“I’ve lost x# of pounds and I’m feeling really good but I really want to lose 10 more pounds. What should I do?”

That’s really what inspired me to start this blog.

Step 1. Start your day with a green smoothie!

Step 2. Eat more vegetables!

Step 3. Coming soon…

I’m addicted to green smoothies…  It’s the greatest way to start your day.  First thing in the morning you give your body what it craves.  Fruit and green leafy veggies – tons of nutrients.  Forget all those powders, pills and potions.  Eat as nature intended.  Nothing processed that sits on a shelf for months…  Fresh and delicious.  

I’ve experimented with all sorts of different ingredients depending on what’s in season and what I have here in the house. The base for me is always a banana, almond milk and greens. I usually use spinach but try to mix it up. I like kale too but it has a distinct taste and I find myself choosing spinach most often… For the record, you should rotate your greens to get a wide range of vitamins and minerals, keep mixing it up!

So anyway, on to my current favorite:

Ingredients:
1 banana (the more ripe the better)
1/2 a cantoloupe
1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
3-4 handfuls of fresh spinach (add more as you get used to it)
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen cherries

Preparation:
Put the banana and cantaloupe in a blender. Add the almond milk. Turn on and blend completely.

Add spinach. You can start with less but experiment! You will be shocked at how much you can add and it will still be delicious! I probably use about 6 cups of fresh spinach…

Blend again until it is completely smooth and you can’t see any bits.

Add frozen blueberries and frozen cherries.  Blend again.

Sprinkle some chia seeds on top.

Drink and enjoy!

I ran all summer in my VFFs without too much of a problem but then in the fall my kids went back to school, the weather got cooler and I had lots of spare time.  My mileage increased AND my frequency increased…  Before long I had pain in the top of my foot.  It was classic too much, too fast.  It’s ok to change one thing which I think is the reason I was able to just change out my shoes and nothing else but increasing mileage and frequency at the same time caused me some problems.  So learn from my mistake…  If you want to switch over to running barefoot, the key is to take it SLOOOOOW….

There are some great resources out there about barefoot running.  Check out some of these links:

Here is a HOW TO TRANSITION Program, if you know anyone who is interested… Plus good info to just go over!
http://www.runbare.com/446/how-to-transition-into-vibram-five-fingers/
And here are a bunch of resources…studies at the top, articles in the middle and videos and websites near the bottom: GREAT INFO HERE !

http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/runner-communities/barefoot-running/barefoot-minimalist-shoe-resources-research-articles-videos-websites

Here is a major study articles, just posted earlier this year from Dr. Daniel Lieberman of Harvard… This also shows some biomechanics and efficiency info.

http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/

The author is Chris McDougall, also the author of “Born to Run”, just an outstanding story, and a really good book! It’s what helped me change my mind and outlook!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv4Se5ka9Pk

Here’s a youtube of the little girl running, kind of what I was explaining to ya. And the author has the basics of Chi and POSE Running methods that he addresses in the video too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5RInqy0wOo

Here is the article from Parade Magazine from a couple of months ago:

http://www.parade.com/health/2010/01/03-barefoot-running.html

And then, earlier this year I read one of the best books ever.  It’s Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  This book was on the bestseller list and I’d heard that even people that didn’t like to run loved it.  I can see why. The book starts off with the author being told by a doctor that he should never run again.  “Buy a bike”, the doctor says.  That doctor must not be a runner.  I won’t tell you what happens.  I will just say that you should read this book whether you’re  a runner or not.  It was life changing for me.

This book tells a great story and has fabulous characters.  There is information about how humans have evolved, diet, training, great races and so much more.  It’s packed with tons of interesting information and reads like a novel.  I read it once.  And then I read it again.

Part of the story tells of the Tarahumara tribe.  They live in Mexico, party like rock stars and run hundreds of miles for fun.  They run into “old age” and seem to escape injury.  They don’t wear shoes when they run. More like sandals.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here’s a picture:

They are joyful and playful not competitive.  The kids play a game moving a ball along the ground that teaches them teamwork and camaraderie.

As I read, I came to understand more about how the human body works.  How wearing shoes changes how we run and not for the better.  I was excited to try running in minimalist shoes.  I chose Vibram 5 finger sprints.  And my journey began…

Scott and I worked our way up through the corral to our perfect spot.  The national anthem was played.  My stomach was flip flopping nervously but I was ready.  This was the moment I had been training for.  I was fired up!  This was my day!

We started off and I felt great.  The pace I needed to keep felt easy, as it should, in the first few miles.  I was holding back.  Two miles went by in a heartbeat and Scott was leaving me, off to have a big breakfast, saying he’d be at the 18 mile marker… I just had to hold the pace for another 16 miles and I knew he would bring me in…

Everything was falling into place.  This was going to be the fulfillment of my year of training.  Six months from now I’d be running Boston.  And then the sun started to get higher and higher, hotter and hotter.  I held my pace.  A marathon is such a cool way to see a city from a different perspective.  It was like seeing Chicago for the first time.  I was enjoying myself.  In the moment.  The miles passed.  At some of the water stations, it seemed hard to find a full cup.  I questioned whether or not I was getting enough.

I had another milestone in my mind.  A few of my girlfriends were going to be at the halfway point.  I was looking forward to seeing friendly faces.  And then, there they were.  I was feeling really thirsty and they had this huge bottle of water.  “Can I have that?” I asked.  They handed it over without question.  Darlene ran along with me for a bit as I slurped the water down… Ahh, I was a little dehydrated.  But just 5 more miles and I’d see Scott…

Around 16 miles I was starting to feel the effects of the heat even more.  It was getting harder and harder to hold my pace but I was determined to tell Scott I was still on target to qualify for Boston when I saw him.  I started searching the sidelines after mile 17.  I came around a corner… looking.  There he was!  I was so happy to see him.  I told him I was still on target but it was feeling harder and harder to hold the pace.  We started noticing the water stations were having a hard time keeping up with the runners.  There were all sorts of helicopters in the sky.  It started to feel like chaos. Scott grabbed a gallon of water and carried it with him.  We went by one of those outdoor thermometers that tell you the temp.  It was 92 degrees!  I felt my whole system slowing down… I couldn’t hold the pace any longer.  I saw the pace group for the time I wanted.  They were ahead of me and getting further and further away.  My dream of qualifying for Boston was fading.

We went through a water station and Scott ran to get more… I continued on and slowed to a walk.  “Just keep running”, Scott said.  “Go slow but keep it in a jog, don’t walk”.  “Ok”, I said, good advice.  One foot in front of the other…  I had my Garmin on so I knew exactly where I was.  I knew there was no way I was going to hit the 3 hour 52 minute mark I needed to qualify for Boston.  I had come so far but still had about 3 miles left.  “It’s just a 5K”, Scott says.  “You can do it!”  He was like my personal hydration system.  Dumping water over my head, giving me sips (or gulps!) whenever I needed them… In my head I kept repeating, “Just keep moving.  Keep it in a jog, don’t walk.”

“The hill” was coming.  During any other run I’d hardly even call it a hill but today I was wondering how I would take it.  I felt like I was already pushing to the max.  We rounded the corner and started up.  In general, I like the hills.  I usually pass people and make some gains.  As we fired up it, as much as possible for that day, race officials on the side started yelling, “Slow down!”  What?  Why would they be yelling that?  We heard grumblings among runners that the race was being called.  They were going to stop it.  What?

My Boston qualifying time had passed.  I was still running.  I looked at my Garmin.  The end was near.  Next thing I knew we were in the chute at the end. I realized I could come in under 4 hours.  While this wasn’t fast enough to qualify for Boston, it was still a marker that I knew would feel good.  Breaking 4 hours…  I remember thinking to myself, just crank it up!  Run as fast as you can and this will be over before you know it.  I pushed everything out of my mind, set my eyes on the finish line and ran as fast as I possibly could…  3 hours, 59 minutes and 52 seconds…  It was a PR!

After we finished we heard that indeed, they had called the marathon.  They stopped it at 4 hours.  They had run out of ambulances.   They didn’t have people available to respond to the runner’s needs. Over 200 people had been taken to the hospital.  One person had died.  Water stations had run out of water.  People were still out there and had been told they had to walk in.  While I was disappointed in not qualifying for Boston, it was nothing in comparison to what other people were dealing with.

Twice in one year, qualifying for Boston had escaped me.  Outside forces beyond my control had changed my race.  Why?  Why was this happening to me?  It took me a while to wrap my mind around it and recover from it mentally.  I felt gypped.  And then I started to wonder… What am I supposed to learn from this?  A few years later, I believe I’ve figured it out…

1 avocado

1/2 a cucumber cut into chunks

about a Tbsp of lemon juice

enough water to reach desired consistency, start with about 1/4 cup and go from there…

salt and pepper to taste

I put all this in my magic bullet and blend away.  It’s ready in just a couple of minutes and tastes so good and so fresh…  And so good for you!

I’d tried cooking them in the past and always ended up frustrated. I tried them in the crock pot overnight but ended up with a sticky mess in the morning. The pot was hard to clean and they were totally mush. Cooking them in the morning isn’t an option for me because they take about 35 minutes and you really should be stirring that whole time… So I decided to experiment with the quick cook and soaking method. Here is what works perfectly for me!

Overnight Steel Cut Oats
1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water

Put oats and water into a saucepan. Bring both to a boil, stirring frequently. Once you reach a boil, turn heat down just enough so it doesn’t boil over. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the burner off, remove pan from heat, put on cover and let sit overnight.

In the morning your oats are ready to eat! All you need to do is heat them up and add whatever fixings you like. I like bananas, cinnamon, raisins and a little almond milk at this time of year. I usually make enough for about a week and store the leftovers in the fridge. Quick and easy breakfast for a whole week in just a few minutes!

Enjoy!

1 banana
3/4 cup of vanilla almond milk
1 Tbl of unsweetened cocoa
Big handful of spinach
Ice

Blend for about a minute and enjoy!

While I was drinking my first Chocolate Banana Smoothie my 7 year old daughter came up to me and wanted a sip. I gave her some and she said “YUM! Chocoalate banana shake! Can you make me one?” I said sure and she slurped it right down. She never even knew she just got an awesome serving of spinach! I’m going to get some other greens and keep experimenting! Give this one a try!

Do you know that if strength training is not part of your training regime you will begin losing up to 5 pounds of muscle every decade beginning in your 30s? The condition is called sarcopnia, derived from Greek words for vanishing flesh. The way to combat this side effect of aging? Simply push, pull or lift weights. In addition to vanishing muscle, typically men and women gain about 10 pounds of body fat every decade during their midlife years. The net result is a 15 pound problem every decade!

Strength training can reverse all that by turning fat into muscle. All the cardio in the world won’t do that. And if that’s not enough to convince you to start today, let me give you a few more reasons….

For every pound of fat you change to muscle you will burn an extra 50 calories a day. Your metabolism increases and you are always burning more calories – even while you’re sleeping! When you lift weights it’s not just your muscles that you strengthen. You also strengthen your bones, tendons and ligaments. This can help reduce or totally prevent osteoporosis, arthritis, injuries and other degenerative diseases associated with aging. One more point and I think it may be the best of all… Strength training will dramatically change how you look in much less time than cardio alone. Changing muscle to fat will tone, carve and reduce every curve of your body. Are you convinced?

While we’re on the topic of misconceptions regarding strength training, don’t believe anyone that tells you that you shouldn’t lift any more than 5 pounds or some other totally random number. Low weight and high reps is good when you are learning technique and training your body the proper position and form but once you have that down, there is no reason on earth to do 20 reps with a light weight. I usually start clients with a weight that they can complete 12-15 reps, and the 15th should be difficult. Over time the weight will be increased and the reps will be lowered but more about that on another day…

Do you lift weights? If not, you should…

Next, take a look at your list and pick out the top 5 you would like to accomplish this year. Put them in the order you would like to achieve them and make sure you word them in positive terms and put a deadline on them. Something like, I’d like to lose one inch off my waist in the next 12 weeks. Look at each goal and do your best to determine whether or not this is realistic. If you need help with this, email me and I’m happy to give you my input. Remember when talking about losing pounds, you only want to lose 1-2 pounds a week and often if you are increasing your muscle mass, you may find more success losing inches than pounds.

Now I’d like you to think about why you want to accomplish this goal. What will be the greatest benefit and conversely, what will be the biggest consequence if you don’t. Write them under each goal and keep the reasons why this is important to you in the forefront of your mind.

A plan for action comes next. You need to map out the steps you will need to go through to reach your goals. Include cardio workouts, strength training and stretching in your program. This brings me to my next point. I strongly suggest adding a goal to the top of your list that is based on action. Something like, I will walk/jog for 30 minutes every other day and strength train twice a week for the next 4 weeks. This is something you have complete control over the success or failure of and you know you can do it! Once you’ve accomplished this first goal, reward yourself. Something like a nice, long bubble bath or a massage or perhaps some quiet time reading a book for pleasure. Celebrate every goal achievement and it’s best if this is not a food based reward.

So now you have 5 or 6 goals mapped out and the reasons you want to achieve them. Post these where you can see them often and read them every day. Spend a few minutes visualizing yourself already having achieved this goal and carry that feeling with you. Picture yourself 5 pounds lighter or with a slimmed down waist and really try it on. Believe in yourself that you will get there and do what it takes to move toward that goal every day and every week.

Think about this… Were any of the goals you just wrote down something that you would’ve said a year ago? The number one reason people don’t accomplish their goals is because they don’t finish what they start. Remind yourself that this year will be different. Think of this day as the first day of your new beginning. Take baby steps towards a new you and realize it is a process and moving towards your goals is progress. At the same time, realize you won’t be perfect every moment. It’s ok, don’t beat yourself up but move on and learn from it.

Once you’ve written down your goals and you are keeping them in the front of your mind, both your conscious and subconscious mind will work towards these achievements. The subconscious mind is an amazing and powerful resource when you tap into it!

Schedule your workouts into your week and stick to your plan! Keep a log of your exercise and food intake. Take measurements about once a month. Put it all on your calendar and check your tasks off as you accomplish them. Reward yourself! Speak kindly to yourself in positive terms even if you fall off track. Sometimes as you move along through your program you may need to adapt and improvise. This is part of the process as you grow and learn but always keep your current goals, the reasons you want to accomplish them and the consequences of not accomplishing them in the front of your mind.

If you are afraid of failure – or even success, that’s a natural thing. Be ready to feel that and understand it’s all part of the process of making major, life long changes. Believe in yourself and understand that real change requires real effort. Part of the reason for setting goals and writing them down is that as you accomplish one goal and take on another, you will start to realize you really and truly can achieve things you never thought were possible! As you reach one goal, you will approach the next one with more confidence and before you know it, you really will believe that you can accomplish any goal you put out in front of yourself that you are truly committed to following through on. Shoot high and work hard!

If someone had told me when I was in my 20s that I’d run 3 marathons in 3 years (at age 38,39 and 40), I never would’ve believed them… I was overweight and running a mile was a huge accomplishment at that time. The truth is, your body is an amazing thing and it’s either improving or deteriorating. Challenge your body and it will come back stronger and leaner and ready for whatever the next challenge you put in front it. Go a little further every day. Lift a little more weight every week. Keep progressing and changing your routine to shock your body into improvement!

Write down the date today and put a reminder on your calendar for one year from now when you will look back and be amazed at all you have done.