I'm Up!

I'm here, I'm up, but my body does not want to cooperate! After a fun filled summer, and shoving my exercise and eating to the side, my body did not want to get up this morning. That was not how I intended my summer to go. I had every intention and motivation to get up early, exercise every day, and keep track of every single calorie. But, enough of dwelling on the past. The important part is, today is a fresh start. And I was up at 5:45, unwilling exercising. Give me a few days and the routine will easily be back. Are you excited Becky, to finally have someone to do this challenge with!

Just when I thought you were all self sufficient without me!

Ladies I'm sorry you guys are all lost and confused. Last Sunday right before I went off grid I put up THIS post but I guess many of you didn't read it! And I put up a challenge at the top of the blog! Did any one see that and do it....get a head start if you didn't because there will be a challenge this round that has something to do with that.

I had no idea there were questions because I was enjoying life in mountains and getting some serious outdoor exercising in. So since most of you didn't keep points for the last week....except for maybe Becky and myself I will give you all a fresh start tomorrow, but for most of you reading this it's probably Monday! SO START TODAY!!!!!

I seriously was off grid for 7 days and have not read any post or comments yet but you bet I will....by the end of this week. I'm still in California enjoying the last day with my family and then I'll be traveling home on Tuesday. I can't wait to hear what you've all been up too. I've got some really fun stuff to share but I'm going to start with this special shout out to Alicia.




Alicia shame on you for holding out on us....Just kidding. I drove by this place and thought that I had to take a shame on you picture.

Get going girls....this will be a two week challenge....all rules apply!

A 45 Calorie Treat

My husband, Matt, loves popsicles. Like, really really LOVES them. He often reminisces about the days when we lived in Utah and could get Pace bars at Macey's and he'd eat the whole bag in two days. Don't even get me started on the otter pop wrapper mess! I banned them from the house because they were making me so angry!

Popsicle lovin' might be a Carlson family trait. I remember my first trip to visit Our Fearless Leader in NYC. We went in practically every corner market in Brooklyn one night in search of these special, delicious fruit bars/popsicles that the Queen Vee loved. I can't remember what they were called, but they were really yummy!

Yesterday Matt cycled his first century, and I wanted to get him a little treat that wouldn't blow my calories. I picked up a box of these. Now, I'm not that into popsicles, I'm more of an ice cream kinda girl. But I have to say that 45 calories worth of this popsicle is way more satisfying than 45 calories worth of ice cream. And so I recommend to you Dreyer's (Edy's) fruit bars. The strawberry ones are amazing, and for 45 calories, it's a treat that can fit into everyone's calorie budget.

Next Challenge??

Does anyone know when the next challenge starts? I thought it was Monday, but I haven't seen the current one come to a close.

Vibrams update

Hi Ladies! I have missed you. Although I have been stalking the blog, I haven't spoken up much. Do you ever feel like you have so much going on in your head that you can't put it all into words? I feel that way often. I wish I could have Becky be my scribe and organize my thoughts.

So right now my thoughts are on my Vibrams. I have been having a BLAST training in them for the half marathon next month. They just feel so good on my feet. A couple of weeks ago my husband and running partner started having pain on the tops of their feet. My wonderful friend, the running partner, has had to take the past two weeks off completely. It really stinks! We decided that perhaps we are putting too many miles on the Vibrams, too quickly. In order to be prepared, I ran down to Road Runner Sports to grab a pair of normal running shoes. My thoughts on this were if I could finish training in regular shoes, then I could resume the Vibram training after the race, and go at the pace that I needed to go, and eventually run a half in them.

After a complete foot analysis, I walked out of the store with a pair of Newtons, custom inserts, water bottle, socks, and a bill for 260 dollars. (And a very pale husband). The good thing about this store is that they have a 60 day return policy, and you can run on the shoes outside. I figured I could try it and return them if it wasn't a good match.

I ran on the Newtons all week, and am sad to say that I will be returning them tomorrow. I liked the Newtons because I didn't have to change my running method at all, but they hurt my feet.

Sad.

I had such hopes for them.

I ran out a mile yesterday in the Newtons, and they hurt so bad that I took them off, turned around on the trail, and ran home barefoot. After about 30 strides barefoot, the pain subsided and I felt great for the rest of the mile. As soon as I got home, I boxed up the shoes, and hung them on the door to take back. I still had more miles to do, so later in the day I put on the vibrams and finished out my miles, happily.

So what does this mean? I think I have weird feet. I also think my husband will be happy to have his 260 dollars back. We struck a deal, my husband and I (I think he felt bad the shoes didn't work out, but he must have also been relieved) ...he agreed to support me any way he could...which means feet massages every night. It really does help...I think he is the secret to my success. Hopefully it will really be success, and my feet will hold up to the training I am going to put them through over the next month.

What is your experience with running shoes?

Do you have a pair that makes your feet feel "like butter" (in the trainer momma's words)?

I have never found a pair that feels like that, until the vibrams. I just don't know how good they are for my feet, but they feel SOOOO GOOD!

Is it proper to ask you to pray for my silly feet?

Thanks girls for listening to my jumbled brain. You are all amazing.

Two weekends ago, my husband and I got to sneak away to New York and enjoy a weekend together. It just so happened that they closed Park Avenue for the morning so we got the street to ourselves...no crazy taxi drivers allowed. It was so much fun!! They had free bike rental for an hour, so we nabbed a couple and cruised up to Central park for a while. After we returned the bike, we ran 6 miles to the Brooklyn Bridge. That's what I call a vacation.

Slacker

August has been a month of slacking and that's why I'm saying "Come on September! You can't come soon enough!"

Here's how I've slacked:

1. Water. I've swum in it, watered with it, washed in it, but haven't drunk much of it.
2. Veggies: the on the road/ on the go mentality has pushed these good guys off to the sidelines. {Although I did manage to eat a salad at the mega amusement park the other day. Guests aren't allowed to bring their own food}
3. Exercise: while I've been walking a ton, I haven't been planking, doing push ups and sit ups or lifting weights.
4. Vitamins: does it count if I've eaten the kids' gummy ones?

What has been amazing to me about this month is how little time it took to lose the benefits of lifting and toning compared to how much time it took to get there.

After a full month of slacking, I am ready to reclaim my house, my routine and my sense of well being.

P.S. The funny thing about slacking is that I've not been a couch potato at all. Couch potatoes have time to make good food. Rather, I've been on the go since July 31st. I just liked the visual.

Those Gorgeous Fabulous Healthy Wives

I don't want to steal the thunder away from the last two posts below this one, so if you haven't read them please do so.

I'm heading out the door this morning to meet up with Samantha at Lucketts for a bit of shopping but wanted to get these pictures posted before I left. They've been sitting in my camera for 3 weeks now and last night I finally down loaded them.

Alicia your choice of the Blue Lemon Restaurant and Bistro in Highland Utah was an excellent one even though it was a bit of a drive for some of you. I will definitely go back there on my next visit to Utah.

First to arrive were Jill, Samantha and Julie

Dragonfly (Samantha), Jill and The Queen Vee

The sun was shinning on all of us but particularly on Alicia

Jill, Cammy and Jenn......3 really cool ladies

Accept No Substitutions

First car
First cell phone
First plane ride
First bike
First kiss
First child

First Pair of Official Running Shoes - formally fitted to your stride, purchased at a running-shoes-only store, where the sales guy knows exactly what he's talking about.

Oh, life can be sweet!

Ride like the wind, Bullseye! Hello 5K Walk/10K Run!

My Relationship With Butter

Butter was the ever-present seasoning agent in my home growing up. Each home has one. For some it's ketchup, for some it's garlic, for some it's Tabasco sauce, for us it was butter. We put it on everything. Every veggie, every carb, even sandwiches. My parents have the horribly unhealthy habit of buttering all their sandwiches! It's a PB&J&B or a BLTB. Turkey on rye, hold the mustard, extra mayo, extra butter. Did anyone else's parents do this? Is it a generational thing?

Then I went away to college. Unlike most freshmen, my eating habits changed drastically for the better. In fact when my roommate (my best friend from high school) and I went home for the summer, she had gained 10 pounds and I had lost 10 pounds. Everyone said, "Oh, Kristen, you look so greaaaaaaaaaat!" UGH! I was devastated! But that's a whole 'nother story. (Bitter? Table for one? Right this way please...)

Anyway, that's when I stopped eating butter. They didn't keep it on the tables at the Cannon Center, and I never bothered to get up and look for it. And you know what? I never missed it. The only thing I butter now is toast (if I don't have any avocado on hand) and baked potatoes. Honestly, I'm not eating a whole lot of either of those things anymore.

The problem is, I don't really want my kids to get into the habit of buttering veggies but naked veggies aren't exactly appealing to the sippy-cup set. So I'm taking a page from my best friend from high school's mother, Pat. Pat used to put a chicken bouillon cube in with her frozen veggies when she cooked them. It adds flavor without fat. I use this trick with all green veggies, but it's especially good with broccoli and asparagus. Try it, and let me know what your kids think.

The 5K

I am so bad about remembering to take pictures. Unfortunately this is the only one I have and I look terrible in it. At least Jenn looks cute. This is Jenn and I just before the race started, taken with my phone.


Here is my 5K experience in all its glory.

I didn't sleep well the night before, I kept dreaming about racing old ladies. Why everyone at the race in my dreams was an old woman I will never know but they were. Also, I must have been worried about sleeping in because I woke up every 20 minutes from 5:00 on. It was kind of a relief to have the alarm go off so I could get up and get ready.

Jenn(ifer) and I carpooled to the park for the race. When we first got there we wondered if we had gotten the wrong day or were the only ones signed up because there was no one there. Fortunately as we drove around a little longer we found where we needed to go. We waited around for an hour for the race to finally start (it started about 15-20 minutes late because there were so many last minute registrants). When the race did finally start we didn't realize it at first. I didn't hear a horn or a whistle or anything so it wasn't until people around us started moving that we realized what was going on. The race was a little over two laps around the park with two major hills we would have to conquer twice. We started on a downhill stretch and then it was right into the first hill. We hadn't done any hill training for this 5K and Jenn was having a harder time recovering from them so she let me go ahead. I don't run with music even when I run alone so it was easy for me to just keep going and settle into a rhythm. I tried to keep my pace steady regardless of whether I was going up, down or flat. I actually felt really good even with the hills. I have to say I was kind of annoyed with a couple running by me. To quote MamaNut they kept playing "tortoise and hare" with me. They would run just long enough to get about 10 yards ahead of me and then walk until I passed them, then they would repeat it again. This lasted until the the first hill on the second time around. I kept my pace steady as I ran up and didn't see them again until the finish line 7 minutes after I crossed it (yes I am gloating!) The rest of my run was pretty uneventful I just ran at a steady pace and tried to enjoy everything around me. I finished with a time of 38:15. I know, not exactly Speedy Gonzales but it's a great starting point that I hope only improves with future races. I felt really prepared for this race which was so invigorating. I felt like a runner, I felt like an athlete. It was fun and I honestly can't wait to do it again.

So what did I do to celebrate this fantastic accomplishment? Jenn and I went to breakfast at The Original Pancake House. Mmmm it was fantastic food and I ate more than I should have but it was good and I am not going to feel guilty about it.

Did you think I forgot?

Oh yeah! Time to post those points. I bet you thought I forgot but I didn't. I've been enjoying crazy family time here in California.

So, who is it? I actually did pretty good this challenge, completing both extra challenges, and my 30 point bonus challenge. If Becky rocked this one out I'm sure she set the two week record since there were two bonus'.

Now, there is a good chance I'm not going to have internet access for the next five days. I'm headed to the Sierra Nevada mountains where I grew up. It's going to be relaxing and nostalgic. This is were I was first born and after we left spent many summers. I'm excited to take my boys there and enjoy some hiking, swimming, fishing and a long awaited trip to Yosemite.

So who ever the lucky winner is don't worry, I'll get your picture up.

We start another challenge Monday keep it up ladies! You're all doing a wonderful job.

So Many Choices But Only So Much Energy and Time.

Along with many of you I have been participating in Cats 120 mile challenge this summer. It's been a lot of fun and is now very satisfying to know that many of us will complete the challenge goal and some of us are going beyond it....way to go Healthy Wives! It was fun to do this challenge because it was ongoing for 3 months and fairly simple only requiring that you do your miles and keep track of them.

I took a peek at Cats next challenge and as I read about it I thought, "Hey this looks a lot like what Audrey has going on over at Healthy Wife." It has been said that imitation is the highest form of flattering so do feel flattered Audrey. Because the challenges are similar I suppose it would be easy to participate in both of them at the same time but that's a lot of numbers to keep track of so, I think for myself, I'm just going to stick with the Healthy Wife challenge. I don't know about you, but the months from September-December are very crazy and hectic for me, I know that I will need to keep my fitness/health routine simple and doable during those months if I want it to continue to be part of my life and particularly if I want to be a HAPPY wife!

We are all blessed to have so many great choices in our lives on a daily basis and it is hard, when sometimes, we have to choose between several great options.

Vacations, Great Weather, and Vitamins

Vacations can really screw up your desire to live a healthier life. Thank goodness this trip I remembered to bring my vitamins, thanks to their convenient little packages.

The other thing I brought was my GPS watch. That way when I go on my early morning walks with my mom that I know how many miles I'm going...plus I'm trying to add in more running and I want to know how I'm doing.

The weather here in California is so wonderful. I can hardly believe I don't get blasted with heat and humidity every time I walk outside. I love not sweating when I'm sitting in the shade talking with my family. My kids are worn out from swimming all day and love that they don't have to do anything but go in the back yard to do so...they were also amazed that we went to the park. PARK is a four letter word in the summer to me.

I hope that as things are getting that little bit crazier as we wind down summer and fall right in to school that you are keep things in track.

Miss you guys! Can't wait to get everyone back on board!

When Do You Become An Athlete?

Merriam Webster defines athlete as "a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina." I've been getting in pretty good shape, but I don't think I'm an "athlete" yet. Not by a long shot. To me, athlete implies not just physical fitness, but also participation in some kind of competition. But how often, and what kind?

I was thinking about this as I was swimming laps today. I did 1/2 mile in 24 minutes. A mile, 5280 feet, is 1609.344 meters, so a 1/2 mile is about 800 meters. The women's Olympic record for 800 meters is 8:14.10. Yeah, I'm super-slow in comparison. Should I set a goal of a 12-minute half-mile? Could I be an athlete then?

What are your thoughts? What makes an athlete?

Thoughts on mirrors

Over the past two weeks, I've had the chance to look at myself in those bendy carnival mirrors several times. I have a few thoughts on these mirrors and on mirrors in general. The most obvious: those carnival mirrors distort the truth. In one, I'm Gumby-taffy long, in the other I'm short and squat like Fred Flinstone. They're funny because our image is so obviously distorted. But then again, don't all mirrors distort the truth. "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face." (1 Corinth 13:12) And even without the help of a mirror, we often distort the truth all on our own.

Think of the time we would save and the worry we could avoid if there were no reflective surfaces?! That said, I have at least 15 mirrors in our house, five of them full-body length (those five came with the house).

Narcissus wasted away admiring his beauty in the pond, losing his chance at love with Echo, forever.

"I have a great body and sometimes go months without looking at it in a mirror" approximate quote, Phil, Groundhog Day

In Snow White, the evil Queen's death by food poisoning all started with an unhealthy obsession with her magic mirror.

Mirrors are a great place to write your "to do" list and love notes to your kids and husband (dry erase marker); the writing obscures the image and puts into focus what matters most.

“Look in a mirror and one thing's sure; what we see is not who we are.” Richard Bach

Ms.Thunder Bumper's Challenge: Measurements

Did you think I would forget? Nope. Even in all my craziness to get ready for my next trip I haven't given up on this challenge or my favorite Healthy Wives.

So here is the challenge. For a big 20 points I want you to take your measurements. Keep them to yourselves.

For some of us the scale might not move very quickly and measurements may be the only place we see are hard work.

If you were around when we had this challenge before it's a great time to see how things are going. For those of you that didn't do it before I promise this is a great thing to do!

SO DO IT! YOU HAVE UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN THIS CHALLENGE ENDS.

The Final Countdown

My it has been quiet the last few days on here. I guess everyone is busy with last minute vacations and plans before school starts. Speaking of school starting there are less than two weeks before school starts here. I don't know about the rest of you but this summer seemed to fly by insanely fast. So fast in fact that my 5k kind of snuck up on me. I just registered today, and not a moment too soon either since it is this Saturday!

I am feeling pretty excited and mostly prepared but I just thought I would get some advice from the experts seeing as so many of you have done some racing recently. (honestly, I haven't run in a 5K race since high school so any words of wisdom would be welcome.)

My goal for this race is to run/jog the whole thing and I feel confident that I will be able to do just that even with the hilly terrain. I have my running shoes laced up and ready to go.

Am I a Runner? I think so.

Blackberry Frozen Yogurt and Lowfat Cream Cheese Fruit Dip Whipped Topping

Blackberry Frozen Yogurt
Mmm, mmm, good. Ingredients:

32oz. tub of lowfat or fat-free vanilla yogurt.
1-1/2 cups frozen blackberries

Remember the full instructions for countertop ice cream makers? After I heated the berries in the microwave about 30 to 45 seconds, instead of pureeing them in the blender I just added them straight to the yogurt. I saved back about 1/4 cup to add to the last five minutes of processing, so there would be pieces of blackberries in the frozen yogurt. This ice cream has a slightly tangy flavor. That's the yogurt talking. Oh, and it has 82 calories per 1/2 cup if you use fat-free yogurt.

See, the kids liked it!

P.S. How could I forget?!! I made a lowfat cream cheese topping to go with it. The ingredients are:

4 Cups Light Whipped Topping (like Cool Whip)
1-1/2 Cups fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 8oz. package of fat-free cream cheese

Makes 4-1/2 Cups, 62 calories per 1/4 cup, or 31 calories for 2 tablespoons (not bad!!)

First whip the cream cheese with beaters to get it smooth and creamy. Slowly add the yogurt and blend it in to the cream cheese. Then add the whip cream and blend. The whipped topping will lose it's fluffines, so you only wind up with 4-1/2 cups of dip/topping, but it's still delicious!

The teenagers have been eating this like crazy with apple slices. Yum!

Happy Birthday Sue

Love this photo of Sue and her hubby that I swiped off of her Facebook page.

Sue, your hubbies not with you today and neither are any of us but we want to wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY. With your dedication to the Healthy Wife Happy Life challenge you've met some hard earned goals and can now eat that cake today without feeling a bit of guilt so enjoy every bite, you've earned it.

You are one amazing fantastic beautiful funny woman, it was a "Happy Day "when you were born and came into all our lives!

I love my gadgets!

I love kitchen gadgets. I'll buy about anything that may make my life easier or help me make yummy food that I want to add into my repertoire.

So I had a couple of recipes that I wanted to try out and did but they didn't work as well as I wanted. I needed a grill pan. There are just times you need to grill inside and of course I NEEDED IT. So I purchased this grill pan. I love it because it's cast iron but already seasoned. Clean up is pretty easy. My favorite thing to do is cut lots of vegetables lengthwise, toss with olive oil and salt and grill. Then i put my bread, I've been using a Ciabatta baguettes, on the grill to toast it, spread a little pesto on it and fill it up with the veggies! YUMMY! And I get more than my quota of veggies for the day.


My kids even loved this new favorite.

TUNA with FRUIT SALSA
Two Peaches
4 Tuna Steaks (5 to 6 ounces each)
Apricot Preserve
1/2 cup Fresh Raspberries
Cider Vinegar

Halve and pit two ripe peaches and lightly brush the peach halves and the tuna steaks with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook tuna and peaches in skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
Remove peaches; set aside to cool.

Turn tuna and cook 6 to 7 additional minutes. Remove and cover to keep warm.

Coarsly chop peaches.
Heat 2 Tablespoons of Apricot Preserves for 15 seconds in the microwave.
Stir in 1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar. Toss with chopped peaches and raspberries.

Serve with tuna.

Can be served with diagonal sliced green onions as a garnish.

Next time I make this I'll take a picture.