozen chicken breasts and meatballs that I need to eat before we're pretty much a vegetarian household, but I'm sure I will have no problem taking one for the team :)

Now, I know there are occasions in which you just want some meat. I love beef and chicken and pork. The other night, we went out with my sister and brother-in-law to Three Aces in Little Italy. The Ace burger is one of the best burgers in Chicago, so Marc and I split one. I think that's perfectly okay since we'd been good all week!

Anyway, I know there are always ways to do better! If there is something in your diet that you know you can't give up, is there something else you can do to improve yourself? Exercise? Less salt? More sleep at night? Less stress? Vitamins? Fruit juice? A good book?

Hal Higdon, Week 14...and crazy runners

2011-09-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever called myself a Marathon Runner. I have stated things like "I have run 4 marathons" or "this marathon will be my 5th marathon." I know that once you run that first marathon, you can say you're a Marathon Runner.

I have run 4 marathons in which I trained very poorly. I didn't feel like I earned the right to call myself a Marathon Runner when I basically dragged myself for the last 10 miles of the races.

After the Newton Ready to Run 20 Miler yesterday, I feel like a Marathon Runner. Completing my 20 mile training run with thousands of other runners there for the same purpose, with aid stations and mile markers, was probably the best thing I could have done for myself during these 18 weeks.

Having done most of my training alone, I tend to forget how absolutely bat shit crazy runners are. They are the weirdest people on the planet, and when you put them all together in one place for that purpose (to RUN!), it's just like a big crazyfest and the people get way more crazy just because someone else who is crazy about the same thing UNDERSTANDS! And by runners, I mean all runners, so I also include myself in on this assessment.

Because we were initially put into pacing groups of 50 runners, I experienced this craziness first hand. Our pace leaders were Nazis and said right away "run two by two, runners, two by two!" so we obeyed and got into our little rows. Due to our perfect formation, I felt like I was in the military. All the people around me were chatting excitedly about their training runs, their aches, their pains, their triumphs, their failures, and just everything that has taken place leading up to their marathon. These were the crazy CARA members who yell things like "BIKER!" "RUNNER BACK!" and "HOLE! FOOTING!" Basically anything you see that is coming your way, you yell it out to warn the people in your pacing group. The non-CARA members such as myself and a few others started making fun of them and yelling things like "DOG POO!" and "SQUIRREL!" I know, that was mean :)

Before I escaped my overly chatty group, I realized that about 90% of my group either had a running partner or a running group such as CARA to do all of their long runs with these past few weeks. There was maybe one other runner who, like me, trained completely alone. They asked "who did you train with?" or "what group did you train with?" and I said, "myself." A lot of them said "that must be SO HARD!" I felt a sense of pride that I didn't depend on anyone but myself to get through those long runs. I love running with others, don't get me wrong, but I don't like to be dependent upon them.

This pacing group promised to run 10 minute miles, but they also stopped for (what I thought was) ridiculous amounts of time at aid stations. If you're not careful, a 10 minute pace turns into an 11:30 minute pace if you stop for too long. I definitely left them behind on the first aid station because while I wanted to grab a drink of water, I didn't want to stop and stretch!

My overall pace for the 20 miler was 10:18 per mile, solely because of the aid stations. I usually don't let my watch keep running when I run out by myself. I stop it when I stop for water, then re-start it when I go again, so I know exactly how fast I'm running. However, yesterday I let it run so I could see how much time the aid stations ate up. I'm actually fast at aid stations compared to others. I grab a water or a Gatorade, walk two or three steps (just enough to take a big gulp) and start running again. As a result, I passed so many people who like to use aid stations as a break. I never even saw my original pacing group cross the finish line. They were probably still hanging out at the aid stations...who knows!

Overall, I am happy with my time of 3 hours, 26 minutes and 17 seconds. I want to also emphasize that this was on tired legs since I taught two Spinning classes on Saturday. I am amazed that I can run for three and a half hours without stopping! Going into this marathon training, I knew I wanted to be prepared, but I didn't know I could actually pull off something respectable. That is why I truly feel like a marathon runner now.

Hal Higdon's 14th week of training has a 12 mile run for the long run and a 5 mile run on Thursday. Of course every other day will be Spinning. Tonight I will really, really have to take it easy since I'm sore from yesterday.

Week 13 was a big success...now it's finally time to taper! I have a feeling I will thoroughly enjoy this taper :)

A Flattering Season

2011-09-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am convinced that the colder it gets outside, the more attractive I look. Does that sound big-headed or what? Well, whatever. Think what you will.

I've been wearing clothes long enough now to know what works for me and what doesn't. There are people out there whose most flattering season is summer. They are tan, have hairstyles that hold up under extreme temperatures, and have little petite ankles that look great in any style of sandal (including high heels). My sister looks great in the summer because she inherited my dad's skinny ankles and has straight hair.

So anyway...in the words of Johnny Cash, "it ain't me, babe!" I am pasty white and cannot be out in the sun for long, my hair hates humidity and I am a tank from the waist down (a tank as in, my legs are very muscular and my ankles aren't little or really meant for a dainty pair of heels or sandals). Therefore, during the summer I resort to ponytails and maxi dresses and change my clothes constantly before I leave my apartment. I never feel good about myself during the summer.

I love Fall and Winter: the seasons of skinny jeans and boots. Fall is finally here and I can rock my tall boots! I got a pair of boots last weekend and couldn't wait until it was cool enough to wear them!

I am sorry if you're sad that summer is coming to an end. I am really not because I can finally start feeling good about myself again. The part of my body that I hate (my calves and shins) can now be covered up by tall boots and I can rock my jeggings with pride. Yes, JEGGINGS, not skinny jeans, because my calves are too big for skinny jeans...le sigh.

Embrace fall! Whip out those sweaters and scarves!

Hal Higdon, week 13

2011-09-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Well folks, Week 12 was definitely not a success in the running sense. I decided not to do my long run. By the time Thursday rolled around, I didn't have a muscle on my leg that wasn't sore. My quads killed and even my Achilles tendons hurt, which is weird. I ran anyway on Thursday at a nice, relaxed pace, but it didn't help me shake out the lead.

I knew I had a 20 mile run coming up on the 18th, and I wanted rest. I want to be able to run it and run it well...to prove to myself that I can go into this marathon with confidence. I feel like I'd be heading straight for an injury if I would have ran 13 miles yesterday and then did all of my Spinning classes this week leading up to that 20 miler.

Because I am a generally insane person, it feels like I took a whole week off when actually the only days I took off were Friday and Sunday. They definitely helped!

Anyway, week 13, as you know, consists of a 20 mile run. I don't think I'll be doing anything in addition to Spinning and Arms up until the run since September 15th is a very important tax deadline for Marc's job. He's been working later since July, so I'm very excited to be spending some quality time with my hubby! I also want to rest as much as possible before I pound the pavement for 3 and 1/2 hours.

In other news, my Mom and Dad came to Chicago and brought me some pumpkin pie cream liquor. That will be a great post-run drink to put in my coffee :)

Red Velvet Awesomeness.

2011-09-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

There was the pie phase...then the muffin phase...

Currently, I love and crave all things Red Velvet. It must be the subtle cocoa flavor combined with the cream cheese and the brilliant color. Whatever it is, I keep eating it :)

Last weekend, I managed to score Red Velvet frozen yogurt at Yogen Fruz AND Red Velvet cookies with white chocolate chips. A few weeks ago I had Red Velvet truffles from Godiva. I have yet to try to Red Velvet cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory but it's on my list.

However, the best way I have discovered to eat something Red Velvet is the new Ben & Jerry's Red Velvet Cake ice cream flavor.

I got a pint last night, ate some of it, and sadly I am excited to go home tonight so I can eat it. It's red velvet flavored ice cream, pieces of red velvet cake, and cream cheese swirls. I read a review online and the reviewer said they thought it was too rich. BLASPHEMY! That person is obviously not a real sweet-lover. Jeez. They're not worthy of enjoying such awesomeness if they can't handle how "rich" it is.

When I teach Spinning tonight, I will be working harder because I will be thinking of Red Velvet Cake ice cream. I told you guys...food is the reason I'm so fit. I work to eat :)

Anyway. I like cookies and cakes but I enjoy them with ice cream, so the fact that the pieces of cake and cream cheese are pre-mixed with ice cream....well, it's as if Ben & Jerry sat down together and said, "let's make an ice cream flavor that Alicia Miller will just LOVE."

New phase coming soon...and you'll be the first to know when I happen upon it :)

Hal Higdon, week 12 (and IKEA)

2011-09-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

I love IKEA. I've always had dreams of going there and creating the perfect space. Now that our new apartment is much smaller than our former apartment, we decided we need IKEA to help us create more storage for less money.

Marc and I zipcar-ed to IKEA to find the place a madhouse. People were nabbing carts left and right, cutting each other off and just running with the "every man for himself" mentality. We also waited in the checkout line for the better part of an hour. It was very stressful and it definitely ruined my fantasy of IKEA being the happiest place on earth. Oh well...now we have wall shelves, a CD tower, and a dining table with bar stools!

Anyway, on to running. Hal Higdon week 11 was more of a success than week 10. For my long run, I ran 17.12 miles out of the required 18. I did the run last night rather than Sunday because 1) I was hungover on Sunday from a wedding the night before and 2) I didn't have Spinning class on Labor day! I realize I keep shortening my long runs but it's so difficult to run that long of a distance when there is limited water, no aid stations, and no one is cheering for you. I know that sounds stupid, but these runs are LONG, people! I ran for 2 hours and 45 minutes and managed to keep my pace per mile around 9:40. I had to stop once because the wind was so bad that sand from the nearby beach was literally blowing into my shoes. I ran away from the beach and emptied my shoes and pressed on.

I learned something valuable about my long runs: the moment I start to actually run like I'm tired is when things start to go to shit. Last night around mile 14, when I noticed this started happening (mainly because I was running against what felt like 30 mph wind gusts), I told myself "RUN NORMALLY!" (or is it "run normal"?). I fought the urge to let my arms resort to shriveled T-Rex arms and tried to move my legs with as much vigor as I had on mile 4. It hurt like a bitch, but it actually worked. I finished the run strong rather than dragging myself to my front door. The 60 degree temperatures didn't hurt, either.

Could I have run the full 18 miles? Probably. I only had around .8 of a mile to go and my pace was great. However, I told Marc to start worrying if I wasn't back around 8pm and it was 7:55. Knowing him, he was already worried (and turns out, he was). I still feel good having run most of it though!

Week 12 of Hal Higdon's 18 week program is going to be a walk in the park with Spinning, a couple of 5 mile runs and a 13 mile run for the long run. I love how I scoff at a 13 mile run now ("oh, this will only take me 2 hours!"). Two weeks until the peak...then it's taper time.

In a little under 2 months, I will be running for fun and not for training. It's funny how when I'm not in training, I'm hungry for a big race but when I'm training, I can't stop thinking about how it needs to be over...

5 Years of Marriage

2011-09-01T09:57:00.001-07:00

Did you know that your 5 year wedding anniversary is your "wooden year" because wood is strong and long-lasting? Traditional gifts are definitely wood-related or wood-themed (a picnic in the woods will also do!). If you're wondering, the gift I got Marc is partially made of wood. However, our anniversary isn't until tomorrow so I can't tell you what it is :)

I did a quick Google search on "Marriage Statistics" and found some interesting data. Check it out!

Did you know that the average age in the United States that a woman gets married is 27 (my current age), and for a man it's 29 (Marc's current age)?

Did you know that 60 percent of marriages for couples between the ages of 20 and 25 end in divorce?

If you do these things, you are less likely to get divorced:
*If you graduated college, you have lowered your risk of divorce by 25%
*If you are over 25 years of age when you get married, you have lowered your risk by 24%
*If your parents are still together, you are 14% less likely to get a divorce
*You are 14% less likely to divorce if you have a religious affiliation

Not that these really mean anything, but I thought I'd share. Anyway...

In the 5 years that I have been married, I have learned a lot about myself and about my husband. I have learned a lot about marriage and about life. I have grown up faster and have surprised myself with things that I can "handle" or things I am responsible for.

When I got married at 22, I probably didn't know what true love is. I didn't know what I was really getting into and what it actually meant to marry someone. You're told what it means, but there are so many things that happen that TEACH you what it REALLY means. People try to give you marriage advice and tips before you take the "plunge" but there is truly nothing like experiencing it for yourself.

22 is young. I was a baby. Babies cry and whine and try to get their way. They are selfish and not independent. Yes, I was definitely a baby. I see 22-year-olds getting married and I think they're crazy (I say "but they're only like, 12!")....but then I remember that I was 22 when I got married. I understand now why my mom always said "you know, you don't have to do this...you can always change your mind!" or "are you sure you're ready to get married? Why do you want to get married?" When people ask you these questions, it's because they know that as a very young person, you might not be able to handle all the responsibilities of marriage. They're looking out for you. They don't want you to wake up and realize you were too young. They don't want you to get your heart broken if your very young husband realizes that he may have made a mistake. When you're an older, wiser person, very young people seem unpredictable and flighty...and who knows what they will do?

I remember one time...it was right after we got married. I can't even remember what we were fighting about. It was our first busy season at Marc's job. I think it was our first major fight (and it must have been so dumb if I don't remember what it was about). I was crying. We were both frustrated. I said (and this is the dumbest thing yet), "maybe we were too young...maybe we rushed into this." Marc was heartbroken at the fact that I said that (well I agree, it was stupid). Thinking back, how could I say such a stupid thing after I made those vows and promised to stick with it through thick and thin? I realized that when you're in the height of emotion, you start feeling things and want to take action when you should just think about the work you should be willing to put in rather than walk away.

In the passing months, things started happening...just little things...things that made us work harder. Things that made us re-think the way we act here or act there to make it just a little easier on the other person. Once we both started working harder, we both started to make adjustments and there were results. I'm talking about Courtesy. Kindness. Humor. A simple "I missed you today," or "how was your day today?" A kiss. A hug. A sweet e-mail during a stressful work day. Listening. Asking questions. Hearing me out so then I can hear you out.

A lot of that "work" I described above initially felt like work when I was a 22-year-old baby. Now it feels natural to me as a 27-year-old woman (eeek). I don't know if it's so easy to love Marc because he's just a wonderful person, or if it's because we both try to make it easy for each other (easy to love one another). Maybe a little of both. My husband doesn't look to get anything out of this marriage unless he knows to give something to it.

There are times when we are both selfish, but it's the things we learned when we were first married that help us correct that and say "I was wrong."

In addition to all of the serious things I just spilled...I never forget how much fun being married is. I keep mentioning that it's rewarding because it changed me, and it taught me so much, but I also love it for what it is: a great companionship. I'm looking forward to many good years with my buddy. I love our nights on the couch watching Colbert Report and Tosh.0, our date nights, our soccer matches, going to church together, and just sitting quietly in the same room while we do our own thing.

I love crossing the finish line of a big race and seeing Marc cheering and waving. I feel like this 5 year anniversary is like crossing the finish line into finally understanding what it takes to be a great wife. I've been "training" for 5 years, and now I can celebrate the hard work (and keep working of course!). I'm sure it will be even better when I cross that 10 year finish line.

Back to the Land of the Living (Hal Higdon, week 11)

2011-08-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

Week 10 of Hal Higdon's marathon training was about 90% successful...more on that in a little bit.

I enjoy making lists...so here's a list of things I have to report:

1) The move is OVER! The movers came in and conquered in less than 3 hours. We were impressed. It was very overwhelming to see all the boxes sitting in such a small space, but we worked all day on Saturday to unpack them and make the place live-able. Now, all we have to do is set up the remainder of our electronics, get some new shelving (IKEA anyone?), and hang things on the walls.

2) Our apartment is so much cuter than I remember and has so much character! I can't wait to take pictures and post them! I want to make sure more of it is done, though...

3) I've been to Margie's Candies three times since I've moved. That's a lot...but I don't care! I've been burning lots of calories lately anyway

4) I love my All About Arms class! I've only taught it once, but I can't wait to teach again. It's just great to get more experience :) The participants in my last class were very fun and I can't wait to work with them again!

5) I decided to take a leave of absence from Moody Church choir. I'm not sure when I will return. I told my Choir coordinator and not only was she understanding, she encouraged me to slow down (in life). It was comforting and I know that if I feel called to return, I will be welcomed back. However, this is really what I need right now: more free time and less craziness.

6) So remember when I said I worked literally all day on Saturday unpacking, moving things into storage, running up and down stairs and not sitting down at all? I still completed 90% of my long run on Sunday. I enjoy doing things against odds. I enjoy proving people wrong. Normal, sane people would use the move as an excuse to skip that long run. I don't use excuses to skip things, I use potential excuses as fuel for my fire. I completed 15.5 miles instead of 17. The only reasons I stopped at 15.5 is because it was getting hot out, I was far away from water fountains, and I had stopped sweating (a sign that one might be overheating). I didn't want to die! Now that I live farther away from the Chicago lakefront path, at the end of my runs I don't have access to drinking fountains. I will have to plan better for this in the future.

7) I signed up for the CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) Ready to Run 20 Miler. It's an organized training run for people getting ready for marathons. You also get a shirt :)
My 20 mile run is scheduled on the same day as that run, but THAT run has aid stations and medical personnel. No brainer!

So that's my list! The picture at the top of this entry is of Winnemac Park. I live about a mile from there now. It's so beautiful and peaceful, and I did part of my run there. I saw a lot of Chicago's North side on Sunday, which helped distract me from the fact that I was running so long :) I also saw part of the Chicago Triathlon while I was running, which I found inspiring and motivating!

I will leave you with this comment and also my schedule for week 11: If you set a goal for yourself and want to get into a lifestyle/exercise routine, think of what drives you to actually DO IT (not say you're going to do it...that's different than doing it). I know that comment I made about excuses sounds a little cocky, but it truly is what gets my butt moving out the door for those long runs. I convince myself that most people wouldn't do that, and I don't want to be like most people. So what's an idea or a saying that drives YOU?

Here's week 11:
Mon: Spinning
Tues: Spinning
Wed: Spinning/Arms
Thurs: 5 Mile run
Fri: REST!
Sat: Spinning
Sun: 18 mile run

3 weeks until the 20 miler...and then it's the TAPER!

New Class!

2011-08-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

UIC Rec Center has always felt like home to me. It's "where it all began" so to speak, in my fitness career.
As the Fitness staff gets more and more excited, is hiring more awesome instructors, and is more committed to providing the best service to the members, things are really taking off. I'm so excited for the new semester. The students are back and things are in full swing.

Tonight starts my new class schedule at UIC, which includes my very first All About Arms class! I know it's a minor thing to get excited about, but this is the very first non-Spinning class I've had all to myself. This is a milestone! It's going to be a high-energy half hour packed with some great weight training. We're going to start with shoulders, move to chest, then biceps, then triceps. Hopefully we'll devote about 7 minutes to each group of muscles. We're going to get creative and use a bar, dumb bells, and a step. I can't wait!

My favorite way to strength train is with my arms so this class will not only be fun to teach, but I'm sure I'll get some good reps in there for myself, too. HOWEVER, if I start to look scary like Cameron Diaz, let me know. I want some more toned arms, but not that toned...eeek!

a nightmare of sorts

2011-08-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

I had a dream last night/this morning:

I was getting ready to teach a Spinning class, and a bunch of people showed up who didn't sign up (at some gyms you have to sign up to reserve a bike). They were all arguing with each other about taking the class, and I attempted to restore order. I was going down the list of people who signed up, then all of a sudden people started leaving...even people who had actually signed up! All of a sudden, instead of 20 participants, I had 5. Some of the people who left were friends of mine, too (I have no idea why they came to my class that day). I was so upset and started crying. When I woke up, I was still upset.

That's weird...if that happened in real life, I don't think I would start crying. That's a strange dream. Last night, I saw a review of one of my gyms on Yelp.com where someone specifically mentioned that they liked my classes so perhaps I was thinking about participants' perception of me before I fell asleep...

hmmm

the shades :)

2011-08-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

As promised, here I am in my new running sunglasses right after my 13.1 mile run last night :)

They're so fun and ridiculous

2011-08-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

Pictured above are my new athletic sunglasses. Marc said, "hmmm, those don't look very sporty..." Precisely. That is why I LIKE THEM. I had a $10 coupon to Fleet Feet, my favorite running store, and I got them yesterday afternoon.

Let me digress for a minute and declare that I LOVE riding my bike places. Marc was working in the morning yesterday, so being the ancy busybody that I am, I decided to ride my bike to mass then ride up to the running store. It was fun, I got places faster, and I burned 200 additional calories! Win!

ANYWAY, back to my amazing sunglasses. They are shatter-proof and have little pads on the nose bridge so they don't slip when you sweat. They are also HUGE and obnoxious and don't even look good on me...but I feel like lately, the more obnoxious, crazy and space-agey your fitness accessories look, the better you perform (funny? Yes. True? Probably not.)

I had taken a picture of my face, post 13.1 run in the sunglasses, but of course I forgot to bring my camera. I'll put it on tonight!

Last night, I did not feel like running. However, this blog is really helping me actually follow through on my long runs. I do not want to log onto my blog on a Monday and say that I didn't complete my run or just didn't feel like it. Therefore, I ran my half marathon in 2 hours and 6 minutes! The weather lately has been in the low 80s or high 70s and it has been just ideal for running. Last night was no exception and I enjoyed myself.

Here is Week 10 of Hal Higdon's Intermediate Marathon Training guide:
This one is going to be a killer. This week I start teaching arms at UIC! I cannot wait!
I've got Spinning M-W of course, a 4 mile run on Thursday, rest on Friday, and Spinning on Saturday. On Sunday, I am supposed to run 17 miles. That is another first for me as far as training runs go. I am also moving the day before. It would be nice to get this one out of the way on Friday, but I like Marc to be home when I do my long runs in case I die (I'm HALF kidding). I also don't like to run with keys in my hand so if Marc is home I can just ring the buzzer when I get home.

One thing I DO know as I plan for this 17 mile run...I should ride very conservatively in my Spinning classes- just enough to break a sweat but not enough to create soreness or tiredness in my legs. I also need to get plenty of rest, eat right, and not worry about pace during my run. If I run 10:30 minute miles, then fine, I run 10:30 minute miles. It's a 17 mile run...just get it done however, and whenever possible.

Picture of obnoxious sunglasses coming TOMORROW!

Oven Crispy Disappointment

2011-08-17T10:14:00.001-07:00

This is what Subway says about their new sandwich, the Oven Crisp Chicken:

Experience the breakthrough taste of the NEW Oven Crisp Chicken for some deep flavor without the deep fryer. It’s NEVER fried, NEVER greasy and ALWAYS tasty. As a 6-inch sub, it’s a delicious part of a SUBWAY FRESH FIT® meal. Try one today, because grease is out. Fresh taste is in.

Breaded chicken sandwiches are one of my favorite things in the world, but of course, they're deep fried and very high in calories :( Therefore I maybe indulge in them once a year.

When I saw on TV last night that Subway was coming out with a new, low fat breaded chicken sandwich, I was overjoyed and anxious to taste it!
I just finished one. I tasted the oven, but not the crisp. It was sad...even a little rubbery. It had some good flavors going on in there, and the honey mustard went well with it...but I was very disappointed in the lack of crisp.

I might go back to my usual turkey breast with avocado favorite, but I think I'll give the oven crisp chicken one last chance in case the particular one I tried had been sitting in the freezer for too long or something.

getting creative

2011-08-16T07:09:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to find better ways to snack than say, last week when all I ate was chocolate and pie.

I will always be a snack person. That's just how I roll, so I'm trying to pick out foods that satisfy my cravings but aren't going to break the calorie bank. I also need something that takes a long time to eat. This is obvious- if I can eat it in one bite, that means I'm going to eat a lot MORE of said item, and that's bad.

I'm kind of growing tired of Skinny Cow products (WHAT? I know, crazy talk).

I'm still in love with Skinny Pop Popcorn (39 calories a cup, and it takes a long time to eat!), but I need something to satisfy my sweet tooth that's also low in calories but takes a long time to eat.

Then, I remembered my favorite snack that went through my childhood years all the way to my teen years: CEREAL! Can I get an "Amen"? Everyone loves cereal. It's just so good and fun to eat, and the milk tastes nice with all of the cereal juice in it at the end :)

Cereal isn't filling enough to eat for breakfast because you're hungry again within the hour (I prefer non-instant oatmeal), but it's a great night time snack when you're sitting watching "The Colbert Report" at night.

I got Chocolate Cheerios last night on my way home. They are SO GOOD! I eat them with Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, and because the milk isn't dairy, it had about 1/3 of the calories of dairy milk. Awesome!

They're chocolaty, sweet, but packed full of whole grains...and best of all, guilt-free. Anyone else have a great idea for a low-calorie snack? I know I posted an entry awhile ago with my "top 5," but I need some new ideas!

ps- here's my Top 5 Low Calorie Snacks entry:
http://dizzymisslizzy-alicia.blogspot.com/2011/06/nom-nom-nom.html

Hal Higdon, week 9

2011-08-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is an 18-week program, which means I am halfway there! This is good, because I might die if I don't start tapering soon.

Week 8 wasn't a failure, but it wasn't a success either. I was supposed to run 15 miles yesterday. I made it to 13. I was feeling horrible. I had too much coffee in the morning as Marc and I went out for brunch. The coffee was a restaurant house blend and way stronger than probably Dunkin or Folgers, which is what I'm used to drinking :) My heart was all over the place and my whole body hurt. It depends on the amount of coffee, but it can either increase your performance, or actually cut off oxygen supply to your heart and muscles...people have passed out during runs from too much caffeine before. I could tell I had had way too much. I had also run a 5k race on Thursday which ended up throwing off my whole week. It's hard to run a race and not actually try hard, so I was hurting from that.

My 13 mile run was paced at 9:45 per mile on average, and finished in a time of 2:07. Not too shabby of a half marathon time! I stopped for water a lot as well as chatting with some friends I ran into...so of course there was a bit of rest time, too.

Overall, how many people can say they busted out 13 miles even when they felt horrible? I'll take it.
I'm in need of more recovery, so I will probably teach some of my Spinning class OFF the bike tonight. The legs are worn out.

Here is week 9...halfway there...thank GOD. I am hurting.
Spinning Monday- Wednesday. 4 mile run on Thursday, rest on Friday AND Saturday(thank the Lord), then I'm supposed to run a half marathon at RACE PACE. I will try to beat the 2:07 I ran last night, but I won't take more than one water break...it will feel more like a race that way. I'll also teach my Saturday class off the bike, too, in order for my legs to be fresh.

In 4 weeks, I will peak out at a 20 mile run. Hal wants me to do this run twice in 3 weeks (a 20 miler, then a 12 miler the next week, then a 20 miler AGAIN the following week). I think once is enough though...don't you? Yeah, I think so too.

Oh, and on a happy note! The weight I gained last week must have just been hormones and stress, because it's already gone. That was really killing my ego so I'm glad it was just something else, and not the fact that I ate like shit. Hooray!

why this blog is called triumphs AND failures...

2011-08-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Big failure.

Like I mentioned, work has been insane and crappy lately. All I've been doing whilst wallowing in my stress is eating. We're not talking light snacking here. I've been eating really crappy, chocolately, fatty, sugary foods. I've put on 4 pounds in the last two weeks.

I've been eating Godiva chocolate covered Oreos, Godiva truffles (Godiva was having a sale last week), coconut cream pie, ice cream bars, chocolate-covered pretzels, and NY style pizza. Doesn't that sound awesome? Well it was, but skinny people are not immune to the effects of over-consumption of calories.

This all comes down to choices. People are always complaining about not having the time to work out, and oh they're so busy and so stressed and blah blah blah. Oh poor me, I can't lose the weight or oh, it's so hard to get into shape. Excuses.

Part of my job is to work out, but I still made horrible eating choices in the past two weeks. I made that choice. I was stressed, and I over ate. There is no excuse. You, as a busy person in America, also have a choice. You can get your shit together and get fit if you really want to.

There are so many cheap, used workout videos on amazon.com, there are so many FREE weight loss web sites. There are support groups. There are gyms. There are nutritionists who can even make you your own eating plan. There are parks. There are SIDEWALKS.

I'm complaining about my weight gain because it was all my fault and as a fitness professional, I should know better. But hey, we all have our failures. I'm going to turn mine into a success by eating right from now on and killing it on my 15 mile run this weekend. What are you going to do with yours?

Hal Higdon, Week 8... and other news

2011-08-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

Since I had something fun going on on Friday night, I could not do my long run (and by "long" I actually do mean long, as in 14 miles) until last night.

There were scattered storms yesterday and I just hoped that it would be clear for my run. It was, up until mile 10. The clouds started rapidly approaching as well as the rare lightning strike. I was afraid because I was 4 miles from home, on the lakefront with no cab or CTA fare, in the middle of what was about to become one hell of a storm. However, I looked around and saw that the other runners and cyclists on the lakefront were still doing their thing without so much as a flinch. I kept going. All of a sudden, the rain started coming in huge sheets. I couldn't see very well because I was constantly being sprayed with water (and probably hail) in my face, but I pressed on. It felt dangerous at some points, but I said to myself that it would eventually let up and not rain AS hard, which it did. I even said out loud, when the rain was at its worst, "THIS IS TEMPORARY! IT WILL STOP!" over and over. I must have looked and sounded insane. I didn't hear any tornado sirens and there were other objects taller than me that lightning could've struck, but that doesn't mean it wasn't scary.

My run was completed in 2 hours and 17 minutes! Whoohoo! Under 10 minutes per mile! I probably could have ran faster had my shoes not been so weighed down with water.

Again, let me remind you that the only other times I had run 14 miles were times that I was running a marathon. I've never just gone out and ran 14 miles on my own. Now I have. In a severe thunderstorm no less.

When I nearing the end of the run with one mile to go, I pulled off my shirt and ran home as fast as I could. Part of it was because it was weighed down with water. The other part was just triumph. Sometimes, when you're an athlete and you accomplish something huge, you just have to take your shirt off. I have no idea why. Ask 1999 Women's World Cup winner Brandi Chastain.

I feel an emotion going into this marathon that I have never felt before: confidence. I will conquer this marathon and run well. Here's week 8 of Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Program:
We've got Spinning every day except Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, and the long run will be 15 miles. Now that I've done the 14, I am not scared. Bring it on.

In other news: due to people being on vacation and other issues, work has been absolutely insane. Preparing for my move is just adding to that stress. My emotions are pretty out of control during the day and I'm just praying that I get through it.

Here's a piece of advice: "Just have the lowest expectations possible!"

2011-08-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had cake in our office because one of my co-workers is getting married this week.

We all clapped and wished him well, when our VP looked around the room at the married people and asked, "does anyone have any good marital advice?"

One male co-worker replied, "She's always right."
Laughter.
Another replied, "Just....be quiet."
More laughter.

Wow guys, how about giving him some REAL advice? Unless...do they really think that that's how marriage is supposed to be?

Yes, indeed, let's encourage our soon-to-be-married colleague to think he should let his wife reduce him down to nothing and let him know that it's better to shut up and make her think she's right than argue and have to hear her annoying voice. God forbid he actually defend himself and refuse to put up with any of her crap (not that she gives him crap, but you know what I mean).

When it comes to marriage, I am starting to believe that the stereotypes given to husbands and wives are getting out of hand.

Many feminists believe that the Bible is oppressive to women because it maintains that wives have a different role than their husbands (submissive). I actually used to agree with the feminists until I took a special Bible class on marriage. The Bible- whether or not to want to follow it- states that though husbands and wives are different from each other in marital roles, one is not more important or better than the other.

That little moment over cake in the break room has prompted me to open up this can of worms. I am sick of husbands and wives falling into the stereotypes that modern society has shaped for them:
Men, lower your expectations. Marry a girl because it's the "right thing to do." Let her think she's right, because otherwise you have to listen to her argue forever and ever. By the way, you will never have sex again...maybe once a year if you're lucky.
Women, argue with your husband about everything until he gives in. It's okay to withhold sex if you don't feel like it. When you go out with your husband in public, cut him down in front of others and don't let him get a word in. Fight for control until on every issue until you have it.

Proverbs 12 says "A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones."
As a wife, do you think that if you constantly try to control your husband and cut him down in public, you will be his crown? I've seen a lot of husbands whose bones are decaying right before our eyes.

I feel that in the types of marriages in which the man has lost his, well, MANHOOD, both the husband and wife are to blame. As a wife and a person with a strong personality, I can say that I am constantly trying to see what I can get control of in my marriage. Any woman who has an assertive personality will most likely be that way. However, if my husband LET me have control of everything and win every argument, we'd both be losing in the end. Arguments are not meant to be "won" or "lost." If a wife thinks she's winning (or if her husband makes her think she's winning), the husband loses trust in her and the bitterness starts to build up between them. It's not even worth the fight anymore. That's where you see the husband sitting there quietly next to his wife while she blabs on and on and on, because it's not even worth it to speak up anymore.

I am lucky that Marc brings me back down to earth and does not put up with any of my bullshit. Sometimes we argue, and he gives up because I just won't shut the hell up...BUT it's up to me to recognize that I didn't "win" just because Marc gave up. I actually lost because my husband would just rather not communicate with me because I won't shut up and listen for two seconds. If I am smart, I will come back and say "I'm listening" and Marc will tell me how he feels. Sometimes it takes time for him to open up, but again, I am lucky and Marc will communicate to me that I can't always get my way. I've been the annoying wife in public who dominates everything, and later on at home (luckily), Marc will say "why did you always try to talk for me? I can talk for myself just fine. Why did you fight against me on everything today? I don't get it." That's when it's my turn to listen and admit I was wrong.

Husbands and wives are both unique, they are both different, and they both have different and equally important needs.

Just because there was a Women's Movement, that does not mean that a man should not be respected by his wife.
A man needs to be able to make decisions, he has to have his physical needs met, and he needs someone to listen to him when he's ready to talk. If he takes out the trash, works hard to bring home the bacon, and remembers your birthday, you really should make him feel like a king every once and awhile. That way, you can actually be that crown that he is proud of.

I realize that I sometimes am a big part of these problems, too. Again, there are two problems here: the husband who gives up and lets his wife win everything and the wife who is obsessed with winning.
If we don't get back to the basics in marriage and stop keeping score, we're just going to be a bunch of losers.

Hal Higdon, Week 7

2011-08-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Marc is starting to get annoyed with my constant checking of the weather and my inability to shut up about my pursuit of the perfect time to get my long run accomplished.

However, he knows he is my husband, and that's what husbands are for. He recently built a computer (a computer that WORKS). I let him talk about that and I get to talk about running.

Week 6 of my Half Higdon Intermediate Marathon Training was a success. After completing a 12 mile run last week and an 11 mile run the week before, my 9 mile run during week 6 felt like a cakewalk. I decided to run on Friday after work and just get it out of the way. It proved to be a good idea because the sun was going down again, and I was able to just pass out on the couch for the rest of the night.

The Friday running also let me modify the rest of my weekend's activities. I had to teach my Saturday Spinning class OFF the bike because the class was full...I had to give my bike up to one of the participants. That served as my rest day, and then yesterday I went to the Spinning studio at my home gym and cranked out 80 good minutes of riding. Sometimes I like days like that where I can just put on my iPod and do whatever kind of Spinning I feel like. I can climb for a whole hour if I want and no one is judging my choice.

ANYWAY. Here is Week 7:

I'm not going to bore you with each day because you know that I'll be teaching Spinning for 4 days. However, on Thursday I am supposed to run 4 miles, Friday I am to rest, and then at some point during the weekend I'm going to run 14 miles. YIKES. I've never just gone out and run 14 miles (unless it was during a marathon).

The highs during the weekend are supposed to be in the 80s. Finally, some relief from the heat.

6 Weeks until the peak of my training! I'm scared...that seems like a long way off. I have to stay injury-free for 6 more weeks...can I do it? I hope so!

Side note: I've been reading lots of articles lately on how training based on LSD runs (Long Slow Distance) doesn't work for everyone (actually, it doesn't work for a lot of people). Not everyone's body is designed to pound the pavement for miles and miles. All of the great running legends have been able to handle that kind of training, but most normal people are well, NORMAL. They're not running legends and they can't just run miles and miles, day after day, without over-tiring themselves out and getting injured.

And trust me, it's not just because of shoes. I used to blame shoes for everything and I would make sure that my gait was analyzed to a T and that I was buying the nicest, best shoes for long distances and I would still be in a lot of pain if I ran for more than 2 days in row.

I saw that there's a new program out there called CrossFit Endurance, and it is helping people complete long races like half marathons, full marathons, iron mans, and triathlons with shorter, more intense training sessions and lots of strength training. I'm not going to adopt a CrossFit program to replace what I do now, but I realized that what I do is very similar to the CrossFit philosophy and so far has helped me run my best endurance races by far! I'm just glad that I'm not as far off in left field as I originally thought I was.

Anyway...I guess the real test will be when I run the actual marathon.

Hail to the V

2011-07-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

Holy talking vagina, Batman!

If you haven't seen the new Summer's Eve commercials that feature a woman's hand being used as a TALKING VAGINA, then Google that shit RIGHT NOW!

They have adds that cater to Caucasian, African American, and Latin women. I saw all three of them last night on the Colbert Report.

I can't really think of a funnier or more shocking way to advertise products meant to keep your va-jay-jay fresh. This might sound cliche, but I can't believe they can do that on television! A vertical talking hand that opens and closes definitely looks like a vagina, so I assume they're reserved for very specific time slots during the day (maybe during commercial breaks from The View...or Ellen...just kidding, just kidding).

Anyways. Watch it...and be amazed.

They also have an ID the V quiz to make sure you know enough about your own anatomy. I'm going to take the quiz and see how much I remember from Human Sexuality class at Bluffton:

http://summerseve.com/v101/id-the-v

Hal Higdon, Week 6

2011-07-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

Well, the skies opened up and released their fury on poor, overheated Chicago. It cooled down to about 85 during the day yesterday and it actually felt okay to walk around outside. Okay, as in, "I probably won't die if I stay out here. I might sweat a bit, but I won't die."

ANYWAY. Week 5 of my Hal Higdon training program was a big mother effing success. I decided to try a little experiment and run at night instead of at the crack of dawn. A big obstacle that stood in the way of me running yesterday morning was the rain. There was quite a bit of it. I enjoy running in the rain, but not for 2 hours straight, thank you very much.

I also thought of something else that would make nighttime running more appealing to this sun-and-heat-hating Canadian: the position of the sun during certain times of the day.

Allow me to over-explain (as I tend to do most of the time): The sun rises in the East and sets in the West, which we all know. When you're running on the lakefront path in Chicago, the lake is always to the East of you and therefore there is no shelter from the sun in the morning. If you run in the early morning, even at 5:30, the sun is still coming up VERY early. The longer you run, the more hot it gets.

If you run at night, the sun is already getting lower in the sky and it is starting to move across the sky to the West. In Chicago on the lakefront path, there are many tall buildings along Lakeshore drive, which are to the West of you while you run. The sun is low enough in the sky that the tall buildings block it for 90% of your run. That, and the longer you run, the cooler it gets because the sun is going down lower and lower. Therefore, if you (ME!) don't do well in the heat, maybe running at night might be better.

Sleeping in and being better rested is also a factor :)

I tested this "theory" last night and it worked out incredibly for me. My 12 mile run was one mile longer than last week and I ran a pace of 9:42 per mile, 15 seconds faster per mile than last week! I felt amazing. The sun has such a horrible psychological and physical effect on me that I needed it to be blocked and out of the way.

It has always been an "out there" goal of mine to run to Navy Pier and back. When I lived on Belmont, I always told myself that during a training run, I wanted to run there and back but I never did. I have since moved a mile further away from Navy Pier, so I figured that goal would never be lived out. When I came up on Navy Pier last night, I couldn't believe I had finally done it! I ran as far as the ferris wheel and then it was time to turn back.

I finally feel like I have my running mojo back :) You know there's a heat wave when it's 84 degrees and you think to yourself, hmmm I think it's good running weather right now. Wow. It has been hot.

One more side note: there was a huge crow standing right in the middle of my path last night. The thing wasn't moving out of the way, and it was scary as hell. Have you ever seen a crow up close before? They are gigantic animals. And they are loud. Marc told me the other day that they are also seen as a death omen. It made me wonder if I would survive this run! It looked me in the eye and finally moved out of my way as I ran past. Wow, it sent a chill down my spine.

That's neither here nor there. Just thought I would share that with you...as a bird-lover, you know :)

Without further ado, here's Week 6 of Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Program:
Monday: Cross train (Spinning)
Tuesday: 3 Mile Run (Spinning)
Wednesday: 5 Mile Run (Spinning)
Thursday: 3 Mile Run
Friday: Rest!
Saturday: 6 Mile Run (Spinning)
Sunday: 9 Mile Run

Oh yeah, I got this one. Today the quads are a bit sore but otherwise fine. I'm ready to rock!

Thursday, Thursday, gotta get down on Thursday

2011-07-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

If you're not a pop culture person, the below blog entry is in reference to this ridiculous music video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbZqE1RdC4Y

I'm re-inventing Rebecca Black's "Friday" and changing it to "Thursday."

But before I talk about Thursdays, I have to say...at last, it is now 69 degrees outside and it's the afternoon!

I hope these thunderstorms continue to cool things down around here so my long run on Sunday isn't insanely hot like last week. Too bad I don't have my umbrella with me today, though. It always works out that way...whenever I bring my umbrella, it never rains and vice versa.

Anyway. I have my Thursday nights back! Last night was my final week of training to teach Boot Camp and Hard Core at UIC. I taught both classes last night in their entirety, got great feedback from the instructor, and now I'm ready to move on! I cannot wait for my All About Arms class next month. My form is a little shaky on lower body strength training, so teaching a class that focuses on arms is perfect for me :)

It was getting crazy for awhile, having to be places Monday night through Thursday night...but now the load is a little lighter. Phew.

6am, waking up in the morning
Gotta be fresh, gotta go to work
Gotta have my bowl, gotta have oatmeal
Seein’ everything, the time is goin’
Tickin’ on and on, everybody’s rushin’
Gotta get down to the Brown Line
Gotta catch my train, I see my train (My train)

Kickin’ in the front car
Sittin’ in the back car
Gotta make my mind up
Which train car can I take?

It’s Thursday, Thursday
Gotta get down on Thursday
Alicia's lookin’ forward to more free time, free time
Thursday, Thursday
Gettin’ down on Thursday
Alicia's lookin’ forward to more free time

goin’ home, goin’ home (Yeah)
goin’ home, goin’ home (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin’ forward to more free time

4:30pm, I'm goin' home on the El train
Cruisin’ so slow, I want time to fly
Rest, rest, think about rest
You know what it is
I got this, you got this
creepy guy on the El is by my right
I got this, you got this
Now you know it

Kickin’ in the front car
Sittin’ in the back car
Gotta make my mind up
Which train car can I take?

It’s Thursday, Thursday
Gotta get down on Thursday
Alicia's lookin’ forward to more free time, free time
Thursday, Thursday
Gettin’ down on Thursday
Alicia's lookin’ forward to more free time

Yesterday was Wednesday, Wednesday
Today it-is Thursday, Thursday (restin’)
Me-me-me so tired
Me so tired
I'm gonna have a ball tonight

Tomorrow is Friday
And Saturday comes after...wards
I need this week to end

Have a great weekend! Chicago Fire plays Manchester United tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited :)

Great Website for Athletes!

2011-07-20T11:49:00.001-07:00

I just found the coolest website EVER!

www.athlinks.com

It stores all the results of your races! It displays times, pace per mile, place, age group place...all of that good stuff :)

It also groups your races into year and distance.

I may be way behind the times, but I just discovered it today and it made me feel good about myself!
Since 2006, I have run at least 31 races:

Running
(2)10K Run
(3)10Mi Run
(1)15K Run
(1)3.5Mi Run
(13)5K Run
(4)8K Run
(5)Half Marathon
(2)Marathon

The site isn't 100% accurate because I've actually run 4 marathons...so over time, I can search and claim more races to my name :) If you click on one of the distances, it tells you your average time between all the races and the best time you've ever ran at that particular distance. It's pretty awesome! Check it out, my fellow runners!

I feel special now...31 races in 5 years!

It's Official!

2011-07-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, folks, the apartment search is over!

We were thinking about moving South West to Logan Square, where the lovely hipsters live, but we decided to stay on our beloved North side. We keep moving farther away from the Loop and into quieter neighborhoods, but I'm sure it's because we're getting older and the annoying drunk Cubs fans are getting....well, ANNOYING.

Our new apartment is located between the neighborhoods of North Center and Ravenswood. I'm pretty sure the official neighborhood is still Lakeview since the street we're living on is Hermitage, which is one block east of Ravenswood (the street). Very confusing.

I don't care what the neighborhood is officially called... what I do care about is that we're saving over $225 a month in rent, AND heat is included! We're also a lot closer to the brown line train so that means less walking during our commute. We just had to get out of our current place. Our rent is way too high, and we pay heat...so our monthly savings will be so much better. Watch out, college loans.

We're super excited about the cute details of the apartment. On the outside, it kind of resembles a castle :)

The kitchen is much smaller than our current apartment's, but it has a brand new stove and it's very cute. My chickens will be right at home!

I also love all the little details like the wall sconces and built-in bookshelves

I'm also excited that we will have three closets. I hate that our shoes and other things were kind of just hanging out in the open because we didn't have enough closet space.

One other fun fact is that the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel lives right across the street :) His house is bright blue and pink so it's hard to miss

Watch out for your new neighbors, Rahm! It would be fun to catch a glimpse of him every now and then since so many of my friends saw him on the El when he was campaigning for mayor.

In unit laundry? Nope :( but I'll take the cheaper rent, no Cubs fans, and Rahm :)

Keeping it cool

2011-07-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

With each passing Summer in Chicago, I am convinced that I'm grumpier and grumpier in the hot weather. This is my 5th Summer in Chicago...make it go away!

In the winter, I am prancing around in my polar bear hat, jumping from Spinning class to Spinning class, and wondering why everyone is complaining about these mysterious "Winter Blues." I enjoy my jeggings and boots! There is no humidity so my hair looks great! I love Christmas. I love the beautiful snow! The blizzard of 2011 was so much fun because I got two snow days home from work. I love to snuggle with my hubby on a cold night. I don't have to worry about suddenly dropping dead during a long run because it's cold and I have lots of layers on. I love winter!

In the Summer, my cold Canadian blood starts unpleasantly heating up. I sweat constantly. I feel sad because everyone has a great tan and I'm whiter than Kat Von D. I hate wearing sandals and dresses because I don't like my ankles (or "cankles" as I like to call them). I can't run worth sh*t because it feels like 100 degrees outside ALL THE TIME. That, and I'm afraid I will overheat and die so I run slower. I don't want Marc to touch me because I feel too uncomfortable in the heat. My hair is poofy and won't stay straight. I hate thunderstorms because they're loud and scary. Everyone is so damn happy and I just want to jump into a cold swimming pool. There are no possibilities of snow days home from work. There aren't "heat days"...they just tell you to drink lots of fluids and stay indoors.

This morning, I had to take my shirt off when I arrived on the train platform. If I hadn't, it would have gotten drenched and nasty with my sweat. So I commuted to work this morning in a tank top, dress pants, and running shoes. I was still sweating even though the train was air conditioned. Side note- I love how Chicagoans put so much emphasis on comfort that no one cares what you're wearing on the train (unless it's something NOT comfortable..."Oh my goodness, how is she wearing those high heels on the train!??!??").

I see these young men on the train a lot. They wear towels/washcloths underneath their baseball caps during the summer months. I'm not talking about the fashion accessories worn under ball caps either. I'm referring to actual washcloths or towels. Sometimes, the towel just sits on top of the head without a hat. The funny thing is, these boys pull it off and do not look ridiculous. People don't care either, because it's practical! I'd rather you sweat into the washcloth on your head than sweat on me. Thank you for your consideration for others in your attempts to stay cool.

Sadly, even though Chicagoans are all for commuting in comfort, I don't think I could pull off the towel/washcloth look. For now, I will simply resort to randomly stripping off pieces of clothing.

We've got at least two more days of 90 degree heat, and the hottest is yet to come tomorrow and Thursday. Stay cool and safe, Chicago

Hal Higdon, week 5

2011-07-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

Week 4 of my Half Higdon marathon training program was a success!

The heat was really starting to frustrate me, so like I mentioned before, I woke up at 5am yesterday morning to run my 11 miler.
It was still hot, and I slowed down my pace, but I got it done! I ran on the lakefront but didn't get a tan on my legs. Bummer!

My average pace was 10 minutes per mile, which is about a minute slower than I like to pace on long runs, but I have to remember that the humidity was at extreme levels and I couldn't breathe as well as I normally can when it's nicer outside.

This week has a 12 mile run and Sunday's high is 88...slightly better than yesterday's high of 94. I think I will still be waking up at the same time to run! This is, unless I decide I want to do it at night. I'm still experimenting with the best possible time of day to tackle these long runs. There is more oxygen in the morning, but there's something mentally draining about the sun being right in your eyes. I do wear sunglasses, but it's draining! Maybe I need a hat?

Here's week 5!

Monday: Cross train (Spinning)
Tuesday: 3 Mile Run (Spinning)
Wednesday: 6 Mile Run (Spinning)
Thursday: 3 Mile Run (Boot Camp and Abs)
Friday: REST!
Saturday: 6 Mile Run (Spinning)
Sunday: 12 Mile Run

This coming Thursday is the last time I have to do Boot Camp and Abs as my team teaching will be over! Hooray...more time for real running!

I'm just so glad I was able to do all 11 miles because my running morale was getting sooooo low.

ps- Birthday weekend was great! I'll let you all know once the new apartment is finalized!

something about my personal life

2011-07-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

Now that I got you all excited about the juicy details of my boring personal life, it's really not anything. It's something about food again, because DUH, what else is there, really?

When I don't pack my lunch, Subway is my #1 choice. You're welcome, Subway, I just plugged you on my blog. It's one of the only places I can go where the food isn't loaded with things that aren't great for you (like loads of butter, sodium and dressings with tons of calories hidden inside). Subway is safe and reliable. Most of the other sandwiches at Jimmy John's, Corner Bakery, and Panera contain almost a day's worth of sodium.

ANYWAY. I'm getting addicted to Subway's new avocado spread. It really perks up an otherwise boring sandwich.
I also always get Sun Chips with my sub...the fun part about Subway's avocado spread is that it starts to seep out of the back when you take enough bites...then you just take your Sun Chips and scoop it up. It's like you get a sub, some chips, AND some guac dip! It's SO AMAZING!

Also. It's my birthday in two days. I'll be 27.

Here is my birthday weekend!

FRIDAY:
-go to work
-look at three potential apartments after work
-go to dinner at Fornello and use my Groupon!

SATURDAY:
-teach Spinning
-go to the Chicago Fire Match

SUNDAY:
-get up at 5am and run 11 miles!
-sleep off the 11 mile run all afternoon
-Go see Harry Potter

I can't really decide on which day I'm most excited about...success!

Best Spinning Class EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

My weekly routine with Spinning classes has evolved into creating a playlist and using it Saturday for the first time. I then continue to use it Monday through Wednesday at various locations until it's time for a new playlist on Saturday.

This week's playlist has by far been my (and my participants') favorite! My class last night was the most enthusiastic which made me SO happy. They were hootin' and hollerin' through class and when we started cooling down, I asked, "was that a fun one?" and they all yelled "YES!" and started clapping. I've been wanting to win their approval since I just started teaching there...so it felt nice.

I had also had a bad night on Monday because a girl who seems to absolutely hate me was at the class I subbed for (not my regular class). In her eyes, I couldn't do anything right and I wanted to tell her to JUST LEAVE...but of course I couldn't do that. Tuesday's participants definitely perked up my spirits.

Here is this week's class...tonight is the last night of using this particular playlist. I hope it goes out with a BANG!

1) 3 minute warmup- "She's Hearing Voices," Bloc Party

2)jog in hand position 2, speed up while in hand position 2 for 30 seconds, sit and recover for 30 seconds, pick up the pace for 45 seconds, jog in hand position 2 for 1 minute - "Eyes as Candles," Passion Pit

NO BREAK

3) switch from jog to hand position 3, speed up for 35 seconds while in hand position 3, sit for 35 seconds and recover, speed up in the saddle for 35 seconds, recover for 30 seconds, jog in hand position 2 for 40 seconds, switch to position 3 and speed it up for 20 seconds - "Hey Ya!" Outkast

RECOVER: 40 seconds

4) climb in hand position 3 for 1 minute, back off resistance and go downhill for 40 seconds (speed up), back uphill in hand position 3 for 1 minute, speed it up in hand position 3 for 15 seconds - "Till The World Ends," Britney Spears

RECOVER: 45 seconds

5) jog in hand position 2 with moderate resistance for 1 minute, speed it up for 40 seconds, slow it down, back off the resistance but stay up in a jog for 30 seconds - "Invisible," Winter Gloves

RECOVER: 1 minute

6) find a pace on a flat road where you're working hard but can maintain it (probably a 6 on the RPE scale) for 50 seconds, speed up the pace for 50 seconds, back to the 6 RPE for 50 seconds, speed it up again for 50 seconds, go straight into hand position 3 for 50 seconds - "Halfway Home," TV on the Radio

RECOVER: only 20 seconds

7) back to hand position 3, tough standing climb for 1 minute and 20 seconds, sit and back off some of the resistance (still climbing) for 1 minute, add the resistance back on and go back to position 3 for 1 minute and 20 seconds, sit and leave the resistance on for 30 seconds - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," U2

RECOVER: 1 minute

8) sprint once for 20 seconds, twice for 30 seconds...recover in between sprints - "Hope You're Happy Now," The Sounds

RECOVER: 45 seconds

9) jog in hand position 2 for 2 minutes. One minute into the jogging, add more resistance. Jumps for 30 seconds, back to a jog and add more resistance for 40 seconds, switch to hand position 3 for 45 seconds - "Idioteque," Radiohead

RECOVER: 45 seconds

10) stay in hand position 3 the entire song, moderate resistance. speed it up three times, for 15 seconds at a time - "On the Floor," Jennifer Lopez

RECOVER: 45 seconds

11) alternate between sitting on a flat road and jogging in hand position 2 with heavy resistance for 20 seconds at a time - "I Wont Back Down," Tom Petty

NO BREAK

12) switch right to hand position 3, heavy resistance. Climb 3 hills. each hill will be standing in hand position 3 for one minute. In between each hill, we will recover for 30 seconds - "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall," Coldplay

RECOVER: 45 seconds

13) Sprint in the saddle, 3 times for 30 seconds each. Recover in between each sprint - "Time Machine," Robyn

RECOVER: 45 seconds

14) take it out of the saddle three times in hand position 3 with light resistance, for 20 seconds each time. Pace is fast. In between, stay on a flat road and keep the pace fast if you desire. End on one seated sprint for 25 seconds - "Monkey Wrench," Foo Fighters

COOL DOWN - "Island in the Sun," Weezer and "Fun for Me," Moloko

Hal Higdon, Week 4

2011-07-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

Week 3 of Hal Higdon's program was a success!

Everyone who knows me at all knows that I prefer the cold. I'm the happy one in the winter when everyone else is depressed. I'm not a hot weather person. Just look at my pale skin.

I did my 6 mile run at about 8am on Sunday morning. I had to slow WAY down because the heat was so intense. It had to have been 85 with 100% humidity. It was just nasty out there. When I came inside, Marc said that he'd never seen me look so red-faced. I was so sweaty that I could smell myself (HA!). Usually when I work out, I can't tell how bad I smell, but this time I really, truly could...I stunk to high-heaven.

Since I had such a bad run the week before, I was determined to finish Sunday's. Next weekend I will simply have to rise extra early to beat the heat...probably 5am. It's frustrating to be able to do an 8 mile run in 70 degree weather with no issues but struggle with a 6 mile run in 80 degree weather. I definitely have to get acclimatized. I was able to adjust a lot earlier last summer, but it was because I ran outside almost every day in the heat. Now that I'm working out indoors with teaching, I have a feeling it will take more adjusting on my part, to run outside.

Here is week 4 for Hal's training program:

Monday: cross train
Tuesday (today): 3 Mile Run
Wednesday: 6 Mile run
Thursday: 3 Mile run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6 Mile Run
Sunday: 11 Mile Run

As usual, I'll be Spinning Monday through Wednesday.
I have Boot Camp and Abs on Thursday.
I'll rest on Friday.
I'll be Spinning on Saturday and then the epic 11 mile run will take place on Sunday.

I taught two Spinning classes back to back last night so today I am a little sluggish. I should be able to get through the next two days as long as I don't push too hard.

I just checked the weather forecast for the weekend, which is probably not reliable, but it says that Sunday's high will be 94 degrees. So I will either have to run at 5am or around 9pm after the sun goes down...whichever comes first!

Newsflash!

2011-07-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a newsflash for you:

Aside from the actual certification...If you can count down from 8 to the beat of music (without saying "one," i.e the number 1), have a personality, and if you're in relatively good shape, you can be a Group Exercise Instructor.

Will you be a GOOD one? Not necessarily, but experience and time could eventually make you good if you have the potential.

There are other factors that enable you to be a GOOD Group Exercise Instructor, which include vast knowledge of the muscle groups, practice of good form while performing/demonstrating exercises, decent coaching skills, self-motivation, and charisma.

There are certain abilities I already have, and others I am currently building on...but I am actually starting to feel like an okay Group Exercise Instructor.

The reason I initially hesitated to transition from Spinning only to Spinning plus Group Exercise was because it didn't feel natural to me. I didn't regularly attend other Group Exercise classes so I couldn't see myself up front as the leader. I couldn't imagine hearing my own voice in the speakers counting on the beat, trying to get everyone excited when I myself didn't know exactly what I was doing.

At the AFAA Apex convention (where I got certified) I felt like such a fish out of water...especially when I saw the Zumba and Step crowd. They could all dance and count so effortlessly...and while I Know that there are so many formats that don't involve dancing, I still wanted to ask myself what I was doing there.

One of my colleagues who is currently helping me get ready to teach via a five-week process has done wonders for my confidence levels. She said that I already possess the abilities that are the most basic, yet most challenging for many new instructors. She said "thank God you can already count!" and that I already have a "presence" up front.

It took a couple of times of me warming up and cooling down her class that I am starting to believe in myself. I don't need to be terrified anymore, I don't have to be afraid of failure, and I don't need a Spinning bike to hide behind! I can do this!

Any career change is scary but I think I am finally over the hurdle of fear (the one you have to jump over before you realize you're okay...sometimes that hurdle is bigger and harder to clear).

In August I am teaching my own All About Arms class and I am beyond excited. I was suffering from so much fear that I didn't admit to until now. I'm glad it's finally going away and that I can move forward. Now that I've shown myself I can do this, I feel like there is so much more out there for me. Next on the list...Personal Trainer? Maybe!

Houston, We Have a Problem

2011-07-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

So you guys know how excited I have for the Niagara Falls Marathon.

I can't remember if I mentioned this, but there is a 2-Person Relay. This is what the web site says:

1812 Peace and Friendship Marathon Relay Course (2 Person Relay)

"Each runner runs 21.09 km of the Marathon course. Limited to the first 200 teams registered.

Relay bibs will be numbered along with a letter A or B. The first runner will wear bib A, and second runner bib B. Please affix the bibs to your front.

Runner A 2 PERSON RELAY

The Niagara Falls International Marathon Relay starts by the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo N.Y. The first 6.5km (4 miles) of the race travel the beautiful majestic parkways of Buffalo before crossing the Peace Bridge into the historic old town of Fort Erie, Ontario. The route then follows the beautiful Niagara River Parkway.

Runner B 2 PERSON RELAY

Your exchange point is at the 21.09 km mark at Cairnes Cresent in Fort Erie located at the half marathon start. The relay runners follow the beautiful Niagara River Parkway and finish at the same finish line as the Marathon, above the magnificent Niagara Falls.

Complete both portions of the marathon course back to back and receive an additional medal recognizing your achievement. Complimentary stand to display your medal when you complete both portions."

Okay, so I saw that and said to my sister, "hey, do you want to do your very first half marathon with me in Niagara Falls?"

Katie just started to get into running about a year and a half ago, and she's doing really well with it!

In the relay, I would be runner A but I would be completing both portions of the race. I would start the relay, then Katie would wait at the exchange point, and then once I reach the exchange point we would run together! She would run a half marathon and I would complete a full marathon. It would be a win-win situation because Katie will want someone to run with during her first half marathon. I will also need someone to help keep my energy up as I finish my full marathon.

Right? Well, WRONG apparently.

I got an email from the marathon organizers asking for Katie's info...so I responded:

Hi Joyce-

Katie's phone number is " "
email: " "

Also, quick question- I am running both halves of the race to equal a full marathon and there was no place to indicate that while registering our team. Is this important info for you to know beforehand?

thanks,
Alicia

Joyce responds:

Hi Alicia:

Yes it is important. Your team only gets 1 chip. You will be passing it off to Katie at the half point. You will receive your medal for the first half at this point. If you continue, you must also remove your bib number and your time will not be recorded at the finish line and you will not receive a marathon medal. If you wish to also run the marathon and get a time and medal, then you must register for this event also.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

After thinking "Oh HELL no..." I politely responded:

Hi Joyce-

I have to say that that is very poorly communicated on your web site...I didn't find that information anywhere. All I can see on the site that mentions completing both halves of the relay is:

"Complete both portions of the marathon course back to back and receive an additional medal recognizing your achievement."

I looked at the medals from last year's relay and thought it would be very neat to help my sister complete her first half marathon, and she could push me for the last half of my marathon...and that I would receive an additional medal because I completed both portions.

It didn't say that it means that I have to pay the half marathon relay registration fee plus the marathon registration fee, that I have to remove my bib and all of that...why even advertise the above statement if that is not what actually happens?

I'm a little annoyed, I have to admit. Can you please let me know the additional costs involved?

thanks
Alicia

It was hard not to tell them that it's not cool to LIE on their site, but I restrained myself in hopes that they will at least give me my own chip (and NOT CHARGE ME EXTRA) so I can have an official time.

I'm beyond pissed off. Stay tuned.

Hal Higdon, week 3

2011-07-05T07:16:00.001-07:00

Hi all, you're reading the blog of a worn out girl.

Week 2 of my marathon training was a complete failure. I taught my Spinning classes on my usual days, but my long run did not work out. One of my favorite places to run is the Niagara River Recreation Trail but even that wasn't enough to rescue it.

I was supposed to run 9 miles on Sunday. Last week my long run was 8 miles, and I did it with no troubles of any kind. In fact, it was easy. THIS week was drastically different. I was in Canada on Sunday having arrived at 1am. My sister and I drove up to visit our Gran in the hospital and it was a 9 hour trip. I knew I had to wake up in the morning to run because it was supposed to be hot and we were going to be at the hospital the whole day. I woke up at 8:00 and started out. I felt like I had already run a marathon and that it was 100 degrees outside (it was probably only about 78 degrees). I haven't been hit with fatigue that hard in years. I felt so out of shape and weak, as if I had never ran a day in my life. Again, I was supposed to run 9. I made it to 4...with a LOT of difficulty. I should be able to do 9 miles in my sleep...but speaking of sleep, I hadn't had much so I can see why it was difficult.

Anyway. Week 2 was a failure and now I need to figure out how to rest so I can re-charge for this week. We left Canada at 6am yesterday morning and drove all day. I tried to go to bed early but then Marc was ill through the night and woke me up at 3am. I feel absolutely horrible today.

Here is Week 3 of the Hal Higdon training program:

Monday (yesterday): Cross train (I did nothing but sit in a car all day)
Tuesday (today): 3 mile run...but will be substituted with an hour Spinning class
Wednesday: 5 mile run (another hour Spinning class instead)
Thursday: 3 mile run (Boot Camp and Abs class instead)
Friday: REST (and I WILL REST, damnit)
Saturday: 5 mile run (another hour Spinning class)
Sunday: 6 mile run

Since I epically failed this past Sunday on my 9 mile run, I can't justify in my head that I should do a 6 mile run THIS Sunday (as in, why not run longer to make up for lost time?). However, week Four of training has an 11 mile run so it's not like I'm not going to get the chance to cover a lot of mileage.

I promised you my Hal entry...and there you have it. I'm just praying I can get through the day.

ps- our visit with Gran was amazing. She looked great and was so happy that we came to see her. It was a great thing to be able to do and I am proud to be part of the family I have. Between my aunts and uncles and parents, someone is ALWAYS in the hospital with my Gran. Who else in the world can say that? My family rocks and I wish I could do more from Chicago...but I will keep praying.

Always a runner...sometimes a cyclist :)

2011-06-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Above is a picture of what my new bike looks like (except the seat is black all over and not tan). It's a Jamis Commuter 1, and I love it! I got it on Sunday and have been thinking about it nonstop since then. Seriously.

Since it's green, I have decided to name it "Iggy." I named my bike. I know this is weird.

The folks at Roscoe Village Bike Shop recommended it to me not only for the price but because it's a great beginner bike for those wanting to get from A to B. I love it because the handle bars are comfy but it's still sporty at the same time.

My Spinning participants would approach me after class sometimes and ask me for advice on bikes. I would have to tell them "I wouldn't know...I don't actually own my own bike." They were usually flabbergasted at a Spinning instructor who doesn't have a bike. From now on I can tell them that I at least have a bike :)

Another crazy thing is that I rode to work today. I live in the Wrigleyville neighborhood and work in the Chicago Loop. My commute was about 45 minutes long, which is about the same as if I took the CTA...but this time I didn't have to actually deal with the CTA! It was so amazing to feel the fresh air and be on the lakefront path with the other cyclists and runners...not to mention the fact that when it's all said and done, I will burn about 400 additional calories commuting because I rode my bike today. That's more than my lunch :)

Was it scary? Definitely. Biking Chicago is scary, but I need to find a good balance between fear and confidence. I need to be confident but cautious...which will happen over time. A lot of friends have given me great advice and I have also looked at some sites that have great tips on riding in the city.

The main thing I'm excited about is that I can now be active with Marc. I've tried to make Marc a runner for years. Some people just aren't runners. I finally accepted that. However, Marc loves riding his bike so now that we can do that together, I feel like I can get him out more. I cannot wait to ride to the lake with him this weekend and watch the 4th of July Fireworks!

Just wanted to share that I am a runner, a spinning instructor, a group exercise instructor and now... a cyclist :)

Hal Higdon, week 2

2011-06-27T14:59:00.001-07:00

Last week, my Hal Higdon training program was all over the place but most importantly, I got to my 8 mile run yesterday. Therefore, I will declare week 1 a success!

Here is week 2:
Mon- Cross train
Tues- 3 mile run
Wed- 5 mile run
Thurs - 3 mile run
Fri - Rest
Sat- 5 mile run, race pace
Sun- 9 mile run

Here is what I can do in reality this week:

Mon- Spinning
Tues- Spinning
Wednesday- Spinning
Thurs- Boot Camp/Hard Core
Fri- rest
Sat- Spinning
Sun- 9 Mile run

I handled my 8 mile run easily yesterday...even with tired muscles. I took it easy and went a little slower and I'm not sore today! I think this training will work amazingly well for me as long as I do NOT, under any circumstances, skip those long runs. I think this is the first year in history that I will not skip them unless there is some kind of emergency. I'm in a good place right now and hopefully it can continue :)

Nom, Nom, Nom!

2011-06-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

I've said a billion bazillion trillion times that everything I do usually revolves around food.

People tend to think that I am addicted to exercise. The truth is that I'm actually addicted to food and the exercise is just a necessary step that I take in order to be thin while enjoying my food addiction.

A friend of mine has a blog which is a series of Top 5's (Top 5 favorite things about baseball, Top 5 Muppet Moments...pretty much Top 5 anything). Here is his blog:

http://tubbstop5.blogspot.com/

Anyway, his most recent entry is about his Top 5 favorite snacks. It made me think about how much I love snacks, but also how guilty I feel for loving them. I'm always on a quest to find the most enjoyable snack for the lowest amount of calories. I want to share with you my latest pleasures that are both high in amazingness and low on guilt!

The first item is from Breyer's! The Smooth and Dreamy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwich!

These are only 160 calories, which is significantly less than your average sandwich that has a glob of ice cream wedged between two cookies. I know they have 100 calorie ice cream sandwiches, but I like these because they are made up of soft cookies (which I am also a sucker for).

On to something I JUST discovered this weekend, Skinny Pop Popcorn!

At 39 calories per cup, you can't get much skinnier than Skinny Pop. I love munching on things while I'm watching TV or a movie, so Skinny Pop is perfect for me because I can just keep eating it and not worry :) It's surprisingly flavorful for being so light. I recommend it for those days where you feel like a bottomless pit...for me, I have more days like that than I care to admit.

There's also Jell-o Temptations for you pudding lovers out there:

As you can see, there are many flavors to choose from! My favorite is French Silk Pie. Sometimes, you just need some pudding and it's a plus when said pudding tastes just like one of your crazy 500 calorie desserts that you won't let yourself have :)

I also haven't mentioned my favorite liquid snack! Diet Vernors Ginger Ale:

I always wish that bars would carry this because I hate ordering Jack and Diet Coke. Coke is significantly less flavorful than ginger ale, and the diet versions of each are no exception. I never thought I could bring myself to drink diet drinks...but zero calories vs 200 calories is a no-brainer (which I've mentioned before). My new drink of choice after a long day is a shot of Canadian Club Whiskey on ice with Diet Vernors. So nice!

Rounding out what I guess is my Top 5, is anything by Skinny Cow, particularly the Cookies n' Cream Truffle Bar:

I love ice cream. Period. Skinny Cow has so many choices for ice cream that it's nearly impossible for me to pick one kind when I'm grocery shopping (so that means I usually pick two...and even that's hard). These truffle bars are new and I discovered them at my office. We had had a particularly hard week and our VP handed them out as rewards. I definitely have her to thank for my new found love of Skinny Cow truffle bars.

Anyway...so now you know. I'm obsessed with snacks. However, I try to be smart at the same time. If I had an actual point to this blog entry, it would be that anything in moderation is fine :)

More Cooking With the Millers :)

2011-06-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Marc loves shrimp. I like shrimp as well, but I love Marc :)

I decided to make a Mexican-ish shrimp dish that would make both of us happy.

I have Spinning at 6:30 on Tuesday nights in my neighborhood's XSport, so that gives me time to run home from work and make him something that he can just put in the oven as I'm leaving the gym.

Last night I prepared everything then stuck the dish in the fridge

I took .7 lbs of pre-cooked shrimp (not quite a pound) and placed it in a glass casserole dish already sprayed with Pam.
I sprinkled taco seasoning on top of the shrimp and then added my chopped veggies: zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and black beans (I wanted to add corn too but I forgot).
I then seasoned the veggies with season salt and garlic powder before pouring a couple of spoon fulls of Mole sauce on top.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes! Serve with rice and warm tortillas. Ole!

and speaking of running...

2011-06-21T11:23:00.001-07:00

This week begins my Hal Higdon Marathon Training Program! I have exactly 18 weeks until the Niagara Falls International Marathon

The program I've selected is Intermediate 1. I'm not a novice but I also don't consider myself advanced.

Here is Week One's schedule according to Hal:
Monday: Cross Train
Tuesday: 3 Mile run
Wednesday: 5 Mile run
Thursday: 3 Mile run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 5 Mile run (race pace)
Sunday: 8 Mile run

I almost have to laugh at this schedule because this is what is really going to happen:

Monday: Spinning
Tuesday: Spinning
Wednesday: Spinning
Thursday: Abs and Flex class
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Spinning
Sunday: 8 Mile run

So apparently I'm going to cross train 5 days a week and stick to my weekly long run on Sundays, and run the marathon in hopefully 4 hours and 30 minutes (or less). Stranger things have happened! Maybe I will be at an advantage because my cross training is the same intensity as my running and the low-impact work might help me avoid injury.

This inspires me to make some kind of shirt for my race that promotes Spinning/Cross Training as means to stay in shape :)

Why I Love to Run

2011-06-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

Being a runner is one of the best ways to enhance any trip out of town.

Sometimes, as bad luck would have it, you stay in a hotel which is next to a patch of highway...that means you're pretty much confined to the treadmill in the hotel's fitness center. That happened to me when we stayed in Harrisonburg, VA. There were treadmills with nice TVs though, so I did fine there.

However, our stop in Covington, KY was a real treat for the runner in me that's always fighting to break out wherever I go.

Covington is right on the Ohio River and has an adorable downtown area as well as plenty of paths on the waterfront, bridges, and historic homes to visit while running.

I thought, oh, I'm so tired I'll just go for a 3 mile run (also since I didn't know my way around I'd shorten it). 3 miles turned into 5, and 5 could have easily turned into 6 or 7 if I didn't have to think about Marc waking up and not knowing where I went! I lost track of time because I was looking around so much. I didn't even feel like I was running (or that it was 6am)

Here are some of the things I was able to see on my early morning run last Friday in Covington:

My favorite part was running across the 4th Street bridge into Newport and running on the path in Taylor park overlooking downtown Cincinnati.

Running/walking/biking during a trip out of town is a perfect way to avoid gaining weight from all of the food you eat. You can't avoid those restaurants because they're all right there in your face, but you CAN get off your butt and not use a trip as an excuse to do nothing. I like to think that excuses are like rear ends: we all have them and they all stink :) Next time you go out of town, leave your excuses behind and turn your workout into a tour

better bust out the PBR!

2011-06-15T09:39:00.001-07:00

Hipsters. They walk among us with their beards, their smokes, their PBRs, and their clothes that look old and ragged but actually cost $200.

They like all of the bands we've never heard of. They talk in weird abbreviations ("totes obvi"). They ride bicycles. They grocery shop at Trader Joe's with reusable bags. They don't shower because it wastes water.

In October, we might be moving to their territory. As annoying as they seem, they're on to something. They move to shitty neighborhoods because the rent is cheap and then they make the area cool because all of these news stores and places sprout up. One neighborhood currently dominated by Hipsters is Logan Square.

See, Marc and I are trying to save money and time. We pay too much for our rent and our super-expensive apartment doesn't even have in-unit laundry.

$1250 a month Wrigley Apartment has:
-one bedroom (but has a dining room)
-lots of space
-hardwood floors
-sun room
-LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION
-dungeon laundry room that is quarter-operated
-out of date huge kitchen with zero counter space and no dishwasher
-"vintage" bathroom (old with cracked tiles)

$950 a month Logan Square Apartment has:
-medium sized kitchen with brand new appliances and granite counter tops (and DISHWASHER!)
-hardwood floors
-porch or sun room
-updated marble bathroom with jetted whirlpool tub
-second bedroom (but no dining room)
-IN-UNIT LAUNDRY!!!!
-so-so location. Lots of bars/restaurants but can be shady in some areas

I think it might be time to sacrifice location for savings. I cannot go much longer without in-unit laundry. Oh, hipsters, I hate to say it, but you might be right about something...

other neighborhoods we're thinking of are Uptown, Lincoln Square, Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park, UIC/University Village, South Loop, West Loop and basically anywhere else that we can get in-unit laundry for under $1000 a month in a location close to the CTA

Our lease ends in October...I'll keep you updated once we start hunting :)

A lot to report!

2011-06-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, folks, I have a lot going on...so here's the condensed version!

This week is a shortened work week for me! Hooray! It's actually very special because Marc and I are taking a fun road trip. We're driving to Virginia to attend Marc's cousin's wedding. Soooo many family members will be there...ones we haven't seen in a very long time. It's also a great thing that the bride and groom are the absolute cutest couple I've seen in forever. I will probably cry endlessly during the ceremony. Heck, I almost cried just looking at their engagement pictures...I'm such a sap.

One thing I love about road trips is renting a car. I love all of a sudden having this brand new shiny car with fun gadgets to drive around :) I also love having our own GPS (yes, we have a GPS even though we don't have a car...it comes in handy!) so all anxiety of figuring out directions is GONE!

On the way to Virginia we decided to stop at Newport on the Levee in Kentucky for an overnight stay (the entire drive is around 13 hours so we need to break it up). Newport on the Levee is very special to us because that is the place where Marc proposed. I think we've only been back there once since he asked me, and it was way back in 2006 right before we got married. We're going to return to the very spot where he asked me...down by the river with the Cincinnati skyline in the background:

This will also give me a well-deserved break from teaching and work. My insane schedule starts this week. I'm really excited for my brand new Spinning class at the Lakeview XSport tonight. I love that the location is so close to home and that the group is so nice. It will be a great stint of time!

Lastly...I decided to take some days off from my full time job...just random days off on some Fridays and Mondays. I need some time to re-charge from my busy schedule, sleep in, and actually get the damn laundry done. I hope it helps.

I'm going to take lots of pictures of the wedding and the entire trip...so stay tuned!

The Cure-all

2011-06-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

One load of laundry and two group exercise classes later, I'm feeling better.

Last night I went to Muscle Max for more practice and then I went to the Spinning class of the instructor who I'm going to replace during her maternity leave. The participants were very nice. This is going to be a great group to teach. I'm also happy that the class doesn't start until 6:30 because that gives me time to keep going to Muscle Max. I think I'm almost ready to audition to teach it...we'll see

I didn't want to do any laundry last night but Marc offered to throw a load in for me while I ate dinner. I'm so glad he got it started for me because after eating I probably would have just plopped down and did nothing. I was finally productive at home!

This weekend I am determined to whip this apartment into shape. Marc loves doing things like that so I know he will be on board. We've both just been so down and tired lately.

One thing is for sure though...nothing cures my bad mood like a good old fashioned ass-whooping session at the gym :) It also helped that when I came home, the air conditioning was turned on. So nice!

2011-06-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

My life is so confusing right now.

I just experienced one of the biggest disappointments I've had in years. Usually I'm posting about how everything is going so well and blah blah blah. Well, you were probably sick of that anyway.

With disappointment comes the realization of how the status quo is bothering me. I'm so freakin busy and I'm tired. Next week I'm taking on another Spinning class and in three weeks, my Thursday nights are going to be occupied for a five week period with more fitness stuff. I can't even do my laundry or clean my apartment. By the time the weekend rolls around, I need to use it to re-charge. This is ridiculous. If I want to do what I love, why do I have to stretch myself so thin to do it? Why can't I just do it? Money. I hate money.

I have all this vacation time. I might actually use some of it to take days off here and there from my full time job, just so I can actually be productive at home. It might make me feel better about things.

For now, I just feel like I've been dumped by a boyfriend that I loved so much (do you remember what it's like to be dumped?). My Mom reminded me though that every time I was dumped, something better always came along....okay, I need to focus on that.

ps- I did not actually get dumped...Marc and I are great. I'm just trying to find a good way to explain this discomfort in my stomach from being so let down.

Tonight I'll be home around 7:30, and I am determined to DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE in my apartment.

Results of Soldier Field 10 Mile Race :)

2011-05-31T06:49:00.001-07:00

my 2011 racing season is off to a great start!

I told myself I would get great results this year and my hard work seems to be paying off.

I got miraculously good weather for Saturday's race. It was 55 and cloudy with a little breeze. In the past, the Solider Field 10 Mile has seen temperatures in the mid 80s so it was a wonderful change.

Before the race started, I got up at 5am and ate a meal sized Jimmy Dean's breakfast sandwich and some oatmeal. I have ridiculously huge breakfasts before any race that's at least 10 miles long. For some reason, big, greasy breakfast sandwiches have helped me run well in the past. I care more about performance than calories when I run long races. The more full I am before a race, the better!

At the last minute before my wave was schedule to start, I decided to set my Nike+ sport band to display the pace per mile rather than the time or the distance. If you have a Nike+ and set it to display the pace, it constantly shows how fast you're going and whether you slow down or speed up. I wanted a time of 1:30:00 so my goal was for the pace to stick to 9:00 per mile. I decided I would watch it like a hawk and speed up or slow down accordingly. Once I got going, I chose a pace that felt comfortable and smooth but quick. I looked at my watch and it indicated a pace of 8:20 per mile. I didn't think I should try to maintain it, except I realized that I could maintain it! It's a good thing too, because I didn't think about other factors that could slow me down like water stations and just the 15,000 other runners in general. Any time that space allowed it, I stayed around 8:30 per mile. Sometimes I would get stuck behind a crowd of slower people or got jammed up at the water stations so I just did my best to stay speedy.

When I got to around mile 7 I started to realize that I wasn't running out of energy like in past years. I was still passing people like it was nobody's business. It's been ages since I was that prepared for a race. I decided that not only could I reach my goal of 1:30, I might be able to beat it. Experienced runners (and even non-experienced ones) reach a point in races where alarm bells start going off. Do you want to be resilient and dead (and run a better time) or back off a bit and run a decent, but not as fast time? I decided to back off because one of the last things Marc said before he left to go into the stands was "don't push yourself too hard." At that moment I also passed a girl lying on the ground with medical staff around her...she was conscious but looked way over-heated (at this point it had started to warm up to the low 70s with 100% humidity).

I crossed the finish line in 1:29:07! I thought 90 minutes would be a stretch but it turned out that I am capable of more...I am stronger than I thought! Last year I ran a 1:36:00 and the difference between this year and last year is weather and strength training. Strength training seriously made this race feel like a walk in the park. I will never stop strength training now that I know what it does for me!

The official results:
Place: 3,807 out of 12,200 total finishers
Gender: 1,300 out of 6,964 total females
Age group: 374 out of 1,744 females ages 25-29
Average pace per mile: 8:55
official time: 1:29:07

I think this might be the highest I've ever placed in a race. I can't remember if maybe the Niagara Half Marathon was better...but in any case I'm very proud of this one!

The funny thing is that the majority of my training was Spinning, not running. I would teach Spinning 3 days a week, strength train 2 days a week, rest one day, and run one long run on the weekends...it worked, so I can't complain!

2011-05-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

I love Papa John's pizza.

By the way, I noticed that a lot of my blog entries start with "I love ______ (insert food...pie, dessert, french fries, etc)." I'm okay with that.

ANYWAY, I love it. For the longest time ever, Chicago did not have a Pappa John's. There was one waaaaay out in the west suburbs so there was no way I could ever have any.

This year, a Pappa Johns popped up just north of where I live! Knowing this, however, was bittersweet because for me, pizza is something that I just can't have (without hating myself). Most people understand that you can't eat just one piece of pizza, so indulging in pizza could sabotage a lot of the hard work I've done.

However, last night I had a lot of calories in the bank because I was good all day and taught Spinning. I wanted McDonalds, but it was raining very badly and there was also a Cubs game (that had gotten rained out). I called Marc and begged him to order me a pizza. I calculated that I could have FOUR slices of pizza!! VICTORY!

Let me tell you, nothing is sweeter than rewarding yourself every once and awhile with an amazing, HUGE, melty cheese pizza. Normally when I eat pizza, I'm depressed afterward because I know I should not have done it.

I feel like Lent this year has had a profound effect on me. I've started to see things in a more positive light. The scale is still underneath the dresser and not in the bathroom, and I only get it out on Fridays and Mondays to make sure I'm staying where I need to be. I've learned that if I'm craving something, it's better to have some after a day of hard work than to have too much the next day because my mind had been overwhelmed with conflict (I didn't just have it when I wanted it).

The pre-Lent me would have eaten something healthy last night. Then I would have probably eaten something worse today, ALL day (and as a result go overboard on calories) because I was just feeling so sad that I didn't just eat some pizza when I wanted it.

We all have our ups and downs (believe me, I do), but I'm glad I just ate the damn pizza.

crazy coupon lady for a day

2011-05-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Since the apocalypse is tomorrow and all (or the rapture, or the return of Jesus, or the zombie apocalypse... not sure which), I decided to run around the Chicago Loop like a madwoman on a quest for two deals:

1) 24 Mrs. Field's assorted nibbler cookies for $1!
2) A lunch from Alonti Cafe for $1!

Today, coupon giant Groupon is having a "Groupon Now" sale in which they offered various $1 deals. The only catch is that you have just a few hours to use them!

I bought the coupons this morning, of course, and so did thousands of other professionals who work in the Chicago Loop. I just returned from being among scores of people running here and running there, trying to get in and get out as quickly as possible.

I take an early lunch (11:30am) so I figured I would beat the "rush." WRONG! Both Mrs. Field's and Alonti Cafe had lines going out the door. It was fun though....no one cared about waiting in line because of the awesome deal. Everything was also fresh at both places because the staff had trouble keeping up with the demand.

My in-laws are visiting tonight and I'm sure they will be pleased when I come home from work with a bag of fresh cookies. Though, there are now 23 cookies in the bag, not 24...

Also, I walked about 10 city blocks (both ways) and completed the entire ordeal in less than 40 minutes. Living in the city certainly makes one a fast walker :)

MORE cooking with the Millers!

2011-05-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

I cooked up a storm this past weekend :)

Well, not really. But I had some fun in the kitchen!

On Friday I made an enjoyable dinner and a dessert that changed my life...but most desserts change my life so that really isn't saying much.

For dinner we had green salsa chicken with stuffed peppers.
It was easy (I never do anything difficult)! I baked chicken covered in green avocado salsa, taco seasoning, garlic powder, yellow squash and green peppers. While that was in the oven, I made my own Spanish rice (instant rice cooked in low sodium chicken broth with red salsa, taco seasoning, and a little tomato sauce), hollowed out my bell peppers, and filled them with the rice. I covered them in cheese and put them in the oven. Everything came out great!

I love red peppers and Marc loves green!

Now, on to dessert!!!

I love peanut butter pie. Most people know that it's a calorie bomb. I found this recipe on myfitnesspal.com and I had to make it RIGHT AWAY! It's 130 calories per mini pie...that's unheard of to me! All of the ingredients are nonfat or low fat, which makes a huge difference. I also used Almond Milk instead of skim and Promise Activ vegetable oil spread instead of margarine, so I bet my version was even less caloric than the original recipe...here it is!

Ingredients

9 reduced fat graham cracker squares, crushed finely
2 tablespoons reduced-fat margarine, melted
1 cup 1% milk OR unsweetened soy milk
½ cup, plus 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 (1.4 ounce) package sugar-free chocolate pudding mix
2 cups light or fat-free Cool Whip
Additional Cool Whip or Redi-Whip for serving

How to make it

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and melted margarine.
Press crumb mixture into bottom of lined muffin cups (about 1 tablespoon of crumbs per muffin cup).
Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes; remove pan from oven and cool completely before filling.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the peanut butter and milk together on low speed.
Add the pudding mix and beat for 1 minute.
Fold in the Cool Whip; spoon mixture into the muffin cups.
Freeze for several hours or overnight.
To serve, remove fluffs from freezer, peel off liner and let stand at room temperature to soften slightly, about 5 minutes, and top with a tablespoon of Light or Fat Free Cool Whip or Redi-Whip.

NOTE: For a change in flavor, use vanilla pudding in place of the chocolate pudding

These are the pictures I was able to get, but they're blurry...sorry!

Balancing in the freezer :)

annnnd the best part about baking and not having kids....I get to lick both of them!

Oh and just as a side note for people watching their weight/trying to lose weight, if you were to eat what I made for dinner and also have a mini peanut butter pie, you'd be eating under 600 calories for the entire meal...NOT BAD if I may say so :)

Cooking with the Millers!

2011-05-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

I'm a faithful subscriber to allrecipes.com, so I receive an email every day with the "daily dish." Sometimes the dish doesn't appeal to me, so I just delete the email. Sometimes whatever they send me looks amazing and I hastily add it to my favorites.

Yesterday morning, the daily dish was stuffed zucchini with chicken sausage...MMMM! I love zucchini so I decided to try it last night.

Here is the original recipe if you want to copy and paste it into your browser :)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Stuffed-Zucchini-with-Chicken-Sausage/Detail.aspx

I took 2 large zucchini, cut them in half length-wise and then removed the insides. (I chopped up the insides and used them later for the stuffing):

Then, while browning ground turkey with the chopped zucchini insides in a skillet, I prepared the other part of the stuffing: a small can of Wild Harvest Organic Diced tomatoes with some low fat grated Parmesan and Italian bread crumbs. I don't measure, which is why I provided the original recipe :) I seasoned the turkey and zucchini insides with garlic, roasted red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning to make sure it tasted Italian enough, and then I combined everything in a mixing bowl:

Fill up your zucchini halves with the mixture and pop them in the oven for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees. I didn't cook mine long enough so my zucchinis weren't really soft enough...they still turned out awesome though! I served them with a side of pasta:

I didn't follow the recipe right down to the wire. It called for garlic cloves, which I didn't have...bummer. To cut calories out of the recipe, I used extra lean ground turkey and did not use any olive oil. The pasta I had was whole wheat organic and the sauce I put on the pasta was garden vegetable/low sodium. The entire meal was under 500 calories...bravo!

I had lots of leftover "stuffing," but I'm eating it for lunch right now over pasta as we speak...it doubles as a good sauce. Everyone, have a great weekend!

Working for the weekend?

2011-05-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

I just saw a diet myth that doesn't surprise me, but definitely makes me want to work harder on the weekends:

(by Sarah Lorge Butler from Runner's World Magazine)

THE MYTH:
YOU CAN "MAKE UP" WEEKEND SPLURGES

THE TRUTH:
The two S-days represent about 30 percent of the week, so too many slip-ups will put you on bad terms with the scale. Case in point: Dieters in a 2008 study dropped pounds during the week, but stopped losing weight on the weekend because they ate too much. "By feasting on whatever you want on the weekend, you'll cancel out five days' worth of healthy eating," says Felicia Stoler, R.D., nutrition coordinator for the New York City Marathon.

When it comes to shedding pounds, consistency is key. "Aim to consume a similar number of calories on Tuesday as you would Saturday," says Stoler. She suggests weighing yourself Friday and again Monday. "Any weight gain is a sign you shouldn't have eaten the extra slice of pizza." To prevent bad choices, see "Survive the Weekend" (below).

SURVIVE THE WEEKEND
Stay on track by avoiding diet traps.

THINK AHEAD
When traveling to races, Stoler suggests bringing your own healthy edibles like oatmeal and trail mix.

WRITE IT DOWN
Studies show that keeping a food journal can help you lose almost double the weight of nonwriters.

DON'T SKIP YOUR CHEERIOS
Research suggests people who grab a hearty morning meal daily eat fewer calories later in the day.

GIVE IN
Have a few treats during the week. "Once Saturday comes, you won't feel the desire to binge," says Stoler.

GET COOKING
Use the weekend to flex your culinary muscles and cook up a new dish.

I put in more physical activity on weekends than during week days, but I also make up for that by eating a LOT. Last year I used to dread week days because I'd be sitting at my desk all day, thinking about food. However, ever since I started beginning my mornings with a half cup of Quaker 1 minute quick oats, week days haven't been an issue. Now I want to go out to restaurants and just eat everything on weekends! Not good!

I haven't really weighed myself since Easter, but I'm going to see if I can stay the same on Monday as I was on Friday. A guess a lifestyle change isn't really a lifestyle change if it's only part-time, right??!! RIGHT!

That's why I always pack running clothes with me on trips....who cares if I'm "on vacation"? Why would I want to use a vacation to get fat and undo all the hard work?

Anyway, let's resolve to become weekend warriors :)

Thanks Lisa!

2011-05-09T15:32:00.001-07:00

okay, SCARY!

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

some breathing room!

2011-05-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't written much lately. I've been uninspired and I've also been spending some much-needed time with the hubby.

However, I have some exciting stuff to report! My crazy, working full time plus teaching four classes a week schedule has now been (slightly) reduced for the next month...

Until June 14th, I am not teaching on Tuesdays! Hooray! One whole month of only teaching three classes a week!

I'm going to use every single one of those Tuesdays to go to the Muscle Max class. Muscle Max is a class at XSport I'm currently "in training" to teach.

Before you tell me to try to go in and try to teach with guns blazing, consider that I attended Spinning classes as a participant for a whole year before I even thought about becoming an instructor. I've been to one Muscle Max class. Needless to say, I want practice. My form sucks and my muscles need to be stronger.

A reason I chose Muscle Max is because it doesn't involve dancing :) That's right, no Zumba for this girl. However, it still involves understanding of the whole 32 beat music progression. The more I'm in these types of classes as a participant, the more comfortable I can be with this concept. It's easy to follow when someone else is leading you...but when you're the leader, forget about it.

I'm also currently obsessed with building some muscle mass, so wanting to teach Muscle Max was a no-brainer. Not a lot of muscle mass, mind you, but I definitely want to be more toned. I still can't believe I went all of these years without strength training now that I understand the importance of it. In preparation of the Soldier Field 10 Miler race at the end of the month, I was doing a seven mile run last night and going faster seemed so easy. I can't think of any reason it was so easy other than strength training because I can now propel myself forward without expelling as much energy (if that makes sense). It's crazy to see results so quickly. I lifted heavy weights twice a week in high school but there was no visible difference in my arms. Your 20s are the years in which you have the potential to build the most muscle. I can see that it's true now because my shoulders and biceps already look bigger ("bigger" doesn't actually mean BIG because I obviously have skinny arms!). The triceps are still so hard to tone, but I'm working on it.

I'll let you know how Muscle Max is going, but for now I think I will feel outside of my comfort zone until I have more classes under my belt as a participant. Either way, it's one step closer to my dream of having a more fitness-focused career

2011-05-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Proverbs:
“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; or the Lord will see and be displeased and turn His anger away from him.”

Ezekiel:
“As surely as I live,” declares the Lord God, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live."

The college kids that gathered outside of the White House cheering for Osama Bin Laden's death were probably 8 or 9 years old on 09/11. It made me very uncomfortable to see them climbing trees and cheering loudly "USA, USA, USA!" when they were still in elementary school on that day. I think to view this event as America proudly showing its dominance and superiority, is a little extreme. This is not America winning the gold medal in the Olympics- this is a SEAL shooting a man in the left eye, killing him.

Do people actually stop and think that that was, in a nutshell, what they were cheering for?

America, I understand that Osama Bin Laden's death is very symbolic and significant because of the horrible attacks that took place on 09/11, but I think we had our time to shine in front of the rest of the world...and blew it. It's a complicated issue but I don't think people should have celebrated with the vulgarity that they did in front of the White House, especially people who weren't even old enough to understand 09/11 at the time it happened.

When Marc and I saw the live broadcast of the President's speech- we reflected on his mood: solemn, relieved, scared, shocked. We decided that that is how we would view it. I think if President Bush would have made the same announcement, he would have composed himself the same way.

I remember Bush's "we got him!" news conference when Saddam Hussein was captured, but remember Saddam was captured alive. Bush didn't exclaim "We killed him!" when the execution was carried out.

Just some food for thought, I guess.

2011-04-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

People have written the following Facebook statements directed at me in the last 24 hours:

"I usually hate canada but man, we could learn a thing or two from that country up north when it comes to certain things...yes you heard me right alicia.... i'm saying something positive about canada"

"Canada sucks and will be embarrassed by the USA but most importantly their lack of soccer skills. USA USA USA USA!"

The first message was sort of positive but it began and ended with negative statements. I have to ask, what the hell do people have against Canada? I might say I prefer Canada to America but I never say things like "America sucks" or "I usually hate America."

Some people may call these comments patriotic, but that's not what I call them.

The dictionary defines patriotism as devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty.

Hating on other countries, no matter how serious or not serious, goes beyond patriotism and is just plan insulting. Think about it. Maybe Americans don't understand because most of them are from America and they live in America so they don't know what it's like to leave their home country and have it put down (seriously or not).

"I WORK HARD FOR MY FOOD!!"

2011-04-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

I forgot to tell you a funny story from yesterday...so you get treated to TWO entries today!

Speaking of treats, last night I burned a lot of calories...over 800!

I lifted weights, ran 3 miles, and then taught my 55 minute Spinning class. I was so happy with myself and excited to have something sweet later on.

Before we left for Canada, I had some extra puff pastry. I decided to make a dessert out of it from what I had lying around in my pantry.

I melted 2 squares of chocolate almond bark and mixed in peanut butter and some rolled oats. I formed a pie crust out of the puff pastry and before I dumped in the chocolate mixture, I put a Keebler mini chocolate chip fudge cookie on the bottom. Doesn't that sound INCREDIBLE? I put it in the oven until the pastry turned golden brown.

My plan was to save it in the fridge for a day when I worked out really hard. I could then microwave it and serve it with a scoop of ice cream! Oh, the excitement!

Imagine my dismay when I frantically searched the fridge, only to discover that Marc thought it was something old and not a dessert and THREW IT AWAY. I repeat, he threw it away. Gone. Bye-bye.

I was so upset...I didn't cry but there were definitely tears in my eyes. Marc felt terrible when he found out what he had done (and who he had done it TO: the person who's sweets you do not want to get in the way of). I think I sat and pouted for an hour.

When I found out my amazing creation was gone, I exclaimed:

"I WORK HARD FOR MY FOOOOOOOOD!"

Indeed, I do. I wish I worked as hard at my laundry as I did for my food.

Royal Wedding FEVER :)

2011-04-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

DVR, you better not fail me on Friday...I need all hands on deck!

If I was a morning person, I would totally wake up early to watch the Royal Wedding. Turns out, I'm not a morning person. Thank goodness for the lovely invention of the DVR.

I am beyond excited for this wedding! I love Kate Middleton. I think I almost cried a couple of years ago when prince William dumped her. She's so beautiful and classy and natural and charming! I think most young women in America should pay attention to the way she dresses and the way she carries herself. She looks like a real lady. Her boobs aren't hanging out all over the place and she isn't spotted by photographers stumbling out of night clubs. Take notes, girls!

Anyway, heed this warning: if you're sitting at your cubical streaming live coverage of the wedding, shut the f**k up about it! I don't want to know a single detail until I sit down on Friday night to watch it. I am too excited to let anyone ruin it for me.

On Friday I'm going to make little pot pies and possibly some Shepard's pie. We're also going to have British Ale (not sure what kind), Gin and tonics, and probably whiskey of some sort. It's going to be fun...even Marc is excited :) (shh, don't tell him I said that).

Be afraid!

2011-04-26T10:22:00.001-07:00

I've been stepping up my game as of late when it comes to Spinning classes.

In the last few weeks I have attended other classes and have come to realize that I don't think my classes are hard enough. I think other instructors have the mentality that participants would be wasting their time if they come to a class that is only mildly hard...why show up if you're not going to get the maximum calorie burn?

When you're a participant in a Spinning class, the class is only as hard as YOU decide it is since ultimately you control your bike. However, if the instructor is encouraging you to do longer intervals and tougher combinations of (safe) movements, then of course you're going to be motivated to push harder.

My participants like to use the word "fun" when they describe my class ("thanks, Alicia, that was fun!"). However, I think I want them to find a nice medium between "fun" and "insane" :) I've just added some simple modifications. Instead of taking a 30-60 second break before starting the next song, sometimes we won't have breaks between songs. Sometimes we'll do intervals and instead of sitting down and recovering, we might just slow down and stay standing. Simple, but effective! I ALWAYS warn them if we're going to go longer than usual or tell them when the next break is coming, of course. I'm also measuring the hardness by asking myself "can I encourage them while I'm doing this movement?" If not, it's probably too hard.

Here's tonight's class!

1) Warmup- "Never There," Cake

2) Standing intervals, jog in between (intervals 3rd position) - "Revolution," REM

3) Standing hill, speed up twice during choruses - "Hummingbird Heartbeat," Katy Perry

4) Jog, add heavy resistance for 2 intervals - "Allison Road," Gin Blossoms

5) Flat Road, speed up for 1 minute, then seated climb- "The Adventure," Angels & Airwaves

6) Jog, add resistance and pick up pace twice, last interval move to standing climb- "Memories," David Guetta & Kid Cudi

7) Sprints seated, jogging in between for active recovery, last sprint is standing in position 3- "Move Along," All-American Rejects

8) Jumps; regular time then double time 4 counts each- "Stereo Love," Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina

9)Tough seated climb, stand for 1 minute - "Cath..." Death Cab for Cutie

10) Easy seated climb, standing climb tough intervals - "Bulls on Parade," Rage Against the Machine

11) Sprints with standing climb variety - "I Like It," Enrique Iglesias

12) Hill of some kind (haven't decided yet!) - "On Top," The Killers

13) Jog with standing sprints - "The End is the Beginning is the End," The Smashing Pumpkins

14) Cool down- "Just the Way You Are," Bruno Mars and "The Wind," Cat Stevens

TGIE (Thank God it's Easter)

2011-04-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Lent is over...thank goodness! I was so ready to have a little buzz going again :) Nick's Gaslight Restaurant in Detroit is where I had my first post-lent drink. I have a soft spot in my heart for that place. A couple of years ago my parents and I had discovered that the bus stop for the Megabus had MOVED without the passengers being notified (I got on a later bus)...so we had some snacks and drinks at Nick's while we waited for the later bus. The owner is SO sweet and he always gives us free shots of Ouzo (he's Greek)...whoohoo! We had a round of drinks there (mom, dad, Marc, Katie, and myself) while waiting for the Megabus yesterday....it was so much fun and of course we got our Ouzo! It was fun to see my mom try to drink her's...

ANYWAY

Here's an overview of how Lent was and if I was able to keep my commitments of no calorie counting, no weighing myself and no drinking alcohol:

I didn't count any calories, nor did I log on to myfitnesspal.com. The extent of what I did in regards to my diet was look at food labels. I would look at a label, see how many calories something had and make a decision as to whether or not it was something I should have. You can't call that obsessive- it's simply watching what you eat. Try it sometime...it works :)
Result: Success!

I didn't have a drink on every single day of Lent except April 18th, which was the tax deadline. That's pretty damn good, even though last year there was not ONE day that I had a drink...so I guess I failed a little this year. Some Catholics cheat every Sunday during Lent, and I didn't do that, so let's call this a success.
Result: Success!

I didn't weigh myself at home obsessively. I wasn't supposed to weigh myself at all, but when I was at the gym I would occasionally step on the scale to see where I was. I know that's a failure, but sometimes I felt bigger because I had a particularly bad eating day so I wanted to make sure I didn't come out of Lent 5 pounds heavier or something.
Result: FAIL!

My weight before I started Lent was 121.6. My weight on Easter Sunday was 122.8. I think the lack of drinking canceled out all of the bad eating choices I made! I'm sure 122 was not the heaviest I was during all of Lent...I'm sure I YoYo-ed here and there and made adjustments when I felt myself doing badly on eating. Either way, I learned a lot about will power and I learned a lot about myself. You don't have to be obsessive to maintain your weight or lose weight. There is no substitute for a balanced diet and vigorous exercise. As long as you exercise regularly and don't overeat, you'll be fine...I proved that. I proved to myself that I don't have to be crazy about everything to prevent myself from getting fat. In 2007 when I gained all my weight (the 25 or so pounds), I didn't exercise at ALL and I just ate everything in sight. I don't do that now so I don't know why I was so scared after I lost that weight.

I also discovered other things like :

1) healthier substitutes for things I love! Almond Milk is only 40 calories per cup! I can have cereal again! Diet Coke, Coke zero, etc...ZERO calories! I can enjoy mixed drinks again! I have no idea why I wouldn't drink those diet drinks before. They don't taste as good but at least they don't take up the ridiculous amount of calories that regular sodas do.

2) Strength training doesn't take a lot of extra time and it eats up calories. I'm pretty sure this is another reason why I didn't come out of Lent bigger than 122.8. I'm really killing it on my arms when I have time at the gym. I do strength training 2 times a week in addition to my cardio exercises and I think it has helped my metabolism. I also do push ups every day now! People always say, oh muscle weighs more than fat....okay...but what eats up more calories/metabolizes more: muscle or fat? I think you know the answer already.

3) I KNOW I now have stronger will power when it comes to booze and I will be able to give it up towards the end of my marathon training. This will be VERY helpful when it's crunch time...and I'll need all the help I can get when I'm trying to become a super runner

So that's that. I didn't go to Church ON Easter Sunday but that's okay. Marc said to me last night, "honey, you're a good Catholic." It was so cute...I feel good though. I think next year I'm going to give up chocolate...I might even give up all sweets. Boy oh BOY will that be tough. I get scared thinking about it...but that's why I feel like a "good Catholic"...I give up things that teach me a lesson and strengthen my will power, you know?

Canada was amazing as usual...we even had time to go to the Casino and win :)

Oh the fun we will have....?

2011-04-19T13:29:00.001-07:00

April 18th has come and gone.

I'm so excited to have my husband back. I think we handled it the best out of any year we've been together, but that doesn't mean it was any less stressful or less difficult. We both just buried ourselves in our work, hoping that in two months we'd have a spouse waiting for us. We stayed patient, listened, and didn't let our tempers flare up. Now we can enjoy the fruits of our labor by enjoying activities such as...

EATING AND SLEEPING!! Whooohoo!

Unfortunately the weather has not allowed much else, but at least we're together and enjoying ourselves. Usually we can go to the zoo and enjoy outdoor cafes...not this year! I took this picture about five minutes ago and the poor guy is still snoring away. Hopefully we'll both be energized and ready to go do something fun tonight.

I'm off to teach 6pm Spinning. I'm sure I'll come home to a well-rested hubby :)

ps- I have a confession: I drank last night. I had a Jack and diet. I figured I could have one pass since I went the entire Lent season without so much as a sip and we were celebrating the Tax deadline!

Another Phase

2011-04-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Being an emotional eater, I go through many phases of food.

I went through my pie phase (which my mother has further enabled by getting me a mini-pie baking pan as a gift...it's larger than a cupcake pan but smaller than a 9-inch pie pan). And I'm still going through my candy phase, which is delightful.

I'm now on to a muffin phase.

Muffins are amazing things. They can be added to any meal because they're not really considered a dessert like cupcakes are. You can heat them up and melt butter over them. There's really no time of day considered inappropriate for muffin consumption. Oh, the glory of muffins!

My favorite muffins are bran (NO RAISINS!), corn, and chocolate chip.

I realize that since this past Friday, I have consumed a total of 5 muffins. That's a lot of muffins!
On Friday I discovered a glorious corn muffin to go with my salad at Mac Kelly's, which is a small produce stand/salad bar in downtown Chicago. From that point on, my muffin rampage began.

Later that night, I found that my mom had brought chocolate chip muffins from Tim Horton's and I gladly polished one off. The next day we went for brunch at Heaven on Seven. Fresh corn muffins? Don't mind if I do! Sunday was muffin-free but on Monday morning, I felt the call of the muffin once more. I got myself a chocolate chip muffin from the store in my building's lobby and today I went back to Mac Kelly's for another amazing corn muffin that started everything.

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I am now a self-proclaimed muffin addict.

It probably would have been more beneficial to give up sweet things for Lent instead of booze, I've now realized.

I think I'm going to start searching for low-calorie muffin recipes. At least if I'm chowing down on my own muffins I will know exactly what's in them :)

Time to check out the ol' Dream Dictionary

2011-04-07T11:53:00.001-07:00

Last night I had a nightmare about Tsunamis.

I was in this house with lots of other people...maybe a dozen.

The house was on the coast (not sure which coast), and there was an earthquake. It kept getting hit with big waves. I have no idea why we couldn't evacuate after the first one hit our house, but we didn't.

Then the scene kind of "cut to" night time and I was in a room with four people, trying to sleep on the floor. Sirens kept going off and we got hit with another big giant wave. This time it broke the windows and water submerged the house. I remember swimming through the flooded house and I can't remember if I made it out or not.

Here's what the dream dictionary has to say:

To dream of an earthquake, suggests that you are experiencing a major "shake-up" that is threatening your stability and foundation. The dream highlights your insecurity, fears and sense of helplessness. Is there something in your life that you feel at "fault" for?

To see a tsunami in your dream, means that you are being overwhelmed by some repressed feeling or unconscious material that is rising up to the surface. You are experiencing some unhappiness and emotional instability in a waking situation.

I also read from another blog: a tsunami dream is very significant. It is one of those great “archetypal” dreams, meaning symbols which are universal across all cultures. A tsunami is supposed to be a symbol of some great spiritual change, the washing away of the old and the beginnings of new growth.

And another: Tidal waves or tsunamis suggest that you may be in a period of emotional upheaval. Anxiety, stress, and unconscious materials may be coming to the surface and affecting your daily moods. Giant tidal waves from your dream may be symbolic of current emotional unhappiness and psychological stress that may be threatening to destroy or uproot you. The outcome of this dream could reveal to you how much strength you have to "ride out" this storm. If you are not consumed, or you survived the tidal waves of your dream, be assured that you will survive the challenges of life and living.

Anyway, I was still afraid when I woke up. When I woke up, I asked myself why I didn't evacuate the house. In the dream, however, the thought never crossed my mind. Does the fact that I didn't run away from the tsunami bear some other significance?

I also ate chocolate before bed...hmmm :)

Make your life amazing in 5 easy steps: Musings of a Powerful Choleric

2011-04-05T09:40:00.001-07:00

Okay I'm just kidding about the subject of this post, but I am going to talk about Self-Help Books.

Lately, I have been on a self-help kick. I enjoy reading books that are fast and keep my attention because I only have time to read a few pages here and a few pages there. I can't really devote myself to a classic 800-page epic right now. Furthermore, I think we spend our entire lives on the road of self-discovery and I like to make that road as smooth as possible.

A lot of the self-help books I've been reading have been about how to understand my spouse and how to be a better spouse. I really enjoy these ones. I mean, bash it all you want but I don't think it's a coincidence that I have a good marriage and I've read a lot of marriage self-help books.

I'm trying to remember all of the marriage books I've read. I know when I got engaged I couldn't get enough of them. Many people know "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. If you're married, getting married or are in any relationship...this book is amazing. I read it back in high school and it's one of my favorites.

I also love "Sheet Music" by Dr. Kevin Leman...it's about (gasp!) sexual intimacy in marriage...that's definitely one I could get Marc to read WITH me :)

To Marc's credit, even though he didn't read "The Five Love Languages" we have discussed our love languages and have explained to each other what makes us tick out of those 5 (Marc's is "acts of service" and mine is "physical touch").

The latest marriage self-help book I read was "Things I Wish I Knew Before we Got Married" also by Chapman. I've been married almost 5 years but I read it last month. I enjoyed it because while there are definitely things I wish I knew and would love to go back and change, there are new things I can do moving forward to be a better wife. This is also a great one to read if you're in a serious relationship or engaged.

ANYWAY. The book I'm reading right now doesn't have a lot to do with marriage (only a little). It's called "Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself" by Florence Littauer.

Let's get to the point. People annoy and frustrate me. In fact, they piss me off to no end. I'm only on chapter one but I feel better already. Everyone is different. Everyone has their own personality which causes them to act a certain way. I think as I read on I will appreciate this more and not get AS frustrated at people like coworkers, friends, family, and my husband (even though he's ALMOST perfect..).

The book also had this nifty personality test, which I took. Here is the result:

Apparently I'm a Powerful Choleric?

Powerful Choleric

The Powerful Choleric is an outgoing, outspoken and dynamic person who always aiming and goal orientated. While the Popular Sanguine is the talker, the Powerful Choleric is the achiever. The Powerful Choleric communicates very easily with people and is very confident that everything will turn all right if he/she is in charge.

Goal orientated and with strong leadership qualities, the Powerful Choleric usually succeeds in whatever they choose. Opposition only strengthens their determination.

The Powerful Cholerics regarding of their gender and age have the natural inclination of getting their own way than getting along with others.

The Cholerics seek appreciation and loyalty from others. They strive for being challenged, easily accept difficult situations and expect approval for their achievements.

Their ambition and determination can turn them into workaholics, make them opinionated and stubborn, and leave them insensitive to other’s feelings.

Usually the Powerful Choleric is called “the doer”.

Here are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Powerful Choleric:

Strengths
Adventurous
Born leader
Persuasive
Strong-willed
Competitive
Confident
Outspoken
Bold
Resourceful
Motivates family to action
Organises household
Goal-orientated

Weaknesses
Unsympathetic
Unemotional
Bossy
Impatient
Argumentative
Domineering
Short tempered
Nervy
Tactless

I also missed the Popular Sanguine classification by 1 point, which is where I thought I would for sure end up (you know, the outgoing, talkative extroverted group).

I'm excited to take on this book and learn even more! I know there are people out there who think self-help books suck and that they're a waste of time. I say, do whatever makes you feel like a better person. God knows who you really are on the inside so if it makes you feel good to do good things to make YOU discover more, then do them.

Have any of my readers out there read any good ones that they'd like to recommend to me? Let's have a self-help party :)

It's the little things

2011-03-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

I'm in great spirits, people, great spirits!

There are a few reasons.

One is that I've only been to one Chicago Fire home match since becoming a season ticket holder (which they WON), and the perks are great! So far I've received an adorable fleece blanket and I'm going to be getting free tickets to see a friendly between Chicago Fire and MANCHESTER UNITED at Soldier Field...I put that in all caps because Man United are like the New York Yankees of English football. AMAZING!

Two, We also got tickets for my dad, myself, and my sister to see Neil Young at the Chicago Theater in May...shhhh, he doesn't know yet!

The third reason I'm happy is that I'm picking up a Spinning class for the summer at none other than my home XSport in the Lakeview neighborhood, only about a mile from my house! I'm pumped! I've got the class at least for the summer and maybe beyond. The current instructor is going on maternity leave.

And....the finale....drum roll...

I took the day off of work tomorrow. Why? I'll tell you why! Between work, class, and church things, I have S**T going on SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. Seven. All seven. I never sleep in and I never have a day off where I don't have an obligation of some kind.

Friday is one of the only days during the week where I don't have to teach, so since I took the day off from my full time job, I have NOTHING tomorrow! YIPPIE!

Gee, Alicia, what are you going to do on your day off? Well, I'm glad you asked! I plan to sleep in, go for a long run (at least 7 miles I reckon), take a nap, do some housework, and finally get new running shoes. I also plan to eat at McDonalds. I haven't had McDonalds in a long time and I think I deserve it :)

Oh and my Group Exercise Certification finally came in the mail! I passed with flying colors...whoohoo! I feel like a fitness guru now. Marc emailed me and said "you're a badass." Yes, I feel like one. This badass needs a rest though. And some McNuggets.

"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign"

2011-03-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when you ask yourself a question, all signs point to "NO"!

Am I ready to be a mom yet?

All signs point to "NO"!
Most of the time I'm fairly sure that it's true (it's true that all signs point to NO), and then something will happen that tells me it's really, really true.

I was running on Friday night. Part of my route takes me to a park with a running track, so sometimes I'll run a mile or so on the track so that I run farther without actually going farther away from home, if that makes sense.

So I was on the track, running my run. Sometimes parents take their kids to the track to play (Chicago doesn't have a lot in the way of parks compared to say, New York City). The kids will annoy me from time to time while I'm running around the track (minding my own business). They will "accidentally" hit me with baseballs and soccer balls, run in front of me and cut me off while pretending they didn't see me, you know..stuff like that. All with their parents watching. Thanks, parents, control your effing kids.

Anyways, I was running, like I said. There was this kid. He was maybe 10. I couldn't tell how old he was because he was on a bike and the seat was too low (so it made him look shorter than he really was). Either way, he was old enough to know better. So I'm running and he blows past me on his little bike, but then slows down enough to where he's riding right in front of me. He could go slower and I could pass him, or he could go faster and he'd be way in front of me, but no...he wanted to ride JUST in front of me. And mind you, not in another lane, in the same lane as me. This went on for about two laps and I KNOW the kid was doing it just to piss me off. Finally I say, "look kid, either you're going to go faster than me or slower than me...PICK ONE." After he mumbled something about being able to do whatever he wants because he's on a bike, my track run was over and I bolted to the nearest exit. For dramatic emphasis, I even said "ugh I am so done with this."

Most people have patience with kids. I don't. I get annoyed because I expect all of them to treat all adults with respect (and of course not all of them do, because they're kids...and they have a lot to learn). Yeah, yeah, I could have been nicer to the kid...but why would I be nice to a kid who was just being annoying ON PURPOSE?
Because all signs point to "NO": I'm not ready to be a mom!

Apparently I have a problem with authority

2011-03-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

Either that or I just tend to think my way is the best. Of course I think that, or it wouldn't be my way would it?

I take Spinning classes from time to time, so that I can get a good work out but also gather inspiration from other instructors. However, I don't always leave the class inspired.

Last night, there was an instructor who was subbing the class and clearly she did not want to be there. She was on her phone while she was setting up for the class. I usually introduce myself to the instructors, tell them where I teach, and ask when/where they teach but this girl was not putting out friendly vibes. She sounded like a robot when she went through the warmup and showed no emotion whatsoever. She also did all of these weird moves that are definitely not part of the Spinning program (so maybe she's Schwinn certified? Who knows?).

The class was also ALL sprints and standing hills and it was killing my knees. How about a little variety?

The biggest "Strike" I would give her, however (and she definitely got three Strikes), was that she did not give us a clear enough picture of what was coming ahead. We would climb the most horrible hill and she didn't tell us how much time was left in said hill, and she also didn't tell us that once the song was over we were to KEEP CLIMBING. Now, I'm of the belief Go Big or Go Home so I work very very hard. For that reason, I need to know when the break is coming so I don't die!

She kept doing this. "Oh, almost at the top of the hill..." (then the song would end and we would sit down) "DON'T TOUCH THAT RESISTANCE!" I was a little bitchy, I admit. When she did this for the third time, I defiantly looked at her, shook my head, sat down, backed off my resistance, and took a big-ass drink of water. One of the most insulting things you can do to your instructor is not only not do what they tell you to do, but do the opposite. Sorry, lady, I was on a 9 on my scale of 1-10 because you didn't tell me we were going to KEEP CLIMBING. Oh yeah, and I was in the front row so she definitely saw me.

I think sometimes instructors forget that we, the participants...we're just like lemmings. We have no idea where we're going and what's coming up next UNLESS YOU TELL US! I love getting that perspective as a participant because I think it helps me become better at what I do. I was starting to think that I was over-explaining things to my participants at the beginning of each song, but hey, at least they know what to expect and exactly how hard they're supposed to be working.

Oh yeah, and I didn't once hear "good job," "good work," "you can do it"...NOTHING. Also, as soon as class was over, this girl BOLTED. I felt like a booty call...it was seriously wham, bam, OVER.

Anyway, that's my rant for the day. It's Friday, and tomorrow is my first Chicago Fire Match as a season ticket holder!

Struggling

2011-03-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

There's no way in hell I'm going to pretend that giving up booze for Lent doesn't suck. Hard.

I think it was easier to give up last year because I had turned a huge corner in fitness and I was excited about calorie counting (who gets excited about THAT?). Anyway, for whatever reason, it sucks pretty bad this year.

The funny thing is that I'm only really tempted when I'm all alone at home, relaxing after a work out and enjoying some shows. When I'm out with friends I could care less, because it makes me feel a sense of accomplishment when they're all drinking and I'm not.

But boy, would I love a glass of wine and a nice buzz after a hard day of working and teaching! Who doesn't deserve one after all of that? I also have diet ginger ale in my fridge and a big bottle of Canadian Club whiskey I got from the duty free when I was in Canada in January. I LOVE that combination...the ginger ale plays down the strong whiskey taste and it's just perfect.

So last night, after a particularly tough treadmill run and weight lifting session, I took a glass with ice and settled for plain ginger ale. I pretended it had whiskey in it...man, this sucks, and I have over a month to go. I've also been going crazy on the chocolate the past week (thanks, PMS) so I have to start getting more disciplined. Just because I gave up calorie counting doesn't mean that chocolate has NO calories! I need a project to distract me!

The good news is that I have a coupon to get new running shoes that expires in May...it's burning a hole in my wallet! There are few things in life better than brand new running shoes, and the Shamrock Shuffle 8k is just two and a half weeks away :)
One month of Lent to go, and so far no slip ups...uuuughhhh

Just letting you know that I'm human

2011-03-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

People always tell me that they admire my strong willpower and discipline. However, I'm also a human being with cravings and a regular menstrual cycle. I was bad yesterday. I didn't work out and ate:

-Granola, greek yogurt and fruit for breakfast, with coffee that had lots of cream and sugar

-two hot dogs and an order of fries from Wrigleyville Dog for lunch (thank you Marc!)

-about 6 chocolate mini eggs of the Hershey's variety (Reese's, Hershey's Cookies N Cream)

- 1/2 of a bag of Easter M&M's at about 10pm

- guacamole (home made!)

-home made chip dip consisting of Velveeta cheese, ground turkey and gourmet salsa

-many, many tortilla chips

We all have our bad days. They're good to have as long as you don't find yourself having too many in a row :) My bad days usually fall on Sundays and/or Thursdays (I try not to make BOTH days bad). I worked out every day last week and my body was getting tired. I needed a nice rest for sure.

Work hard, but don't forget to indulge too! I'm back to being good today!

2011-03-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

So you know that trick (mostly meant for little kids) in which you approach an unsuspecting child and say "hey, I see something coming out of your ear!" and you have a quarter hidden in your hand? And then they're all amazed and think you're the best adult in the world?

Apparently the trick is not limited to children or quarters. The other night I was on the couch with my headphones on working away on the laptop preparing a Spinning class, when Marc sat next to me and started staring at the side of my head with a puzzled look on his face. I glanced at him and smiled, and got back to my work...but then noticed he was still staring at the side of my head.

He reached towards my ear and looked genuinely terrified. I returned his terrified stare thinking, okay, this is it...there's a large arachnid on my head or something, and I'm going to be rescued now so I better keep verrrry still.

When he finally withdrew his hand from my head/ear area, he had a Hershey's Cookies and Cream egg. Even though he had me thinking for a second that some awful bloodsucking creature was going to kill me, it ended up being the cutest thing that's happened to me all week! It's really the little things (and sometimes big things) that remind me that my husband is very special and is the perfect person for me...

Plus, anything that involves chocolate is a big bonus, right?

Philippians 4:13

2011-03-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big Bible reader but I always think of this when I'm doing my strength training...so that I'll keep doing it!

I'm getting better! Push ups are getting easier, lifting is getting easier, my core is getting stronger (you really tense up your abs when you do push ups) and I feel stronger overall. Running season is almost here and I'm getting sooooo pumped up.

I feel like a monster ready to break out of its cage. I'm ready to go! I'm ready to push hard! I don't want to get ahead of myself and get injured so I'm going to keep focusing on Spinning, strength training and just doing one long distance run a week. The no calorie counting and not weighing myself is making me feel so good. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I know I don't need something that's bad for me, I don't eat it and then treat myself when I've either worked out hard or if it's a special occasion. It's going great. I don't feel heavier or lighter, so I think I'm just maintaining my weight, which is awesome.

I feel a little heavier today, but that's to be expected. I'm still feeling full from last night! I went out for dinner with friends and totally splurged, but I said to myself that I don't do it every day, and that there is no point to working so hard if you cannot enjoy the benefits of it! I didn't feel bad about myself, when two weeks ago I would have hated myself.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Japan, you are in my thoughts

2011-03-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw the Japanese Olympic team last year marching in the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver games, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the country of Japan. I was watching the television, anxiously awaiting the Canadians to come out, and all of a sudden here comes Japan waving Japanese AND Canadian flags. I was just overwhelmed with love for them.

Naturally, I'm saddened by the devastation that has taken place there. Any country that is a friend to Canada is a friend to me. I've always loved Japanese culture and I don't think there is a Japanese person I've ever met that I disliked. I'm also feeling slightly snooty towards America right now. I'll tell you why. Whenever there's a huge natural disaster, we come together and yada yada, but we also loot the shit out of things. Disaster is almost like a free pass to just break windows and take whatever you can. Not to the Japanese. As much as I can get pissed off about that, I also have to remember that every country has its own way of life.

Anyway, from all of the images I've seen on television and in pictures, this link is probably the most shocking.

click the blue button and drag it back and forth over each picture to see the "before" and "after" images. it's just horrible.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html?ref=asia

Japan, I love you and I'm praying for your people.

ps- I forgot what point I was making about loving Japanese people...to the idiots who think that Japan is getting "payback" for Pear Harbor...well, those people are sick human beings to actually think that about all of the good people living there who had nothing to do with that time period.

ManBearPig, we meet at last

2011-03-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night Marc and I had the rare privilege of meeting Manbearpig, our upstairs neighbor who walks like an elephant.

Most of you who follow this blog would probably be excited to hear of this news!

On Saturday night we were home. I had been to a party in the afternoon but left around 6pm. By the way, it was a St. Patrick's Day party and I made it through without being tempted to drink (yaaay Lent!). Anyways, we were home, and a smoke alarm kept going off from somewhere in our building. It would go off for about 30 seconds, then stop...then go off again, then stop. Marc and I were trying to watch a movie but we were also getting a little nervous (that, I don't know, maybe perhaps something was ON FIRE?).

We opened the door and Manbearpig, his roommate, and presumably the girl we've heard him having sex with were all standing out in the hall trying to figure out what to do. We asked them if they knew what was happening and they said the smell and everything was coming from upstairs. They already spoke to the girl upstairs and she said it wasn't her, so that left one other person: Ted, the 40 year old divorced alcoholic. The only problem is that Ted won't open the door and they KNEW he was home. Jeez. The smell of burnt pizza was getting really strong at that point.

Okay what if Ted got wasted again, put in a pizza because he was hungry, and then passed out and forgot about it? He was going to burn down our building!

And to give you some back story on Ted: We see him drinking by himself a lot when we walk by bars and glance in the windows. We also once saw him from our window, incredibly wasted, trying to get into the building across the street instead of his own building. He then passed out in front of the door and the neighbors called the fire department on him. They escorted him back to his place. He also frequently locks himself out of the building and he'll buzz us to get in. Poor guy. We occasionally hear his kids visiting, which is why we assume he's divorced. He's just really down on his luck and we'll see him from time to time doing stupid shit.

Well this time, Ted caused us to come face to face with the bane of our existence. We told Manbearpig & Co that we would call the fire department and to go back inside (we should have said, "while you're at it, stop WALKING SO LOUDLY," but we didn't). We didn't introduce ourselves or ask for their names, because that would ruin the illusion. They would no longer be Manbearpig, his room mate, and the girl he's having sex with.

Anyway. We called the Fire Department and they came to make sure Ted wasn't burning down the apartment. They were nice. We didn't go upstairs so thankfully Ted probably thinks that Manbearpig & Co called the Fire Dept since they were the ones banging on his door.

Marc started giggling later on, and said, "HEY! That was probably the girl we heard him having sex with! That's all that was going through my mind when I saw them!" (and not protecting his wife from the potential fire)
Sure enough, yesterday morning we heard them loud and clear. Why do they have sex in the morning, by the way? I mean I'm sure everyone likes their morning sex from time to time but we've never once heard them at night! Anyway, that's the latest on Manbearpig.

It's Lent time!

2011-03-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

Lent is seriously the best time of year. Not only is it close to Spring, it allows opportunity for some serious reflection on areas in one's life in which healing or cleansing needs to take place.

Personally, I love Lent. I love everything it represents and while I realize that you can fast and give up things any time during the year, I think this time of year is most special. There's that anticipation of Spring (it's been a long winter), it's getting light out earlier every day, and there are constant reminders (while you're giving up whatever it is you're giving) that Jesus sacrificed Himself to save us. So those factors really give you a sense of waiting...like a sense that something really wonderful is going to happen (Easter, warm weather, and the day you can look back on your Lenten journey and said "such and such sacrifice changed me and now I am a better person").

So! What am I doing this year for Lent?

1) No Drinking!
You may remember last year I gave up drinking for the first time since being of legal drinking age. I kept talking about how much it changed my life because it REALLY did. Because of giving it up last year, I hardly drink during the week (if I do, it's RARE and it's never more than one drink or one day of the week), and when I go out I rarely get tipsy. I tried to only keep everything to one drink, but it doesn't always end up that way. Usually now when I go out with friends, I'll have a shot of whiskey (whoohoo!) and a beer. I'll do either that combination or two glasses of wine. I rarely drink to excess like I used to. The only real exception is when I go to BYOB restaurants and I'm sharing a bottle of wine with someone...it's kind of necessary to drink more than two glasses in that case :) Again, that's a rare occasion. I'm looking forward to this commitment to remind myself that I'm strong.

2) No calorie counting!
This one is a little strange. You would think that it's a good thing to count calories to maintain a healthy weight. That's exactly what I've been doing for the last year, and I've been maintaining a size that I'm really happy with. However, ever since I've started working in the fitness field, I've put a lot more pressure on myself to stick to a more strict diet. Slip-ups are part of normal human nature, and I would end up hating myself for having ANY slip-ups. You see, when you're teaching a fitness class, you feel like all eyes are on you (all eyes ARE on you!). Everyone looks at you and expects the very best. No one wants to learn from an out-of-shape-instructor, otherwise why would they trust anything that person says?

I started feeling way extreme about that pressure and just wouldn't allow myself anything extra. I would eat my regular healthy meals, but then hate myself for having a piece of candy. Ridiculous? I agree! It's time for a break. Does that mean I'm going to start pigging out? Absolutely not. I'm going to continue to make good choices, but I'm not going to enter any information into any spread sheet, or obsess over that number of calories remaining for the day. Exercise turned into something I needed to do just to burn calories. I'm trying to get back to the place where exercise is something I love to do because it feels good!

3) No weighing myself!
This commitment is directly connected to the commitment of not counting calories. I don't think one could succeed without the other. It was actually Marc's idea. I went to him on Friday and told him all of my feelings I've been having (the pressure, the obsession to be in great shape, the negative feelings), and he listened so sympathetically. He said that I need a break and I really should consider not weighing myself for awhile. He's right, what does that number even mean if you're unhappy? It could be the lowest number ever, and I could still be in a shit mood because I had some chips or cookies earlier. He said to me, "Alicia, it's been drilled into your head through those shows you're watching (Biggest Loser, Heavy), your calorie counting website, your fitness classes, and the scale that you can't be happy with just any weight. Get it out of your head right now. You are healthy and work too hard to not allow yourself any enjoyment. Otherwise, what is the point of doing it?"

When I woke up on Saturday morning, the scale wasn't in the bathroom anymore...it was gone! Marc had taken it away. I was already feeling so much happier not to have to look at it every morning and think about what I ate the night before and questioning if I worked out hard enough. Crazy thinking...I know.

There you have them...my Lenten goals.
So even though Lent started today, I've been not counting anything since Saturday and the scale is still missing from the bathroom. It is absolutely amazing to just focus my energy on enjoying exercise rather than focusing on some stupid numbers. I'm also looking at food and viewing thins I eat as a sandwich or a snack rather than a number that I'm putting into a website. I feel like myself again...I've noticed a change in my classes too. I've got more energy and happiness and I think it helps the participants. I've also been doing a lot of upper body strength training- something I've been trying to do for years but just haven't done. I'm doing it now! I'm just putting the energy other places and it's helping me love myself more.

So anyway, it will be a great Lent. If you gave up something this year, it helps to think of how positive of a thing it is...because it's you bettering yourself. A better you is a better roommate, a better mom, a better sister, a better brother, a better spouse and a better co-worker. I'm hoping that giving up these three things will make me feel good about myself and help me become stronger physically and mentally. Also, I'm trusting that doing it will help me stay focused on the fact that Jesus suffered, but Easter is coming! So far, so good...

not certified YET

2011-03-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

So I got this huge envelope in the mail last night from AFAA (Aerobics & Fitness Association of America). I figured since it was a huge envelope it would be none other than my certification for Group Exercise saying "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU PASSED YOUR EXAMS! WAY TO GO!"

Surely they wouldn't send me something that large to say, "you suck...epic FAIL."

Anyway, I had just got home from teaching an amazing Spinning class. People applauded...they actually APPLAUDED before the end of class. Usually I start the applause at the very end while saying "great job" and they all join in as a "Yay us" kind of thing. This particular applause took place after the last song, right before the cool down (like "way to kick our asses"), and then took place AGAIN when I gave them words of praise for working so hard (I said to them that I didn't know how their day went today, but if no one all day long told them they did a good job at ANYTHING, I'm telling them NOW that they did a good job). That never happens, but I had an unusually energetic group. Anyway, that statement was affirming that I was in a pretty good mood even before I opened my mail.

So I see the huge envelope from AFAA...I'm like, wow, this would be the best day EVER if I had a good day at work (which I did), had an amazing class, AND found out I was certified in Group Ex all on the SAME DAY.

When I opened it excitedly (with Marc at my side), there was a cover letter that basically welcomed me as a new member of AFAA- that's nice and all, but I already knew that part. Last month, the lady who handed out our written exams said we are all now official members of AFAA whether we pass or fail. So I read it like 5 times and I don't see any key phrases like "congratulations" or "we regret to inform you." It also contained an issue for American Fitness Magazine, for which now I apparently have a free subscription.

Okay, wonderful...NOW WHERE'S MY DAMN CERTIFICATION?

It was like a bad April Fool's joke or something! I haven't passed, but I definitely haven't failed either. Which is it? Tell me, AFAA!

I expect to hear from them any day now since I received that packet not even a month after my exams, but still...it definitely wasn't nice. I didn't receive anything that looks like this:

I mean you can't mistake that...it says "certified" in huge letters. Here's hoping it will come soon!