Gym Rules???

Last week I broke down and joined a gym.  I've been very active all my life and I've always ran and lifted weights at home.  But now that my treadmill has bit the dust, I figured I'd give the gym a shot.  Most of my friends belong to a gym and they love it.  So I figured it was easier and cheaper than buying a new treadmill and I'd have a lot more options of what I could do.  So my first day at the gym, I finish my run and decide to go over to the free weights and work on my arms.  It didn't even dawn on me that there were no females in the weight section until halfway through my sets.  That's when I noticed the men giving me strange looks.  A quick look in the mirror relieved my instant anxiety that certain body parts may be hanging out.  But when the looks continued, I looked around.  There were no women on this side of the gym and I immediately felt awkward and out of place.  So the next few days I watched the free weight area and I still didn't see any other women go over there.  I kept my distance and tried to make do with the machines on the other side of the gym.  I wasn't sure if there were actual rules or just an unspoken rule that women did not cross the middle of the gym.  I'm not very fond of the machines on "women's" side of the gym, so this week I decided to venture over to the free weight area.  Yesterday was a good time to start because when I went over, there was no one there.  But right after I started my sets, two more ladies joined me.  We lifted for about 10 minutes before the muscle men came walking into the gym.  They came over to claim their area and gave us all weird looks, but we stood our ground and finished our workout.  What would you have done?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Marathon Training

My father-in-law is a devoted runner.  He runs daily and at the age of 63 he has completed 73 marathons and 28 ultra Marathons.  I have always been in awe of his stamina and have always wanted to run with him.  A few weeks back my husband and I finally decided that it was time to get serious and make a decision. If we were going to successfully complete a marathon, we would need to make a training schedule and stick to it.  Last week was our first week of the twenty-six week training program.  Since we already run most days, this first week was pretty simple.  We were required to run 20 minutes, four times a week and weight train two days a week.  Sunday was a day of rest.    We both completed the week successfully.  I actually did more than was required.  Two of my running days, I ran for 45 minutes.  If you want to train with me, I would be ecstatic.  This week is actually the same as last.  So just make sure to run 20 minutes four times a week and complete a weight training circuit two days a week.  We haven’t told my father-in-law yet.  We want to get in a little bit more in shape before we commit to him.  I would hate to fail and let him down.  Maybe in the mean time, we can convince my dad to run with us too.  He has run marathons in the past, but I don’t really think he is in to running as much anymore.  Well wish me luck and say a prayer for my poor body!  :)

Personal Best!

I know that it is nothing to write home about, but I am excited.  I just  ran  a 5K in my fastest time ever as a result of some encouragement from my little darlings.  When I say encouragement, I mean constant whining.  "I'm hungry!!!!  Hurry Mommy!"  In their defense, they are used to me running first thing in the morning and today I ran right before dinner.  I promised I would be done quickly and I wouldn't run my normal 4 miles.  So I booked it and ran a 5K in under 27 minutes!  That is about 2 minutes off my previous personal best.  Go Me!!

Summer Pantry Crackdown

Now that summer is upon us and that dreadful bathing suit must make an appearance, it is time clean out that pantry. I have gotten away with not wearing a bathing suit in quite some time, but with the pool open and my husband at work, I guess I’m going to have to get in. So with that in mind, let’s start the cleaning. My weakness is baked goods. Breads, cookies, pastries…I love them all. So an easy fix for this weakness, is to just stop baking. So, the first thing I’m going to toss is my sugar. Luckily, I really didn’t have much left so I don’t feel too wasteful. The only thing I ever use sugar in is baked goods. And without it, I can’t bake. The next thing that must go is the crackers! Boxes of crackers are not good to have in the pantry. I can’t just eat a handful of Cheez-its or Wheat Thins and be satisfied. I just munch on them occasionally throughout the day without even realizing it. So out with crackers and in with the Goldfish. This way my kids can still have a cracker treat that won’t tempt me. Thankfully, I never have chips or sugary snacks in the house because I don’t want my kids eating them. Since we’ve never had them, we won’t miss them. Make sure you swing by on Monday for a review on Nana’s Cookie Company. They make cookies without refined sugars or gluten. All the cookies are sweetened with natural fruit and vegetable juices. What items are in your pantry that shouldn’t be? What is your weakness? How long could you give it up? Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Major Multi-tasking!

On a typical weekday morning, you can find me running on the treadmill while instructing my 3 year old daughter on an arts and crafts project. Having a task for her to do, keeps her occupied and allows me to run longer. However, today brought a whole new meaning to my multi-tasking mornings. As soon as I started running this morning, she decided that she didn’t want to do art today. She wanted to have a picnic. I tried to explain to her (as I’m huffing), that I would have a picnic after I was done. She said, “No problem mommy, you can have one while you’re running. It’s only pretend food,” So she proceeded to ask me a hundred questions about what I wanted to eat, what I wanted to drink, what seasonings I wanted on my food, etc… Finally, she had the food prepared and it was time to eat (don’t forget, I’m still running). She happily handed me my food, one piece at a time and asked how I enjoyed it. Who knew that it would be so difficult to run, eat play food, and hold a conversation with a three year old, all at the same time? Once the picnic was over, I tried regain my focus and control my breathing. My little one had other plans though. She told me she needed to take her baby for a walk, but the stroller was broken. I told her she could just carry the baby until I was done. “But mommy,” she said, “that’s not how mommies do it. I have to be a good mommy.” So began my attempt to fix a stroller, while running. Thankfully for the baby, I was successful. Unfortunately for me, the baby was wearing the wrong clothes for riding in a stroller. So for the next five minutes I fumbled around with the doll’s clothes (while awkwardly running) until she was properly dressed for her walk. I’m not sure if my workout was successful, but at least I learned that I am one coordinated mama!  Do you often find yourself multi-tasking?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Random Questions

I know this is not my typical blog post, but I figured while I have you all here, I might as well ask you a few questions. Nothing better than a pop quiz in the morning, right?

First Question: Being a SAHM, I always have a child with me. Can anyone relate? Well, as you all know this makes it a little harder to workout. Luckily for me, I have a treadmill in our basement that is full of toys and crafty activities. On a typical morning, I can run for about two miles before the basement full of toys becomes boring. Then I can usually continue another mile, while assuring the kiddos I’m almost done. I would love to be able to run longer than three miles on a daily basis. So my question to you is…What ideas do you have to keep the kiddos occupied while Mommy has some “me time”?

Second Question: My second question is also an exercise related one. I love to run, but sometimes my old knee, feet, and ankle injuries get the best of me (gymnast back in the day). I’m thinking of purchasing either a bike or an elliptical machine, but need some input before making the big decision. I know that the elliptical is probably better for you, but it is so bulky. The bike is smaller, but may not give you a complete workout. What are your experiences and opinions on each of these pieces of exercise equipment?

Third Question: My third question is in a completely different from the precious two. I am currently working on a query letter for a middle grade historical fiction book I’ve written. I’ve researched how to write a proper query letter, but all the websites and books I’ve found are based on adult fiction. Does anyone know of a good site to research writing a query letter? Does anyone have any experience or knowledge they’d like to share?

I can’t wait to hear all your responses. Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Coaches

In your mind, what qualifies someone to be a coach? I’m not talking NFL or MLB, just Pee Wee Football and Little League. In my mind, to call yourself a coach is equivalent to calling yourself an instructor. To call yourself an instructor is equivalent to calling yourself a teacher. To call yourself a teacher is equivalent to ensuring the parents who trust you with their children, you know what you are talking about. Right!?! Unfortunately, this is not always true. My little girls have been participating in a gymnastics program this past semester with instructors who are unaware of how to properly teach gymnastics. As a former gymnast and coach, I gave them the benefit of the doubt for many weeks. I thought that maybe my past experience was making me too critical. However, after watching the unsafe spotting for a few more weeks and watching numerous children fall on their faces, I decided to say something. I asked the main teacher if she was aware of her assistants’ spotting techniques and how many kids were getting hurt. She acted as if she was shocked and promised to teach them the proper way to spot. This made me feel a bit better, although I still couldn’t figure out why they let her teach before instructing her on the safe way to spot. So I’ve waited now for another four week and I have seen no improvement. They are still teaching the kids to perform things incorrectly and spotting them unsafely. I probably won’t say anything else to them (I’m not a very confrontational person), but I definitely won’t be signing them back up for next semester.


A friend of mine is about to go through the same experience with her daughter’s soccer team. The coach of the team has openly admitted that he doesn’t know how to play soccer. A coach who doesn’t know a thing about the game he’s teaching???? How does that make any sense? Unfortunately for her, I don’t think you can pick a team when you sign up for a grade school soccer league. Do you think there should be requirements for being a coach? Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Running Towards the Goal

Although I love running, I hesitate to call myself a runner. It is probably because I know a few true runners who are completely dedicated to training their bodies and their minds. I, on the other hand, have a very difficult time mentally. Yesterday, I accomplished a goal that I haven’t reached in a long time. I completed 10 miles, in my basement, on a treadmill. Granted it did take me about an hour and forty-five minutes to do, but I still did it. Throughout the run, I had to deal with a few minor aches and pains. However, that was nothing compared to the agony going on in my mind. Even with my music blaring and my kids’ distracting me every once in awhile, I was bored out of my mind.


My ultimate goal is to be able to complete a marathon with my father-in-law. But the thought of running for over four hours scares me to death. Not only would I be running longer than I’ve ever tried before, but also they don’t allow IPOD’s during a race. I know some of you out there are true runners. What do you do to mentally prepare for long runs? How do you fight the boredom?


Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!