Been there, done that. Working towards the t-shirt.

They say if your ears are burning, someone is talking about you. But if your legs are burning, it means you're training for a 5K.

It's crunch time for me, as I am almost a month away from race day - Saturday, February 12th. I did my best to stay healthy over the holidays, but having 4 weekends in a row celebrating with different family groups was a big challenge. Now I am back into the swing of things, almost all of the cookies are gone, and I'm ready to get running.

These past couple months since resolving I will run a 5K have been rocky. Despite being excited at the idea of being one of "those people" who do races, I couldn't find the motivation to actually go out and start. I'd think about it a lot though. If thinking about exercising actually burned calories, I'd be set. Too many excuses were at my fingertips. I guess I expected that one day I'd be so ready that I'd just feel the urge to run. Lo and behold, that happened. I don't think this is normal for people, but yesterday I suddenly got the urge to put on my running shoes when I got home from work and run. Not just run, try the whole 5K distance and see how I did.

I enlisted the help of a running buddy and set forth. Amidst the dark, still snowy streets of Queens, I gave it my all. Before I left the house, I researched online a spot 1.7 miles away (the movie theater) and purposely left my money at home to prevent any last minute "Why don't we just stay here and catch a movie?"

I won't say it was fabulous. I huffed and puffed the whole way, trying to keep my whining at bay. We jog/walked it, and it took a while. My goal was to get to the halfway point in 20 minutes, and we achieved that. Overall the 5K took 50 minutes (including the .3 extra miles on our route) I'd like to get it down to 30 for race day. I heard for beginners, the 30 minute mark is a good, attainable goal.

I think my next training goal will be to jog for 30 minutes straight without stopping. Hopefully that will get me accustomed to a steady pace. No matter what I do next, it feels easier to get up and go because I've already been there. I guess Nike had it right when they said "Just do it." It really helps get the momentum rolling!

Week ?? Weigh-In

Okay, so I've fallen off the Garden Lites Challenge horse. I thought "All right! I hit a great weight, now I can go back to how I ate before to maintain." Nope!

Here are some things that have happened lately...

2 Christmas Parties.

• Cookies, cookies, cookies.
• A love of spiked hot chocolate.
• Appetizers I lose count of.

I switched my 1 Garden Lites a day from my dinner meal replacement to my sometimes lunch.

• Now I am not substituting a healthy alternative for a sometimes 1,000 calorie meal.
• I went back to eating late dinners when my partner comes home.
• Winter meals are not as forgiving as summer meals.

It's cold out.

• I am a victim of the winter blues.
• With it being dark by the time I get home, I don't get out to move around.
• It's too easy of an excuse to blame the cold weather for anything.

So there is my sad list of excuses that are neither excusible nor acceptable. It is no wonder I gained back.... 3 1/2 pounds! Yikes!!!

As I am packing for the first of 3 back to back weekends of family holiday gatherings with sweets, big meals and laziness, I needed that wakeup call. No wonder everyone starts the new year with a diet. But maybe if a little health consciousness returned right about now it wouldn't be that big of a struggle to start the new year with a good rhythm already in place. Sometimes the situation is unavoidable, but it is possible to control what gets onto my plate and into my stomach.

As for the weather, there's nothing I can do to change the forecast, so I'll just have to work extra hard to keep myself motivated to move. That looming February 12th date of the 5K is helping push me to find some plan that works for me. Garden Lites will help with the rest!

Happy Holidays!

Julie

From Zero to Hero: Exercise Plans

...Tired of being winded at the top of staircases?
...Looking to tone up?
...Just want to challenge yourself?
...Want more energy throughout the day?

You're ready to get real about moving more and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Whatever your reason for getting here, you're here. You've made it. Congratulations! You are motivated enough to make a change for the better. But where to begin?

I spoke before about how difficult it is to stick to vague goals [see: Moving Towards your Goal] and how formulating a specific achievement you want to reach gives you a greater chance of accomplishing that goal. For me, I couldn't find motivation to exercise each day even though I kept telling myself I was going to exercise more. I chose running a 5K as my goal. In order to give myself a fair chance at accomplishing that goal, I am giving myself enough time to healthily get my body ready for such an event. I have taken all the steps to allow myself to succeed. Unrealistic goals do nothing but deter you from accomplishing them.

Going from "homebody" to "toned body" takes a lot, but there are some exercise plans out there that help. Many people recommended the "Couch to 5K" plan that's out there: Couch to 5K which guides runners from nothing to superstar in 9 weeks, 3 workouts a week. I've also researched the Mayo Clinic's 7 week plan, with some form of exercise each day: MayoClinic.

Once you're in 5K shape, there are other sources out there. MarathonRookie.com gives training schedules for both the half marathon (in 10 weeks) and marathon (in 16 weeks). Do not just jump into these plans though, your body will not be conditioned properly and it can cause injury.

With all of these plans (and numerous more!) out there, it's up to you and your doctor to know what's best for you. Maybe your schedule changes all of the time, and you're only able to get a few workouts in a week. Maybe you need the structure of a little exercise every day. You know yourself best. Even if it just means taking a family walk after dinner each night, it's a great way to encourage a healthier lifestyle for yourself loved ones.

Refusing to Fall Back with Exercise

Mission "Get Buff" is underway! It's much easier to get out and be more active if I'm not thinking of it as a form of dieting. I am supplementing my Garden Lites meal plan with great sources of protein, like chicken, and making sure I drink lots of water.

I'm not the type of person to just jump into anything without hours of research and preparation put into it first. I also found it difficult to say at the beginning of last week "Yeah, I'll start my 5K training next Monday..." and then sit around waiting to be active. So this weekend I did a little unofficial exercise preparation for my exercise preparation.

Saturday my exercise buddy (boyfriend) and I walked around Manhattan and tracked our mileage on his smart phone. I was already winded by the time we reached the top step of the subway stop to begin our walk. I am out of shape. We logged 5 miles in a couple hours, and my legs could feel it the next day.

I printed my workout plan (I'm using the Mayo Clinic 7 weeks to a 5K program, but I'll review other plans later this week) and read it over Sunday so I'd know what I was getting myself into. The Mayo Clinic program works in 30 minute work outs with intervals of running and walking. 30 minutes? Simple.

Sunday was laundry day, so while the clothes were in the washer (for 30 minutes) I thought "What better time to try out this workout?" Exercise buddy in tow, we set out "wogging" all over town for 30 minutes. Wogging is a term coined by my father 12 years ago. When you walk and jog intermittently, it feels wrong to tell others you went for a run. So instead, you wog. I am glad I had someone with me, because it looked a little silly to run for 15 seconds and then walk for 45. Tonight, I will attempt my official start on the exercise plan, and will brave the wog solo.

Here is what I have learned from my pre-pre-5K workouts:

1. I am embarrassingly out of shape.
2. I still need to take my inhaler before any form of exercise.
3. I need new running shoes.
4. I need a good workout soundtrack.

Did anyone else "get moving" this weekend? What did you do to inspire more mobility into your daily routine? Share with us here or on our Facebook page! www.facebook.com/GardenLites

Also, I am accepting suggestions for workout songs to add to my play list.

Exercise and Me: A Timeline

I have always thought of myself as the underdog. Growing up I was short, slow and asthmatic...

Not much has changed.

But what I lack in physical ability, I make up for in heart. When I was on the recreational soccer league from ages 8 through 11, I earned the nickname "Mad Dog." I would run up and down the field like a rabid little puppy darting between all the taller girls to get the winning goal (okay, I don't know if I ever helped a win, but it sounds more inspiring). I still wear my blue number 7 t-shirt from 4th grade and appreciate that the style was to wear giant over sized shirts back then.

By the time I hit middle school, I wanted to stay active but my Mad Dog skills didn't qualify me for any team that require try outs. This is how I ended up on the Cross Country team: everyone got in. I have always been a sprinter, whether it's my short attention span, or the fact that my legs quit after 100 paces, I just always preferred a race that was over in seconds rather than what felt like hours. But there I was, jogging my heart out.

Thinking back to those days, I can still feel the sharp tingling in my throat, the wheezing in my chest, and the constant wonder "Why am I doing this?" My poor parents would cheer me on relentlessly, probably just supervising me so I didn't pass out. But I did get a t-shirt for participating - it even had my last name on it - and I wore that shirt for years, until the tattered shreds were no longer fitting for a shirt that read "Pain is temporary, Pride is forever."

When I got to high school, you'd think I'd learn that I was better suited for more sedentary activities. Painting, reading, sitting. But no, there I was back out on the track. My older brother ran track, so clearly there was no other option. Needless to say, he inherited the same athletic abilities I did, but we won't go into that.

I'm actually quite proud of my time in high school track. I focused more on shorter races and came to terms with the fact that I was never going to win a race. But what I did do was figure out which event had the least number of participants. You see, track is all about gaining points. Points for coming in the top three, points for beating a personal best, points for creativity... okay, I wish. I joined the 300M hurdles because no one else wanted to do that race, and as long as I showed up, I would earn points. And points meant the possibility of earning my letter. So I ran and tripped over hurdles for two consecutive months with one goal in mind: a letter jacket. Yes, that is weird for a girl to want a letter jacket of her own, but I liked to have clothing that made people think I was athletic.

Sure enough, I did it. I proudly wore that jacket until college. Once I hit college, I only dabbled in jogging. The school gym was free for my senior year, so I hopped on a treadmill 5 times a week and got in the best shape of my life. Since then, I've tamed down my desire to prove the asthmatic girl can hold her own, but there's been one dream of mine I've never given up... Racing in a 5K.

Have you figured out why? Free t-shirt.

I knew people who had a whole drawer full of t-shirts collected from various races. Every time I see someone wearing a shirt from a race they participated in, I have a deep respect for them. I don't even like t-shirts, but I'd like to be that person, just once.

It's a great side effect that training for this race will help me in Mission "Get Buff." The healthy lifestyle I've adopted will be a great foundation to build on when I start asking more of my body in the coming months. Also, this whole fantasy of a t-shirt is a great motivator to me. A much more specific and tangible goal than just "Exercise more." Now my goal is "Exercise more in order to build strength and participate in a 5K." Which 5K is still undecided, but something probably in February.

I suggest you sit down and take the time to write down specific goals you have for yourself. You may want to change some things in your life, so find some specific stepping stones that will help you get closer to your goals. Sure, it'd be great to join in a half-marathon, but if you make such grandiose goals, they can become overwhelming. Baby steps towards a better you.

Moving Towards Your Goal

I have been very pleased with my progress in the "Get Real" Challenge since we've started in mid-August. I've lost weight, gotten better about what I eat and even inspired others to take on healthier lifestyles! So what's my problem? Why do I feel.... stagnant?

My weight loss has hit a plateau at 9 pounds, but I've really liked the changes in me both inside and out. I don't feel like I have to lose more weight, and my original goal of 20 lbs seems over the top. To me, this isn't a failure in the challenge, this is the GOAL of the challenge. Not weight loss, but finding a way to improve my lifestyle. Looking in the mirror and liking what I see is a great improvement. But I know myself, I like to be constantly challenged. Mission "Like My Body" is accomplished. What's next?

Mission "Get Buff."

I pride myself on my ability to keep up with the boys. At Kosherfest, I was schlepping boxes as much as the other folks, and every time I heard a guy impressed with my lack of daintiness I chose to take it as a compliment. But now, a week later, still feeling each lifted box in my back and shoulders, I realize I am out of shape. And I want to change that.

Vague goals are hard for me. "Lose weight" doesn't spark any sort of fire within me. "Be healthier" is a cop out. "Exercise more" will not help me avoid my snooze button. So what I am doing is forming a more specific event that I will work towards. This event will not be the "end point" of my healthy lifestyle journey, but a mere pit stop along the way. As my first step toward "Mission Get Buff" I will be doing a 5K.

To some, a 5K is just a simple foot race. 3.1 miles... piece of cake. But to me, this has been a dream for quite some time.

Come back to the blog tomorrow when I'll give a little more insight as to what a 5K means to me, and follow me as I train in the next few months. I'm really excited about this upcoming challenge, I hope you are too! As part of your "Get Real" Challenge, try to focus this month on moving more.

"Get Moving" can mean many different things, but here are a few suggestions (feel free to comment with more!):

• Walking
• Jogging
• Running
• Dancing
• Taking the Stairs
• Martial Arts
• Rock Climbing
• Biking
• Hiking
• Swimming
• Jumping Jacks
• Roller Blading
• Playing Sports
• Frisbee

Mini-Milestone Day!

"Stop talking. Start walking." -L.M. Heroux

A dear friend of mine sent me an email yesterday in which he encouraged me to begin my relationship with my treadmill. While to some that may seem like something you don't tell a woman, I really appreciated his advice. He too had set forth to get real about his diet and exercise some time ago and has done exceptionally well. While the advice he gave wasn't revolutionary, it was sensible; and it made me see that nothing but my laziness was holding me back from starting to exercise. Here was my "aha" moment:

"Most of all: find what works for you! If something doesn't work for you, then you will try to avoid it." -J.H.

I had kept telling myself I would get on my treadmill after work each day, completely ignoring the reality that I am always too tired to follow through. If I wanted to get real about moving, I had to focus more on what works for me. So before bed I set out my workout clothes, even untied my shoelaces, set my asthma inhaler and favorite magazine on the railing, and bottle of water within reach. I was taking away the hurdles for myself. I even took the time to adjust the incline on the treadmill beforehand so I couldn't lazy out of just leaving it at the lowest setting.

And it worked! This morning I got up and got moving! I was so surprised that it really wasn't as bad as I had made it out to be in my head. Even the cat was surprised that the giant clothes hanger moved!

Now I am not going to fold it up when I am done, and will leave it ready to go for tomorrow. Once I make this part of my routine, maybe I won't even need to set everything out for myself. But until then, I'll be untying my laces in the evening and maybe leaving myself encouraging notes to find in the morning.


Today's mini-milestone: Walked 1 mile at the highest incline (10) in 20 minutes.
Next challenge: Repeat tomorrow.

Exercise: My Love/Hate Relationship

I live upstairs from a personal trainer. It has always been my hope that, through osmosis, after living above him and his lovely fiance for a little bit that I too would be toned and svelte and perky. Because in my head, perkiness comes with six pack abs. Like a side effect.

But alas, it has not helped. Apparently you still have to work out to be toned. It doesn't flow through the hallway the same way the smell of our super's freshly baked bread has a habit of doing.

I was reading this Weight Watcher's article Learning to Love Exercise and I realized that I am in an emotionally abusive relationship with exercise. I think exercise is great on paper, it has all the qualities I like in an activity, but I tend to make excuses for it quite a bit...

Exercise makes me feel guilty when I haven't hung out with it in a while.
Exercise never calls to me, it just looms over me waiting for me to make the first move.
Exercise always leaves me in pain since I haven't done it in so long.
Exercise never loves me back, it just wants more of my time.
Exercise makes me jealous when other people are in love with it and I am not.

Enough! I have had negative feelings towards exercise for most of my adult life and it's time to take the power back. Since "moving more" is a key aspect of the "Get Real" Challenge, I am making a promise to myself (and you) to create a healthier relationship with exercise. It reminds me of our cross country slogan back in middle school "Pain is temporary, pride is forever." If I can just make it past that first round of aches, then I can be prideful that I am on the right track. Who knows? Exercise and I might even be friends by the end of this. After all...

Exercise makes me more energized for my day.
Exercise helps me sleep better at night.
Exercise lets me not feel bad about that dessert I had.
Exercise means much more than just running.
Exercise is always there when I need it.
Exercise helps me feel and look great!



Keep movin' everyone!



Julie