shout out

Okay, so y'all have totally inspired me. Here's a shout-out: All running mommies in the historical district, McKinney, Tx...let's traipse these streets together...

HaHa...I just typed the label wrong: SeeMommyRum

HAPPY GROUND HOG DAY!!

I love this holiday and clung to it (and the movie. Phil? Phil Conners?) when I lived in Pennsylvania as I DETESTED WINTER and always prayed for spring.

now that Im a transplanted texan we STILL throw a yearly shindig to celebrate it.

here's to the groundhog and to all of US!

happy spring is around the corner day!

perhaps make these as I did: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/family/cake/cake_grndhog_0203/



edited for pics:

Baby Toes

Hello Running Mommies:

Today I sat in the rocker nursing my 13 month old and spent some time contemplating her beautiful baby feet and toes. They were just perfect. They fit in the palm of my hand and each tiny toe is perfectly formed. I looked at them for a while and caressed them, tickled them, kissed them and was in awe.

The thoughts took me to my size 10 maybe 10 1/2 not so beautiful feet/toes. I've always had big feet - at least the same size as my husband and definitely wider. Insults of all insults these flappers even got bigger with each baby. Size 9 seems petite to me these days. The thing is. I love these feet despite their very unfeminine girth. They have gotten me far. They've done 26.2 twice without complaining. They love to walk, they really love to run and they do not ask much. I'm alawys amazed that my husband never makes fun of them. They really are pretty ugly, but maybe because I love them so much they do not offer themselves up to ridicule. Lace them up and away we go........

Smiles,
Trice

Treadmill Etiquette

Whenever I go to the gym, the treadmills are always set to allow you 60 minutes followed by a 2 (sometimes 3) minute cool down. The time of day that I usually go to the gym is pretty good because there are always free treadmills and I've never seen a wait but I still get off after that hour is up. My question: can I turn it right back on and run more? I really want to keep my mileage up but can only go so far in 60 minutes, obviously. If there is no line, is it still rude to turn that puppy back on? I'm a crazy obsessed rule follower and am convinced that the gym-police are going to come after me if I keep going. Oh, and the gym I go to does not have any sign posted such as ones I've seen that say "There is a 30 minute limit on all cardio equipment"...I saw one like that at a different gym I went to yesterday. That one got to me too because there was no one waiting. Sigh. I obviously need advice because the last thing I want to be is 'that rude woman' at the gym!

Stats: ING Miami 2008

Number of people who signed up for a 17-week training program to complete a Half Marathon: 35
Number of runners who made it to the Starting Line: 30
Number of training program "drop-outs" whose injuries were not running related: 4
Number of runners who completed the Half Marathon they spent 17 weeks training for: 30
Number of runners who either met or beat their "goal time": 27
Number of runners who were more than 10 minutes slower than goal time: 0
Number of First Time Half Marathon finishers: 25
Number of runners who are meeting me next Saturday to prepare for the next race: 23


******Oops...should have stated that this post is a follow-up to this post*****

Get me out the door

I'm so glad January is almost gone. I just cannot get out the door. I'm cold. I'm tired, I'm busy, waa waa waa. Gosh, I cannot stand myself. I need some warmth.

Our Little World got me thinking....

and EAGER to hear how you guys stay motivated.

this quote?

-------
here I am, back home, full of horrible non-energizing food and totally derailed from all things training and healthy
-------
well, I havent had a vacation in AGES but still manage to resemble that about once a week.

For me the motivation ISNT a skinny celeb(utante) it's a photo of myself in a better place (and Im not talking St Barts).

I slap that sucker up on the fridge and even those Ore Ida 99 cent microwave fries seem to call me a LITTLE less loudly.

Redux

Okay, I don't know why the information is not appearing, so I'll try it again. I couldn't find a link, so here goes, verbatim:
Physically active people have cells that look younger on a molecular level than those of couch potatoes, according to new research.
A study of British twins found that exercise appears to slow the shriveling of the protective tips on bundles of genes inside cells, perhaps keeping frailty at bay.
"These data suggest that the act of exercising may actually protect the body against the aging process," said Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College in London who led the study, published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Previous research has shown that being physically active reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases, potentially extending longevity. In the hopes of helping explain how, Dr. Spector and his colleagues examined structures known as telomeres.
Every time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. Scientists believe that aging occurs as cells reach the end of their telomeres and die--muscles weaken, skin wrinkles and thinking clouds.
Dr. Spector and his colleagues analyzed telomeres collected from 2,401 twins participating in a long-term health study. The length of the twins' telomeres was directly related the their activity levels, the researchers found.
People who did a moderate amount of exercise--about 100 minutes a week--had telomeres that on average looked like those of someone about five or six years younger than those who did the least--about 16 minutes a week. Those who did the most--about 3 hours a week--had telomeres that appeared to be about nine years younger than those who did the least.
Other researchers said the findings are intriguing.
"It's another jigsaw piece in trying to understand why exercise is important in longevity," said Stephen Coles, who studies aging at UCLA.

Original source: The Washington Post

Vacations Mess With Your Mojo

I just got back from spending 4 relaxing days in Florida. You would think that after all the complaining I do about running in the cold weather, I would jump at the opportunity to run while down south. Yeah. You would think. So what did I do? Well, the gym had a fancy-pants treadmill with a T.V. attached so I just had to give it a go. I got on it and watched T.V. for an hour, churning out 6.5 miles then went back to my room, showered then met my husband at the bar where I proceeded to enjoy some beers and anything with melted cheese on top. And so went the next 3 days. Sigh. And now here I am, back home, full of horrible non-energizing food and totally derailed from all things training and healthy! Yikes! The second I drop my 4-year-old off at preschool tomorrow, I'm hitting the gym. With any luck, I'll be able to run for 3 miles on the treadmill without passing out. Better eat salad and fish for dinner.
How do you guys stay motivated while on vacation? And more importantly for me right now, how do you get back into it once you get home if you fell off the training wagon while away?

This just in...

Hello fellow Fountain of Youth Discoverers! Came across an article in today's paper. It seems that exercise may be protecting your body from the aging process! Yes, you heard me right, exercise may be protecting your body from the aging process. To quote my source (The Dallas Morning News) "A study of British twins found that exercise appears to slow the shriveling of the protective tips on bundles of genes inside cells, perhaps keeping frailty at bay...People who did a moderate amount of exercise--about 100 minutes a week (this is where you marathoners snicker) had telomeres that on average looked like those of someone five or six years younger than those who did the least--about 16 minutes a week. Those who did the most--about three hours a week--had telomeres that appeared to be about nine years younger than those who did the least."

I don't know about you, but when I see unfit, indulgent, undisciplined people, I hurt for them. Exercise is difficult to cultivate into one's lifestyle--I will not try to deny it, but the payoff...whoa, Nelly!

I don't exercise because I want to be hot (okay, it would be really nice to be hot), I exercise because I want to enjoy old age. I want to crawl on the floor with my son. I want to climb trees with my daughter. I want to...never mind, that's private.

I thought you would find this information interesting. If you care to follow up, Stephen Coles, who studies aging at UCLA, was quoted in the article. I'm sure a quick Google would bring up a wealth of information.

And Congratulations on your good health!

Stroller Activities

Some of our favorite things to do in the stroller while enclosed inside the windshield , in order of increasing desperation:

• Draw or color. I LOVE Crayola Color Wonder markers. They don’t get ink all over their hands, faces, and clothes, and the markers don’t get peeled and broken into pieces like crayons. (Do avoid the Color Wonder finger paints, however. Obviously not good for the stroller, but even at home they are very oily and will stain your expensive windbreaker.)
• Read books. Younger kids just look at the pictures, but when you are not running near traffic, you can actually read the pages to them – especially books that you’ve already memorized.
• Look for animals. When you see geese, HONK! When you see dogs, BARK! When you see birds, CHIRP! My kids do a mean seagull! Very convincing ;)
• Eat. Quickly, some good stroller snacks are a dry bagel, peeled and cored apple, string cheese or snack mix with things like Cheerios, raisins and pretzels. Bad stroller snacks are things like dry instant oatmeal, American cheese slices, anything with cream cheese, or chewy granola bars which crumble apart and are STILL sticky.
• Music. We’ve always sung as we ran along, but this winter, we’ve sunk to a new low: kid headphones. We’ve commandeered my husband’s iPod shuffle, loaded it with kid songs, and bought a splitter and two pairs of headphones designed for use by children. I am very careful to keep the volume low to protect their young ears. Plus they keep the kids’ ears warm.

The novelty of the headphones seems to have negated the undesirable weather for my little passengers. In the spring, I’ll share our version of “Stroller Bingo”.

• What is the best or worst stroller snack you've tried?
  

Win a pair of FREE Polliwalks at Classy Mommy

Hi Ladies - We're giving away a pair of these cute Polliwalks Clogs at Classy Mommy. We reviewed them and my active 2 year old loves them!!!! The sole of the shoe leaves a footprint in sand, mud, or dirt and they are shaped in the style of adorable animals.

Click here to find out how to enter! Visit Classy Mommy to read the full review too!