Run Betsy Run. (I’m trying.) & 90 Day Fitness Challenge Update #10

Thanks to WhatWouldSummerWear for the neat photo.

Sometimes The Business of Life includes… GETTING HEALTHY.

I’ve committed (rather than been committed) to running.

FIVE MILES.

At one time.

Really.

I run, don’t get me wrong, I’ve played sports for most of my life. Apparently running for me works when I DON’T KNOW I’m running. Like playing soccer. Or, as my volleyball coach use to do, and drop me off 3 miles from school and… well, you get the picture. Or when I ran down from Mt Whitney because I was getting low on water, my flashlight battery died, and it was dusk (and that was around 13 miles downhill, switchbacks and rocks all the way).

Oh… I also do sprints ’cause I know it’s over soon. I may be heaving and hurling, but it’s over.

But just going out and run for a couple of miles?

This I don’t get.

And I know it’s all mental. But it’s uncomfortable, hot and sweaty business and I know it’s going to be another 30 mins of more of the same. And I KNOW can stop. At anytime. I should stop. Any sane person would.

But I also know it’s just about the most efficient exercise out there. Have shoes and road, you can exercise. It’s great cardio and gets you (and keeps you) in shape. And since my  Go Betsy Go 90 Day Fitness Challenge is winding down, I’ve got to come up with a plan to keep the good and keep on whittling away at the bad.

Enter my trainer , and all-around nice chick, Laura Dosdall.

She’s convinced me to start training to eventually run 5 miles (Or was that a 5K? She’s pretty mum on the topic.) Right now 1 mile is daunting. (Did I tell you how much I do not enjoy running? I really dislike the activity.) Well Laura is going to teach me to love it.

I’m going to start with just the first mile. Tomorrow.

Wish me luck.

And here are the stats from Betsy for Week 10.

So as of 7/30/10 :

• Bust: 36.5 inches (No change from last week, -2.5″ total)
• Waist: 29.5 inches (No change from last week,  -3.5″ total
• Hips: 38.1 inches (-1.1″, -4.50″ total, Hooray!)
• Upper arm: 10.5 inches (-0.50″, -1.50″ total)
• Upper thigh: 21.0 inches (-1.0, -4.75″ total)

Total inches lost this week:  , total 16.75″ since starting.

HOLY CRAP! I’ll take those numbers. I sort of plateaued the last few weeks and now, my body, decides to be nice. (I plan on writing a nice thank-you note to the bod later on today.)

Goes to show you, keep on keepin’on and everything works out in the end.

Read all about the 90 day health challenge I’m doing, you can read all about it HERE.

Check out my partners in the Go Betsy Go! 90 Day Challenge:

Ode to Back-up Alarms.

I almost missed today’s big events.

Really.

My husband had a work event that I was invited to — celebrating the recent acquisition of the company he’s a CTO at– and it was far away, so we stayed over at a hotel. It was nice not to have to drive home late, and also nice because he had to leave at 5 AM to go on a business trip for said company.

And I got to sleep in.

Until 7 AM.

I know, I know, the sheer luxury of it all! Considering I usually have to deal with my toes being tugged at 6 AM by a thirsty three year old or telling my eldest son that Wii came into the house by the grace of me, it’s also going to go by the grace of me, if HE KEEPS PLAYING IT AT THIS LEVEL AGAIN.

So relatively uninterrupted sleep until 7 AM is super-fantastic happy hour fabulous by my standards.

But I had to get up by 7 AM. No later.

Quick ring to the Hotel’s front desk to set a wake-up call.

Ready.

Not.

If I hadn’t gotten a wrong number at 6:45 AM, I would have never woken up.

They never called. Not at 7 AM, not at 7:30 AM.

I had to meet the trainer at the gym and I had a long drive through Boston’s morning rush-hour traffic, had I not woken up and missed my apt I would have been pissed.

When I was doing finanical PR and we had a deal being announced, I often set the alarm, ringed for a wake-up call AND had breakfast delivered. I never  was late and I was never rushed.

Back-up alarms are important. Not only do they mean you have confidence that you’ll be on time, and you sleep better if you’re really nervous, it also means you’re never going to feel rushed if you properly backed out your the time in your schedule.

Seems pretty trivial and obvious, but back-ups are key.

The more important it is, the more back-ups you need. And want.

Most important meeting of your life? Back-ups galore.

Nuclear power plant? Oh hell yes, there BETTER be a bucketful o’back-ups.

This morning only confirms it. Don’t leave it to chance.

Make sure you have your back-ups alarms in place.

Kick-Ass Corn Salsa of the Gods…

Thanks to Come For Coffee Blog for the swell picture.

I love salsa. But you already knew that from previous posts.  This past weekend, at a party, I tasted the most amazing corn salsa.

I can imagine this would be great made with grilled corn on the cob. I’d also (from that same previous post) even throw in some basil, but this, by itself is amazing. Make it for yourself, your next party or just because. It is that good. (Updated note: per the comment below don’t mix cilantro and basil, use in lieu of.)

So here it is….

Corn and Bean Salsa

1 c. black beans, rinsed and drained
8 oz. cooked corn
1 large tomato, diced
1 avocado medium, diced
1/2 purple onion, chopped
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1-2 T lime juice
1 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
S&P to taste

Mix together.  Allow time for flavors to combine, about 30 mins.

[But don't make ahead much more than that because of the avocado.]

90 Day Fitness Challenge Update #9: Meet Robin Jones, Modern Pilates Guru

I’ve been doing Pilates as a part of my Go Betsy Go 90 Day Fitness Challenge.

On Wednesday I train with Robin Jones from Modern Pilates.

It’s always interesting to find out how people get into their chosen calling?  So I asked Robin if she could shoot me an email on herself and give me some more info on how Pilates came about. Every workout I have with her I learn a bit more (and a bit more wacky) info on how Pilates was developed. I am pretty sure that the founder, Joseph Pilates was both crazy and genius, and most definitely ahead of his time.

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” – Joseph Pilates

Classically trained, with over 400 hours of training, Robin is a Peak Pilates certified instructor who really cares about people and enjoys working with all body types. She personally takes an interest in the individual helping each person work toward their ultimate goal.

Previously an auctioneer, Robin found her way into the Pilates world by taking a Pilates Mat Class after knee surgery. She experienced first hand how the Classical Pilates Movement System was able to not only rehabilitate her knee, but helped to correct her faulty movements from years and years of imbalances due stemming from her knee problems.

Knowing that it took the brilliance of Joe Pilates a lifetime to create his system, Robin is dedicated to pursuing a lifetime of Pilates studies by always seeking to further her education with trainings and coursework. She brings her ever-growing knowledge to each session to apply the Pilates Principles and Movement System to her clients, as she believes Joseph Pilates intended.

Pilates is a movement system that has been proven to be beneficial for everyone from the high performance athlete to the everyday person and improves flexibility, endurance, balance, and core strength. Pilates training helps you to perform at your peak ability.

“Breathing is the first act of life and the last.” – Joseph Pilates

A lot still remains a mystery regarding Joseph Pilates’ history. He was a fascinating character to say the least. A German, he surfaces around 1918 in an interment camp during World War I in Britain. He rehabilitated soldiers by rigging four poster hospital beds, pulling the springs out from the box springs and using stirrups for handles (the birth of the Reformer, one of the central pieces of equipment in Pilates). When the influenza runs through the interment camp it is said that the soldiers who were exercising with Joseph Pilates did not get the influenza.

Joseph Pilates

In 1926 Joseph and his wife Clara immigrated to America where he set up his studio in the tight confines of New York City to continue his practice. His invention and designs of the Pilates apparatus such as The Reformer and Chair had two functions. Most pieces could be converted into furniture because of the restriction in space – pretty brilliant. The Reformer could be turned into a sofa or bed and the Chair turns into an actual chair.

“In ten sessions you will feel the difference, in twenty sessions you will see the difference and in thirty sessions you will have a whole new body.” - Joseph Pilates

In 1945 Joseph Pilates wrote a book called “Return to Life Through Contrology” (he originally called his system “Contrology”) which gives you photos and descriptions on his exercises and way of life. Every exercise was to be done with the six Pilates Principles: Concentration, Centering, Control, Breathing, Precision, and Flowing Movement. He devoted his entire life to develop the Pilates Movement System.

“I am fifty years ahead of my time.” – Joseph Pilates

Many of the “Elders” or people who trained directly under Joseph Pilates are still alive, teaching and practicing Pilates in their 80’s.

Now, I know personally the affect that Joseph Pilates and Robin have had on my body. 14+ inches lost and I feel strong and lean and taller!

Now let’s get to what’s happening with me. I’ve had to take it easy this week, I’ve been having issues with my back, stemming from my body being extremely, extremely tight. I am usually super-freaky flexible, but I’m can only go about 1/3 the amount I ususally do when I stretch. Something is definitly going on!

Thus, I’ve limited my cardio and my pilates and strength training have been lighter, the latter being more cardio, less weight.

And here are the stats from Betsy for Week 9.

So as of 7/23/10 :

• Bust: 35.5 inches (No change from last week, -2.5″ total)
• Waist: 29.5 inches (No change from last week,  -3.5″ total
• Hips: 39.0 inches (No change from last week, -3.40″ total, Horray!)
• Upper arm: 11.0 inches (No change from last week, -1.00″ total)
• Upper thigh: 22.0 inches (No change from last week, -3.75″ total)

Total inches lost this week: NONE! , total 14.15″ since starting.

I wasn’t expecting much, but this is slightly disappointing. I guess I will have to be happy that at least I didn’t gain! So let’s see what next week brings.

Read all about the 90 day health challenge I’m doing, you can read all about it HERE.

Check out my partners in the Go Betsy Go! 90 Day Challenge:

Blueberries For Betsy…

Picture courtesy of oregonberry.com

When was the last time you picked berries?

Probably it’s longer than you think, so you should try to put it on your summer “to-do” list.

Pronto.

I spent today, with the kids en tow, picking blueberries at a local farm.

First timer at it, mostly because I was unsure how to execute it with twins when they were younger, then later because Baby Lug was… well Baby Lug. Now I wish I had done it earlier. It was so much fun.

Straight out of one of our favorite stories, the classic Blueberries for Sal , we Kerplinked! Kerplunked! Kerplanked! blueberries into our pail as we meandered up and down. Chatting. Laughing. Pretending we were picking much-needed fuel cells for our spaceship.

A few blueberries into the pail, a few in our mouth.

We chatted about blueberries, how to pick them, how to select what is ripe.

Mr Man, my eldest made it his mission to fill his pail up to the top. And when Mr. Man gets on a mission, watch out! He meticulously picked perfectly ripe blueberries, put them into his pail, and slowly filled it to the top. So, I bought an extra 1/2 pound of berries but how could I not encourage this?

All in all I highly suggest an afternoon of Kerplinked! Kerplunked! Kerplanked! -ing.

We had a blast. No Wii. No movies.

Just us.

Kerplink!

Are you a Superstar? Do You Really Need a Badge? (I’m not worthy….)

Four-square.

Blip.

Trade show. (Ok, it was SXSW.)

How different is this from the “Good Work!” sticker we’d get on our 2nd grade math test? Not much. At some point we realize that these badges are just that- one big puffy sticker saying we’re awesome.

Where they do have some importance is when they can be translated into currency.

At Foursquare “checking in” to all the places you go and snatching up badges has cache within certain circles. Mostly if you’re 18-34 and a mobile-urban marauder. If you check-in the most at an establishment, and become a Four-square “mayor,” you get free stuff (drinks, roll of hockey tape, free shoes.) It’s  a part of Four-square’s business plan- by establishing and helping maintain loyalty for businesses.

Another one, Blip, the music sharing DJ site, does badges as well. Source a new song? Get a badge. Get reblipped by another DJ or props get another? Get some more badges. And so on and so forth.

For those that work in/on/around social media it’s practically a necessity. That, and your twitter follow numbers, your blog draw, reputation and resume makes, well, makes your resume in some arenas.

I just find it interesting. The cache of badges as another measurement of how “plugged-in” you are. For some it’s just fun, a factor of how cool you are. For other’s it’s a requirement, and tells others how competent you are.

But at some point it will not be. Fun or a requirement. When everyone is doing it, when all businesses are participating in it. Once the uniqueness is gone, when everyone has the same badge, then what? It will just be another thing on the to-do list. I mean, if everyone is special, then no one is special.  Actually just today, someone posted on FB a picture  of a printed “table tent” from a bar, saying something to the effect that if you’re the mayor, show your Four-sqaure status to the waitress and get a free beer- one per person per day.

Lame.

If McDonald starts giving out a special badge for, say, being the first to try their new McFlurry- it’s not so cool is it?

Not really. And that’s the real nugget isn’t it? That is the challenge for Blip and Four-square, keeping the tension between accessibility and cool.

Do really need the badges to reveal how awesome we are?

I don’t play Four-square. Actually I’m not that much of an urban maurader, and I also find it slightly creepy that people would know where I am or where I go. Creepy.

I blip not for badges, but because I love to share music on Twitter.

But that’s just me.

90 Day Fitness Challenge Update #8: Oh the Things You Will Think…

(folks this is usually published on Friday, but my official stats and measurement man was on a business trip, so to keep things consistent I waited…)

I just graduated to Level Two of Pilates.

I am so please with myself, I’m beaming.

If you’ve ever done Pilates, on a reformer, you’d understand the hornet’s nest of frustrations each exercise is. Joseph Pilates, did his best to come up with the most complex, intricate and frustrating method to get your ass in shape possible.

I’m still learning, but it’s neat-o that I’m getting better at this. You know you’re never too old to stop learning.

Hooray!

And here are the stats from Betsy for Week 8.

So as of 7/9/10 :

• Bust: 35.5 inches (No change from last week, -2.5″ total)
• Waist: 29.5 inches (-0.5″ from last week,  -3.5″ total- still no change. I think this is going to be the last frontier folks…)
• Hips: 39.0 inches (-0.5″ from last week, -3.40″ total, Horray!)
• Upper arm: 11.0 inches (No change from last week, -1.00″ total)
• Upper thigh: 22.0 inches (-.50, -3.75″ total)

Total inches lost this week: 1.50″, total 14.15″ since starting. That is not bad and I am really, really happy thus far!

Read all about the 90 day health challenge I’m doing, you can read all about it HERE.

Check out my partners in the Go Betsy Go! 90 Day Challenge:

Know the Face of Drowning? (I bet not.)

Every once in a while, you come across a post that needs to be repeated in it’s entirety. This is one. Thanks to Mario Vittone, who blogs on boating and boat safety.  Summer means an increase in boating and swimming but it also means a sharp increase in drownings.

That being said, do you know what a drowning person or child looks like?

I bet you don’t. Drownings are the 2nd cause of death in children, half within 26 feet of a parent or adult.  10% of children drown while their parents watched unknowingly.

So read up and learn the signs. You just might save someone’s life.

Many thanks to Mario Vittone. Click through to read the original article.

The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the owners who were swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!”

How did this captain know – from fifty feet away – what the father couldn’t recognize from just ten? Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew knows what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life.

The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC). Drowning does not look like drowning – Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene Magazine, described the instinctive drowning response like this:

1. Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs.
2. Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.
3. Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water, permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.
4. Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.
5. From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.

(Source: On Scene Magazine: Fall 2006)

This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble – they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long – but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

• Head low in the water, mouth at water level
• Head tilted back with mouth open
• Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
• Eyes closed
• Hair over forehead or eyes
• Not using legs – Vertical
• Hyperventilating or gasping
• Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
• Trying to roll over on the back
• Ladder climb, rarely out of the water.

So if a crew member falls overboard and every looks O.K. – don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them: “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare – you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

post on teaching children to swim.
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disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the Department of Homeland Security or the U.S. Coast Guard.

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Read the full post at MarioVitonne.com

90 Day Fitness Challenge Update #7

Half-way through point.

Whoa.

The older I get the more I see the genius behind these phrases:

One day at a time.

The days are long but the years are short.

The first usually associated with AA, the second was a gem given to my husband about raising children.

But both couldn’t be truer.

And they apply to all sorts of things, even this fitness challenge.

Each day is about making it to the end of the day with my “to-do’s (and “don’ts”) all met and crossed off. Sounds so simple.

As one of the trainers pointed out, “you work out for 1 and 1/2 hours, that leaves 22 and 1/2 hours to screw it up.” Ain’t that the truth. I found that making change stick is about being “present,” realizing that today is what your working on, that an ice-cream now with good intentions tomorrow doesn’t really work, does it? It never does with me. And whether you’ve been good or bad, days add up. Before you know it it’s 8 weeks later.

You have to be focused and strong all day long (and sometimes friends, it’s a long-ass day) but then the days/weeks quickly blur together.

It’s all so diabolically counter-intuitive.

For me, just drifting though the day usually means mindless eating for me and whoops! no time for cardio as it’s 11pm. And, you know it all all adds up (or subtracts as the case may be.)

This is tough stuff. At least for TheBetsy.

So while I’m working on being present, I’m also working on having a bit of structure to my day. I’ve accepted that the day is full with kid’s activities and cardio at 8pm is going to have to work. I also know that at the kids’ ice cream time, having something in-hand, say a decaf iced coffee, is necessary. It does take a bit of upfront thought, but once you plan for a “situation,” you’re set.

So half-way through here are my insights to making a change:

“One day at a time.”

“The days are long but the years/months/weeks are short.”

Present and have options planned.

And here are the stats from Betsy for Week 8.

So as of 7/9/10 :

• Bust: 35.5 inches (No change from last week, -2.5″ total, but I think this is do the sports bra, things were flattened!)
• Waist: 29.5 inches (-0.5″ from last week,  -3.5″ total)
• Hips: 39.5 inches (-1.5″ from last week, -2.90″ total, YIPPPPPPEEE!)
• Upper arm: 11.0 inches (No change from last week, -1.00″ total)
• Upper thigh: 22.5 inches (+0.50, -3.25″ total, Stinks!)

Total inches lost this week: 1.00″, total 13.15″ since starting.

Read all about the 90 day health challenge I’m doing, you can read all about it HERE.

Check out my partners in the Go Betsy Go! 90 Day Challenge:

Human Evolution- A Snapshot

Sometimes I find myself asking how did we, as humans evolve in the alpha-species of Earth?

Yeah, opposable thumbs are awesome but really, what makes us so fabulously different from, say,  Bubbles the Chip?

Well, I think I might just have the answer.

At some point today my 3 y.o. (a.k.a. “Baby Lug”) showed up naked and pantless.

Bear with me, this really is about us evolving, not de-volving.

Promise.

When asked where his pants were, he replied, “They were drying.”

When asked why his pants were drying, he replied, “‘Cause they were dirty.”

When asked why his pants were dirty, he replied, “I washed them.”

I know it doesn’t make sense, he is, after all, THREE.

It would seem  that Baby Lug, upon determining his shorts were dirty, took it upon himself to take them and his underpants off, march to the bathroom and wash them in the toilet. Then dried them in the sink.

This kid is killing me.

When he’s not metaphorically killing me, he’s impressing the hell out of me.

Messy yes, but you have to give the kid credit- that was some creative problem solving.

Sure the opposable thumb is cool. But I’d also think human’s aptitude for creative problem solving is right up there for pushing us up the evolutionary ladder.

Monkeys have been known to use simple tools– trimming a stick to probe for ants– but what does it take to a look at that same stick and see the foundation for an arrow? The handle of an ax? Or part of a shelter?

It’s the same higher-order creative thought processes that tells one person, a long-long time ago, to see tree sap and, think if it was just boiled down, it’d make maple syrup.

Or a 3 y.0. that the path to clean pants is just a toilet bowl away.