(Almost) 90th Post / Pre-Black Friday Giveaway! Closes 11.22.2013

Good lord!  I'm almost to my 90th post to this blog. 

First question - how did this happen?

Second question - why are you still here reading?  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you are!  I guess that means I must be doing something right?!

Since I haven't done anything to celebrate lately, and I'm not in the mood for a night of binge drinking and crazy dancing, let's do another headband giveaway!

 

In conjunction with my sister's Etsy business, BellasBoutiqueMN, for the next week I am offering you a chance at winning a free prize!

What's the prize, you ask?

Well, only my favorite workout accessory in the world, of course!!  A super awesome wicking headband!

For those of you who don't remember my last giveaway, let's revisit the pictures of me, rockin' the bands...

Yes, it's true.  I really do wear these.  All.  The.  Time.



Here's the scoop:

Two lucky people will get to choose any color headband shown here.  Winners will be randomly selected on 11/23/2013, and their names posted on my blog the following Monday.  Yes, that's right.  In an effort to thwart all the mass retailers having Thanksgiving Day sales (thus pushing up Black Friday to be Bummer Thursday), I'm going to do something the Friday BEFORE Black Friday.  Take that, mass market merchants!  *sticks out tongue*



How to enter:

Option 1 - Share my blog post via my daily Facebook link.  You must share it from my original post, or I won't be able to see the "share".  You will be able to see that link ONLY if we are friends on Facebook, sorry.

Option 2 - Subscribe to my blog. Need help on this?  There's a subscribe link on the upper right column of my blog for easy access, or you can go to www.blogger.com/home to set up an account and add me manually from there.

Option 3 - Help me spread the news of my giveaway by linking to it on your personal blog/facebook/twitter/other site.  Just be sure you also link to your post in the notes below to earn this point.

If you do any or all above, you get a point for each activity.  Why not go for the gold and do all three?  Come on!


How to redeem your prize:

This is the most important part.  If your name is posted as a "winner" (I mean, yes, we're all winners at heart... but that doesn't guarantee you a prize), you must contact me ASAP with your shipping address and color choice.  I will then arrange the headbands deliver to you directly.  Winners must contact me by 11/29/2013 or prize will be forfeited.


And please don't forget to support the little guys by purchasing handmade goods, ok?  Especially with the holiday season just around the corner... I bet you've got a teacher, coworker or friend that would love a BellasBoutiqueMN headband as a gift!


 Well, that's it.  Good luck!

Totally Tubular TBC (80's Night)

EEEP!  I'm running a little late on my post today.  Sorry about that.

Maybe I'm just running slow because of my awesome night last night.  In case you didn't know, I taught my normal Tuesday group fitness class (Total Body Fitness, or TBC for short).

But, it wasn't exactly... normal...

Yes, I definitely spent lots of time getting ready for this class... and also, getting strange looks in the locker room.  In fact, I think I spent more time getting ready for this than I do on a usual day getting dressed.  I suppose it didn't help that I had to tell about 10 people that I was teaching an 80s themed class that night.

Also, I forgot how gross hairspray is and how much I had to cake it in my hair for my 80s/90s mall bangs.  Not to mention how gross polyester leggings and leg warmers are. 

I was practically swimming in a cloud of hairspray and sweat before class even started.  Long story short, I'm not sorry the 80s are over!

Aside from a wacky outfit, I was hoping this would be a fun class, and really wanted to include a bunch of 80's style workout moves... but after watching several workouts on Youtube, I realized most of it was either too low impact for my class format, or seemed way too outdated/dangerous to even include.  Instead, I followed a typical format with a few 80's-esque stretches and cardio moves at the beginning.

Below is the playlist I used and the class format I followed, if you're curious.  I have the Tempo Magic app, and used it to pitch all the songs up to about a 134/135BPM (aside from the last two songs on the list, which are obviously meant for cool down).

And yes, I know the songs aren't all EXACTLY from the 80's... but they're retro enough.  So there.

 

 

     Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

     When I Think of You - Janet Jackson

     Tainted Love - Soft Cell

     Cover Girl - New Kids on the Block

     We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel

     Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield

     Message in a Bottle - The Police

     Super Freak - Rick James

     Burning Down the House - Talking Heads

     The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats

     Down Under - Men at Work

     Freedom - George Michael

     Get Off - Prince

     I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred

     Love Shack - B 52's

     Jump On It - Sir Mix-a-Lot

     Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds

     Faith - George Michael 

Warm-up:
(complete below in approximately 10 minutes, repeating each move as needed)

- Stand with legs in a wide stance, take a deep breath in while reaching up, then exhale while reaching down and gently squatting.  Repeat. 
- Squat, with legs wide, and stretch arms out into a T.  Slowly reach arms out to left and right, feeling the stretch in your torso/back. 
- Hold stretch on right, tipping down and touching hand to ankle.  Come back to center and repeat to left ankle.  Come back to center.
- Rest hands on thighs, lowering shoulder to alternate knee (right & left, coming center before switching sides) deepening the stretch across the back.  Repeat several times.
- Center up again, lifting chest and shoulders, then drop chest to center and slowly roll up to standing.
- March, step touch.  Slowly add shoulder roll to step touch.
- Continue to make shoulder rolls larger, finally extending arm all the way to the ceiling for a reach, then across body, and eventually "throwing down".
- Back to step touch, adding hamstring curls, switching to pulling knees up.
- Change to grapevine right and left.  After a few sets, add 2 jacks at the end of each grapevine.
- Switch to squats.  Hold the final squat and pulse, then switch to tapping the toes back in a lunge.  Add extended T/V arms when ready.
- Hold the final lunge on the right and drop hands down into runners lunge.  After a brief stretch, bring left leg back and complete a set of 8 pushups.  Come back up into runner's lunge on opposite side.
- After a brief stretch on left, raise chest back up, holding lunge.  Proceed into jumping lunges spaced at counts of 8, 4, 2, and then singles for an extended set.
- Switch back to basic squats, then low squats with alternating knee lifts, eventually standing straight up with a high knee lift.
- Finish the warm-up with a long set of jacks, jogging in place, butt kicks and jacks.


Strength & Cardio:
(complete below in approximately 30-40 minutes, rotating through as follows: "Challenge", Set 1, "Challenge", Set 2, Set 3, repeat.  Goal is to complete 4 "challenges", and sets 1-3 twice)

"Challenge" set - 10 pushups, 20 seconds squat jumps, 8 burpees.
Set 1 - basic squats with weights, curtsey squats with weights, cardio: climb the mtn and ski down.
Set 2 - traveling lunges with weights out and back (length of room), traveling lunges without weights but extending back leg into a gluteal lift upon standing, cardio: jumping lunges
Set 3 - weighted bicep curls, bent forward rows and flies, standing overhead triceps, traveling frog jumps with a pushup (length of room), cardio: tabatta sprint jumps 20/10 (x6).


Floor work & Cool Down:
 (complete below in approximately 10-20 minutes)

"7 band legs" - using a resistance band, place handle on right foot and assume a table top position.  Run band, on floor, up along the right outside edge of torso and under hands/chest.  The band should create a 7 shape on the floor.  Start by bringing your knee to chest, and then extending leg out straight (level with hips).  Eventually, raise toe up towards ceiling on the extension.  Switch to fire hydrant.  Repeat other side.

Abdominals - lay down on back and put resistance band handles on both feet.  Lift legs straight into air above hips.  Choke up on the band, which should be hanging loose by knees - hold with hands to create resistance.  Complete a set of pelvis lifts, then a set of alternating leg drops, and finally a set of v-ups while opening legs at a 45 degree angle (closing legs again when lowering chest).  Set resistance band aside and finish with a set of oblique plank drops.

Cool down - complete various stretches, full body, preferably done laying down or seated. 

 

My Nemeses

Today I'd like to give a shout out to all my racing nemeses!

I WILL beat you some day!

(Yes, yes - these are all examples of people who have cruised right past me in actual races.  Photos for representation only, to protect the so called "innocent".  Except for the dogs.)


#1 - old man who doesn't run so much as shuffle... yet still smokes right past me:

#2 - lady that is pushing a 50+ lb stroller and just looks oh so perky:

#3 - lady that is pushing a DOUBLE WIDE stroller and STILL looks perky:

#4 - that damn wiener:

#5 - guy with American flag (wouldn't have bothered me so much had it not been whapping me in the face on top of beating me to the finish):

#6 - kid who beats his mom to the finish, then runs backwards on course to find her and subsequently beats me to the finish again:

#7 - others, too numerous to mention...


*Sigh.*  Me thinks I might have a dash of competitive nature in my blood.

Product Review: MyFitnessPal App (iPhone/iPad)

In my weight loss journey, there are a few tools I've come to rely on to help me along the way.  And by tools, I don't just mean gym equipment.  (If you've read this blog at all, you know I'll always tell you working out alone won't give you the body you want.)

So - time for me to hit you over the head with truth. 

Yes, you have to consider what you're eating to be healthy, too.

Now don't get all uppity with me:

I don't care.  Being healthy is not just about working out.  Your body is a high tech machine, right?  As such, you have to put things in your body that keep it fully functioning.  Even if you're not "counting calories", you should be generally aware of how well you're keeping your machine running.

And that's why today, I'm going to talk about the iPhone/iPad app called "MyFitnessPal".  (It may be available for other devices, too, but I will just speak to how I use it, which is on Apple products).

Before I get too far, the app icon looks like this:

Aw, so cute, right? 

Ok, ok.  Back to business.

What is MyFitnessPal?  Simply put, it is a powerful tool that can be used to help anyone track their daily food intake and what it is doing for their body.  Overweight folks can use it for weight loss, active folks can use it as a tool to ensure they are consuming enough calories to fuel the workouts, and health conscious people can use it as a way to see what nutritional benefits they get out of their daily diet.  There's also an entire social network thing as well as other features too.

I personally downloaded the program a few years back to use it as a weight loss tool.  However, as I have grown, the program has become much more than that for me. This review will walk through that evolution.


The Beginning - Calorie Counting & Weight Loss

When I first downloaded this app, I looked to MyFitnessPal to help me track my daily caloric intake and lose weight.  I saw that I could put in my current weight and my goal weight, and it would help me establish a caloric base line to achieve that goal in a healthy manner over time.  (Note: you should always work with your doctor to ensure the diet you follow is correct for you.  Also, all images below are from Google, and not from my actual app.)

In the early stages, I would enter my weight each morning, enter the food I would eat at each meal, and then review each week how I was doing towards my weight loss goal.  It was pretty fun to watch the chart drop as I lost weight.

Not long after I started using the program, I learned that I could eat MORE if I worked out MORE.  Hmmm... novel concept, right?  I also figured out that the program was pretty accurate in determining how many calories I burned doing a workout based on my current weight.  So, I started plugging those in whenever I could.

And this pretty much summarizes my first year or so of use on the MyFitnessPal app.  I ate, I worked out, and I lost weight.  Eventually, I learned how to "eyeball" my food intake, and didn't really need to rely on the app to track my calories each day.  At that point, I started to use the app for an entirely different reason.


The Second Year - Eating What I Burn

After pretty much nailing healthy eating habits and portion sizes, entering my daily dietary intake became tedious.  I didn't do it every day anymore, since I didn't really need to.  HOWEVER, this was also when I started bike commuting on a regular basis, as well as training for my first half marathon.

Since my personal health had evolved, the way I used MyFitnessPal evolved as well.  I began to learn that riding my bike or running for 2-2.5 hours in a day made me REALLY hungry.  I wouldn't realize how hungry I was on the day of the activity, and would spend the entire next day being so hungry I wanted to gnaw my arm off for sustenance.

This is when MyFitnessPal became my tool to make sure I was eating enough in a day.  So, any day where I knew I did a lot of activity (and maybe not enough eating), I would plug in all the details and see where I landed.  Let's just say, I had lots of reasons to eat dessert on those days.

The Third Year and Beyond - Dining Out & General Nutrition

As the years go on with MyFitnessPal, I find I still use it for a few things on a regular basis.  On my more active days, I utilize the above features (IE tracking calories burned in a workout and ensuring I eat what I need to keep my body happy). 

But, I also use it for an entirely different reason now - it's become my tool to guide me in making nutritional food choices.

One of the best features of the program is the fact that there are TONS of foods in the library.  This becomes hugely helpful when eating out.  For example, sometimes I find an item on a menu at a restaurant that sounds good, only to look it up and find out it's like 5 billion calories and 100 grams of fat.  Or, sometimes I am surprised to find out that a menu item is extremely healthy, and I can also have an appetizer along with it. 

Another way I use it now is to spot check the quality of my diet.  The app has really cool summary charts and graphs that will show you how well you're doing towards eating all the vitamins you need, and where you get the bulk of your calories (carbs/fat/protein).  As I work towards transitioning to a plant based diet and continue to train heavily for running and strength, this tool ensures I am putting the right things into my body to keep it happy.

Fair warning here... the calories/fat/whatever aren't always 100% accurate and you may find some mistakes (especially in the dining out category).  However, if you treat the app as a guidance tool instead of the bible, you'll still have success in your dietary choices.


Your Q&A

I'm guessing by now, you're saying "sounds great, but how much does this cost"?  When I downloaded the app a few years back, it was free.  Hopefully when you decide to give it a try, it will still be free.  If not, it is definitely worth a few bucks.  Trust me on that one.

And at this point, I think I've covered the entire app... so floor's open.  If you have any other questions, ask away below.  I'll do my best to respond (although, not to tech support issues... that one is all up to the app designers).

Deep Thoughts While Running #4

This one is an oldie but a goodie that I posted on Facebook about 6 months ago, before I started this blog.  But, being at a costume themed race a few weeks back, I had a ... "fresh reminder" of the whole situation right in front of me that brought the old topic back to the surface.  And now that I think about it again, it's still pretty funny.

So, without any further adieu...

If you were out on a run, would you want a complete stranger to alert you

if you were having a wardrobe malfunction?
 

Here's what happened:

Out on my "usual" post work run (and by out, I mean running the 10 loop/mile "hamster wheel" track at my local gym), I noticed a young woman in front of me was having a small issue.  It seems her spandex running tights had one too many trips through the wash, and as a result had become quite sheer.

My immediate reaction was "Huh.  I wonder if that girl realizes that her running tights are see through in the butt.  I can totally see her black thong underneath."

It took me a few seconds to fully absorb the situation.  Once reality set in, I realized she was very likely quite clueless about what she was showing the world. 

And of course, I never would have expected her to be aware of it, because who looks at their back side in the mirror before going to work out?

Not sure what to do, I spent at least 1/3 of a mile running behind her wondering if I should inform her of her wardrobe malfunction.... and also reminiscing on the origination of the term wardrobe malfunction.  Seriously, what would we do today if it weren't for Janet and Justin at the super bowl that infamous year?

Honestly, what would I call this if we didn't have that term?

"Ah, excuse me miss, your seem to be having a wardrobe malfunction small issue."  Nope, doesn't really do the trick.

By this point, about one mile has been completed, and I'm starting to overthink what to say.  I mean, how does one approach a young lady and tell her that her thong is on display (inadvertently) for the world to see??

Before I can get too far into deciding what to tell the girl as I approach her, my mind starts to wander. I begin to wonder what would I say back to someone if they told me they could see my thong through my pants?

And then, I have another thought.  "Wait, wait, wait... we've been running this track for just over a mile now.  How can she do that in a thong?  I chafe when my t-shirt doesn't sit right on my collar bone, and it's not even wedged in anywhere.  She must have a crack of steel."

Yikes.

As I continue to contemplate the situation, I notice she is at the track with a male friend of sorts.  He is a faster runner than her, and simply says hello as he laps her every so often.  I also notice something peculiar about his situation... he is running in a pair of basketball shorts with a word written across his butt.

I thought that was a girl thing?  You know, like the whole Juicy track pant trend?

What is up with these two people, running the track together, having "butt issues"?

Are they PLANNING this together?!

Given this new discovery, I begin to wonder what the girl's response might be if I alert her to her sheer pants.  I mean, what if these two in cahoots together and TRYING to be weird?  I can just about imagine her saying...

And as I process that thought, my Nike+ chimes in and tells me my run is completed. 

I promptly exit the track and leave the two to finish their run. 

Superfoods or Superscams?

If you haven't heard the word "superfood" lately, please raise your hand.

Anyone...

Anyone...

Bueller????

Yeah, that's what I thought.  It's kind of  a buzz word these days, no?

So - superfoods.  What are they?  What does it mean?

Before I go too far, yes - I get the concept.  There are foods out there that have lots of nutrients in them.  They're extra good for you.  You should try to eat more of them.

You know what I call superfoods?  Fruits and vegetables, eaten in large varieties and quantities.

Surprise.

I bet that's not what you though I'd say.

But check it out.  Wikipedia totally breaks down the smoke screen:

"Superfood is a marketing term used to describe foods with supposed health benefits.  The term is not in common use by dietitians and nutrition scientists, many of whom dispute that particular foodstuffs have the health benefits often claimed by advocates of particular superfoods."

Unproven health benefits, eh?  Marketing term, you say?

And yet, the food industry likes to put claim them all over their packages.  Liars.

Alright - beyond the obvious concept of eating more fruits and vegetables...

I've been wondering lately, at what point do you believe the hype behind a "superfood" and cash out to buy it.  Or, conversely, when do you see through the smoke and call bull-honkey?

Ta-da, just in time, I stumbled upon this article.

To make life easy for you, I'm going to highlight a few of the good for you items they mention that I also think are easy to afford and incorporate in your daily diet.  Of course, this list is not meant to be all inclusive.  I'm just getting the conversation started.  If you've got other suggestions, chime in with comments below. 

In the meantime, let's browse through the gallery...

Coconut water

"Definitely worth the price.  It's a great, natural electrolyte replacement after a long workout. Although Gatorade and Powerade still corner the market, coconut water contains less sugar and it's actually higher in potassium—an important mineral that needs replenishing post-exercise."  Natalie's footnote: still a "sugary" drink, so please consume in moderation.  My rule is - thirsty?  Water first!!

Greek style yogurt

"From a health point of view, it’s worth spending the extra money.  Plain Greek yogurt is higher in protein and contains about half the sugar, so it keeps you fuller longer."

Almond butter

"Almond butter might be the better bet - compared to peanut butter, you’ll get about the same amount of calories, but the almond version packs 169% more vitamin E, delivers twice as much fiber and nearly seven times the calcium. If you’re having trouble getting your hands on a jar, spring for natural peanut butter... you’ll at least skip out on all that added sugar packed into processed brands."

Kale

"Kale has almost four times the amount of antioxidant Vitamin C as spinach, and it's noticeably high in vitamin A and vitamin K. It can be sautéed, served in a salad and even made into crispy chips, using just a dash of olive oil."

Quinoa

"Cholesterol-free, higher in both protein and fiber than rice, and packed with vitamins. Plus, it can be eaten as a snack, sprinkled on a salad or combined with veggies and nuts for a wholesome side dish."



I dunno... those options all sound pretty tasty!!  Not that I've been eating anything ... as I ... type this blog...

Ahem.

Side note - yes, I'm leaving off chia seeds.  I think it's more expensive and less easy to incorporate at a basic/"beginner" level.  Honestly, I consider chia more of an "advanced healthy eating" food.  That being said, you are welcome to enjoy it in your diet if you can, I know I do.

And, one last thing.

I just want to highlight my personal favorite excerpt from the entire article (although, technically, I don't consider the gluten free category to be a "superfood", so I'm not sure why they put it in to begin with).  Check it out:

"Unless you have gluten sensitivity, (eating gluten free foods) doesn’t actually help with weight loss.  In fact, gluten-free items tend to be lower in fiber and, in some cases, can pack more calories than regular foods."

BAHAHAHAHA!!!!!  Imagine that.  Subsisting one kind of highly processed food for another kind of even more highly processed food ... isn't ... good ... for you.  No way!

Alright, that's enough food for thought today. 

Go - go eat something healthy.

Fanatic 5269

So this happened:

I guess I'm officially crazy?!

Check out the Half Fanatics website if you're curious to learn more.