Fitness
He’s Hooked! Hubby’s First 5K
March 28, 2011
Hubs and I did a race over the weekend — the Phillies 5k at Citizen’s Bank Park. It was his first race and (obviously) our first race together. In fact, I’m pretty sure that he’s never run longer than a mile before. I’ve done quite a few and was so excited when he let me talk him into doing it. Even though it was freezing out, it was a good first race since a few of our friends did it with us and the crowd was fun and friendly.
Our strategy
Billy didn’t “train” for the run and neither did I. He did about one mile twice the week of the race; my ankle and knee have been bothering me for weeks. So, our plan was just to go slow and steady. To be honest, I got a little worried when we were just out of the lot and he asked me how long I thought we had gone. Um, maybe a quarter of a mile?
Our plan was good though. He didn’t lose gas, and neither did I. I’ve learned that lesson before — it’s so easy to just take off with the pack and sprint — but with that, if you’re not conditioned, you can exert too much energy, get exhausted and have nothing left. The group carried us and I felt like we were going at a decent pace.
Toward the end, I’d say the last ¾ of a mile, I suggested we pick up the pace. My body felt good and I had all the energy in the world. He tells me that he’s going to lose his shoe, and I’m thinking GREAT. With the end in sight, he makes me pull over to the side while he ties it up (with frozen fingers). Rookie mistake! Out of love, I do.
Then, like the scene from Stand By Me when the boys start sprinting through the junk yard, I yell – “SPRINT!!!!” If it was a straight run and I didn’t have to dodge people, I would have beat Billy.
Our times came in and he beat me by two seconds, and we were both under 35 minutes.
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Being Healthy Can Make You RICH
March 22, 2011
I had dinner with a close girl friend last week. We tell each other EVERYTHING. We talk about fitness, healthy eating, relationships, work stress, holistic practices, etc. We like to explore the unconventional stuff.
She told me about her friend Courtney* that has relationship issues and is always disappointed, even when the situation is not “make-or-break.” For example, Courtney will get really bent out-of-shape and take it personally if her boyfriend, Mark* doesn’t call at the exact time he said he would. Courtney’s therapist suggested that she create a “checkbook” to record and monitor Mark’s positive and negative behavior. So, when Mark calls on time, she writes down +$50. When he takes her out to a nice dinner, +$75. When Mark is late, -$25. Courtney determines the worth/dollar amount for everything. And, the list is a way for her to determine what’s meaningful and focus on the positive things Mark does. Instead of flipping out, she’s programming herself to “check herself before she wrecks herself.”
I’m not endorsing or putting down this concept. I do feel bad for Courtney and her negative associations, but I’m happy that she’s working it out by getting help and using techniques that work. My thought though, is how to apply this idea to exercise and healthy living. Why not keep a checkbook of the things you do each day to get to your health and fitness goals? Assign the amount you’ve “earned” based on what you think you deserve.
My list would look like this:
Drank a full glass of water to start the day = $10
Packed my lunch(es) = $15
Avoided eating the coconut patties at work = + $15
Taught kickboxing at 30% exertion (injury) = + $20
Jogged for three miles and sprinted the last quarter mile = + $35
Ate consistently, four small meals, four hours apart = $30
Got to sleep before 10:30 pm = $40
With time, hopefully, your “bank” account will be exactly where you want it to be, you’ve “saved up” the “amount” you want and you have reprogrammed yoursef to have positive, happy associations with being healthy. Now, feel free to send me a real check in the mail! 
Please share your list! I’d love to see what you think things are worth.
Photo by jridgewayphotography.
*Names changed!
Healthy Salad Recipes
March 21, 2011
Day 35 on Four Hour Body. I don’t like to weigh myself, but I will later this week. Please excuse this semi-boring blog post! I am tired, but I promised Aunt Lil’s homemade dressing recipe
I like to consider myself pretty adventurous. I’m up for doing anything and I say yes to the unexpected. But, I like routine too. On Sundays, I always plan meals (based on what’s on sale in the circular), go food shopping, clean, cook and prep my hub’s and my meals for the week.
Yesterday, however, was a little different because I was up in Central Jersey with my cousins. We did a 5K, so I didn’t get everything done that I wanted. I made up for it today, though.
Here’s what I made tonight:
Cousin Rachel’s Bean salad
• Three cans of my/your favorite beans rinsed and drained
• Chopped red pepper
• Chopped onion
• Chopped celery
• Chopped green onion
• Your favorite dressing, but best with Italian or vinaigrette
Mix it together and enjoy! Use more beans or less beans depending on how big of portion you want to make, but this is easy to divide up for a quick protein side. I used black beans, kidney beans and cannellini beans with light balsamic and basil vinaigrette. It’s really colorful and awesome!
Aunt Lil’s Salad with White Balsamic Dressing
• 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin oil
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• Black pepper to taste
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AllThingsGwen.com is my unofficial guide to health and happiness. It's a chronical of me finding my way.
I encourage you to think about “AllThings[YOUR NAME HERE]” and what’s really, truly important to you. Hope you enjoy my recipes, fitness tips, motivational posts and aha moments.
- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Got my lucky Giants sweatshirt on. Bill's wearing his lucky Alfred Hitchcock tee, brown zip up and Merrell sweatband.
- Whenever I'm super sore, I make my husband undress me. It's not sexy by any means.
- Enjoying Dim Sum with my husband. Giants SuperBowl tradition!
- Enjoyed my Crossfit workout with friends! Totally shin planted on box jumps and may have punctured an ovary, but it's all good! :)
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