Going for Speed

I am no Shalane, Jeptoo, Kara or Kastor. Nor am I any sort of elite or paid athlete. But if I had the sponsors, time, training and coach - I would be very curious to try this. Even though I say I am still 29, I can qualify for the Masters in just over one year.

 

So I decided to do 12 races in 2013 - one for every month. And I started with the first day of 2013 in 7 degree weather, doing the New Years Day Dash. Now if I haven't told you, I am frightened of running on ice. I mean, who would want to break something and not be able to do any aerobic exercise? If you see me at work - I have worked out, so I think I would go nuts if I broke something. I don't know what I would do. So when there is ice - I am cautious and slow.

I PRed in a lot of races. I was second in my age group in the Frosty 5K at a 7:40 pace. I moved up from 49th to 39th in the Crazylegs Classic 8K in my age group, once again making it into the newspaper. I placed second place/female in the Plan B Fruit Loop (nobody came out - literally or figuratively, as it was crappy weather) at a 7:23 pace, and I placed 2nd place in my age group/gender in the UW Running Club's 15K. I did all sorts of runs - Medaled in the Honky Tonk, and even came out 14th out of 524 in my age/gender in the Cleveland Turkey Trot. So I feel that I need to go for speed now. And it's work but it's so incredibly gratifying and enjoyable to take it to the next step.

My first medal as 3rd place female in this race. I am the one in the hat....

 

I am now doing workouts most days. For those of you who are non-runners, a "workout" is more than junk miles. It's fartleks, tempos, speed, hills and more. I am actually (sigh) running outdoors in snowy conditions as well. I think I can go up to 30th in my age group in Crazylegs. So that's my goal. To move up another 9 spots. Wish me luck.

 

This all brings me back to the question I always ask. I pound the pavement/treadmill six days a week to do 4-10 miles. If I can do it (I mean - did you see me try to play a sport, people?!), what is stopping you? Why is this not a priority for you? Everyone should be able to run one mile. EVERYONE.

 

  Check out this article about this woman who is now 94. I mean - who wouldn't want this to be them?? Start now! I couldn't believe after living in Cleveland for over 20 years, I only saw ONE - yes ONE person I knew at the Turkey Trot. You think you're a runner? Start racing!

 

You all have untapped potential. Get going. See what you can do.  I just don't get how you can go through your day without running. I just simply do not get it. Tell me what's stopping you. I hope I can help! Feel free to private message me. I hope all of my friends can enjoy running as much as Tim and I do.

 

 

Having a little fun!

 

Crappy Weather - so what?!

 

 

 

Redundant Facebook Postings

I saw something this week that a friend posted on facebook about postings that annoy the heck out of people so I decided to create my own list. What do you think about that? And it starts with the posts I have seen all day today via facebook. So let's start with #1. Shall we?

Annoying Facebook Post #1 is......

1) Oddly, my little Mason/Aiden/Zora didn't get the memo that it's daylight savings time and I have been up since 4:00 AM!!!

That's too bad.

2) Ran 4 miles, did laundry, cleaned the car out and went to the airport - all before 10 AM!

What do you think normal people do? Sounds like a typical morning. Good for you.

3) Got some serious news. Scared!

Yeah. I'm just going to ignore that status. Because your cryptic update is asking for attention I don't care to give you.

4) Just ran 5 miles!

So did I.

5) I can't believe little Aiden is one year old today! Where did my baby go?

What did you think was happening, exactly? A Benjamin Button situation here?

6) I love my boyfriend! He bought me flowers just because he's so wonderful!

Here they are! I'm the luckiest!

7)  I'm the luckiest girl in the world! I am going to marry the man of my dreams! 

Really? The man of your dreams just bought you that ugly piece of jewelry?

So - what are your favorite posts or what really annoys you? I expect to get a comment from the Malaysian who continues to ask me to advertise their fake bags that you can get in Soho.

So long!

Untying the Knot!

I am not sure what's happened since my last blog post.

I'm fairly certain I went missing.

I am currently suffering from some sort of stomach bug that I have had for six days! I decided to embrace the beautiful fall day and go for a seventy-five minute run this morning.

First Place overall on the left. Second place female on his side. Awwwwww

And shortly, I am headed out for a sports massage which I am told is VERY painful and I will be left with some bruising. I am ok with all of this, since on March 25, 2007!!, I woke up with knots that NEVER went away.

First, I had a massage.

Then I tried a chiropractor who told me after I waited in his examining room for over an hour and he never came in to come back and give him another try.

Then I talked to a psychic who told me that I had a choice I couldn't make (I was thinking of moving to Madison) and I needed to make up my mind. Then the knots would go away. So I moved to Madison and then slept on a futon in my sister and brother-in law's tv room where their 1 year old would wake up at the crack of dawn every morning and eat his breakfast at which point in time, my angel Scout would jump up and catch all food he threw around the dining room with his cohort, Pugsley the Pug, which would then wake me up. (This was typically after a night of lots of boozing - me, not the dogs. Or the one year old).

The knots continued in my back shoulder area no matter what I did/do.

Some of you may have been with me when I asked you while sitting at Graze or any random bar or tailgate to massage my knots.

My knots got me into some trouble one time. A few months after moving to Madison, I went out with some friends to a bar. One young guy who came with us looked exactly like Barack Obama. I am not lying to you.

I said, "Do people tell you...."

Obama: Yes, all the time!

It was during Obama's campaign in '08. I lived here for about five months. We went to a bar with a group of people, I was feeling relaxed and I decided to ask Obama to feel my knots. Next thing you know, he is kneading them and I am in heaven.

About ten minutes later, I notice my boyfriend's (at the time) good friend's girlfriend there with another guy. She comes over and says hello to me. This is a gal who I last heard had to wear an ankle bracelet. Not the jewelry kind.

And then about one week later, my boyfriend (at the time) said she - (ankle bracelet girl) told him I had a guy all over me giving me a massage at the bar. Who cares? I was in pain and I needed someone to knead those puppies out. I think I ended the call with "Well, we're through!"*

*We broke up 2 1/2 years later

I then talked to my internist about the knots. She went to her computer and printed a pamphlet from Mayo Clinic for some exercises. Ummm hello? Do we NOT have a wonderful medical institution right here in Madison? Where I work? A little offensive to say the least. I tried the exercises any way. And she moved back to wherever she is from.

I then talked to the oncologist down the hall from my office. A cancer patient had recently told me:

"A friend of mine, about your size, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I'm trying to help her. She started with some pain in her back and shoulder."

I thought to myself "Oh My God! I have terminal cancer!"

I slinked into the oncologist's office and told him my concerns. He felt the areas and told me I didn't have cancer - Thank you, God! He gave me some exercises to do.

I woke up with a stiff neck about three weeks ago and still can't turn my head all the way to the left so I am off to try this lady. "Try this sports massage, I'll pay for it" said my loving and sweet boyfriend. And so I am off for a beating...

I'll let you know how it goes!

The Continuation of Racing in 2013

In the continuation of remaining loyal to my 2013 race a month, I did the Black Earth 10 miler [no frills, $5 entry fee, no chip], Crazylegs, [beat last year's time and had my name in the paper again], and the Honky Tonk 5K [placed 3rd female finisher].

The Black Earth 10 miler was pretty unexciting. It's an out and back on country roads and the best part of it for me is that I know I'm going to feel great the rest of the day. It was a lousy day for racing and the wind was pretty loud and hard coming back. It was so loud that you couldn't hear anything. I never got passed after about mile 4 and the end was anti-climatic. But it's a fun, no-frills race. I don't even think my time is posted, but I think I finished in an hour and 25 minutes? I am not really sure.

Next came the Crazylegs Classic. An 8K that starts on the square where we live and ends in Camp Randall Stadium [where the Badgers play football!] Along with that grand finale, beer is free until they run out. I was fortunate to cut off 17 seconds from last year, moving me up to 40th in my age group and 234th in my gender out of 5,604. Tim, on the other hand was 8th out of 9,501 runners. I have work to do!

                                            Here we are, post Crazylegs at Camp Randall.

So I did two in April and then followed up with the Honky Tonk in May. The story behind the Honky Tonk is a moving story. I never write about my work, but inspired by Aly Wolff, a young cancer patient who sadly lost her battle with cancer, I wanted to give back. Her story moved not only me but literally thousands of people all over the country. My heart goes out to her and her family and friends. What her friends did for her was beautiful. And in her memory, I signed up for Aly's Honky Tonk Hustle. It was a nice warm day and there were a lot of people out there remembering Aly. She was the only thing missing. I wish I got to meet her. Clearly there was something so special about this girl.

Here's a nice photo before the race started:

Aly's girlfriends who rallied around her did a fantastic job with this run/walk. I know what these runs take to get organized. I came in third place/women! They gave me a medal. and we chatted for a few minutes. I have not been able to break that 23 minute 5/k time, but I will, darn it!

Now - on to tomorrow... We are doing the Plan B 5K Fruit Loop. I wonder who is going to win.....

The Real Spirit of the Marathon

When I first started this blog, I had been running regularly for several years. One of my first posts was about how moving to Madison made me finally love running. And I still get pumped. My fastest and easiest to write post was the one where I wrote about how I started getting into it. If you look back at that post today, you will see what inspired me to run in a marathon. I was living in Boston and was watching the event in the spring of 2003.

Here is what I told you about the event back in 2011:

Let me tell you about the Boston Marathon. It is one of the ultimate marathons because unlike most marathons, you have to qualify for it [unless you do one of those “Team in Training” type of fundraisers.] For example, if I wanted to participate in it, I would have to run a previous marathon at about an 8.40 pace. [Dad – you would need to complete one at a 10.8 minute pace, so you should really consider it. Just saying]. So, I watched the marathon and said, “I can do this” and then I signed up for one and started training.

I was motivated to push myself. Watching a marathon, especially as a runner [even an amateur like myself] is like nothing else I can describe. Participating in a race is such a great feeling. Well - at the end anyway. There is nothing like finishing a race and rewarding yourself with a beverage and feeling all sore and worked hard. The physical goodness. It's just a remarkable feeling.

That finish line. That's where you want to be. When I went to New York to watch my sister Leslie run in the marathon, I described the emotions you feel as someone who has raced.

When I reflect on my run in the marathon, I get very emotional. I didn't then, but I do now. In 2007, my sister ran the New York marathon. I flew in to watch her. As I got off the subway, and entered the street, searching for my sister, tears streamed down my face. It was a beautiful moment, all of these people who all experienced the same grueling training, pushing their bodies to do things God did not intend to put us on this planet for. I completely connected with, and understood their feelings. It was also beautiful because there are few times I have ever been surrounded by so many people, in a large city, who have all come together for a joyous event, in a city that was terrorized. I cried a lot that day. I felt for the runners, and I think it was the first time that I ever realized what I had accomplished four years earlier

There really is something to be said about the beauty of a marathon. What happened on Monday in Boston is so sick. I feel for everyone who was there or had any connection. Let's keep the spirit of running a joyous one. There's nothing in my life that brings me the physical and mental pleasure that running does.

How to Run - a Training Guide

Well I finished my burpee challenge ... with myself. Oh well. I tried. I didn't think it was any big deal but I also don't miss them. If anyone wants to do a month with me, I am happy to!

In other news, my dad and sister agreed to train for a 5k. My dad has never really been a runner besides one summer in the old black and white days.

While he was visiting in March, I had planned to take him over to a running store to get fitted for shoes. He said he has a pair from when we were in Minneapolis [which was in the year 2000] and went out for cheeseburgers* instead. This is not a joke.

This is that burger joint he insisted we go to. Note * I drank my meal and downed 2 bloody marys.

So I decided instead of sending him 1,000,000 articles on why you should NEVER run in shoes that are thirteen years old, I would just blog about it instead.

So if you are wanting to go from 0 - 5 K, here is my advice.

1) Get medical clearance from your doctor.

2) Get fitted for running shoes at a running store.

These retailers are experts at fitting you based on your stride. This will be very helpful and will hopefully prevent injuries you can avoid by running in 13 [OMG!] year old shoes.

3) Wear appropriate running gear.

You do not need to get fancied out for this. You want to wear comfortable clothes. It's simple. You shouldn't have to buy anything new.

4) Start out slow.

Go around your block or down your street at a very slow jog. The biggest mistake I made when I tried to run the first few times was really running. Just jog. Slowly. You should be able to make it for one minute at a jog pace.

Here is a guide I found that you can use to get you from 0 to a 5K

My one [and only?!] marathon. My sister joined me at the end.

When I had my birthday last week I sent out my usual birthday wish list. Let me start by saying that my dad has fully furnished my wardrobe at this point. I am sitting in a cute dress and tights from a Banana Republic gift card he got me last winter and next to an adorable Orla Kiely purse

he comped for my birthday, I love to tell people who compliment my outfits that they're from Bob. Although they were picked out by yours truly.

However, I really want a dad and mom who are healthy [they are healthy - just to age well] And I wish now that I had asked my dad to do the 5K and not get me anything.

 I was really teased growing up for changing my mind. And I am the complete opposite of that now. I like to follow through on things. I hate when people tell you

"I'm going to see a movie tomorrow night"

and when you ask them how it was, they tell you they didn't go. It irks me.

If I could be your accountability partner I would be. What's keeping you from training for your first 5K?

Racing Away

Do you know that I have never raced in a 10K? Don't be fooled. I have done a 26.2, 13.1, 10 miler, 5 miler, 8K and many 5Ks. But I have never raced in a 10K.

But after coming out of the 2012 Shamrock Shuffle with a nice PR, I decided to race in the 10K and not take it seriously for once. Sundays are also my one day off from running as I mention in every single blog. And this race happened to take place on a Sunday this year.

[Courtesy of MEG - they're coming after you, Marv!]

 

So Saturday was full of lots of running and drinking. Which means not preparing for any racing. But with the turn out they had again this year and the sun was out in the bitter cold below freezing temperatures, I was ready to go.

Observatory Hill multiple times in one race is simply no fun. However, I managed to do ok for the lack of "seriousness" I was taking for my March race and came out of the 10K race with sub eights.

The best part was celebrating at State Street Brats. I had never been there. I am sure it's because that place is generally filled with 21 year olds, but not on St. Patty's Day.

Next up is Crazy Legs. I managed to just make it into the newspaper last year for my age/time. I don't have a June race picked out yet if anyone has any suggestions.

Truthfully, this once a month race and accomplishing my burpee challenge is so anti-climactic. It would be one thing if anyone said to me:

"You know Janie, I read your blog and it inspired me to take control of my health."

OR

"It's so great that while you have NO accountability partners, you did that whole burpee challenge while your loser sister [just joking, Leslie Su - I love you!] dropped out."

I follow through on my stuff. How about letting me know I have inspired you?! Am I talking to an empty room because the echo in here is scaring my dog!

Burpee Challenge

Ask me what day it is and I know. Because I challenged my immediate family to a burpee challenge. My middle sister who has a February birthday thought it would be a good idea to start it straight away. February, afterall is the shortest month.

A burpee is a decent exercise that involves a push-up and a squat thrust. The idea was one on the 1st, four on the 4th, you get the hint. So today is the 27th. And on day 11 I completely forgot to do them. So on day 12, I did 23. And on day 22 I only did  7. So guess what I did on day 23? 38! And my middle sister who had this great idea to start in in February quit on day 16. The rest of my family???? Crickets. Yes - I am talking to an echo in the room. And the echo is mine.

So here we are at the end of the month and Miss Janie is is RELIGIOUS with her burpees. Am I getting any satisfaction out of this? Well yes I am.

Moving on from the burpee challenge that only yours truly is sticking to, I decided to run in one race per month. I proudly came in second in my age group in my most recent race. This is not just about running. Because since I was 26 [and  Iam almost 29], I have run 6 days a week. But now, this is about running competitively.

So when the new year sprang, I chose to run fast in a race/month. And I am well on my way.

Not a PR but second in my age group at a 7:40 pace. Someone in my immediate family has to be talented in running. We just don't know who.


And the more I have given thought to my girlfriend Liz's blog comment, the more I have thought about the inspiration that is much needed.

Here is what I advise you do to get in shape:

Do you have a song that gets you moving?

You know that song that gets you out into a dance move??

Well, download that song. And think about other songs that do the same thing.

Now wake up in the morning and jog to those songs. Or run to them. Whatever you can do. Just go for 30 minutes. I don't care if you jog for 30 seconds and walk for 1 minute. Just keep going. Aerobic activity is all about moving to the music.

See if that helps. Give it a try. I want to inspire someone. Anyone! I am here for you. Although I do love running by myself and always have.

Here we are doing the Valentines Day 5K in the bitter cold Wisconsin weather.

Beazy on the sidelines waiting for her favorite runner to run by. Oops! She decided to chase after her when she saw her!

A Daunting Comment About Weight

While I think this is a crappy, no-frills kind of blog, I was disheartened when my dear old friend whom I share the happiest and funniest memories with shared her struggle with weight loss in a comment to me last week.

So I first want to apologize. Please accept my apologies. I would never look at someone who I know is working hard to lose weight and accuse them of being lazy.

I'm also surprised that anyone really reads what I say because I get about two comments a day from some another country trying to advertise their rugs or fake Prada bags.

First I want to say that when I write about a healthy lifestyle, Liz's situation is not one that crosses my mind. [Which she points out to me] And her comments have stuck with me since I read them. The people I refer to are the ones who say "I need to lose xx pounds" but eat wings and drink beer and don't do jack squat and then complain about their health conditions - bad knees, high glucose levels, having to drive somewhere that is walkable due to lack of energy. These are the people I wonder about.

I also get very irritated when the same people who tell me they want to get fit make excuses for why they can't alter their habits just slightly. For example, not being able to train for 10K because it's raining out is just such a poor excuse.

My boyfriend and I are unusual with our exercise regimens. He - training for an ironman. Me - a sheer dedication to maintaining my daily runs. However - in his running world, where he is friends with elite runners and is considered sub-elite in many races doesn't see our exercise pattern as anything unusual.

And while I planned to blog in February about my goals and challenges, I wanted to address Liz's comment.

I am sorry. I would never think of you as lazy, Liz. Or anyone out there who cares about their health and does something about it.

It is true that eating some fresh fruits and veggies and exercising are not going to result in a size zero. But I can say that for me, I have maintained a healthy weight as an adult. The mileage I get in every week and the amount of "real food" I eat have to be a huge factor here. Genetics? Who knows. And who's to say I won't be blogging about cancer in a few years? All I can do is what I know works for me.

My goal is to inspire. Not deflate. If I could get everyone reading this blog to run four miles every morning, I would. But sadly, my attempts at getting people to put their ass in gear have failed over and over. That's not to say that the Liz's in this world aren't trying.

I value your comments and hope to see more of them about this topic besides some guy from another continent trying to get me to advertise his discounted rugs.

Until then, I leave you with a photo of my extremely athletic dog.

Cash Rules Everything Around Me!

This Wyclef song was a very big hit back in 2008. That was the year I decided that Janie needed to move to Madison.

I'm a tell you
Like you told me
Cash rules everything around me
Singing dollar bill y'all

So the chorus goes.......

It's a sad song. And so was the weekend that I decided to move. Not because moving was sad. But because staying was not an option. So when this song blasted in my friend's car as we visited the College, I knew I was young and needed to live it up. And I wasn't.  It took me a very long time to get over the whole college thing. I was still having dreams I was there not long ago. And I was given a "redo." You know - a "do-over?" Well - forget it.

Because I would much rather be where I am now. Leaving work and taking off my bra by 6. Getting up at 6 AM and hitting snooze a few times before hitting the gym.

Would you believe that this lady used to smoke and drink hard? But as my friend says, "I can't just have one drink." You know what?? Neither can I. And it's time I admit that.

Why waste the calories on one drink when I know I am going to booze a little? It's ok. I am ok. I am not an alcoholic. I check on with myself to make sure I am ok and will not have a hangover.

But moving on. What it's all about is photos.

These are my two nephews. Aren't they adorable? Rudolph is holding Frosty the newborn snowman. I am adamant about not exploiting children. And so that's why you will never see them.

 

Here's a photo of Tattoo Tim and Me

One of my best friends from college. She'll kill me for posting this. Oh well!

 

One of my favorite sisters.

 

 

 

My other faves!

 

Paul Simon. My Dad

 

 

Enough photos for now. Cash does not rule everything. You see, debit cards really do. And speaking of, our new dog, Beazy got spayed yesterday. And while I asked them to "trim around her eyes" They decided to trim her snout. And now our dog looks like a duck billed platypus.

 

 

Our cutie angel face and her adorable brother [Beazy is on the left].

 

She now looks like this:

 

 

Oh well! Enjoy the show, folks.

 

Tattoo Tim has started training for the ironman and I am pretty pumped about it. Stay tuned for my goals. And maybe his down the road.

 

 

Rejuvenate with the Juicer!

Well it is official. I am in love. I am totally head over heals. Obsessed. If I have not made it clear enough to you since the start of this whole blog thing - I love to be healthy. And I am in love with my juicer. I don't know what it is about it but it's just so fun. I think it combines my passions which are cooking/baking in the kitchen with my other passion of being healthy.

You can just throw together anything you want - kale, apples, lemons, cucumbers, spinach, romaine - really you name it - and drink it up!

Here is what I experimented with yesterday:

[I always have to have a lot of ice water after I run. And yes - that is my bathroom. I drink while getting rid of my Jew fro luscious curls so I can look like a WASP coastie. ]

 

This drink consisted of spinach, romaine, green apple, celery stalks, lemon and cucumber. I can't wait to force this drink into the mouths of little children. I also included the leftovers from yesterday's juice that didn't get juiced.

 

Today I did a complete fruit juice. Raspberries, green apple, clementine, lemon, and pear all juiced and delicious. I would leave out the lemon next time because it was rather tart.

 

If you look closely you can see yours truly in her bathrobe photographing the juice. Yes - I wear a bright red robe.

 

 

Tomorrow my sister LW and her son JP are flying into town. I have been talking this up to her all week long so we're going to experiment and launch a new blog called "Sister Juices." It's going to be like "Sister Wives," Only we won't be sharing a husband. Just some juicing recipes. Ok - so maybe we aren't launching a new concept together, but we will be juicing the hell out of my juicer.

 

Upon her arrival, I will be launching a real concept to her and my other sister, E & our dad, Bob who my friends in town think looks just like Paul Simon. Sorry, Dad but you do NOT look like Paul Newman. As much as you think you do.

 

Here is my dad and here is Paul Simon:

 

 

 

Bob and his girlfriends....

 

 

Paul Simon. Or is it Bob??!

 

Regardless, I think Paul Simon is more likely to take me up on my burpee challenge and my random juices.

 

Here's to hoping my next post is about the burpee challenge amongst my immediate family members....

 

Cheers! [Sound of spinach/cucumber/kale/kiwi drink clinking glasses].









Juice!

I think it was while I was watching an "Oprah" show when I still liked the show [and it was still on before she purchased the world station] when I saw Kris Carr who was diagnosed with stage IV cancer eight years ago. She was drinking this cocktail of all fruits and veggies. I always wondered what this concoction was like? I had no idea that you needed a juicer.

I get really hooked on reading anything about "whole living" or "raw foods" or healthy lifestyles. When Dateline was featuring their little story about Al Roker having a little "duty" in his underwear after his bypass surgery, he was seen drinking one of these green drinks.

"I have always wanted to drink a ton of fruits and vegetables," I told Tattoo Tim on Sunday night, 1/6/2013.

"We need a juicer for it," he told me.

"We do? I just thought we threw it in the blender." I said

"I have been wanting one," Tatoo Tim said.

"Great! I'll get one!"

And 30 minutes later, I placed our order via Williams Sonoma for this baby! A Breville Juice Fountain Plus.

 

On 1/10/2013, it was here!

My new hobby!

 

 

Not only have I been juicing, I've been reading, researching and even literally dreaming about this thing. Honest to God, I had a dream about my beloved juicer last night.

 

First I watched a documentary called Fat Sick and Almost Dead. Joe Cross was 309 pounds when he juiced for 60 days and shed some major pounds. The documentary style is nothing more than a Michael Moore film. There are two things I really loved about the film.

 

1) Joe Cross is a very successful Australian businessman and he goes out of his way to help others. He's simply a really nice dude. He could be a cocky a-hole but he's not.

 

2) He helps a 429 pound obese truck driver completely redo his lifestyle and it made me think a little differently about obese people.

 

The other thing I love about my Breville Juice Fountain Plus is that coincidentally, this is the juicer Joe Cross uses in the film.

 

While I do not need to do a juice fast, I feel better about loading up on all these nutrients. I am always focused on getting the recommended fruit/veggie serving, there's nothing like drinking a glass full of spinach, kale, apples and pears. And it tastes good.

 

I'm still experimenting with various combos. I am currently sipping on a kale/apple/carrot blend.

 

 

Oh Yummy! I can't wait to make my dad try this!

 

 

 

And I had a juicing crisis on day 2. My food pusher got jammed and I could not get it out. After doing a lot of online research, I found the best way to get it out is to call a man. Now while this goes against one of my original rules, I like to do things fast. [Tim was out of town, by the way]. My girlfriend came over and tried peanut butter and warm soapy water. She had another idea while I dialed a dude and he came over and pulled it apart in 5 seconds. So the moral of this story is to rely on a man when needed for handy work. They were both rewarded with a carrot/pear/apple juice from the Breville and a homemade lemon square made by yours truly.

 

My life sure is exciting these days, isn't it? So now that I have posted twice in 2013 [!], I really, really hope I have inspired you to eat your fruits and veggies and get your heart rate up.

 

Once my family is up for it, I am going to hit them up for a burpee challenge. An idea I got from a friend!

 

 



Janie is STILL in Madison, Wisconsin

Four and a half years later, Janie is still in Madison.

Here are the top ten reasons I love it:

1) It's a University town which means we have a decent amount of jobs.

2) I can take the bus to work for free.
3) Taking the bus means I hardly ever have to get gasoline!
4) It's a runner's town

[This race was on 1/1/13 at about 7 degrees. I don't know these dudes]

5) Madison is so compact. Even if you do need to drive somewhere, it's close and we have NO traffic. [C'mon you natives and quit complaining! I lived in Boston, people!] 6) People embrace all things outdoors - even in the winter!

[Bet you didn't know I am a HUGE hunter!]

7) There are dog parks everywhere.

And snow shoeing rocks!

8) B-Cycle. Even this scaredy cat has biked to and from work on Trek's bike.
9) All restaurants I frequent source to local farmers = less globalization. Keep the bill here, people. And I am eating real food.
10) There is just SO much to do here and it's all so easy to get to.

So I discovered during our 2012 blizzard that I couldn't run outside.

See our lovely capitol during the blizzard? Yes, I was outside!

What's this little runner girl to do? Our new building has no gym! So I walked over to the gym that was open thanks to the man who slept on a massage table with his dog to ensure they would be open and joined!

And now that it is a new year, I am sure YOU are reading this [all 12 of you], setting your 2013 resolutions.

While I don't recommend going from 0 - 60, I will give you my diet/exercise tips.

Here I am now:

[Photo courtesy of  MEG]

And I decided not to post a fat photo of me from college which I like to block out. And by fat, I was like "average."

But you need to start somewhere. Burgers and french fries with some desserts just aren't going to cut it. So I still wonder all of the time how so many obese people allow themselves to get where they are. And not just obese people, but people with bad genes who are overweight.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how I feel after I run. Don't you feel good after you exercise?

The formula is so easy. Eat right and exercise. If you aren't exercising, choose something - anything to do. Anything that sounds fun. Even if it's a walk outside for 30 minutes every day. Do you get a minimum of five fruits and veggies a day? Add that in. That's a start. Give it a try. It's that simple.

If you aren't exercising/eating fruits and veggies a day, I want to know why. Wouldn't you rather have energy and feel good?