Me Being a Mom: Portion Sizes for Kids

A few weeks back, I came across this article about portion sizes for kids.  Now that I'm living the mom life, of course I was interested, so I clicked.

Nutshell summary?  I was really surprised by how much the article focused on keeping food familiar for your kids, and negotiating to get them to eat fruits and vegetables.

I mean, I'm not trying to brag, but I basically served my son everything I ate as soon as I knew he could handle all the foods (man, I'm glad to be done with the pureed single ingredient phase).  And he just ... ate it.

Honestly, I did this for two reasons.  Yes, A, because it didn't make sense to me to teach my son to develop a different pallet from me.  But B, why make life more difficult for yourself by making two meals every time your child needs to eat?!

And I'm not to say there aren't times where he declines things - let's face it, he's in his terrible twos now, so that definitely happens.  But honest to god, your kid doesn't know what's "familiar" (as the article likes to call it).  Everything is new ... that's why they call them newborns.  So why shelter them and encourage them to adapt to a lifetime of chicken nuggets and mac & cheese?

Soapbox aside, I couldn't help but snicker about the recommended serving sizes of foods, and the plant ratios suggested.  I guess your perspective is skewed when you have a two year old that is in 5T clothing.  #eatingmachine

True story side note: in our new house, because of the sheer volume of food I go through with my monster eating toddler in the mix, I added a combined fruit basket/banana hook produce keeper to the kitchen (in addition to the previous basket I had, which is now just for shelf stable vegetables).  During move in, this basket was solely been filled with apples and bananas.  Not knowing I was listening, my son stood admiring the basket last week, talking to himself:

"Apples"
"Bananas"
"Apples"
"Bananas"
-brief pause, and then switching to a monster voice-
"I EAT THEM ALL!!!!"

Kids.  An endless source of entertainment.

In case the link above ever dies, below is a condensed version of suggested serving sizes.  I took out the fluff so you could just focus on the proper portion sizes.  Enjoy!

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Toddlers & Preschoolers (2 to 4 years)

Appetites at this state can greatly vary based on height and activity level and will likely change from day-to-day or even meal-to-meal. 

For Reference:Protein: 4 thin slices of ham or 1 egg, at 2-3 servings per day
Dairy: 1/2 cup cow’s milk or 1/2 cup yogurt, at 3 servings per day
Veggies: 2 tbsp. of green beans, 4 broccoli florets or 8 celery sticks (small), at 2 servings each meal
Fruits: Half a medium banana or half a kiwi, at 1-2 servings per day (this can be subbed out for veggies only)
Grains: 4 potato wedges or 4 tbsp. of mashed potatoes, at 1 serving per day

Early Childhood (5 to 8 years)

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests upgrading to full portions of fruits and veggies at this age, such as a whole banana, apple and handful of grapes. For proteins, fill a quarter of the plate with beans, legumes or a lean meat. Avoid foods high in sugar, especially sodas. Water is encouraged at the dinner table!

For Reference:Protein: 2-3 ounces of meat or 1/2 cup cooked beans, at 2 servings per day
Dairy: 1 cup yogurt or 1 oz. cheese, at 3 servings per day
Veggies: 1 cup salad or 1/2 cup cooked carrots or broccoli, at 3 servings per day
Fruits: 1 medium banana or 1/2 cup pure fruit juice, at 2-3 servings per day (this can be subbed out for veggies only)
Grains: 1/2 cup cooked pasta or 1 slice whole-wheat toast, at 1 serving per day

Preteen (9 to 12 years)

Portion sizes can slowly increase to where most adults should be—about 2 1/2 cups of dairy, 3 cups of veggies and 5 ounces of protein.  This is also a really good time to ask your child to cook a meal for the family every once in awhile so the option is in their hands. They might even develop a lifelong passion for cooking!

For Reference:Protein: 5 ounces of meat, at 2 servings per day
Dairy: 2 cups yogurt or 1 oz. cheese, at 3 servings per day
Veggies: 2 cups salad or 1 cup cooked carrots or broccoli, at 3 servings per day
Fruits: 1 medium banana, at 2-3 servings per day (this can be subbed out for veggies only)
Grains: 1 mini bagel or 1/2 cup cooked pasta, at 1 serving per day

Teenagers (13 to 18 years)

Portions can be adult-sized by this point, but education on appropriate portion sizes should be a priority. Relate portions to everyday items (a deck of cards is a serving of protein) for ease–chances are, measuring spoons are nowhere to be found in the school cafeteria. Also, be cognizant of commenting on eating habits during this stage. Empower your children to make good choices, but don’t criticize or shame them for any unhealthy choices they do make.

For Reference:Protein: 8 ounces of meat, at 2 servings per day
Dairy: 2 cups yogurt or 1 oz. cheese, at 3 servings per day
Veggies: 3 cups salad or 1 cup cooked carrots or broccoli, at 3 servings per day
Fruits: 1/4 melon, at 2-3 servings per day (this can be subbed out for veggies only)
Grains: 2 slices of bread or 1 cup cooked pasta, at 1 serving per day

Lately

Well, I guess the theme of this blog these day is "so I know I haven't posted in a while, but ..."

Instead of continually repeating that line, I'm going to mention a few recent personal highlights instead:

(1) I'm on week four of a regular running schedule, and have a consistent mix of strength and swimming in there too. 

(2) I have improved my overall pace running from 11:30 a mile to 11:00.  Not fast by any means, but I'll take it.

(3) I have weighed in on the scale below 200 lbs on a semi regular basis in the last two weeks.  I hope to finally see that be a standard weigh in instead of an "off day".

(4) My son is officially one - hooray!  Where does time go?!  (And in other news, I am currently in the process of going cold turkey from nursing ... which is a slow and sometimes painful process, but I'm getting there).

And lest I leave out some sarcasm in this post ... a short story:

For the last 4+ weeks, I've been trying to be healthy.  You know, eating right, getting more exercise, all that jazz.  The scale has been heading in the right direction, and I feel better about myself, so that's a sign that I'm on the right track.  Which is great!  So today, though.  I go get changed over lunch.  Head out for a run.  I'm almost all the way back when I feel something tickle the top of my head.  I reach up and ...

 

 

 

Yeah.  A bird shit right on my head.  Way to support my journey back to fitness, ya jerk.

Happy Tuesday!

Couldn't Repeat It If I Tried ...

So I've been trying to get back into running shape, which is no small task having not really followed any kind of training plan in the last two years.  (Not to mention having basically done no running at all since fall of last year). 

Despite my lack of time on my feet, I found it interesting how much my body "remembers" on pacing for distance. 

Check out my finish time for a 3 mile run on Tuesday of last week (March 28th), and again on Tuesday of this week (April 4th):

The strangest part is, last week I ran a much less even pace per mile, whereas this week I held a fairly consistent pace.  And yet, they still netted out to the exact same finish time. 

I don't think I could do this again if I tried!

Breastfeeding Fun

OK.  Real talk time.  I haven't said much about my post pregnancy body and fitness lately, aside from a casual mention here or there that I've been going to the gym.  So here's the real scoop.

Breastfeeding is slowing me down on my fitness goals and post baby weight loss. 

That might seem like an excuse that I can work around, and on some level it is, but here's the truth:  after pumping 3-4 times a day (at about 30 minutes per sesson, once you factor in washing off pump parts afterwards and the like), I don't have a lot of spare time for me.  And what little time I do get, I kind of just want to enjoy ... via sitting ... on my still somewhat fat ass. 

Just to illustrate, and not to bitch, my typical daily schedule right now is:

5:45-6:15am (depending on baby) - wake up and breastfeed
6:15-30ish - change baby, let him play on his own while I pump off any excess supply
7ish - husband takes baby to daycare, I finally get to shower and prepare for work
8:30 - assuming it's a good day and my son behaves in the above timeline, I make it to work on time
12:00 - also assuming it's a good day, I might get in a short mid day workout
Post work - get home, feed baby dinner, get him in bed, do whatever clean-up required from his day (fun fact, he likes to wet out of his diapers at daycare, sometimes multiple times a day, so often this time is filled with washing backup clothing to bring back to daycare the next day, dirty bottles, dirty diapers, and packing tomorrow's lunch)
6-7ish - dinner time, AKA the first time I get to sit down since I got home from work
Post dinner - since my husband cooks, I clean up after and change over laundry/etc., which is easily another 30 minutes on my feet
7-8ish - finally, me time, so I sit on the couch ... only to begin in just a few moments ...
8-9ish - pumping one last time before bed
10pm - if I'm lucky and it's a good day, I get to lay down for bed ... assuming I am not too wound up, I might actually fall asleep before midnight LOL!

As you can see in the above schedule, there's not a lot of time for me.  Or sleep, really.  Not to mention working out.  Which means I still have about 15 pounds of pure fat that I need to burn off, maybe even more, since I'm sure I have lost some muscle tone in the last few months due to my reduced workout regimen. 

This all translates into a very simple statement: I'm not thrilled with what my body looks like right now, particularly my midsection. 

Plus, I am carrying some guilt for not taking care of my body better, as it feels like I'm letting myself lose all the progress I made towards a healthy lifestyle 5/6 years ago.  Then, add in even more guilt from the diabetic aspect of it, as I KNOW I need to be healthier to reduce my risk of developing type 2 down the road.

But here's where I'm at.

Yep.  That graphic pretty much sums up how I feel.

I'm not trying to put this huge pressure on myself right now to be all fit and lean again.  I have to look at things realistically.  For example, technically right now I weigh exactly what I was pre-baby, so I have lost all the pregnancy weight.  The excess weight I carrying today I mostly put on after my previous pregnancy and miscarriage, which was over 2 years ago now. 

I'm pointing this out because I often tell other people "it took you X years to gain the weight - it's going to take you awhile to lose it, too".  I mean, if I tell other people that kind of advice, I'd be a bit of a hypocrite to not take it to heart myself, right?

Ok, so let's pause here for a second.

What's my point on the above?  Because it seems like this post is basically a woe is me rant, and that's not really my goal.

Where I'm going is actually more of a ... hm.  I'm not sure what to call it.  Not really a celebration, or a light at the end of the tunnel, because that makes it sound like I'm looking forward to this, and that's not really the case so much as ... it's a ...

Milestone.  That's a good word.

I'm about to hit a major milestone.  My son is turning one in April. This is a big turning point, as it's when a child can begin drinking cow's milk. 

I know this is kind of a sensitive topic, and I'm not looking for anyone's commentary on my life decisions.  What I will say is that after careful consideration with my doctor, and factoring in what feels right for me and my family, I have decided I am going to try to wean my son around the one year mark and transition him to store bought milk. 

This transition, when it is finally done, will give me at least two hours of my day back.  Not that those two hours are why I'm making this choice, but it is certainly a nice extra bonus after the fact. 

So obviously, my hope is that this extra time will allow me to start focusing on getting my body back in line again.  I plan on trying to use this time to work on myself through summer 2017 and get my weight back into what I consider an acceptable range for myself. 

And maybe I can start training again.  For what, I don't know, since I'm not really committing to anything yet until I see how this goes.  But I know personally I do best when I'm committed to an event that I'm training for.  So I'm sure I'll tie myself to something ... when I'm ready.

But wait, there's more!

Since I already touched on a controversial topic today with the whole weaning thing ...

Earlier this week, I saw a news story in Minnesota that just kind of made me shake my head.  It was in regards to some woman who was on jury duty for some major county in the twin cities, and was stuck reporting for service to a court house for (*gasp*) two days in a row, waiting to be vetted for a court case.  During that time, she had to pump, as she was still breastfeeding her child. 

Ok, so far, pretty boring stuff. 

The drama that made this story news worthy was that she wasn't allowed to leave to pump every two hours, and that she had to pump one time in a single stall restroom that had a locking door.

Sigh.

Now, don't get me wrong.  Breastfeeding your kid isn't an easy process.  I know the woes of trying to find a place to pump ... or feed my son, if he happens to be with me.  Not to mention the lack of understanding of this requirement to pump/breastfeed from the people around you.

For example, I particularly LOVE when I'm locked in the bathroom at work that's designated for pumping, which is 20-30 feet away from a second bathroom and just down a stairwell from a third ... and one of my younger female peers at the office bangs on the door and yells "shit" because I've been in there for 10 minutes and she needs to go.  (There are no shelves or storage areas in this bathroom where she might need to access something, and HR communicated the room's pumping designation to our staff, might I add).

I also LOVE getting questioned by a male peer about how I'm making up time at work, which he didn't flat out say was due to my pumping schedule but implied it (he, btw, has a 2+/- year old son at home, so he should know better).  The best part about him was he questioned me publically in a team meeting about the hours I'm putting in at work. 

What I wanted to say in response to him was "Sure, if you want to sit in a bathroom that smells like used menstrual products/feces and attach a machine to your chest that feels like it's ripping off your nipples, I will gladly sit at my desk engorged and leaking so that I can potentially answer a purchasing request that you may or may not have for me as a secondary (not even primary) buyer for your team.  Because, you know, taking a few minutes out of my day to pump has had zero impact on my performance for your group, as I have missed or delayed nothing since I came back from maternity leave, and I certainly want to spend my time pumping in a bathroom just so I can play on Facebook and avoid working.  If you simply agree to not fault me for my breast milk stains on my shirt post leaking, we'll call it a deal." 

What I actually said was "My boss is aware of my work schedule, if you have concerns about it you are welcome to speak with him."

But I digress.  Getting back to the story about the lady on jury duty, since this is about her and not me. 

Here's what I don't understand. 

Are you seriously that bent that you had to pump in a bathroom one time? 

I mean, I get it.  Bathrooms can be gross and pumping out food that your child is going to consume at some point isn't exactly appealing in such a setting.  But that's life.  There aren't always other rooms available that offer all the amenities you need in order to pump (IE a private room with a locking door, windows that don't look into room or at least offer shades that can be closed, a power outlet, and ideally a sink for parts washing post pumping). 

And technically, the milk you pump out nor your equipment, never touch anything "gross" anyway (assuming you have a couple of chairs to sit on/set your things on).  So aside from the fact that you might need to smell something unpleasant for a brief period of time, why get so bent?

I say the above knowing that sometimes things can get unpleasant.  I myself chose to fly to Boston to visit family when I was about 2 months postpartum, AKA a milky/leaky mess.  And during that experience, I had the special privilege of having to pump in a toilet stall of a large public bathroom at the airport; my pump bag at my feet and my bottles balanced in my pants - that were pulled down around my ankles as I didn't exactly want to sit on a self flushing toilet with my pants on. 

But you know what the key to the above scenario was?  I chose.  I chose to leave my house and live a normal life, yes.  Should someone else be forced to support me because I made that decision?  Debatable.

Sure, it would be nice to have breastfeeding/pumping stations everywhere I went.  But in the same fashion, I don't really want to pay a higher plane ticket cost / purchase cost on a dress / price per gallon for gas / or whatever for the convenience.  Realistically, adding these extra room(s) for women to pump cost money, and that cost will end up rolled up into whatever I pay for at said facility.

Now I know the exception to this is a work environment, where employers are required by law to provide these amenities (as they should), but again ... don't expect a lavish pumping suite.  Would I like something nicer at my office?  Sure.  But I also know we're a smaller size company with limited areas that can be utilized for pumping.  Not to mention, I had courtesy enough to tell my HR a bathroom is fine, since there's a second bathroom 20-30 feet away from the one where I pump and yet a third just a stairwell away ... whereas there are only two locking / private conference rooms in my office that need to be used by multiple staff members continually through the day, and are always at capacity, which I didn't want to exasperate even further ...

Ok, ok, back on point. 

Aside from the fact that this jury duty lady had to pump one time in a bathroom, her other bitch was that she needed to pump 4 times a day, and on her second day on duty she was limited to 2.  This is where I seriously WTF. 

Courtrooms are open like 6 hours a day.  (OK, that might be a tad sarcastic.) 

Even if this woman had to report for service from 8am to 5pm, which is normal office hours, pumping 4 times a day would mean she was pumping EVERY TWO HOURS.  I want to say nobody needs to pump that much, which could be wrong I admit.  Yet ... I know RNs who work 12 hour shifts and their employers give them grief for taking 2 pumping breaks, and that's with lunch being eaten during said breaks.

Speaking of lunch - jury duty lady needed 4 pumping breaks.  I guarantee you jury duty people are allowed lunch breaks mid day.  Don't you think she could squeeze at least one of those pumping breaks into that schedule?  I know I sure would have been able to manage that if I was in such desperate need to express my milk.

I'm sure they heard my eyes rolling in China after that statement.

And while we're on China, this post is getting so long that by the time you finish it, you will have scrolled the equivalent distance as would be required to dig to China, so I suppose I should wrap up.  I'll conclude this rant session by saying - American Women, yes ... we are disadvantaged.  Women as a whole are.  But stop whining about little things like pumping stations, and instead focus on taking action about getting your reproductive rights taken away, equal pay in the workplace, or any other MUCH MORE IMPORTANT issue than the fact that having to pump in a bathroom once in awhile is gross.

Complaining about stuff being icky ... just makes us sound even more like little girls.

Making Our Own Demise

A semi-wordless post today.  Perhaps instead of blaming others, we should examine why this is a trend to begin with?

 

 

Say Goodbye to BMI

It's no secret that I'm NOT a fan of the BMI scale. 

Don't get me wrong, using the BMI formula as a general calculation to help you figure out if your weight makes sense for your frame is a good starting point.  BUT - and that's a big but - BMI is not the only thing that should be taken into consideration when assessing if your height and weight are in line with each other.

Adding fuel to my fire against BMI, I found this article (see text below if you don't want to follow the link).  Even if you can't take the time to read the entire post - at least take a minute to read the highlights ... the part towards the very end in yellow is the scariest.

When you finish the below ... consider yourself informed!  ;-)


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5 BMI Myths You Need To Stop Believing

There's no denying that "fat is bad" has led us to believe loads of things about BMI that aren't true. Here are five "facts" you should start rethinking.

By KASANDRA BRABAW

I remember the first time a doctor calculated my body mass index. I was 13 and up until that point had been one of the skinniest kids in my class. But then puberty struck, my hormones went haywire, and I packed on 20 pounds in just a few months. My BMI put me squarely in the "overweight" category. The doctor handed me a food journal and said not to worry—as long as I kept track of every single thing I put into my mouth I could drop those 20 pounds in no time.

Well, I didn't. As I got older, my BMI just got higher. Now, at 25, I'm what the BMI scale considers "obese." I eat a mostly healthy diet, walk everywhere, and do yoga as often as I can. I know people much skinnier than me—people with "normal" BMIs—who literally cringe at the sight of a vegetable. Yet, most doctors would tell them they were perfectly healthy and put me on a strict diet.

What gives?

"We so strongly believe that being fat is bad," says Linda Bacon, PhD, author of Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. "It's taught in schools and floods the media." And that's not surprising. Study after study finds that being heavy is associated with illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. But the key word, Bacon says, is "associated."

According to Bacon, we don't know for sure that being overweight causes the health problems it's been associated with. It could be a combination of many things. For example, people who have high BMIs also tend to have a history of dieting, Bacon says. And research has shown that yo-yo dieting, or fluctuating in weight, has a negative impact on your overall health. "So does illness come from having a higher BMI or from inflammation in the blood due to dieting?" Bacon says. "We just don't know."

There's no denying that the pervasive "fat is bad" lens has led us to believe loads of things about BMI that just aren't true. Here, 5 "facts" you should start rethinking.

Myth: A low BMI ensures that you'll be healthy
Being heavy has been associated with things like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. So it stands to reason that having a low BMI would put all of those things on track, right? Wrong. In a review of several studies looking at BMI, researchers found one study of 40,000 adults that indicated no correlation between high BMI and health issues like high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Plenty of people in the "obese" category had perfectly normal numbers, and plenty who have "normal" BMIs had high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

Bacon, who was an author on the study, says it shows how weight stigma affects health. "Over half of the people on the study would have been misdiagnosed," she says. Because doctors would see people of normal body weight and likely not check for high cholesterol or blood sugar, those people wouldn't get the treatments they need.

 

Myth: Having a high BMI increases your risk of heart attack

Like with blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, many studies have shown an association between high BMI and heart disease risk. Yet a recent self-reported study of 4,046 pairs of identical twins finds that having a high BMI does not increase these risks. In the 12 years that researchers followed the twins, there were 203 heart attacks and 550 deaths among the twins with higher BMIs, and 209 heart attacks and 633 deaths among thinner twins. Even those twins with a BMI of 30 or higher (which would deem them obese), had no increase in heart attack risk.

Myth: Eating healthy and exercising will always lower your BMI

Muscle weighs more than fat. So someone who adds exercise and healthy eating to their routine might actually gain weight—and that's not a bad thing. "People can be healthy at different body sizes," says Rebecca Puhl, PhD, deputy director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. Yet, she says, many doctors still stigmatize and place blame on patients they see as overweight, even if those patients are engaging in healthy eating and exercise behaviors.

Myth: You're healthy if your BMI is between 19 and 25

In case you don't know, this is how the BMI scale breaks down: A BMI lower than 18.5 is underweight, between 18.5 and 24.9 is normal, 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 or above is obese. But it wasn't always that way.

The National Institutes of Health changed BMI guidelines in 1998, dropping the overweight category from 27.8 to 25. Overnight, a woman who was 5 feet 4 inches tall and 155 pounds was suddenly considered overweight.

At the time, Bacon was a PhD student working on a dissertation on body weight and health. Her advisor was on the committee that made the recommendation, so she asked her why would they recommend lowering the numbers when all evidence pointed toward the need to raise them.

"She said to me, 'Linda, we came to the same conclusion [that the numbers should be raised], but government officials told us that we needed to make a recommendation that aligned with global standards.'" Bacon was floored—how could it be that politics played such a large role in this decision? So she took a look at how the global standards were set. It turns out that the task force that made that recommendation was funded by the only two pharmaceutical companies that made weight loss drugs at that time.

"Those companies stood to gain a lot financially if people who were perfectly healthy one day were overweight the next and would then be prescribed weight loss medication," she says. "It was shocking to realize that a recommendation like that was based more on financial gain than what was best for public health."

Myth: BMI is a good measure of health

This one should be pretty obvious by now. Since the guidelines were set without much basis on health and we know BMI doesn't work for everyone, it's pretty clear that it's not an accurate measure of health. Some experts, like Puhl and Bacon, believe that we shouldn't be looking at weight as a measure of health at all.

"When doctors only focus on the number on the scale, this can lead them to oversimplify health issues, ignore other pieces of information, and even stigmatize and blame patients." Puhl says.

Bacon agrees. Focusing on BMI and weight keeps doctors and other experts from seeing the real issues behind disease, she says. It goes back to the difference between "association" and "cause." Research hasn't proven weight to be the cause of most of the things we say it causes, Bacon says. So how can we possibly know that losing weight, or lowering your BMI, is an effective solution? Instead, focus on cooking balanced, satisfying and diverse food— like the recipes from our favorite irreverant cooks at Thug Kitchen.

All My Races ... Ever (2017 Updated)

It's been a while since I've done a recap of all the races I've ever ran.  And since I did a MASSIVE Goodwill donation run just before having my baby (I'm not kidding, I donated over 50 shirts, most of which were race related) ... I know the number is getting pretty big.

Here goes!


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2010

Races 1-6, Bibs 1-6

New Prague 5K
Lederhosenlauf 5K
Chaska Rotary Polio 5K
Lifetime Torchlight 5K
Gopher to Badger 5K
MN State Fair Milk Run 5K


2011

Races 7-13, Bibs 7-12

New Prague 5K
Carlyle Sherstad 5K
Rainbow Run 5K
Siren Freedom 5K
Shakopee Derby Days 5K
Crosby Serpent Run 5K, No Bib Provided
Lake Run 5K


2012

Races 14-24, Bibs 13-22

Get Lucky 7K
New Prague 5K
Carlyle Sherstad 5K
Rainbow Run 4K (revised course)
Time to Fly 5K
Color Run 5K
Crosby Serpent Run 5K, No Bib Provided
Lake Run 5K
Steamboat Days 5K
Iron Girl Du (run 2, bike 23, run 2)
Monster Dash Half Marathon


2013

Races 25 - 39, Bibs 23 - 37

Shamwalk 5K
Get Lucky 7K
DogNJog 5K
Minnetonka Half Marathon
Adventure Triathlon
Race Chaska 5K (rained out, no run but kept bib)
Rainbow Run 5K
Freedom 5K
Gandy Dancer Trail Run 5K
Webster Education Foundation 5K
Serpent Run 5K, No Bib Provided
Minneapolis Duathlon
Lake Run 5K
Chicago Half Marathon
Mankato Half Marathon
Monster Half Marathon


2014

Races 40 - 54, Bibs 38 - 52

Little Rock Marathon
Get Lucky 7K
Shamrock Shuffle 8K
Minnetonka Half Relay
Waconia Half Relay
Rainbow Run 5K
Freedom 5K
Chinatown 5K
Bacon Chase 5K
Webster Education 5K
Minneapolis Duathlon Relay
Lake Run 5K
Women Run the Cities 5K
Mankato 10K
Skeleton Run 5K


2015

Races 55 - 71, Bibs 53 - 68

Tri-U-Mah, No Bib Provided
Hot Chocolate 5K
Lake Minnetonka Half Relay
Cinco de Miler 5 miler
Run the Inferno 5K
Carlyle Sherstad 5K
Rainbow Run 5K
Freedom Five 5K
Gandy Fly-In 5K
Chase the Police Tri
Webster Education 5K
Lake Run 5K
Suds Run 5K
Women Run the Cities 10K
TC 10 mile
Patriot Power Run 5K
Mankato 10K

2016

Races 72 - 81, Bibs 69 - 77

Tri-U-Mah, No bib provided
Rainbow Run 5K
Freedom Five 5K
Froyo 5K
Gandy Dancer Fly In 5K
Webster Education 5K w/stroller
Lake Run 5K w/ stroller
Waconia Nickle Dickle 5K
Women Run the Cities 10K
Carreras de los Muertos 5K


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So, there you have it.  So far I have participated in 81 races (which means I have a real chance of clearing 100 races by the end of 2017), and I own 77 bibs.  If you want to consider the entire distances ... that would be:

   One 4K
   Fifty-five 5Ks (two with a stroller in tow)
   Three 7Ks
   One 8K
   One 5 miler
   Four 10Ks
   One 10 miler
   Five Half Marathons
   Three Half Marathon Relays (at about 6 miles each)
   One Partial Marathon (course was closed at mile 16-17ish)
   One Duathalon (4 miles ran)
   Two Duathlon relays (2x5K at each race)
   Three Triathlons (about 8 miles ran total)
   One Triathlon relay (about 8 miles ran)

Or, roughly 360 miles of racing on foot (this number is not including any swim or bike distances).  And let's not even talk about the training I did working up to that.  Phew!!


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So, close to seven years of running.  Wow.  I guess ... that's what it gets you!!  All the above, and a real sense of self accomplishment, too.

The "Maybe Some Day" Conundrum

Last week I happened to read this article and thought it was interesting enough to share.  Enjoy!


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If You're Still Holding Onto Clothes That Don't Fit, Here's Why You Might Want to Reconsider

Are you holding onto or buying clothes that don't fit? You might be doing more harm than motivation. Our friends at Shape share how holding onto your "maybe someday" clothes might be taking emotional and physical tolls on your body.


You know those jeans you keep folded in your closet that are too tight to button but you swear you'll fit into again someday? You're not alone. Yahoo Style recently surveyed over 1,000 women and found most of us have four or five pieces in our closets that are just like that.

One out of every 10 women (and one out of every seven millennial women) even report they've bought clothes that don't fit but that they hope to squeeze into down the line.

The thing is, holding onto too-tight clothing could be doing a number on your self-esteem. "When the goal size isn't realistic, healthy, and sustainable, the end result could be poorer body image, guilt, and shame when that goal isn't reached," says Samantha DeCaro, Psy.D., the assistant clinical director at The Renfrew Center of Philadelphia.

Dieting and working out like a maniac before your friend's wedding so you can squeeze into that *one*dress can backfire if it doesn't zip on the big day. Eventually, that lack of self-love could lead to serious issues with food.

Here's why: "Holding onto clothes that don't fit sends the clear message to yourself that your body isn't acceptable the way it is," DeCaro says. "This kind of negative self-talk only promotes shame, and shame can be a powerful fuel for an eating disorder and other self-destructive cycles." Depression and social anxiety, for instance, could be right around the corner.

Maybe you've convinced yourself it's OK to hold onto those jeans or that dress from college since they motivate you to get fit. That way of thinking seems logical, but it still suggests there's something wrong with your current shape. And that's a problem. "Motivational strategies should never involve shaming the body you have right now," DeCaro says.

A better approach is to find motivation in the way eating healthfully or hitting the gym makes you feel, rather than the number on a clothing tag, DeCaro says. And if those clothes in your closet are bringing you down, toss 'em. "Those reminders, more often than not, make us feel worse about ourselves," says Karen R. Koenig, a psychology of eating psychotherapist, author, and blogger. "Our best bet is accepting our bodies as they are now and working toward making them healthier, not slimmer."

7 Changes For Weight Loss

Today I came across an article titled "7 Changes To Make If You Want To Lose 20 Pounds Or More".

While typically I don't endorse those kinds of articles, I thought this one in particular was quite good.  Here's my summary of their 7 points.  You can click on the link above if you want to read their exact verbiage.



1 - Think Long Term

Basically, this means rather than "fast fix" diets, shakes or exercise routines, you need to approach whatever you take on as a "new normal".  Don't do anything new that you can't see yourself doing for the rest of your life, or eventually you'll stop doing it and the weight loss will not stick. 


2 - Focus on the Big Stuff

Rather than nit picking your minor day to day habits (like using a healthier creamer option for your coffee), think bigger picture when you adopt lifestyle changes.  For example, focus on adding more vegetables to your plate or drinking water over soda.  You can worry about the little stuff later, after you have the more important points under control first.


3 - Forget the Scale

Everyone I know CONSTANTLY talks numbers.  In reality, what the scale tells you doesn't matter if you are working out and getting healthy.  Plus, seeing the scale make minor fluctuations from one day to the next can be frustrating and demotivating.  Instead, force yourself to ignore the scale for a week or two at a time.


4 - Seize Opportunities

If you have a chance to do something simple like take the stairs, park further away and walk in, etc - take them!  All those little things add up to big change over time.


5 - Progressively Cut Calories

This one I feel a little ... meh on.  The article says shave more calories from your diet as you lose weight (IE 500 a day at first, and then maybe up to 600 a day after you lose 5-10 pounds).  I understand their justification for what they're saying ... but at some point, rather than say you need to cut 600 a day, I'd rather just see people focus on lifestyle adaptations that are maintainable long term.  So maybe once you've tweaked your lifestyle for big stuff like more vegetables and more exercise, you start to focus on smaller changes like using less dressing on your vegetables or going for a run instead of a walk ... stuff like that.


6 - LIFT

Yes!  I know cardio burns calories.  But ellipticals are not the answers to all life's woes.  The more muscle mass you carry, the higher your metabolism operates.  Get into a weight lifting routine that helps you build muscle as well as burn calories.  (AHEM - TBC anyone?!)


7 - Love Yourself

You know?  I really love that this is the final point in the article.  So many people forget to appreciate their body for what it is when they start a weight loss program.  The truth is, everyone out there has something they need to work on with their body - weight loss, muscle tone, whatever.  There's nothing wrong with that.  If you've made it this far, you've acknowledged you need to take steps towards making yourself healthier, so being OK with your body wherever it is today is exactly what you should be doing!

Eating Out - Health Tips

In order to keep my GroupX instructor certification current, I've been reading a book about sports nutrition by Nancy Clark.  It's somewhat interesting if you're curious to read it yourself, though it's fairly elementary information if you're someone more versed in nutrition like myself.

 

Anyway, commentary aside, I saw some information in there the other day that I found interesting.  Though I'm not a fan of eating fast food on a regular basis, I do understand that there's the occasion where it is unavoidable - for whatever reason.  Knowing that, I thought I would share the below.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

These Last Three Months

Ok, so I have to admit it's been a LONG time since I've seriously updated this blog.  I know I've done a few quick blurbs here or there, but the last post of real substance ... yeah.  It's been A WHILE.

Since I don't really know where I left off, let's see ... where do I pick back up again?  Well, let's just start with the last three months. 

First of all, obviously, this happened (hence the reason for my absence):

And then, in celebration of no longer having to manage my blood sugars (at least in that moment), this happened:

Eek.  That's one bloated face.  Sorry.  Blech! 

Anyway, speaking of blood sugars, most of you know I was diagnosed in my third trimester as a gestational diabetic. If you didn't read that post, go ahead and click over there it to get up to speed. 

If you're wondering where I landed with all that, here's the update: after giving birth, initially my blood sugars were a little high.  To make matters worse, at my 6 week postpartum appointment, by A1C blood test looked borderline high as well.  That meant I got to do another blood glucose blood screen. 

Hooray.

Yet another nasty bottle of orange drink later and a huge delay from the testing lab (seriously, blood sugar test results SHOULD NOT take a week to process), I ended up testing out diabetes free.  Phew!  What a relief. 

I guess if I take nothing else away from that entire experience, I do have one claim to fame: I have now done every glucose test known to man - the 1 hour, the 2 hour AND the 3 hour.  If that's something to brag about.  (Pro tip: it's not).

After finally knowing I was diabetes free and approved by my doctor to start back at the gym, I shifted my focus back to eating a reasonable diet (including cake - on occasion) and trying to get back into shape post baby ... which will hopefully circumvent the elevated risk I have of becoming type 2 diabetic in the future. 

Yes, you read that right. Six weeks post baby I was back to teaching one night a week at the gym.

Whatever, I managed a car trip to Chicago for a wedding when I was 2 weeks post delivery.  That made going back to the gym seem like a piece of cake.

 

Of course while we were in Chicago we had to stop and see the bean, right?  But I digress.

So ... lets see.  I covered birth, my gestational diabetes, the wedding, getting back to the gym ... what else?

Oh, well as you saw in this post, we did our first race cheer.  That was at 3 or 4 weeks post delivery.

Speaking of races, I actually "ran" two 5Ks already since having the baby (I use the word loosely - we're talking a 12-13 minute per mile pace).  Plus, we took our first family bike ride not too long ago, too.  Which means in terms of being physically active, I've done pretty much everything I did pre-baby aside from get back into the pool ... which is coming maybe next month, since I have too many things on the agenda right now.

Before you pass judgment on me jumping right back into being physically active, do re-read what I stated above (and I'll repeat it here): my doctor approved everything I did during and after my pregnancy.  And I don't regret one thing that I did physically during this entire pregnancy / post birth recovery cycle.  I say that because being so physically fit was a HUGE help in the delivery room (hello - I was admitted for delivery at 1:30 in the afternoon and the baby was born at 9:30 pm ... that is NOT normal for a first time mom).  And beyond birth itself, getting back into being active has been great for me as well. 

Why?  Well, because as of about 2 weeks ago - I WAS ALREADY BACK TO MY POST PREGNANCY BODY WEIGHT.  Granted, I am nowhere near as toned as I was when I first got pregnant, and I was carrying a bit of extra weight at that point that I was trying to/still need to work back down.  BUT WHO CARES?  Two and a half months post baby and the scale is where it was pre-pregnancy?  YASSSS!!!

Aside from my general physical health, there has been other fun stuff, too. 

Like ... well, I took a night off from mommyhood about a month post baby where my sister and I had a belated birthday party for me.  Yes, we saw Beyoncé.

And yes, I spent $45 on a crappy concert tee.  Don't judge.

And of course, in the last three months, I took TONS of time to be with my new BFF.  While I won't be posting much of him on this blog, I do have to say - he's a pretty cute baby (even if I AM a little biased).

So that's about it.  The highlights reel of what I did on maternity leave.  Which leaves me with two race recaps to get up to speed on, a third race I'm about to head out to this weekend, and a world of discussions that I may or may not post about being a mom - cloth diapers, working out post baby, etc.

Anyway - that's about it for today.  I hope you all had a nice last few months as well, and I look forward to getting back into a more regular blog cycle. 

See you here next week!

McDonald's Kale Salad

Did you hear the news?  McDonald's is offering a kale salad.

Did you hear the other news?  The salad has more calories, fat and sodium than a DOUBLE Big Mac.  LOL!!!!! 

"McDonald's boasts on its site that the 'Keep Calm, Caesar On' chicken salad contains 'real parmesan petals' and 'a nutrient-rich lettuce blend with baby kale.'  But once you plop the accompanying Asiago Caesar dressing on the crispy chicken version, the salad's nutritional profile doesn't look so good. According to McDonald's own numbers, the salad tops up at 730 calories, 53 grams of fat, and 1,400 milligrams of salt."

So what are nutrition experts saying about this menu choice?

"Obesity expert, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff says the chain is trying to appeal to consumers' need to 'feel like they're not making such terrible choices.' He adds, 'Words like kale can help do that.'"

And it's not just the kale salad that's at issue.

"Even McDonald's lightest chicken kale salad is not a nutritional winner ... Combined with the Greek Feta Dressing, the 'I'm Greek-ing ' salad with grilled chicken amounts to: 420 calories, 26 grams of fat, and 1,080 milligrams of sodium. That's almost the same calorie, fat and salt content as a Double Cheeseburger."

Read about the new menu item here.  But my personal favorite quote from the entire article? 

"CBC News had to do some searching online to crunch the numbers for salads. Nutritional information for the kale salads (on McDonald's nutritional information list) excludes the dressing they're served with. We found the dressings in a separate category under 'condiments.'"

Everything in Moderation ... ???

Since I'm kind of on a New Years Resolution kick lately, what with my last few posts being themed around healthy eating and health goal achievements, I thought I'd continue the trend today and discuss the dreaded topic of ...

"Everything in Moderation"

Dun-dun-dun!

About a month ago, I read an article titled "Everything in Moderation Is a Terrible Rule to Eat By".  At first, I totally took the click bait into the article and read it because I was like - Say what?  No way!  Moderation is key!

But after reading the article, I walked away thinking ... you know, I kind of agree. 

Just look at the opening paragraph of the article:

" “Everything in moderation” is attractive advice, but also a trap. It amounts to saying we shouldn’t have too much of anything, which is true by definition: that’s why we call it “too much.” But the word “moderation” is vague, and its vagueness makes it a friendly, big-tent kind of concept: however much you eat, you can find a way of convincing yourself that you eat in moderation."

Well ... dang.  As much as I like the moderation saying, I guess I can't argue with that statement.  I mean - think about it.  Many people today do not understand things such as portion control, how to make proper meal selections like eating several servings of fruit and vegetables daily, and don't really try to limit themselves on out to eat items like pizza/burgers/fried foods to once a week or less. 

So if people are already overeating in a category, is saying "everything in moderation" really going to help them?

For example:  we just reviewed last week in my Government Dietary Guidelines post that American men as a demographic way over eat animal based proteins on a regular basis, and that sugary drinks compose of 47% of the added sugars Americans consume every day (regardless of gender).  Using this example, let's make up a fictional character named John Doe.

So, John Doe normally eats three times the daily recommended intake of meat each day, and drinks 5 sodas.  To him, what is moderation?  Since that's his daily average, would he consider that moderation? 

Or say, John Doe decides he is in fact eating too much, and chooses to "moderate" himself by cutting back one serving of each item a day, thus reducing himself to two times the daily recommended intake of meat and drinking 4 sodas ... would he consider that moderation?

Thinking through the above, if John Doe is only ever directed to eat "in moderation", at what point does he actually get himself in line with healthy portions?  And will he ever truly practice "moderation" in the way that a dietician or health care professional would approve?

Interestingly, the article specifically addresses this topic, going on to say:

"Nutrition professionals have a specific meaning for the word: moderation means small portions, especially when talking about food that we should eat little to none of. This isn’t the “everything in moderation” that Aristotle wrote about, where we try to avoid extremes of too much and too little. There’s no such thing as too little candy: you can skip it entirely and still be perfectly healthy. Instead, nutritionists use the concept of moderation as a tool for managing cravings. Here’s how two dieticians described it in the Journal of Nutrition Education:

“[T]he message of balance, variety and moderation also can help remove some of the psychological baggage attached to healthful eating in the U.S. It can eliminate “all-or-nothing” perceptions that give rise to guilt, and in many cases, overeating, when people inevitably choose less healthful foods.”

There are some good ideas here: eating a little bit of junk food doesn’t have to derail your diet, and knowing that it’s okay to treat yo’self can make it easier to stick to a healthy eating plan in the first place."

And of course, then they throw in the big "B" word into the article:

"But.

Once you give yourself license to eat anything “in moderation,” it easily turns into license to eat anything, and call it moderation. The word has become an excuse, a way to say “screw you, I’m going to eat whatever I want”—all while smugly proclaiming that you live by simple, folksy advice and don’t have to worry about the latest in nutrition science."

And then the article gets even better!

"Not convinced? Think about this: The junk food companies love the concept of “moderation”.

For example, look at the Back to Balance Coalition, made of 18 “leading food groups” that have signed a statement of principles promoting moderation. Their motto: “All foods fit in a balanced diet.”

And those food groups? They include the Sugar Association, the National Confectioners Association, the Corn Refiners Association (makers of corn syrup), the National Potato Council (remember that most potato consumption in America is through chips and fries), the Grocery Manufacturers Association (members include Coca-Cola and Hershey), and the Snack Food Association.

Their statement declares that “All foods can fit within a healthful, overall dietary pattern if consumed in moderation with appropriate portion size and combined with physical activity.” In other words, these groups really don’t want you to say that you should stop eating their food, or that you should think of your diet as unhealthful if it includes their foods."

Bahahahaha!  Sugar and fried potatoes as "food groups".  That's a good one.

Especially copupled with this quote:

"The reference to physical activity is also technically true while mostly meaningless: Sure, you can burn off the calories in your pack of Doritos, but that doesn’t erase the fact that you ate it. We also know that you can’t rely on exercise to keep you healthy if you’re eating crap."

Anyway.  This blog post is getting long winded.  What's my point?  Well, why not take one last article snippet?

" “Everything in moderation” is a crappy rule to live by. But it’s great as inspiration for coming up with rules that can help you in the long run.

It’s true that small portions of junk food are better than large portions, and that you don’t have to completely cut a well-loved treat out of your life. So decide—now, not when you’re standing at the sundae bar—what treats are worth eating and how much you can “afford” to eat without sabotaging yourself.

...Choose your treats on their merits, deciding for example whether that slice of cake tastes good enough to be worth a minor setback in your weight loss. You can be mindful of your cravings and create triggers to redirect yourself to better choices.

... If you’re not trying to lose weight—or if you’ve decided that you just don’t care what you eat (maybe this is a stressful time in your life and you just need to get through this last year of school with whatever comfort foods it takes), be honest with yourself. And be honest with others too: don’t dismiss dietary advice with “Duh, everything in moderation.” Instead tell the truth: “That’s probably good advice, but I’m not going to follow it.” "



***Thanks to this article for the above references.  Keep in mind that I only quoted a small segment of that piece - to read the article in full, click here.

New US GOV Published Dietary Guidelines

Wow!  I read an article today backed by the US Government that I could actually agree with.

Color me surprised.

Basically, the article was written about the newly published dietary guidelines.  But some interesting snippets I particularly enjoyed:

- After a backlash from the meat industry and Congress, the administration ignored several suggestions from a February report by an advisory committee of doctors and nutrition experts. That panel suggested calling for an environmentally friendly diet lower in red and processed meats and de-emphasized lean meats in its list of proteins that are part of a healthy diet. But as in the previous years, the government still says lean meats are part of a healthy eating pattern.

- While lean meats are promoted, the government does suggest certain populations, such as teen boys and adult men, should reduce their meat intake and eat more vegetables. Data included in the report shows that males ages 14 to 70 consume more than recommended amounts of meat, eggs and poultry, while women are more in line with advised amounts.

- Guidelines always have been subject to intense lobbying by food industries, but this year's version set off unprecedented political debate, fueled by Republicans' claims the Obama administration has gone too far in telling people what to eat.  Congress got involved, encouraging the administration to drop the recommendations based on environmental impact and at one point proposing to set new standards for the science the guidelines can use. That language did not become law, however. A year-end spending bill simply said the guidelines must be "based on significant scientific agreement" and "limited in scope to nutritional and dietary information."

Before I can move on from these snippets, I just have to say: it never ceases to amaze me what corporations will do.  Though I shouldn't' be shocked that lobbyists pressed for an inclusion of more red and processed meats into these guidelines, I'm glad the ones in charge stuck to their guns.  The simple reality is, Americans do eat too much meat overall, and we certainly don't need as much red and processed meat as we get.  So I'm thrilled to see the verbiage dropped any reference to meat beyond "lean meats are part of a healthy eating pattern".

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Beyond the more amazing facts above, these basics left me feeling ... "aaaahhhh". 

- Released every five years, the guidelines are intended to help Americans prevent disease and obesity... the main message hasn't changed much over the years: Eat your fruits and vegetables. Whole grains and seafood, too. And keep sugar, fats and salt in moderation.

- One new recommendation is that added sugar should be 10 percent of daily calories. That's about 200 calories a day, or about the amount in one 16-ounce sugary drink. The recommendation is part of a larger push to help consumers isolate added sugars from naturally occurring ones like those in fruit and milk. Added sugars generally add empty calories to the diet. Sugar-sweetened beverages make up a large portion of those empty calories. According to the guidelines, sugary drinks comprise 47 percent of the added sugars that Americans eat every day.

- "Small changes can add up to big differences," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

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Finally, some realistic guidelines for how to shape your daily diet.  This, I approve!



***(Want some additional help in shaping your daily eating patterns?  Check out this "Healthy Eating Plate", published by the Harvard Medical School.)***

Read It & Weep! 3

Late last month, I hinted at the fact that I was about to be published again in the local paper.

I don't think that the article has officially hit the presses yet, but since this topic is well timed due to New Years Resolution Season and many of you won't see the actual paper itself anyway (since it's a small publication), I thought I might just go ahead and share.

Enjoy!

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Three Steps to Resolution Success

Happy 2016! Now that we’re a few days into the New Year, how are your resolutions coming along? Are you making progress towards your “new you”? If you are like many Americans resolving to improve your health in 2016, you are not alone. Every year, almost anyone you talk to has resolved to do something along the lines of lose weight, eat healthier or be more fit. And yet, statistics show that less than 10% of people actually achieve these types of goals by year end. 

What can we do to improve these statistics? By following a few simple guidelines, anyone can improve their odds of resolution success. Let these three steps show you how.

Step One – Start Small

Sometimes we sabotage ourselves on our resolution goals before we have even started. Though your goal may be to lose 20 pounds, or run 5 miles, or change to a more plant based diet … it is important to remember you do not need to hit that goal overnight. In fact, trying to achieving these types of goals too quickly will have the opposite effect, since major changes in your existing routine end up feeling overwhelming and unmanageable. As a result, you may not stick to them at all.

Developing small, manageable stepping stones towards your end goal is key in ensuring success. For example: instead of that 20 pound goal, start out by focusing on losing a half a pound a week; rather than go all out on a 5 mile run, just aim to run 20-30 minutes a day / 2-3 times per week; and don’t try to go vegan overnight, instead work to incorporate an additional produce item into each meal. After a few weeks of incorporating small changes into your daily life, minor adjustments like these will slowly become part of your regular routine. Then, with the changes mastered, you will open the opportunity to introduce additional small, maintainable changes – and those too, eventually will become habit as well.

Step Two – Move More

For any resolution goal directed towards improving health – weight loss, increased fitness, etc – moving more is a vital component to that success. But as stated in number one above, taking an all in approach towards getting more activity is a guaranteed fail. Not only will your body feel sore or stiff following a new or intense workout regime, but a quick switch into a high volume workout plan will begin to feel impossible to maintain on week two … or three or four, if you even make it that far.

Using the inspiration above, and considering your current level of activity, start with a slow build into a routine. If you’re currently not active at all, start by going for a brisk 20 minute walk 2-3 times per week. If you’re already walking, try adding some short running intervals to your routine, or join a group fitness class once a week. And if you’re already doing a class once a week, consider adding a second class or an additional new activity to your schedule. The key here is to build gradually, letting your body adjust to an increased volume of movement each week. Even adding 20 minutes of additional activity once a week – and maintaining that long term – will take you to your end goal.

Step Three – Examine Your Eating

Just like moving more, examining your eating is another vital component to healthy resolution success. And as stated in point one above, changing your existing diet overnight is not the solution – instead, incorporating small changes here or there is the ticket. 

Take some time to examine what you eat at every sitting (yes, even those daily snacks and late night freezer runs), and see what small changes you can make each day that still fulfill your appetite or craving, but with a slightly healthier twist. What may seem like an inconsequential omission from your meal, such as the cheese on your daily sandwich at lunch, actually makes a big difference long term: leaving off that cheese could save you around 150 calories a day – over the course of 365 days, that’s 54,750 calories, or the equivalent of what it takes to create approximately 15 pounds of body fat. Even if your goal isn’t weight loss, those spare calories open up the opportunity for you to add something with higher nutritional value into your daily eating instead, improving your health even more.

**Natalie Cobb is a Group Fitness Instructor at the Chaska Community Center. She invites you to join her for a work out every Tuesday/Thursday at 5:30pm. Drop in class is $5.25 / $4.25 (members).**