At least 99 percent of running is just showing up, getting out there and putting one foot in front of the other.

John Hanc, The Essential Runner

What Will You Run This Year?

I'm really excited about running races in 2012. Like I said before, I plan on running at least one half marathon on this year. I'm thinking it's going to be the Jenks Aquarium Half in April which means I need to get busy training. I also want to run the Frigid 5 Miler in Edmond which is in February. Doesn't that sound fun...running in the freezing cold? The Wish Lemons 5K in Tulsa in March is a warm and fuzzy, feel good race. I love running it. I especially love the brightly colored t-shirt that comes along with registration (even thought I only wear it to bed). On January 28 the Edmond North High School Student Council sponsors a 5K for BALTO that sounds fun.

I just want to sign up for them all right now. Oh, how I love running races. To learn about more Oklahoma Running Events, click on the link below. Let me know what you're running this year. I'd love to see you at the races.

Oklahoma Sports and Fitness Event Calendar

Top 10 Worst Kids' Meals

I love the Eat This, Not That information. I got the new book for Christmas. Is it weird that I get excited about that kind of gift? Check out the link below to help your kids steer clear of the worst kids meal food.

Top 10 Worst Kids' Meals

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Records are meant to be broken, but those moments are far and few between. Every adventure offers an opportunity to evolve, explore, and celebrate life. And that is the gift that keeps on giving.

Coach Jenny Hadfield, Ask Coach Jenny, Runner's World.com

Corn Salsa

Confession: Sometimes I hate eating vegetables. It feels so good to get that out in the open. Luckily, when I'm feeling like I can't be healthy I have an awesome recipe for corn salsa. I brought it to a New Year's Eve party and it was a big hit. Even my kids like it. I know I've posted the recipe here before but it's one worth repeating.
Emily's Corn Salsa Recipe
6 Roma Tomatoes
2 Green Pepper (or one green and one red/yellow for a pretty color)
1 Bunch Green Onions
1 Avocado
1 Can Drained Corn
1 Can Drained Black Beans
1/2 Bottle of Fat Free Zesty Italian Dressing

Chop all the veggies and add the corn, beans and dressing.
Store left overs in and airtight container in the fridge.

What's Your Resolution?

"Stick to a task till it sticks to you. Beginners are many, finishers few."

As I've confessed, over the past few months I've let my work out regimen slide a little...okay a lot. I haven't stopped all together but, I've taken it easy. Yesterday I knew I needed to take the boys out for a jog. Honestly, I didn't want to. I wanted to stay home, clean, eat M&Ms and have one more lazy day. Randomly, this little saying started playing in my head. Arg! I put on my big girl pants, bundled my boys and took a jogging stroller run. It was hard. The wind blew and my boys are heavy. Luckily, they were happy and by the time I got home, I was glad I'd gone. It gave me the momentum to get up this morning and run with one of my favorite running buddies, Celeste. Even though I'm a little sore, I'm pumped that I'm back in the saddle. It's gunna be a good...great year.
I came across an interesting article on RunnersWorld.com about keeping your resolutions. Check it out for some motivation.

This Year I Will...

By Bob Cooper

Happy New Year!

Today is our first real-life post holiday day. We are all on detox from our Christmas and New Year's adventures. Our one healthy Christmas moment was this run with Santa at my husband's work. Besides that it has been treats, no sleep, lazing around and enjoying the excitement of the holidays. I've loved it but now it's time to get back on track.

I love the New Year. I love the feeling of a new start and making goals. I always get a little rush of adrenaline at the start of the year...like I can accomplish anything.

This year I plan on improving my 5K time and completing at least one half marathon if not more. I also plan on being more consistent with my training and my ability to maintain healthy habits. I'm excited to share my progress with you and am hoping that I'll get to celebrate your progress as well.

Here's to an awesome new year. Hooray for 2012!!

Quote of the Day

I love how she says "faithful-not fast."

Through the years, I've been a faithful - not fast - jogger, and I've kept it up for many reasons: to boost my mood as a homesick freshman at Boston University, to retain my sanity when I moved to Manhattan and was nearly eaten alive by the city's chaos, to keep married life from going straight to my hips.

Bethany Gumper, Hitting My Stride, fitnessmagazine.com

What to do with Race Bibs

The other day I came across a bunch of race bibs and wondered what I'd do with them. Today, I came across these ideas on Etsy. SO COOL! (Hint: Christmas is in a week and my birthday is in April.)

Running Bib Hanger: Isn't this so much cuter than having a pile of bibs stuffed in a drawer somewhere?

Race Bib Coasters: You send in your race bib and it comes back as a coaster. Too bad nothing in my house is nice enough to warrant a coaster but maybe someday.

Joy Bauer

Today I've been thinking about strategies to avoid gaining a million pounds this season. I remembered a segment featuring Joy Bauer, nutritionist on the Today Show, about making smart decisions during the holidays. I love her tips because they are totally do-able (says the girl who's eating a frosted sugar cookie while writing this). One of my favorite Joy Bauer tips is her "Rule of One."

"Follow My "Rule of One"If you keep your portions in check, you can enjoy every highlight of your favorite holiday meals and events without going overboard. Stick with just ONE of each deliciously tempting hors d'oeuvre, one plate of food, one alcoholic drink, and one dessert (or a sliver of two, if you can't decide)."

Get more advice from Joy here.

Enjoy Holiday Hoopla Without Gaining a Pound

Meet Christa

My running buddy Andria introduced me to an awesome hair stylist/running named Christa. It's great because when I go to get my hair cut and colored she makes me look cute (seriously, she's super talented) and talks about running. Perfect scenario right?! If you're needing some inspiration, read her story below. If you need a hair cut or total hair make-over (what I needed), contact her for an appointment (info below).

About 2 years ago, I was dating a guy that told me I was the biggest girl he'd ever dated. Needless to say, we broke up and my roommate at the time, had run his first half in November (Route 66) and invited me to run the Full Moon 5K. I started to object that it was TOO FAR, but he replied, "Christa - it's JUST 3 miles". Feeling a little silly and even more pressure, I said yes and because I didn't want to look stupid, started running around a little mile circle in the park next to my house. First day: one lap. Next time: one lap, walk through the middle, one more lap. And so I continued until I could run 3 laps, without walking. After completing my first 5K and watching the thousands of people have such a great time at the race, I wanted to do it again! So I just kept signing up for races so I would continue my training - working my way from 5Ks to 10Ks to 15Ks to half marathons to full marathons!

For the longest time, I ran to burn calories, to stay in shape. I ran to prove myself - to who I'm not sure? I wanted to know that I was strong enough to go out and run mile after mile after mile. It was something I could do, just me, with no one else's help. Running helps to relieve stress; perhaps I should do more of it! Being on the road, the trail, is home and when life feels too hectic it's a nice change of pace to bring it down to nothing but your feet, your breathing, your run.

The crazy goal that I'm sure every runner thinks about is that one day I'll run the Boston Marathon. I'm not sure that's a realistic goal - but it's fun to think about. My goal is just to be healthy right now, enjoy my runs without too much pain and to de-stress.

I love how she started by running around the block and was later able to run marathons (notice the 's'). So awesome! If you need a new hair stylist give Christa a call.

Christa Michelle Tyler
Composure
918.510.6543
http://christamichellestylist.blogspot.com

It's Going Around

Right after Thanksgiving, my poor little three year old got super sick with a cold. His eyes were red and water, he coughed all night and his nose was runny. Luckily, there was no fever. Also luckily, he's a pretty good sport about being sick and chooses to play all day still. Unfortunately he found out really quickly that he had germs that we didn't want. As an act of rebellion, he'd cough on us. What a punk...chemical warfare. Needless to say, I caught the nasty cold and have been cranky all week (because I'm not a good sport). It seems that everyone in Oklahoma has a cold right so today I did a little research on how to prevent illness. I found a great article from Parenting.Com about preventing illness. Check it out and hopefully your family can dodge the germs this season.

5 Simple Ways to Prevent Illness

by Denise Brodey

I had to include this part of the article because I've been doing the opposite. I guess it's time to bundle up and get out there.

"Research shows that spending time outside can promote better sleep, boost overall wellness, and may improve your mood. "Being outdoors in daylight for as little as twenty minutes a day can make a big difference in raising your energy level and preventing the winter blues," says Norman Rosenthal, M.D., director of seasonal studies at the National Institute of Mental Health and author of Winter Blues."

Thoughts to Begin the Week

I think it's ridiculous to try and loose weight or break any athletic records during the holidays. I'm sure there are people who do it successfully but that's not me. My goal from now until Christmas is to enjoy my favorite sweets and food but not go overboard, i.e. I don't need to eat until I get sick. Obviously, I'll also exercise but I'm not going to cry if I don't match my best running times.

I talked with my dad about this right before Thanksgiving and we both made little health goals to stick to until Christmas. We also made a bet. If we break our goal, we owe the other person 100 bucks...ouch! For me, having an accountability partner makes all the difference. I've noticed that I've already had a healthier holiday season this year without feeling deprived of my favorite treats. On another note, I took my 3 year old to the gym the other day to go swimming. After, he wanted to stand on the scale. I said something like, "Look at you! You're getting to be such a big boy!!" He told me to stand on the scale. I did and held him up to look. He said, "Mommy, you're such a big girl! You weigh 600lbs!!" I love how my little guy helps me relax about things that used to be a stress. Seriously, kids are the best!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

I ran the Edmond Turkey Trot with my family and a couple friends on Thanksgiving. After that, I spent the rest of the day stuffing my face. It was pretty much the perfect day. I didn't get my best time...partly because my speedy little three year old ran a little with me and I had to run him back to Daddy (notice how he's celebrating his running success with my race t-shirt). Running with family is my favorite. I love getting people excited about running and races. I love seeing their excitement at reaching their goals. Notice, my awesome mother in law placed in her age division. Now that I've done this with my family, I can't see myself passing it up in the future. I guess I should say, "Warning, if you come to Thanksgiving at my house, you have to run before you get to eat." Does that make you want to celebrate with me?

Laura

My friend Laura and I ran the Susan G Komen race together last month. She dominates as a runner and as a mom. I love what she says about why she runs, "...it makes me feel young and amazing." What Laura doesn't mention is that she bikes, plays tennis and works out at the gym. She also finds time to take care of four kids and is always doing nice things for others like hosting baby showers or taking meals to sick friends. For those reasons and many more, the super mom award goes to...LAURA. Thanks for sharing!"I started running 10 years ago after my 4th child joined our family. I needed to lose about 10 pounds and started running to lose weight. Began with just 2 miles and got up to 5 with in a few months. By then I was completely hooked. Not only did I love that running helped me easily lose the weight but I loved the way it made me feel! My youngest daughter is now 10 and I still run 3 or 4 days a week because it makes me feel young and amazing!"
Laura

PS Laura will be one of the many awesome moms running the Edmond Turkey Trot on Thursday. I hope to see you there!