10 Things Week 8: Making Cut Out Cookies Should Count as a Workout

Who knew I would actually be on Week 8 of exercise and still have things to say about it?  This week was busy crazy.  I didn't do much other than work, run/walk, bake...It was a great week and I had to get all 3 runs in by Thursday. So I ran, M, T, and Th. It was hard, but doable. I keep being surprised by that doable thing! Here are my 10 thoughts for the week:

1.  Baking cookies should count as a workout. This week, I baked and iced 100+ish cut out cookies and made 50+ cake pops for our conference this weekend. On Monday, I made the cutouts after my run. I was exhausted. I kept wondering if I should have done the cookies first, but then the run would have been excruciating. It seems like cut out cookies should count as a workout. I tried to decide which was more work--running or cut out cookie. Since I am only run/walking 35 minutes, and making the cookies takes hours, I decided cookies are easier for now...

2.  We had our first GUEST POST this week! So fun. The thing I love about blogging while I attempt to run is that I am hearing great stories and things from others. And I loved Jen's story about her first race. She has been running for 7+ years now and it is nice to be reminded that at one point, she had to start.  We would love to have guest posts from Reading Teachers who run. If you'd like to share your story on our blog, please let me know and we'll schedule you for a guest post. It takes a village to keep me running, that's for sure. Thanks, Jen!

3.  I joined Daily Mile, an online social network to track what you read. I guess/I think it is like Goodreads for runners. I am not loving it, but maybe someday I will. I feel like if I am going to do this, it is the behaviors of runners I want to make sure to build in so I don't quit. We'll see how daily mile goes.

4.  I am so not addicted to running. Every day it is a struggle to get started.  Soon, I am hoping to do the run in the morning so I don't have to dread it all day. When I actually get started, I love it. And when I am finished, I am happy...happy. But I am not so addicted that I don't have trouble getting started.

5. I decided on my favorite moment of a run. It is not when I finish, although that is a good moment. It is the moment when I realize I am going to make it to the end. Because when I start, I am never quite sure. I start and the first several minutes are always hard. No matter how slow I go or how good I feel. But somewhere in there, there is this moment when I look at the clock and realize I am going to make it through the run/walk. From that moment on, I LOVE the run. The finishing is nice, but that moment is a little better.

6. Yesterday, I had to be at the high school for the Dublin Literacy Conference at 7 a.m. so I stopped at the grocery store Starbucks at 6:30 to get my daily tea.  Runners were gathering in the parking lot.  It was freezing out. They were bundled up for their run. Then, today, when I pieked up two speakers to drive them to the aiaport at There were Runners in the am, there was a race going on.  Seems that it was THE LAST CHANCE FOR BOSTON race. Again, it was cold and it looked miserable. I know I need to do an outside run sometime soon. It might actually be this week since temps should be high. But it die not look fun to me. Running in the winter in the morning looks miserable to me. Looked more like skiing. UGH. We'll see if that thinking changes.

7. How about this 100 year old runner? Someone who I follow on Twitter shared it.  It made me feel better because sometimes I feel like I am too old to start a new sport. Now I feel okay about it!



8. My treat this week was a new yoga mat--Lululemon's "The Mat". I will get back to Yoga this week and I think this mat will make a big difference. I have been using a Target $12 mat which was fine until I figured out if yoga was something I would commit to. But I think this will make the workout better and more enjoyable.  (Have I mentioned how much I love Lululemon?)

9.  Shakeology and Kellogg Cracker Chips (sea salt) are two of my favorite things. Patrick Allen convinced me to try Shakeology months ago. At first it bothered my stomach and gave me headaches. Now, I have a chocolate Shakeology shake 1-2 times a week and I love them.  I often start my weekend mornings with one.  I had one as an after school snack Thursday before my long run. It is always a better run if I've had Shakeology. I may try to build more of these into my week.  I also am addicted to Kellogg Cracker Chips. I need to stop eating so many but they are great when I need a little bit of salt:-)

10. Woooohooo! I got through February. Ever since I started this 16 week plan in January, I knew February would be hard. I had a trip to Colorado for the CCIRA convention.  And I had a long weekend away for my work with NCTE's Executive Committee. And I had this weekend, busy with the Dublin Literacy Conference. I knew that I would have lot of excuses to quit the routine, but I didn't. I worked through the month. I didn't go to yoga or do as much cross-training as I did in January, but I am on track with my running and ready to add Yoga back in this week.  Pretty much all I did this week was what I had to do and do my run/walk workouts.  Other than that, my husband picked up everything. So glad I got through 3 really busy weeks and kept up:-)

Our First Guest Post: My Crazy Running Story

From Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcjams/181791065/ by radiobread

I am excited to post our very first Guest Post from Jen of TEACH MENTOR TEXTS.  One thing I love about starting this running thing is how many people have been hugely supportive--cheering me on, sharing their stories, etc. I so love this one and I believe it was inspired by my post about people running in costumes!  Thanks for sharing such a great story, Jen!


CRAZY RUNNING STORY by Jen

When I started running, it was a big deal for me because I was never a runner…at all. I would walk a lap and then run a lap around the gym in our college field house until I eventually was running three miles without walking almost every morning. It was an even bigger deal when I thought I was ready to actually register for and run a real 5k.

On June 14^th, 2003, my now-husband/then-boyfriend, Chad, and I ran the Kerry Classic 5K in Beloit, Wisconsin. I just pulled up the race results and there were 251 people who finished the race that day. When we gathered to start the race, people were just milling around the starting line. As the countdown began, I noticed a handful of people dressed in head-to-toe Lycra who were crouched down in a stance that appeared to me as if they were preparing to take off in a sprint. Flabbergasted, I looked at Chad and asked if they were going to sprint the entire 3.2 miles. This was inconceivable to me.

When the crowd took off, Chad and I were swept along by these way-faster-than-us runners and finished our first mile in a little over eight minutes. This was also inconceivable to me. I never ran anything close to eight-minute miles. It ended up being a classic lesson in slow and steady wins the race because I realized that starting fast and furious meant I would be tired and slow by the middle of the second mile. I found myself taking a break to walk. Chad, unlike me, was feeling good and decided to go on ahead.

I pushed my way through the race thinking the whole time I had no idea where I was or how else to get back to the starting line without just continuing on towards the finish line. What choice did I have but to keep going? Towards the end I caught up to a man who was older than me and seemed to be struggling like I was. We kind of cheered each other along while the sun, with no clouds in the sky, beat down on us.

It’s hard to describe the elation I felt at turning a corner and seeing the finish line ahead. There was a big sign that displayed the time up high in front of me. To get there, we had to run down the street, into a corral lane and then up to the finish line. Of course, I felt a surge of energy once I saw that I was so near to the end. Just as I was about to make it into the corral I saw a green blur out of the corner of my eye. As this person brushed past me and made passing me seem like a walk in the park, I realized whoever he or she was, was dressed in a complete turtle costume. First, head-to-toe Lycra runners, now this character hopping jauntily over the finish line.

Really, I was just happy to finish. I slowed to a walk and paced near the finish line, stretching, until my now mother-in-law found me. She was asking me questions about how it went and why I was so far behind Chad while I wanted nothing more than to slow my breath and calm my body after the fast run. I stopped dead in my tracks when she proclaimed, “Even the turtle beat you!”

Thanks. Thanks a lot.

I have no idea how I responded at the time considering this was my boyfriend’s mom. I was caught off guard but I think I must have just agreed with her. In my head, I know I told myself I wasn’t in the race to win. I already knew I wasn’t going to come in first. I was in the race for myself. To celebrate the fact that I could run three miles. To be among other runners and feel the camaraderie. Certainly not to beat the person dressed in the turtle costume. It didn’t matter if I was running in head-to-toe Lycra, a turtle costume, or raggedy sweats. It mattered that I showed up and ran the race.

The man who won the Kerry Classic 5K in 2003 finished in 15:43, with a split of 5:04. I can’t even imagine running a mile in five minutes! I was in 199^th place with a time of 29:18. My goal was to finish and to know I finished under 30 minutes was actually a great time for me – even if the turtle beat me.

10 Things Week 7: 50 PERCENT RUNNING!!!

My new Lululemon non-treat socks:-)

It was a big week for me. Lots of milestones ( and I seemed to need lots of pats-on-the-back from family and friends for the accomplishments. Thanks:-)

I am just finishing Week 7 of exercise and Week 6 of my Running Plan. May I first say how amazing my online running coach is. Hiring her to create a personalized plan and to have as a support to check in with, etc. has been so important. The brilliance of the plan she created for me after she learned all she could about me is amazing. It has been absolutely perfect so far.  And she seems to know just the thing to say. So, I can't write another post without giving Tonia at TMB Endurance Training a shout-out.

1. So, it is not a treat week. I get a treat every other week that I meet my exercise goals. But I did get some great new Groove pants at Lululemon as my treat last week and I had to have them shorten (did I tell you they shorten for free:-)  They were ready for pick up on Thursday, so I picked them up on my way to the airport (I traveled to Houston for an NCTE meeting this weekend.). They were ready so I just changed in the dressing room there. I must say that traveling is a much happier experience when you are wearing Lululemon clothes. While I was there, I remembered that I only had one pair of clean socks when I packed. So I decided to pick up a pair. I love them even though they are ridiculously expensive for socks. They amuse me--they say "run" and "fast" on them. Hah! I love that you get that message as you put them on before a run. I have not worn them to run but I can't imagine I'll be buying many of these. So, these are not a treat, but a travel necessity.  They are quite fun and I do love them, but a little expensive.

2. So, I hit a big milestone this week. I got to the point where I am running as much, if not more, than I am walking. I began my program running 30 seconds and walking 2 minutes.  I've increased every week or two in both length of run and length of time. This week, I finally got to the point that I am running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. This was big for me. I am actually running half which feels good:-)

3. Breathing seems to matter. I learned this last week and have worked on it a bit this week. Focusing on my breathing to make it more even. Up until this week, I just seem to gasp when I need air, which is always. This week, I read a few things and talked to a few people and tried to at least find a pattern to my breathing.  There were several resources on the Livestrong website that gave me the basic idea. It will be something I need to work on for a while, but breathing definitely matters.

4.  I need to do more of my workouts on the treadmill.  It seems it keeps me at a more even pace and I get a better workout.  I maybe should even do most of my workouts on a treadmill. Seems more effective than on the indoor track.

5.  I started a book that I think I will love. Friend, Samantha Bennett recommended it to me while we chatted at CCIRA. It is called WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING by Haruki Murakami.  So far I love it. I am reading it on the Kindle so will share quotes when I finish. I think it is going to be a great read.

6. My biggest breakthrough this week was my travel workout. I had a meeting in Houston with the NCTE Executive Committee. I had 2 runs in and hoped to get on the exercise bike or something but it was a packed trip and only about 48 hours. On Friday, our meeting ended a bit early--at 4 instead of 5. And we didn't have a dinner until 6.  So, I thought about my options. Normally, I would just rest in the room, take a short nap and be even more tired at dinner. But I decided to go to the fitness room at the hotel and try to get my long run in. I had a power bar in my purse.  I went down and I did my long run on the treadmill! I felt so good getting it done, and while I was traveling.  And I felt so good at dinner afterwards-after exercising, showering, etc. I wasn't exhausted through dinner.  I must admit that I was TERRIFIED that I would see someone I knew at the fitness center. I ran slower than the guy next to me was cooling down and I didn't want anyone I knew to be part of watching me run/walk. I also didn't want anyone to see the obnoxious ponytail on top of my head. But no one I knew was there (or if they were they pretended not to see me.) And I may be over the stress of seeing people I know when I am so out of shape.  It was worth it to get the run in.

7. February is always a month that is hard for me when it comes to healthy living. It is always so busy and crazy.  This February, I had two weekend trips, lots of evening commitments, and we host our annual DUBLIN LITERACY CONFERENCE in February. One of my favorite months of the year but also one that always knocks me off of any health kick I may have began in January. But, it is past both sets of travel and I see to be getting through it okay. I haven't done yoga as much as I've wanted to but plan to jump back in this week and jump in with more classes after next week. I think I've learned a lot about staying active during busy weeks, even if I have to skip a few workouts.

8. I was so excited about getting to the 50/50 mark when it came to the amount of time that I was running, that I decided to celebrate some other numbers.  I looked at the number of minutes that I've done a walk/run workout in this 6 week period and it s 473 1/2 minutes. Yay, me!  Even at a 15 minute mile, I hit over 30 miles so far. I know that isn't a lot but it is fun to add it up and to see how much more it was than I was doing before!

9. I am still reading HEALTHY AT EVERY SIZE and I am learning lots. Someone sent me an article about The Fat Trap in the NY Times that was also interesting. I am trying to synthesize all of this and really think about what is possible and what isn't. I also have FORKS OVER KNIVES on my to-read/to-watch list.  I am not sure I believe that you can never maintain a lower weight if you've gained but I do think that the emphasis on diet is very unhealthy as a way to live. And I can see the impact of healthy eating on so many things.

10. I am not a big fan of flying.  I get stressed out when there are bumps, noises, etc. and Thursday's flight was a bit bumpy. And I was on a small plane. Not terrible but while it was bumpy and I was feeling myself tense up, my running playlist started playing in my head. It was so odd. Like it was a trigger to relax me. And it kind of did. I don't know what this means, but I think my brain is starting to connect running to positive things. That has to be good, right?

10 Things Week 6: JUST DO IT!

Mother/Daughter Shopping Fun!

So, it was a bad week. I traveled last week (which was great) but then came home a little sick. It seemed like a cold but got worse. I ended up missing a day of work and a few workouts.  I still don't feel back to normal but I am much better. I was worried about a week like this--these are the kinds of weeks that usually put a stop to my enthusiasm for exercise. But I did okay. Not great, but good enough.

1. I loved Madonna's halftime show at the Superbowl. The girl is 53!  Having kind of grown up with Madonna, I do know that she never seems to have gotten out of shape. So I am wondering, to look like Madonna at age 53, do you have to be a person that has exercised your whole life or can your body get to that if you start working hard again at 47.  I mean, I know I won't ever work as hard as Madonna but seriously, I am so interested in whether or not you can really get your body back in really good shape at age 50, after being out of shape for a lot of years.

2.  Runners are very funny people.  There are so many T-shirts that make me laugh out loud. Make me want to keep running and get better so I have an excuse to buy some of these and wear them. Another Mother Runner featured some this week.

3.  Okay so this week, the indoor track where I run was packed. There were actually people there I could pass which is very new for me . I realized that no one on the outer circle really cares how fast or slow the other people are going. (I was only on the outer circle for a second or two but it was a quick insight:-)  Anyway, there was a woman walking who was also reading a book on track!! I can't even imagine it.  I wanted to take a picture because I couldn't believe it.  

4. I think I get it. The running thing. It is social and fun. So many times, I mention I am running and someone wants to chat with me about it, invite me to run with their group, etc.  They are so happy to know another runner. The fact that I only run 45 seconds at a time does not seem to bother them. They all seem confident that I will get better.  I guess they all started at some point.  And it would be fun someday in the future to have people to run with. 

5. So, last week, Miley Cyrus saved me.  This week it was the song, "Defying Gravity" from the Broadway musical Wicked.  I do love this song:-)



I am thinking that these songs are upbeat, but they also seem to take me to happy times--my kids watching Hannah Montana when they were little, going to see Wicked with the family. "It's Raining Men" is fun but takes me back to high school and the 80s.  I wonder if when and how you experience the songs matters in how the impact you when you run. Really, I have enough songs for the 24-30 minutes I run but I will definitely need more soon!

6.  My big lesson this week was that even in hard weeks I don't have to quit.  I usually start things strong and then I get sick or I have a busy work/travel week or something. Things get in the way of exercise and I quit. One week of nothing turns into two and two turns into three. Then I don't get back into it. This week I learned that I can cut back without quitting. I still got 3 runs in, but with travel, work and being sick for a few days, I couldn't do the level that I did before. But I did do my runs and rested a bit more.  Stayed with the plan but didn't do everything.  Did enough to keep me on track.This was really big for me. My goal is 5-6 days of workout a week but some weeks I can't do that. I have always been so all or nothing before that this was a huge revelation for me--the fact that I could do some is huge.  And finding time to run 3 times was not so hard.  Very doable no matter how busy.

7. I am reading a book called HEALTHY AT EVERY SIZE (a huge bargain for Kindle edition, by the way). I think I read about it on one of the running/health blogs I have been reading lately.  It is a good book--really makes clear some things about why we have been eating so poorly.  And really helpful in getting back to being in control of your eating without focusing on weight.  This book is such a huge tie-in for me to another I read recently called FED UP WITH LUNCH. Even though they are written for different audiences, the similarities in the content is amazing.  Lots to think about and it is making big sense to me.  I read THE EAT CLEAN DIET a while ago and began to understand the impact of food on the way our systems work.  I think back to high school when I was a size zero or a two and I would get up every morning and exercise with Joanie Greggains

8.  I may need to let my hair grow longer. It is too long to not be in my face, but too short for ponytails and headbands. This does not seem to work for hot yoga and running .At this point, I put a type of toddler-style Snorklike ponytail on top of my head. It works but I look ridiculous.  If it were just a tiny big longer a regular ponytail and headband might work. Do people really decide on hair length based on how it works when running?   I did enter to win my very first running prize on a blog contest this week. These very cool Sparkly Soul Headbands at Marathons 'N' Martinins-They are sooooo fun!  

9. Have I mentioned I LOVE Lululemon yet this week? I went to get my "treat" today.  I went a little overboard but I am building a running/yoga wardrobe you know:-)  And I haven't bought any "real" clothes since November. I bought the Define Jacket (black of course) and the Groove Pant (black of course). And the great news--they hem for free:-) So great for me since I am only 5'2"!  My two daughters were with me.  My oldest was the one who hooked me on Lululemon and she is a yoga addict.  So I wasn't surprised that she bought something. But my 12 year old decided to spend her extra gift money on a pair of shorts for dance. I think she wanted to be "in" since she has spent so much time in the store. I will have to remember not to take her there very often but it was a fun mother-daughter shopping spree there.  And I figure I am encouraging healthy habits like exercise, right?

10. I finally get the Nike "Just Do It" phrase along with all of the others that tell you to just get out there and do it.  Running is one of those things that no matter where you are in the process, there are days you don't want to run. But if you do, you are glad. It is just a matter of doing it. And I think I hit a point this week that I understood that I just needed to follow the plan and do the time I needed to do--whether I wanted to or not, whether I liked to or not. And I had the control to do it. I just decided to.  Getting this seems big.

10 Things Week 5: EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS...

Flickr by Great Northern Running
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/great_northern_running/5549675038/

I just finished Week 5 of my exercise journey.  Week 4 of my 16 week training schedule to get me to running a 5K.  Wooohooo! This week, I ran 45 seconds and walked 2 minutes but increased my long run to 38.5 minutes. I feel like I am making good progress.  I read somewhere this week that you start to feel good at mile 8, so I guess I'll start feeling good in about 3 years!  I am much less tired this week and even with an adjusted exercise schedule due to travel, I was able to meet my week's goals:-)  I knew up front that February would be a really hard month and it is but this week showed me I can do it.

Here are 10 things I am thinking about this week:

1. Lululemon pants are amazing.  I may have to add this to my 10 Things list every week because really, I love them! I want to wear them 24/7. Luckily, next weekend is another treat week and I am thinking I need the Groove Pants and a jacket. I can see how this could potentially become a problem....I am not the only one who loves Lululemon pants. This idea of treating yourself to exercise attire seems to be one that works for others too!

2.  This week, on one of my non-running days, I couldn't make it to Yoga for some reason. So I got on the stationary bike we have upstairs. The pedal was loose so when I was finished, I let my husband know it needed fixed and asked him to leave the wrench to fix it by the bike in case it happened again. He said, "Oh, so did you not do your workout?" Huh? Of course I did my workout. It didn't even occur to me to use that as an excuse not to work out. That was a big moment for me, realizing that I was no longer looking for excuses not to work out. There are definitely days I don't want to work out, but I don't seem to be looking for excuses or thinking about reasons not to exercise as I used to to.

3. I am sleeping better. It seems like the beginning weeks of exercise, my body was very confused. This week though, I started to sleep really well and I am far less tired than I was last week. That is a good thing!

4. This is the first time I have been on a plan without weight loss being the main focus.  I definitely want and need to lose weight, but having a 16 week running plan to get to a 5K seems so much smarter for me. I have weighed myself every day since I was 13. Crazy, I know. And clearly it doesn't seem to matter. But it is just a habit I've always had.  I still do that, but the idea that my goal is a 16 week journey and that the results of both running and weight will be slow has somehow changed things for me. I no longer worry if I didn't lose a pound. Instead, I am working toward a different goal of a healthier lifestyle. I imagine the weight will work itself out and if not, once I get to a 5K, I'll be in a much better place to start thinking about weight loss.  I am amazed at the difference having a goal other than weight is making for me.

5.  Runners are fun people. I like them and I am starting to understand the socialness of all of this in terms of training, races, etc.  As you know, I cannot wait to get my first Team Sparkle skirt for the Komen Columbus Race for the Cure in May.  That was the first fun thing that is somehow keeping me inspired to keep going. But this week, I learned about The Color Run.  I learned about this from Lisa at Because I Can...(a new favorite blog:-)  How fun is this run?



Unfortunately, I do not see a Color Run in Columbus.  Hopefully they will be coming soon. Or maybe...I will go to Chicago. I now understand people who travel for races. This is one I want to be part of someday. Love that someone came up with this idea!  Definitely want to do one of these once I am able to run a 5K.

6.  Playlists matter.  As I said last week, Miley Cyrus seems to save me a lot when I am losing energy. I know I need to find some new songs but have not really had the time to do that and am not really running long enough that it matters right now. A few friends have suggested I listen to podcasts or audiobooks but I can't imagine doing that. I am not sure how anyone does that. It seems like it would make both running and listening more difficult.  Dimity at Another Mother Runner is "Calling All Playlists" to include in the Groovy Tunes section of their newly designed website. Sounds like something I definitely need. Right now, I am so not so much contributing to the running community--only taking from it. I hope they don't mind...

7.  I tried the Chaturanga this week at Yoga. My 21 one year old daughter who is a yoga addict, came with me to my class since she was in town.  It was fun to have her with me but I had to try some things I hadn't before:-) Earlier in the week, she was semi-appalled that I had not tried the Chaturanga yet. It was the modification that has been allowing me to get through class. So this week I tried a few.  My upper body strength (if you can call it that) is pretty weak. So even the plank is hard for me. I should work on my plank on off yoga days. I will think about that.

8. I love Oxygen and Water.  This weekend, I traveled to Denver, Colorado for CCIRA.  It was an amazing conference. I learned a lot and saw lots of great friends. It was a truly great weekend and I was even able to see the historic blizzard. I did notice a difference in the oxygen and water a bit while I was there. I worked hard to drink lots of water to keep hydrated but I still came home less hydrated than usual. And I didn't exercise there because I was worried that I wasn't used to the altitude yet. So I woke up early Thursday to exercise before I flew out and I rested the 2 days that I was there.  I did notice a bit of a difference in things when I got home to my normal altitude level. It could have been my imagination but I don't think so.  But it was worth having less water and oxygen to be part of CCIRA!

9.  My friend, Sam Bennett, suggested I read WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING.  I ordered the sample on my Kindle and am anxious to give it a try.  I love that he is both a runner and a writer:-) I will keep you posted.

10. According to my 12 year old, I am now more pleasant, ("not much" she says, "but a little"). Gotta love 12 year old girls.  As my husband added, "Every little bit helps."  Imagine how pleasant I could be in a few weeks!

I think my husband's comment sums up the journey so far. Every little bit makes a difference.  Onto next week!