Fitness Friday - A New Workout

As you probably know, I'm starting my new job on Monday, so I thought, "Hey, why not start a new workout, too?"

I've seen a ton of these going around, but I couldn't find one where a) I knew what all the exercises were and b) I could do all the exercises with ease while still being challenged.

In case you're unfamiliar with any of these exercises, I'll explain how to do the ones that aren't self-explanatory at least to me.

DAY ONE
Chest Press Pulses - Kneel on both knees. Bend your arms and raise to shoulder height. Clasp your hands and keep elbows together. Pulse up.

Triceps Dips in Reverse Plank - Start in reverse plank position (on your palms fingers pointing forward and heels, butt up off the ground). Bend your elbows until your bum hits the floor.

DB Palms-up Wrist Curls - Sit on a chair or bench. Grasp dumbbell underhanded. Rest forearm on your thigh, with your wrist just beyond your knee. Let wrist drop and then curl up. Do all reps on one arm, then switch arms.

DB Zottman Curls - Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing forward. Curl arms up until dumbbells are at shoulder height. Pause for a second. Rotate arms until palms are facing out and slowly bring arms down.

DAY TWO
Frog Sit-ups - Lie flat on your back with knees bent and soles of feet touching. Cross arms over chest and curl torso up. Pause for a second. Return to starting position.

Russian Twists - Sit with hands clasped, knees bent, and heels off the ground. Twist from side to side, touching your hands to the ground on each side. You could also try this holding a dumbbell.

V-ups - Lie on one side with legs together and slightly forward. Place your bottom arm on the floor and your other hand behind your head. Crunch up in a V, getting up on your hip and butt. Keep your legs straight. Do all reps and switch sides.

Bicycle - Lie on your back with your hands lightly behind your head and knees bent in a 90-degree angle. Bring right elbow to left knee while straightening right leg. Switch sides, bringing left elbow to right knee. Continue alternating sides in pedaling motion.

DAY THREE
Standing Calf Raises - Stand with feet hip width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Raise your heels off the ground until you're on the balls of your feet. Pause for a second. Slowly return to starting position.

Glute Kickbacks - Start on your hands and knees, hands shoulder width apart. Lift right leg until upper leg is parallel to the floor. Keep leg bent. Do all reps one leg, then switch legs.

Leg Lifts - Lie on your back with legs extended. With foot in a neutral position, lift one leg until it is perpendicular to the floor. Repeat all reps on one leg, then switch sides. To target your inner and outer thighs, add reps pointing your toes away from you (inner thigh) or toward you (outer thigh).

I'm excited to try this out. I can make no claims to its efficacy, as I'm not a personal trainer or any kind of expert. I just wanted a quick reference for some exercises that I thought I'd actually do. :-)

What do you think? Does this look like a good workout?
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Three Things Thursday

1. I start my new job in four days! I'm super excited! I'm also a bit nervous. How will this affect my blogging? What if I don't wake up in time? What will I wear? What will I bring for lunch?  I haven't had a job since May, and I got rid of almost all my professional clothing when we set out on our adventure. I've gotten used to the stayinguplate-sleepingin-loungingallday-blogging-running-soakinginthehottub lifestyle. I'm excited for the opportunities that working will afford me, but I've gotta be honest, I'll miss this leisure time I've enjoyed these past few months.


2. I'm skipping my run today. I fully intended on going when I woke up, but my first few steps after crawling out of bed were too painful. Both knees are bothering, so I figure a rest from running for a couple days might do them some good. I plan to continue with some strength exercises today. If I can't run, I can strengthen, right?


3. I've been working diligently the past couple of days to sift through our photos from our travels in June. I've posted some videos and pictures to Facebook here and here. In case you missed out, you can read more about our time in Montana (here and here) and Idaho (here and here). My goal is to get through everything over the weekend before I start my new job. I'm sure there will be a bit of settling in time once I start.

What's going on with you today?

Anything fun planned for the weekend?

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Mudgy & Millie Trail - Coeur d'Alene, ID

The decision of where to stop for a run in Idaho was an easy one. We'd driven through Coeur d'Alene many times on the freeway. It has a spectacular view, so I just knew I'd want to stop off in the town for my run. I figured a run through a park along Lake Coeur d'Alene would be magnificent.

I think we rolled into Coeur d'Alene pretty early in the morning (around 8am, I believe), so it was still pretty cool outside. Plus, it was early enough that the town was pretty sleepy - not much traffic, vehicular or pedestrian.

Here is a video of me starting out...



I love how I say I'll just run until I get too bored.

Little did I know that I would run into the most enjoyable little trail - the Mudgy & Millie trail. I really, really wished I'd had my camera with me on this run!

This is a trail that I would definitely recommend unlike the park in MT!! The trail is based on the children's book, Mudgy & Millie.

Mudgy Moose & Millie Mouse play a game of hide-and-seek. Millie hides while Mudgy searches along the shores of Lake Coeur d' Alene. Children join in the fun as Mudgy wanders along the lake, across town and through the park in his quest to find Millie, who was hiding close by all along. 

~from website's home page

There are 5 different bronze statues of Mudgy & Millie along the trail depicting different scenes from the story. One of the stops on the trail is at the public library, where I'd started my run, so I ended up doing a bit of backtracking and didn't do the trail from start to finish - or even in the right order.

Not only is the trail good-natured fun, but it is also breath-taking. Part of the trail even takes you on out on the marina docks around the Coeur d'Alene Resort. If you are ever in the area, you should definitely check it out!

I personally haven't read the book, but I bet it's delightful. If you're interested in purchasing a copy, you can find it on Amazon.


I was so excited after this run, that I forced Jeff to come with me to the closest statue at the public library to snap a few pictures.

Have you ever read Mudgy & Millie?
What is the most fun trail you've ever seen?
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While I am an Amazon affiliate, I was in no way compensated for writing this post. I just really loved this fun little trail and can only imagine the book is equally delightful.

You Sweat Where?

I'm not sure if it's the desert heat or what, but I've been sweating lately from the weirdest places.

Oh, there's the usual forehead, pits, under-boob, behind my knees...

But recently, I was casually out for a walk, and my elbows were sweating like mad. My ELBOWS!  Inside. Outside. Bent. Straight. It didn't matter. Little sweat droplets just kept falling.

And then there are my ears. Not only does sweat drip from my lobes, sometimes my ears get so slippery that my earbuds just pop right out.

Now, I'm even convinced that my eyelids sweat. I always thought it was just sweat dripping down my forehead and into my eyes, but no. No, I'm fairly certain it's my eyelids. And it burns. Oh, boy does it burn. I think I've come nigh on to crying several times.

Still, there is nothing like it. Sweat. Is. Good! Granted, I do appreciate it more during an intense workout than while just out and about. I find it invigorating. Like a life force or something. It makes me feel alive. And strong. Even during my worst sessions of exercise.

Where is the strangest place you have ever sweat?
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P.S. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you've likely already heard the good news, but I accepted a job offer. I'll start my new job on Monday. I'm unbelievably excited!!

Running in Montana

With all the posting I've done the past two months, I have still fallen very far behind blogging about my goal to run in each state we drove through during our summer of Traveling with Liberty.

A couple days ago, I decided to go through the pictures and videos that we took. Now, I really don't know how I dropped the ball on this one, because the MT video was already edited and ready to posted. What happened? Who knows!

Sorry about the poor framing. Apparently, I'm not very skilled at self-filming.

Unfortunately, for the leg of the trip from MN to WA, Liberty was crammed full. We didn't have a lot of extra space, so we tried to get to our WA destination ASAP. This meant not having a lot of time for me to do any long runs. 



I found Riverfront Park on the map and figured it would work! Not being from MT, and not meaning any disrespect, I definitely would not recommend this park. It seemed a little white trashy. Not very clean.

And clearly not a runner's park.

From the map, it looks like it would be, but I got my fair share of weird looks. Plus, toward the end of the run, a couple teenage girls audibly made fun of me for running. Now, since it's three months past, I can't remember the exact details of their conversation. I definitely do remember trying to pick up my pace a bit to get by them quicker.

Still, I did see some beautiful scenery. And check out the elevation!

Although it was super flat, it was also super HOT outside. This 12-min run was much tougher than you might have guessed.

Have you ever run in Riverfront Park in Billings?
Share an experience you've had running in an unfamiliar park.
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Weddings

It's been months since I last did a Monday Listicles. I thought it would be fun to get back into this meme, so...

This week's topic is 10 THINGS WEDDING. Anything goes.

Now, I'm a very happily married woman. Been so for nigh on to 8 years. I'm not complaining at all. My wedding was beautiful. It came after a six-week engagement. Yes, we got married fast. It was a Tuesday evening, and my sister did a fabulous job decorating the gym at the church. We were surrounded by family and lots of friends. It was a wonderful evening.

But sometimes I see movies of fantastic weddings, and I wonder and dream. If I could get married again, how would I do it?

1. Maybe on a catamaran.

2. Or at the beach.

3. Or under the sea.

4. While skydiving.

5. Or out in space. No pics of this, of course, since I don't think it's ever happened. ;-)

6. Deep down in a cave would be cool.

7. Or up on a secluded mountaintop.

8. In the Redwood Forest. Or any magnificent forest.

But the top two places I would love to get married would be...

9. In front of a waterfall. Do you know of my love of waterfalls?

10. Or on a rooftop overlooking NYC or Central Park.

Which, if any, of these scenarios would be your choice, if you were to get married again or for the first time?
What was your wedding like?

Now head over to Stasha's to see what everyone else has come up with for...

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Measuring Fitness Progress

I'm super tired after my less than stellar 7-mile run this afternoon. I kind of just want to crawl into bed, so I'm doing this post a little different. I've set the timer for 5 minutes.

Today, Fitness Cheerleader asks us how we measure our fitness progress. Simply put? I don't.

I appreciate looking in the mirror and seeing muscle definition I hadn't seen in awhile ever. I like it when the number on the scale goes down. I love having additional energy in the long run. obviously not after a tough 7-miler.

There are lots of ways to measure progress - weight, muscle definition, appetite, measurements (BMI, fat%, etc etc). I just don't choose to do them. Too much effort.

Unfortunately, I'm relatively lazy. It's a wonder I get out there and am as fit as I am.

How do you measure your fitness progress?
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Checking in...

September seems to be flying right by...

I thought I'd take a few minutes to check-in on my Sept goals. Will I be successful?

• Find a job. Truth be told, I really need to re-focus on this. I've let it slide this past week. The thing is, I had a great interview last week, went in for a drug screen the next day. Now, I'm waiting to hear back about the results. I'm very hopeful. :-)
• Run 60 miles. I think I'm on track for this. As of today, I've run 29 miles. I don't see any reason why I won't be able to pump out the rest. Unless my knee decides to have other plans. It's been bothering me the past several days. In fact, I skipped my Wed run to see if it would help. Hopefully my 7mile run goes well tomorrow.
• Incorporate more yoga and stretching and strength training. I've been pretty good about doing some yoga after each run. I still need to work a bit harder at the strength training, though. I've not been terrible but can definitely be better. ;-)
• Participate in NaBloPoMo, Fitness Writing Challenge, and #Runnerdphotoaday. I think I've only missed one day of blogging so far! but, there were a couple days that I posted more than once... I think I've missed a couple days of the photo challenge, too. Still, I'm very pleased with my progress so far with these challenges.

All in all, it's shaping up to be a pretty decent month. *fingers crossed* for some good news on the job front.

Today, Fitness Cheerleader asks us about our 5 favorite vegetables.

When it comes to veggies, I am BORING! My favorites are probably carrots, celery, bell peppers, soybeans edamame (much less boring, right?), and cucumbers. 

Like I said, BORRRRRING!

I wish I liked fancier veggies, but simply, I don't know what to do with them. ;-)

How are your September goals coming along?
What are your favorite veggies?

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Fitness Friday + A Bucket List

Before arriving in Vegas, Miss Sallie was my favorite go-to running partner. She would get so excited when she'd see me getting dressed for a run - jumping up and down, wagging her tail, begging to hear those words, "Do you wanna go for a run?" For her, running was like little doggie heaven! She always looks like she is having a blast, complete with a big smile on her face.

Unfortunately, it's been way too hot in Vegas to take her out with me. She always looks so sad when she sees me getting dressed for a run, but the cement and asphalt would burn her little tootsies. :-(

It's starting to cool off now! So, when I went for a run this morning and saw it was only in the low 80s, I decided it was time she came with me.

Is it time to go? IS IT TIME TO GO??

She had so much fun! We ran for 3 miles. She was such a good girl while out - never straying too far from me, but still detouring to run through any grass we came across. She just trotted along, smiling as she went. She did start lagging about the last mile, so 3 miles was probably pushing it for her first Vegas run. She'll probably be tired now for the next few days!

I've normally been running to the Strip, but it gets too crowded, so we went a completely different route today. We ran down the less traveled roads and stumbled upon a neat park. We just ran by it today, but I'm looking forward to going back soon.

All-in-all, this was a very fun run this morning - despite feeling some slight pain in my knee. Ugh! I thought I was over that. Boooo.....


Today, the Fitness Cheerleader asks us to share our fitness bucket list. Here's mine.

1. Run a half marathon (or marathon if I start feeling ambitious again someday) on every continent except Antarctica. I haven't contemplated this enough to know which races I'd like to run. If you know of any must-do races around the world, please let me know.
   


2. Qualify for membership in Half Fanatics. There are 9 different levels. Here is how you qualify for the lowest:

   NEPTUNE

   1. 2 Half Marathons within a 16 day time frame.

   2. 3 Half Marathons within a 90 day time frame.

   
   
3. Run 12 Half marathons in a calendar year. This would put me at the Saturn level of the Half Fanatics.
   


4. Attend a yoga retreat somewhere beautiful. I wouldn't mind doing this many times, of course.
   


5. Hike/Explore ancient ruins in Central and South America. Most particularly, I would love to visit Teotihuacan.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Take a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Like in the movie The Way. If you haven't see the movie, I definitely recommend it.
   
   
   
   
7. Tour the U.S. via bicycle. Can you even imagine the beauty you'd experience while not in a car or train or plane? Going slower speeds on less traveled roads?
   

It's not a very long list, but it is quite ambitious. Isn't that what a bucket list should be, after all?


What did you do for Fitness Friday?
What's on your Fitness Bucket List?
Have you ever raced on a different continent?
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This was my first time linking up with Fitness Friday. Click the button to see who else is celebrating fitness today.

My mom

Today's topic for NaBloPoMo is: Who is someone you wish you could see again?

Immediately, my mom came to mind. I hesitated to talk about her because 1) I feel like I've mentioned her a lot and 2) earlier this week I did kind of a tribute post about my older sister for her birthday. I thought reminiscing about my mom might be redundant.

But then I figured, it's the most honest answer. Plus, I've gotten some new readers recently.

The last time I saw my mom was December 13, 1994. I gave her a hug and a kiss good-bye before heading out to school. I had no idea that would be the last time I would see her. Late that afternoon, she was killed in a car accident.

It was devastating. I was a senior in high school, and my whole life suddenly changed.

She was the best mom. Okay, okay. She pretty much spoiled me. There I said it. :-P

She was kind and caring and so full of love. Now, nearly 18 years later, I still miss her and think of her often. 

The pain of losing her has lessened over the years, but she will always be in my heart.

Of course I miss her the most when I am experiencing the best of times of my life. It fills me with sadness that she has missed...

Seeing me walk in three graduation ceremonies...

Watching me cross the finish line...

This is me finishing my 2nd marathon (2003).
In many ways, it was much more difficult than my first
(same marathon the previous year).
These two marathons are definitely among my proudest health/fitness accomplishments.

And attending my wedding.

I wish I could see her again.
I wish I could give her a hug and hear her laugh.
I wish I could sing silly songs with her. Off-key, of course.
I wish I could tell her how much I love her.

Who is someone you wish you could see again?
What is your proudest health/fitness accomplishment?
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What is Beauty?

Is beauty subjective and in the eye of the beholder? Is it objective and definable?

I'll try not to get too caught up in semantics, but, in the most literal sense of the word, beauty is, indeed, objective.

Beauty is that reasoned harmony of all the parts within a body, so that nothing may be added, taken away, or altered, but for the worse.

Leon Battista Alberti, De re aedificatoria

In other words, beauty is, in a sense, a calculated formula, based on ratios and proportions commonly found in nature. Beauty can be applied to art and architecture as well as people. It is perfect harmony.

Take, for example, the Vitruvian Man:

As you can see, beauty here is defined by the use of a circle and a square - demonstrating that he is in harmony and correct proportion.

Now, before you get all up-in-arms about me saying this, please understand that just because someone isn't beautiful by this definition, does NOT mean she or he is UNattractive. Transversely, just because someone doesn't meet today's modern definition of attractive, doesn't mean she isn't beautiful. For example, if a woman, whom some would consider fat, is properly proportioned, she is, in fact, beautiful.

Personal taste or preference is something altogether different. No one should be crazy enough to try to define personal taste. Not to get too personal, but my husband is an appreciator of women's asses, but even he has trouble defining what exactly makes one ass more attractive to him than another. Let's just say, he knows it when he sees it. :-)

I find it incredibly sad that the media has tried to define personal taste for us. It tries to tells us what others will find attractive. This is impossible to do!

Recently, I've seen quite a few posts tackle this topic. Here are two of my favorites: Your Body Style Is Great and Do You Feel Sexy?

Go on. Pop over and read them. I'll wait.

Ally suggests we embrace our body types.
Hiker mom suggests we find our inner goddess.

I couldn't agree more with these ladies. Being attractive or sexy is more than what the media tells us. It is more than beauty. To me, it is about confidence and how you see yourself. If you feel you are attractive and sexy, others will, too.

I have never been one to tie myself to a number on the scale. I judge how sexy I am not only by what I see in the mirror but by how I feel inside. When I'm exercising regularly and eating properly, I naturally feel better about the way I look, which, in turn, makes me carry myself better and feel sexier.

As you can imagine, I don't often weigh myself. That being said, I did step on a scale a week or so ago for the first time in over 6 weeks.

I was quite pleased that the scale had barely budged despite the fact that I had pretty much been on an exercise hiatus between these weigh-ins.

That being said, we shouldn't allow the media or anyone else to define how we see ourselves, how we feel about ourselves. We need to embrace who we are and stop comparing ourselves to others. Beauty is a discerned judgment of the faculties of the mind and actually has nothing to do with attraction. Each year in state fairs across the U.S. the prize-winning pig would never be judged against the prize-winning cow.

So, the next time you look yourself in the mirror, compare yourself to YOU. You can define who you are and what makes you attractive. Don't let anyone else do that for you.
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Remembering

Yesterday's prompt for NaBloPoMo was:

Wordsworth called memory the "inward eye." Are your memories more sight-based, or do they concern sound, taste, touch, or smell? 

My memories are definitely more sight-based. For example, when I think back on this day 11 years ago, my memories are filled with sights. I remember seeing the trail around Lake of the Isles where I was running that morning. I  remember seeing the golden color of the tall weeds. I  remember seeing the blue skies.

I remember feeling how something just felt a bit off - not with anything related to my running, but just in general.

I can still see my apartment and my ragged old couch and the endless TV coverage. I can see the mostly empty bar at TGI Fridays where I was covering a shift, watching more endless coverage that night.

What's missing from all these memories are the sounds, the smells.

I wonder why that is. Do I not pay enough attention to these other senses? Do I focus too much on my sight? I wonder if memories can be shaped to include other senses.

What better way to try and test this than by planning a dream fitness vacation!

One of my bucket list life goals is to run a marathon or half on every continent besides Antarctica, so why not start with Australia?

I'd start my dream vacation off with a race. I'd arrive about a week beforehand to acclimate to the weather and do any finally tapering. I'd really focus on taking in the feel of the sweat on my skin, the smell of my surroundings hopefully not too much of the other runners, and the taste of the post-race food. Of course my eyes would be wide open to see the beauty of the course.

After the race, I'd spend a week relaxing at a yoga retreat. I figure this would be a great way to stretch and relax my muscles to aid in a healthy recovery.

Next up would be to the Red Centre, where I would hike through some of the national parks. Maybe go for a camel ride.

And to finish off this dream fitness vacation, I'd return to the coast to scuba dive in the
Great Barrier Reef.

Each day of this 4-week journey would be spectacular! In order to try to create memories that aren't just sight-based, I would keep a journal (or blog!) of daily impressions regarding the sounds, smells, tastes, touches of everything I experienced. Perhaps by recording specifics of these other senses, I could walk away from an amazing vacation with more than sight-based memories.

Now, if I could only get someone to sponsor me on this trip. :-)

Are your memories mostly sight-based? Have you ever tried to specifically enhance your memories of your other senses?
Would you like to accompany me on this fitness vacation?
What would your dream fitness vacation include?
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Writing Challenge Catch-up

I've gotten a little behind with Fitness Cheerleader's Writing Challenge, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to play a little catch-up.

How do you log your eating and/or workouts? I currently don't keep any kind of a food journal or log my eating anywhere. I would probably be a bit healthier if I did, and I may look into starting this soon. As for workouts, I log everything into DailyMile. I love it because there is so much support and encouragement!

How many pairs of workout shoes do you own? I own two pair, but I think this is the first time in my life that I've owned more than one pair. I got my second pair for unbelievably cheap. I generally only wear one pair; the second pair are specific trail running shoes, and I haven't really had much opportunity for trail running. Hopefully that will change this fall.

Do you workout with others or by yourself? Why? In general, I workout by myself. There was a time when my husband and I would go to the gym together, but we like doing differently things, so we didn't ever get into a real good system. When it comes to running, I prefer to run right from my door no driving or biking beforehand, and since I don't currently have the benefit of a running partner that lives close by...I mostly run by myself. When I lived in MN, I did enjoy going on group runs from time to time, and since I've been in Vegas, I've done one group run. I prefer running alone, but I do love an occasional partner or group. I love sinking into myself, listening to music, enjoying the beauty around me, but there are times when I equally enjoy the conversation and comradeship of running with others. Plus, I find I generally am able to run faster without realizing it when I'm out with a friend.

List your 5 favourite healthy living / fitness blogs.

• Livin the Fit Life - I believe a found her blog by entering a giveaway she was hosting. I won! I come back because I love her adventures and beautiful pictures. Some of her recent hikes make me downright jealous. Plus, I've had the pleasure of meeting her IRL. :-)
• Just a Normal Mom - Ally's blog isn't necessarily classified as a healthy living / fitness blog, but she does lead a very active life. She is funny and shares lots of great stories about lots of different things.
• Neon Blonde Runner - She's just cute as a button, and I love all the beautiful places she's run - mostly in the Richmond area. I find her incredibly inspiring - with her 2nd marathon being a sub-3:30 marathon, which was just one month after her 1st marathon! Amazing!!
• Gourmet Runner - She's another cutie from the South. Her posts crack me up! 'Nuff said.
• Sweet and Savory Sarah - She shares recipes and funny experiences from the gym and working out in general.

I've recently added a few more blogs to my reading list, but since they're so new, I'm still getting a feel for them.

Well, that catches me up on the writing challenge. Now, it's time for me to hit the hay. I've got a promising job interview tomorrow afternoon, and I want to get in some working-out time beforehand.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

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Sweat is GOOD!

I sweat to be strong.
I sweat to feel alive.
I sweat to tone and build muscle.

I sweat to love my reflection in the mirror. It may sound superficial, but it’s honest.
Sweating helps me feel good about myself – inside and out.
Wanting to look good and feel good is what keeps me sweating.

What inspires you to sweat? 

This post was written as an entry to win a ticket to #InspireLV12. This sounds like a fantastic weekend! If I win, I hope to see you there! You can register here.

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She's My Big Sister!

I've loved her since I was a wee little girl.

Christmas. 1978.

She's always there to give me a hug.

Beauty pageant. 1991.

To make me laugh.

Sending me off to college. 1995.

To say, "Congratulations!"

Cottey Graduation. 1997

MAT Graduation. 2012

She's always been there when I needed her. I can always count on her to encourage me, support me, inspire me.

Like with running though she'll insist that I'm the one who inspires her. We've trained together for 5Ks, Half Marathons, and even two marathons.

And today, she turned the big 4-0!

Now I live more than a thousand miles away, but she is always near in my heart. I love and miss her everyday!!

Hope you had a wonderful birthday!!

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A Whole Lot of Nothing

Well, I've had plenty of time and opportunity to write up a post today. I've been on such a good streak with publishing something everyday that I didn't want to miss.

But I'm just wasn't feeling it.

I suppose that means I shouldn't write anything. Is it better to have nothing than to have some rambling, whiny drivel? Um. Maybe don't answer that.

I guess it's been kind of a feel sorry for Clarinda day. I spent most of the day puttering aimlessly about the Internet. No real goal. No real desire. The other large part of the day was spent in anticipation of a phone call or email regarding the interview I had on Monday. I was told they'd get back to me by the end of the week. No word doesn't necessary mean bad word, right? Right?

I also really want to increase my blog readership as well as my following on Twitter and FB, but I'm not entirely sure how to do that. I guess I've been kind of wondering what I can do to make my blog stick out. It seems like there are a lot of running blogs out there. What makes me and my adventures worth reading?

Speaking of running, my return went really well last week. I feel like I'm really finding my groove again - and really enjoying getting out there! Unfortunately, I've been eating like shit. Mostly because we're living off barely stocked cupboards - which doesn't include much in the way of fresh (or canned) fruits and veggies.

Have I mentioned I need a job? Or at least some kind of income? *sigh* Other than a few running recaps, I feel like I've mostly been complaining about my being unemployed. Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer lately. I hate it, too.

The Fitness Cheerleader asked us about our favorite strength move. I don't really have one. As you probably know, I prefer cardio over strength training, so nothing really comes to mind as a favorite. Back when I had a gym membership, I do recall loving the V-Squat machine. I always felt strong and powerful using it.

All right. That's enough of that.

Tomorrow, I'm going for a 5-mile run and then to a doggie-friendly event at Springs Preserve. I've never been there before, and we're going with some friends and their pups, too. If you follow me on instagram (I'm enjoyingthecourse), I'm sure I'll be sharing some fun pics.

Here's to better a tomorrow!
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Labor Day Virtual Run(s)

I'm sure you've all been sitting on the edge of your seats awaiting my official recaps of the Labor Day Virtual Run(s).

After my run on Friday, I decided that I'd definitely be able to tackle the 10-mile option for this virtual run. I planned to run this Sunday morning. I was so excited, I could barely sleep the night before! With every toss and turn, I'd wake and wonder, Is it time to wake up and run yet? I can't remember the last time I was so excited to run!

I finally got up and out the door by 7:30am. I had planned out the route the night before. This would be the longest distance I'd run in Vegas, and I couldn't wait to try out a nearby trail. It took about 3 miles to run to the trail, and then I was on the trail for 4 miles two out, two back, and then the 3 miles back home. simple out and back route.

The first half of this run went quite fast! I think the traffic lights on the way to the trail helped - forcing me to pause and stretch and catch my breath. I ran part of the Arroyo Flamingo Trail. It was a nice trail along the Flamingo Wash.

Side note: If you don't know what a wash is, don't feel bad. I didn't until I moved out here. My first group run was at Pitman Wash; I thought it was just a name, but after then seeing lots of signs for other washes, I finally asked my husband, "What the heck is a wash, anyway?" "Oh, it's to help prevent flooding by providing a channel for the water." Huh. Interesting.

It was a nice, well maintained though not nearly as pretty as running along the Mississippi in MN trail, and I look forward to running it again. I was kind of surprised that there weren't any other runners out. It was a gorgeous morning.

The second half of the run was much more difficult! I had some equip failure why, always during a timed run/race?, and I ended up needing to walk quite a bit. By 58:00, my walking was getting out of control. I decided to reign it in by structuring it with 3:1 run/walk intervals. That really helped at lot!

After getting back home, doing some yoga and stretching, I logged my run into DailyMile. Despite my route planning the night before, I'd forgotten that this was a little short of 10 miles. I had planned on extending it a bit at the end as necessary, so after discovering that I hadn't, I went back out to finish the last .75 miles. Sallie got to join me for this last segment.

For those who like stats:

Even though it was tough there at the end, I really enjoyed this run!

I took a rest day on Monday. Well, a break of running. I did walk 5+ miles to get to/from a job interview.

Tuesday, I decided to re-do the 5-mile option. I was not nearly as excited about this run. In fact, I was not looking forward to it at all. The #runnerdphotoaday challenge was #inspiring, so I tried to keep that in mind as I ran. I ran basically the same route as the previous Friday, which meant I had to endure many of the same pedestrian bridges. I thought I'd changed it enough to avoid most of them, but well, I didn't.

The problem with this run was:

• My legs felt super heavy. 
• I had trouble breathing. 
• My right upper arm was chafing. 
• I developed a blister on my right heel. 

I tried to push through. If it hurts, run faster. It won't stop hurting, but you'll be done faster. I really did. I ended up walked quite a bit during the middle. It was tough to keep going. I just wanted to quit, but I was too far from home to stop early.

Finally, 5-miles arrived and I was right in front of my new favorite park!

One day I'd like to end my run here and do some yoga right there in the center of all the benches.
Not today, though. I've got to get back to stop at the office and request that the exterminator stop by our apt today.
But it's so beautiful!
But my blister HURTS!
But it's beautiful and peaceful and why not make ONE day be TODAY?

How could I argue with that? I thought about taking my shoes off, so I could feel the cool grass on my feet. I didn't. I knew that putting my shoes back on with the blister on my heel wouldn't go over so well. I didn't do much - only about 15 minutes, but it felt great.

If it weren't for the yoga in the park to finish this run, I'd definitely categorize this run as pretty awful. At least my pace was better.

During this run, I saw more runners out than I'd ever seen on this route. 6-8. Still not a lot, but it was still inspiring to see some other crazy folk out there!

Did you run the Labor Day Virtual Day with Mommy Run Fast?
Have you ever done yoga outside? Barefoot?
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Lovin' It!

Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
~Bob Marley

YES!

I love my life. I know I've been complaining a bit a lot about not having a job and the frustrations of trying to find one, but rationally, I know that it's just a minor blip. Things will work out. Despite those frustrations:

• I have a wonderfully supportive husband.
• I'm highly educated. While that sometimes hurts me while job hunting, it's something no one can ever take from me.
• I've had some terrific experiences - living in various regions of the US, traveling to the USVI and Costa Rica.
• I LIVE IN LAS VEGAS!
• I'm relatively healthy.
• I'm a certified Scuba diver.
• I've run (not raced) in MN, ND, MT, ID, WA, OR, CA, and NV. I really need to finish editing the other videos, so I can get them posted.
• I recently discovered this tiny little park that I love running past. Plus, I did some post-run yoga there the other day, and I think I'll definitely do it again. It's my new favorite place to exercise!

I think it's pretty obvious that I love my life!

I don't ever look back and see regrets but rather experiences. Everything I've done has led me to become the woman I am today - a woman I am very much proud to know.

Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
Where is your favorite place to workout?
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5-Mile Friday :-)

Last Friday, I made my first attempt to run the 5-mile option of the Labor Day Virtual Run.

Before I go into details, but let me just say there was some equip failure that led me to the decision to re-do this race.

The Monday before this race was my first time running since the middle of July. I'd hurt my knee and took some time six weeks off to recover be lazy. I ran Mon and Wed and felt pretty good about running 5 miles on Friday.

I planned my route using DailyMile, and then decided to plan a different route, so I could run past the building where I had an interview scheduled for the following Monday. Two birds, one stone, and all that.

A portion of my run was along the Strip. Running along the Strip is always an interesting experience. I love dodging through the crowds, like I'm a super speedy runner whipping past all the slower runners.

Plus it's fun to see all the tourists and the crazy people in outrageous costumes posing for pictures. There was even a guy with a huge lizard that people could pose with! Yikes!

The bad thing, of course, especially in the section I was running, is all the damn pedestrian bridges. This meant I had the lucky pleasure of adding a bit of stair-work to my run.

I stopped to take a quick pic on the Brooklyn Bridge!

Overall, I. felt. great! I had no tightness in my hamstrings! No pain in my knees or shins!

The last 1.4 miles, however, were really tough to get through. I blame this on two things really. 1) The abundance of stairs earlier in the run. 2) The fact I didn't start this run until nearly noon, which meant it was HOT! I know I should have headed out much earlier, but, well, I didn't.

By the end, I had pretty much convinced myself to do the 10-mile option for the Virtual Run another day, of course as well. I figured if I got an early enough start, I'd be able to beat some of the heat - making the run a breeze do-able.

My route planning was off a bit, and I ended my run about a mile from home. My attempt at doing a vlog was fun, but completely worthless as the wind had other ideas. I won't be upset with the wind too much, though, because it sure felt great during the run.

So, all-in-all, this was a terrific run! Unfortunately, when I logged it into DailyMile, it had the audacity to think my pace was 12:03min/mi. There was no way this was right! And so, I decided that this 5-miler would have to be revisited before I'd submit my time for the actual virtual run.

Have you ever run the Vegas Strip?
Would you re-do a Virtual race for a better time?
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Eye to Eye

It's inexplicable. Irrational.

But I really, really dislike talking on the phone.

I avoid it at all costs. I'm a HUGE call screener. If you're not in my contacts, I won't answer.  If you are, I'll wonder why you're calling and may or may not answer. Probably 8 out of 10 calls, I let go to voicemail. Yes, even family and close friends.

My husband and I have even been known to argue over who has to call to order delivery. I usually lose, which does not make me happy. At least the food mostly makes up for it.

If you were to ask me the following question:

When you are speaking with someone, do you prefer to look them in the eye or talk over the phone?

The answer would be a resounding IN THE EYE.

Unless it's a fake in the eye. Skype? Video chat? Uh. No, thank you.

All that being said, I LOVE MY PHONE! I love communicating via email, texting, blogging, social media. Sharing photos and stories from the palm of my hand.

Call me quirky. I guess it's why I enjoy being a blogger! I get to share my thoughts and hope someone reads them and interact with other lovely bloggers. Sometimes I even get to meet some in person. Yay!

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Fitness Cheerleader asks us today to describe a typical weekly training schedule.

I'm just getting back into things, so I don't really have a training schedule per se. I plan on running every other day between 3-7 miles with a long run on either Sat or Sun of 10-12 miles. I've started doing a wee bit of yoga after my runs. On my non-running days, I'll either rest or so some kind of core / strength training. I have a lot of difficulty motivating myself for those workouts, though. *shrug*

Which do you prefer - talking eye to eye or over the phone?
What's a typical training week look like for you?
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What Do You See?

Well, let me start my sharing what I don't see. Supplements. Vitamins.

I've gone through phases in my life when I've attempted to incorporate them into my diet, but the truth is - I have a lot of difficulty taking pills on a regular basis. Which is why I've never done well with THE pill, but that's a whole different story.

Are supplements necessary for athletes?

I found this article on the US Tennis Association's website very interesting.

Nutrition is an ever-changing science including much we don’t know. That’s why taking supplements, if you choose to do so, should be in addition to eating well. The “I take a vitamin pill for breakfast because I eat cookies for lunch” philosophy is short-sighted. So is the story “I don’t like to drink milk, so I take calcium pills instead.” Granted, taking a vitamin or mineral in a pill is better than eating none, but, pills are not the answer to protecting health. Most nutrients work in combinations and in the optimal balance found in natural foods. For example, milk contains far more than just calcium - it offers a myriad of nutrients that are integral to bone health. Bones need all these nutrients, not just calcium in a pill. Whole foods protect whole health.

The vitamin pill for breakfast comment made me laugh. I'd rather justify eating cookies for lunch by adding in some extra running. The article concludes with this paragraph, which seems very obvious, but, all-in-all, I find it to be great advice!

The safest bet for optimal nutrition is to chow down on nature’s powerhouses: broccoli, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, melon, strawberries, kiwi, bananas, oranges, and other citrus fits, lean meats, beans and legumes, lowfat dairy foods, and unrefined grain foods. If you don’t eat these foods every day, at least eat generous portions when you do eat them! They are proven health protectors.

It's pretty clear that the USTA isn't much in favor of using supplements, but choosing to eat a healthier, whole-foods based diet would be more beneficial. The Mayo Clinic agrees for the most part, but also points out that supplements might be necessary for some - especially adults over 50 and women who are pregnant or trying to be. Read this article for more info about when and which supplements you might want to consider.

But this post is supposed to be about WHAT I  DO see...

Like I've said, I'm not very good about taking a pill everyday. Well, I'm not much better about drinking water. It's not like I'm choosing other things over water, it's more that I simply don't think to drink. Period.

That's why I need to keep a water bottle handy - both as a reminder and to make it super convenient.

I like this water bottle because it holds 1L of water, so I don't have to refill it too often. Truth be told, I generally only get in one of these a day. I know I should drink more, but I'm going to count my wins wherever I can.

Do you take supplements/vitamins?
What are your tips/tricks for drinking more water?
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The topics for today's post came from Fitness Cheerleader's Sept Writing Challenge and Sept's NaBloPoMo. Feel free to join in the fun!

World Wide Rebel Song

Remember the other day when I mentioned free music from Google?

I thought I'd share one of the songs I downloaded recently.

While I've heard of Rage Against the Machine, I can't say I'm really familiar with their music. Am I missing out on something I shouldn't be? The intro to this song really made me smile, and the message is inspiring.

World Wide Rebel Songs by Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman

You should at least take a little listen to the intro. Why not download the free track as well? From the comments, this isn't really like the sound of RATM, so don't go into expecting that. :-)

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In other news, my husband started a blog that he'll be using to post some of his short stories. He shared it on Google+ as public, but not on Facebook. Weird. Since he shared it somewhere publicly, I figure I'm good in promoting it, right?

He just has one story up so far. I read it this morning after my 10-mile run. It was really good.

If you've got a few minutes, It's longer than a typical blog post, but I think you'll find it a quick, engaging read. why not head over and give it a read. I'd love to hear what you think. I'm sure he would, too. If you enjoy it, feel free to share it on FB, Twitter, or G+
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Routines

I used to be much more of a routine person. It's true. I like things and life to be organized and in order.

I don't know if it's because I've been out of work for awhile.
Or because I'm getting older.
Or because my husband keeps some unusual hours.

But, I'm becoming less and less routine-dependent. I've become a bit more spontaneous and go-with-the-flow.

Today, Fitness Cheerleader asks us about our pre and post workout routines. As you can imagine, I don't really have much of what I call a routine when it comes to this.

If I'm going for a run,

• I map my route
• Fill my water bottle or CamelBack
   
• Make sure I've got what I need - earphones, snack, sweat rag, etc
• Walk to the major intersection (about 1/4 mile) as a warm-up

If I'm working out at home,

• I decide on a workout (video, list of exercises, workout routine on my phone, etc)
• Grab a sweat rag and my 1L water bottle
• Get to it

Like I said, there's really not much to it. I should probably do more, but I don't.

After I've finished running or working out, I fight the urge record my activity on Dailymile. Sometimes, I'll take the time to stretch. Shower. Resume whatever activity I was either doing before working out or need  to do now that I'm finished.

Are you a routine person? What are you pre and post workout routines?

Are you on DailyMile?

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